FAQ
Q – Why are your courses free for some people?
A - We receive funding from the Mayor of London to deliver improve digital skills and to provide training and opportunities for those wishing to enter the creative industries. The target for this funding is individuals who live in London, are aged over 19, and have lived in the EU for 3 or more years.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT WE RECEIVE GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO RUN COURSES BUT WE CAN ONLY OFFER THIS TRAINING FOR FREE AS WE DELIVER QUALIFICATIONS. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR COURSE, WE WILL NOT RECEIVE FUNDING FOR YOUR PLACE*
Q – What if I am not eligible for free training?
A – We are always on the lookout for funding to help us deliver free training to as many people as possible. For those that are not funded, we offer extremely good value courses – we are the only training provider in London to offer these qualifications at these prices.
Q – CAN I REPEAT A COURSE THAT I HAVE UNDERTAKEN BEFORE FOR FREE?
A – No, you can not receive funding again to repeat a course that you have already undertaken for free. You can study again if you like, but would need to pay the full course fees.
Q – What COVID-19 precautions have you put in place for your classroom-based learning?
A – We only allow 4 people in our multimedia suite (including the teacher) in order to meet the minimum distance requirements. All learners are required to wear a mask in the building at all times. We have multiple hand sanitisers present in the multimedia suite and we take all learner temperatures via our non-contact laser thermometer upon arrival – any individual who is found to have a temperature will not be allowed admittance to Spotlight Multimedia. Upon arrival you will be seated outside the multimedia suite at a distance and will be told the procedure for entering and exiting the room safely. Our Covid policy and procedures have been implemented in accordance with Havering Council guidelines.
Q - What equipment will I be using on the classroom courses?
A – Each learner has a workstation containing:
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A 21.5” iMac
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Full Adobe Creative Cloud suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere etc.)
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Logic Pro X
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M-Audio MIDI keyboard
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Studio quality headphones
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Graphics tablet
We also have a range of professional filming equipment including;
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH camera body
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Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm / F28 Lens
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Canon Rebel T1i camera body
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Canon 25-50mm varifocal lens
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Rode NTG2 Shotgun Microphone
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Proaim Kit 6CF Rig
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E-Image EI-A21 7” Strong Articulating Arm
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Wondlan Magic Carbon Fiber Handheld Stabiliser
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And more
Q – What are the maximum class sizes?
A - The maximum class size for our online courses is 10 learners, while our classroom-based programmes currently have a maximum class size of 3 learners, due to COVID-19 restrictions. This means that you will have lots of 1-1 time with your expert tutor.
Q – What if I do not like the course and I want a refund?
A – You have until the midway point on each course to notify us that you would like a refund, after this point we can’t unfortunately issue refunds. The midway point is midnight before the start of session 3. A £10 admin fee will be deducted from the refund, which will be issued to the card used for payment.
Q – I have accidentally paid when I am eligible for free training, can I get a refund?
A – We are charged a transaction fee for each payment taken through the website so can only refund £285 if you have made a payment to us accidentally.
Q - Can I change course once I have started?
A – It is essential that you commit to completing the course once started, as non-achievements affect our funding. Once the course has started, course changes are only permitted in special circumstances.
Q – I want to praise your tutors and courses, what do I do?
A – Thank you! Please leave a testimonial on our homepage telling new learners what you liked about your learning experience with Spotlight Multimedia. You can also follow and like our social channels (links on homepage). We appreciate support from our learners to help us grow our community of creatives and to expand our services to as many people as possible.
Q – I want to make a complaint – who do I contact?
A – If you wish to complain, please email admin@spotlightmultimedia.co.uk. Your complaint will be dealt with according to our complaints policy and procedure.
Q – How can I access the course materials used in class?
A – You will be able to access all the course materials that are used in class via Google Classroom, which your teacher will instruct you how to operate.
Q – What is the certification process?
A – Work is assessed (marked) by your tutor to determine whether you have passed or not. It is then internally quality assured to make sure that assessment is consistent and accurate. This process is then externally quality assured by the awarding body (NCFE or Pearson) to ensure that is robust and up to standard. We then claim certificates which are sent to our centre. This whole process can take up to 12 weeks to be completed.
Q – How and when do I receive my certificate?
A – You can receive a free digital copy of your certificate, via email (approx 12 weeks). Certificates are not sent automatically and must be requested. If we have received your certificate back from the awarding body, then we will scan and send to you as soon as we can. If we have not received your certificate back, then we can notify you of approximately when this will be received.
If you wish to own a hard copy of your certificate, you will need to pay £20 for recorded delivery, postage and packaging. To do this, please email admin@spotlightmultimedia.co.uk telling us your full name and what course you completed, we’ll then guide you through the payment process.
Q – Do you provide funding for travel to and from your centre?
A – It is possible for learners to receive funding for public transport usage; this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Please email us at admin@spotlightmultimedia.co.uk to discuss further.
Q - Where does classroom training take place?
A – Our multimedia suite is located at:
Spotlight Multimedia, MyPlace 343 Dagnam Park Drive, Romford. RM3 9EN
Q – What are the minimum technical requirements for online courses?
A – You will need a computer with high speed internet access for all courses, along with the following:
WINDOWS
Processor - Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support*; 2 GHz or faster processor
Operating system - Microsoft Windows 7* with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)**, Microsoft Windows 10*** October 2018 update (64-bit) version 1809 or later
RAM - 8 GB of RAM (16 GB recommended)
Graphics card - nVidia GeForce GTX 1050 or equivalent; nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 or Quadro T1000 is recommended
Hard disk space - 3.1 GB or more of available hard-disk space for 64-bit installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system)
Monitor resolution - 1280 x 800 display at 100% UI scaling with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended
OpenGL - OpenGL 2.0-capable system
Internet - Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services
MacOS
Processor - Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
Operating system - macOS version 10.14 (Mojave), macOS version 10.15 (Catalina)
RAM - 8 GB of RAM (16 GB recommended)
Graphics card - nVidia GeForce GTX 1050 or equivalent; nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 or Quadro T1000 is recommended
Hard disk space - 6 GB or more of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system)
Monitor resolution - 1280 x 800 display at 100% UI scaling with 16-bit color and 512 MB or more of dedicated VRAM; 2 GB is recommended
OpenGL - OpenGL 2.0-capable system
Internet - Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, membership validation, and access to online services
If your computer has been purchased within the last 5 years, it is more than likely that it will be sufficiently powerful to run the appropriate software packages. The best way to test this is to download and install the software; if your computer does not meet the minimum requirements, the software will not download or install. If you are unsure regarding anything to do with minimum system requirements, please email us at admin@spotlightmultimedia.co.uk.
Q - What other software/registrations are required to do online courses?
A – You’ll be required to register for Zoom video conferencing software (free) as this is what we use to deliver our online courses. You will also need a Gmail account to access the course content on Google Classrooms.
Q - What if my computer can’t install the software?
A – You may be able to use a computer at your local library or community centre. If not, you are welcome to join our classroom courses where all of the equipment is provided for you.
Q - What video equipment will I need for the online course?
A – The video production course has been designed to be taught using any video recording equipment that you have, the minimum being a smart phone.
Q - What music production equipment will I need for the online course?
A – You will need a Mac with Logic Pro X installed. We do not currently teach any other music production software packages.
Q - What graphic design equipment will I need for the online course?
A – You will be provided with an Adobe Creative Cloud license for the duration of the course, so you just need to install Photoshop and Illustrator.
Q - What web design equipment will I need for the online course?
A – No specialist equipment or software is required for the web design course. It is taught on WordPress, a free online web design platform. You will need to create an account for this before the course starts.