International Student Animation Competition launched in Middlesbrough

Budding student animators from around the world will have the opportunity to show off their skills with the launch of a new, free to enter, international animation competition, organised by the University of Teesside

The Animex™ Student Computer Animation Awards was launched at Animex™, the celebration of animation organised by The University of Teesside and Middlesbrough Council, on Friday 31 January, 2pm, at the University’s Europa Building, Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough. The winners will be announced during next year’s Animex™ (January 2004).

Guests at this year’s Animex™ were treated to a special talk by Jason Schleifer, part of the Oscar winning effects team at WETA, the geniuses behind the amazing visuals seen in The Lord of the Rings movies. The lead animator on the computer generated character of Gollum, Jason is a great example of what people can achieve with animation.

Open to animation students from all over the world, the competition features awards in several categories:

3D COMPUTER ANIMATION AWARD Sponsored by Alias Wavefront

2D COMPUTER ANIMATION AWARD Sponsored by Toon Boom and Pixelution

3D COMPUTER ANIMATION FOR GAMES AWARD Sponsored by Discreet and NVidia

COMPUTER WEB ANIMATION AWARD Sponsored by Macromedia

VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD Sponsored by Leitch Europe

BEST SHORT ANIMATION Sponsored by Maxon and Chromacolour

EXPERIMENTAL ANIMATION AWARD Sponsored by Corel

EDITING AWARD Sponsored by Adobe

SOUND FOR ANIMATION Sponsored by Apple Computers

AUDIENCE AWARD Sponsored by Viglen

The winner of the 'Animex™ Audience Award', will be chosen by the attendee's at next years Animex™ for their overall favourite piece of animation.

Justin Greetham, Animex™ Student Computer Animation Awards organiser, said: “The competition has developed from the animation competition we run for our own students into this major international competition.

“I’d encourage any student animator to take part in our competition, not just for the great prizes, but also for the chance of having their work seen by the industry guests who attend Animex™ every year. We can’t wait to see the entries and see what people have created.”

Contributions currently pledged by our sponsors are currently worth in excess of £12,000. For an up to date list of the prizes available at this year’s Animex™ Student Computer Animation Awards, please visit: www.animex.net/student_awards_prizes.cfm

Entry to the new award scheme is free and open to both UK and overseas students. Any frame by frame or computer assisted animated film or video created by a student between 1 January 2002 and 31 July 31 2003 will be eligible. Send entries to Paul Bunnett, Oasis, School of Computing & Mathematics, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA by Friday 1 August 2003.

More information about the awards scheme is available from Justin Greetham, Senior Lecturer in Computer Animation via j.s.greetham@tees.ac.uk or by telephoning him on 01642 342692

Animex™ has attracted generous sponsorship and support from a range of organisations including Northern Film and Media, ONE NorthEast and Middlesbrough's Community and Cultural Fund (supported by Middlesbrough Council in conjunction with the Streets Ahead Single Regeneration Budget). Other sponsors include Middlesbrough Partnership, festival hotel Guisborough Hall, communications company Onyx Internet and training organisation ClickHere.

For more information on Animex™, visit our website: www.animex.net, email: info@animex.net or call 01642 342678/342653.

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