Regional RTS awards success for talented Teesside animators

Talented Teesside University animators have been recognised in a student category of the regional Royal Television Society awards.

The students mingled with professional news teams, production crews and well-known stars from television and film to celebrate the region’s media and creative industries at the Royal Television Society (RTS) North-East and Borders awards.

A film by Teesside University students called Sleep Paralysis won the student animation category of the awards, announced in Gateshead. Sleep Paralysis, a short film on the experience of sleep paralysis, was created by Arran Bull, Matt Layfield, Hollis Irving and Remy Turner-Broadhead. The film will now be considered for the national RTS awards, due to take place this summer.

The students all worked on the film while completing their final year of the BA (Hons) 2D Animation and Stop Motion in the University’s School of Computing and Digital Technologies. Arran is now completing the MA 2D Animation and Stop Motion and Remy is completing the MA Concept Art.

Arran said: “It's very surreal to win this recognition and it was great to achieve the award for all our hard work. Going to the awards ceremony was a really fun experience, as was accepting the award with my teammates, who are also my friends.”

He added: “My degree and currently my MA have helped me learn and refine my skills as an animator, as a director and as a team player. It's also helping me learn about the industry so I can be prepared for when I get a job.

“I'm currently developing an animated TV pilot, as most of the MA modules are working towards that one project at different stages of development and production. This will allow me to graduate with a pilot I can pitch to networks and streaming services.”

Arran also worked with Hollis and Matt on a student project during the pandemic to create a music video for Belfast musician Owen Lamont, who approached the University’s animation department earlier this year, seeking help to create an animated video to accompany his track Nobody.

As the student team started work on the project, they were impacted by the lockdown restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The music video has since gone on to gain success with screenings at international festivals.

Two other Teesside University student films were also shortlisted in the animation category of the RTS NETB Awards. They were Wanted, an animated Western style film, by Reece Tilley, Harry Willis, Callum Hall, Josh Smith, along with Tethered, a final year project by Matt Layfield

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