Aardman Animations / NFTS Character Animation course reel Sept – Nov 2013 from Katie Daniels on Vimeo.
AARDMAN AND NFTS DRIVE ANIMATION INDUSTRY INTERNSHIP SCHEME
UK POWERHOUSEs JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP HOMEGROWN INDUSTRY TALENT
Monday 8th september
Following the success of last year’s inaugural Certificate in Character Animation, Aardman and The NFTS are running the course again this year to meet the growing demand for animators in the UK.
The exciting three-month Certificate in Character Animation course will be taught by industry professionals and led by Loyd Price,Head of Animation at Aardman (Nightmare before Christmas, Chicken Run, The Curse of the WereRabbit, Flushed Away and Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists).
The 12-week intensive course, a scheme which is part-funded by Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Funds,will take place at Aardman’s Bristol headquarters and provide the core practical skills needed to become professional animators. The majority of the course is practical with participants working on animation exercises to improve their skills, knowledge and experience. This will also be supported by animation theory. It culminates in a short character animation sequence – pre-planned and boarded – to showcase the skills learnt during the course.
To further enhance the experience, Aardman have secured a number of industry partners who have signed up to offer workplace internships, which is fundamental part of the investment in and development of animation talent in the UK.Following completion of the course, students will be given the opportunity to apply for practical placements within some of the country’s leading animation and post production companies which include; MPC (Life of Pi, Godzilla, Man of Steel, Guardians of the Galaxy), Factory Transmedia, Lupus Films and Jellyfish. Following the 2013 course, Aardman hired five of the graduates in a variety of different animation roles and hope to have the same caliber of graduates again in 2014.
Loyd Price, Head of Animation at Aardman said: “The first course that we ran here proved very successful with many of the students going on to find work, both here at Aardman and at other UK animation companies. We are now starting to see more animated productions happening in the UK, in both stop-frame and CG and we are continuing to develop the course to allow students to take advantage of the opportunities that this will offer.”
Last Year’s Graduate Showreel https://vimeo.com/81089765
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About Aardman
Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series, advertising and digital entertainment for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions. www.aardman.com
About NFTS
The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is the UK’s centre of excellence for graduate film and TV training (http://nfts.co.uk). The Hollywood Reporter named the NFTS the Number 1 International Film & Television School (2014) and it was voted the world’s best Film and TV School by CILECT – the association of the world’s main film and TV schools (2013).
It selects the most talented people to enter the film, games and television industry at a professional level and has taught the country’s top media talent for over forty years including award-winning graduates Director David Yates (Harry Potter), Cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall), Animator Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit), Composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement) and many other notable talents in the UK film and television industry.
This year already, two NFTS animated student films have qualified for Oscar consideration in 2015: Sleeping with the Fishes, which has also won the BAFTA Best Animated Short Film award, and The Bigger Picture, which has won the Grand Prize at Hiroshima International Film Festival. The Bigger Picture also won the Cristal prize for a graduation film at ANNECY – Europe’s biggest animated film festival. And two films have qualified for the Oscar-qualifying Ottawa Animated Film Festival. Read about other animated film awards here: http://bit.ly/1AQOPw1
About the Skills Investment Funds
The Skills Investment Funds help companies invest in the development of skills and talent in the film, high-end TV, animation, games and visual effects industries in the UK. Managed by Creative Skillset, the Skills Investment Funds attract co-investment from the Creative Industries and UK Government. www.creativeskillset.org/sif
About Creative Skillset
Creative Skillset empowers the Creative Industries to develop skills and talent; it does this by influencing and shaping policy, ensuring quality and by securing the vital investment for individuals to become the best in their field and for businesses to grow. As the industry skills body for the Creative Industries, they work across film, television, radio, fashion, animation, games, visual effects, textiles, publishing, advertising, marketing communications and performing arts. www.creativeskillset.org
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