Basingstoke, March 5th: With its pluridisciplinary approach to film studies and long history, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (CSC), based in Rome, is one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the Cinema field both in Italy and worldwide. Sony and CSC have recently partnered up to further the pursuit of Digital cinema studies, with the acquisition of a Sony VENICE camera kit to provide students with state-of-the-art technology for their classes and production projects.

The CSC has always been at the forefront of cinema studies, investing in the latest technologies to ensure graduates are equipped with the best knowledge and can draw on all the creative possibilities technology can provide when beginning their career. The Cinematography course has seen names of paramount importance pass through, such as: three times Academy Award winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro; BAFTA winning Giuseppe Rotunno; cinematographer and founder of IMAGO Luciano Tovoli.

Mr Adriano De Santis, Director and Dean of the School Department, said “here at the CSC, we are continuously striving to deliver the best quality teaching and education around films, to each and everyone of our students. The technology partnership project with Sony will allow us to enhance our internal offering in order to better develop skills and knowledge of future generations of professionals and maintain the CSC's reputation at the highest level in the world.”

Mr. Giuseppe Lanci, Artistic Director of Cinematography courses, commented: “In my position, I am committed to the continuous evaluation of state-of-the-art technology in order to offer students hands-on experience with the tools they will find on set. With this objective in mind, I welcomed the acquisition of VENICE, also having observed its evolutionary path and wide adoption in the most prestigious international productions.”

VENICE has become a first choice for digital movie production. As of today, VENICE has been used to capture more than 200 theatrical, broadcast, cable and streaming releases, including Sophia Loren’s return on screen with “The Life Ahead”, HBO’s “The Plot Against America and FX on Hulu’s “Devs” (Rob Hardy).

Sony’s commitment to the continuous development of new creative possibilities for cinematographers is also testified by the collaboration with Technicolor and their award-winning color scientists to create a new “look library” for the VENICE, available online as a resource for creatives wishing to quickly access some of Technicolor’s premier established looks inspired by their cinematic history.

The acquisition of Sony VENICE by CSC was also supported by Sony Professional's Italian partner, Trans Audio Video Srl. The CEO, Marco Brighel, commented: "We are proud to support Sony and CSC in the delivery of a project that aims to foster the educational development of future professionals.”

The partnership between Sony and CSC will also aim to facilitate a closer convergence between technology and its applications; a plan of technical and operative tutoring will allow Sony to constructively interact with CSC teachers - including experienced professionals from the cinema industry - and students, in order to better understand innovation requirements and match the needs dictated by new trends and production models.

Benito Mari, Head of Sales in Italy for Sony Professional Solutions Europe commented: “Thanks to the cooperation with Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Sony Professional can reaffirm its mission of seeking interaction with the real end users of our technology. In this sense the student base of such a high-profile school will undoubtedly create a remarkable added value that we can bring up to our functions of planning and line-up development for the cinema industry.”