BA (Hons) Animation Production at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has kicked off the academic year with new additions to its awards cabinet.
Five graduate films from 2024 have come away with prizes from three festivals across the world.
Cameron Campbell won the Outstanding First-Time Animator Award at the Palm Springs International Animation Festival (PSIAF) for Black, White and Invisible Red, which he directed (alongside many other roles).
The film follows a pawn in a game of chess between two aristocrats and its attempt to survive the battle.
On his award, Cameron says, “I am overjoyed and frankly in disbelief. I'm really grateful that the team at PSIAF could appreciate the dedication and hours that not only myself but every member of the team put into bringing this story to life. It means a lot to know the story we told could resonate and intrigue an audience as much as we wanted it to.
“The film was designed to be an allegory for the imbalance between those in authority and those affected by the actions of that authority. Personally, I have found that as each day passes, that idea grows in strength and becomes more globally relatable.
“I think it's very important to use storytelling in any art form to highlight and share ideas and feelings as it creates discussion and thought surrounding topics that might be otherwise hard to put into words. I think that I am always looking to inject story and emotion into my works because of my experience with this film's creation.”
A further three projects were named winners at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle in different categories, including Best Animated Short Film, which went to Is Anybody Out There?
In addition, Meet Me in the Woods was selected for the Best International Film award, while Playing Possum was named Best Stop Motion Film.
It doesn’t stop there either, as another AUB grad film, The Elevator, was selected as a finalist, and was given an honourable mention, at the World University Animation Awards in Hong Kong.
The film was chosen as one of the top 40 in a competition that received nearly 2,000 entries from around 600 universities in 96 countries.
“It has been truly validating to see our graduate film be recognised at international festivals,” says Maryana Lebedeva, producer and 2D animator on The Elevator, who received the award alongside director Oliver Mottram. “Every selection, nomination and award is proof that our hard work has paid off, and we’ve made something that people from different backgrounds enjoy and connect with.
Maryana calls The Elevator “an important milestone”, commenting that working on the project provided “invaluable insights into working with people and planning for unexpected situations.”
“A lot of firsts happened during production; many things had to be learned on the go […] But in the end, it all came together; we have this big project in our portfolio, and we are all better professionals for having overcome all the challenges of production.
Since his film’s festival debut, Cameron Campbell has completed a game art department internship at GAMUCATEX, and become a freelance hard surface illustrator at Goldhawk Interactive, where he works on prop design, and in-game illustrated visuals, including environments and characters.
“I feel like I have grown so much as an artist, and I’m always looking for the next adventure as I look to progress my capabilities in concept design,” he says.
“AUB's Animation Production team is second-to-none. Not only could you develop individual connections with the staff for matters surrounding the course; you're simultaneously hearing from industry professionals and friendly, personable people who are passionate about their skills.
“For me specifically, I joined the course wanting to pursue my love for art and to find a career that I will truly enjoy. The course design allowed me to work in positions across the production pipeline and hone my skills, helping me to understand and develop my passion for concept design and development.”
Meanwhile, Maryana says she’s had a steady stream of freelance work since graduating, focusing her free time around personal work, networking and getting her name out there.
“I chose AUB specifically for its Animation Production programme, and I haven’t regretted my choice,” she says. “I am very glad that the course mixed traditional academic training with more creative assignments that focused on individual expression. Along with software training, insights into industry roles, and a focus on teamwork, the course is very successful at preparing industry-ready professionals, who would be an asset to any animated production.”
