BA (Hons) Animation students explore the lives of cats and dogs with Horniman Museum
- Written byChloe Murphy
- Published date 05 September 2022
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As a creative practice, animation is ever-evolving. Bringing together diverse approaches ranging from stop motion and 3D modelling to 2D analogue and digital, animators are trained to use cutting-edge tools and key drawing skills to tell compelling stories through the joy of motion and movement.
At London College of Communication (LCC), our BA (Hons) Animation course supports students to develop their expertise across the entire production process. With a focus on building a broad technical skillset, they’re also encouraged to build industry experience and networks through live projects with external partners that have previously been established with organisations such as Channel 4, MTV, the National Trust and The Royal Society.
Earlier this year, Year 2 students on the Animation Arts pathway were invited to build on a long-standing relationship with Horniman Museum and Gardens by developing short films that celebrated themes relating to its new exhibition, Cats and Dogs. Located in Forest Hill, South London, the Horniman has been exploring issues relating to people, cultures and environments for over a century through the lens of areas as diverse as anthropology, natural history and music - bringing stories to life while engaging with enthusiastic, family-oriented audiences.
Working in groups, students were asked to produce short, family-friendly animations which resonated with some of the major threads of the Horniman's newest exhibition, which invites visitors to explore the scientific, social and cultural role that popular pets play in our world. From studying animal behaviour to examining the relationships between humans and their furry friends, the work produced aimed to encourage visitors to 'see through the eyes of their beloved pets and better understand them and their ways'.
We chatted to one of the students involved in the project, Leonardo De Lazzer, about developing a professional skillset through live briefs, ideating compelling narratives, and the importance of trying things out in order to discover your passion.
Discover Cats and Dogs | Horniman Museum and Gardens
How has your interest in animation grown over time?
I've definitely always loved drawing: ever since elementary school, I'd spend almost every class drawing on my little diary, making stories and characters inspired by (or based on) whatever cartoon or videogame I was fixated on in that moment.
I only realised animation was an actual job I could pursue sometime in early high school, and I made it my goal since then. Studying it at university is already a huge goal reached for me, and I hope to keep it going!
Do you explore a particular theme, area or approach through your creative practice?
I most enjoy creating stories that can mesh fun humour and characters with genuine themes and heartfelt dialogue.
2D animation is what I've been drawn to the most as drawing has always been at the core of my passion, but I'm trying to keep my options open in terms of future projects.
How did you find out about the opportunity to collaborate with the Horniman Museum, and why did you decide to get involved?
The opportunity to create an animation for the Horniman was given to us by our course team, and was presented as 1 of 2 options for the first major project of our second year.
Creating something vibrant for a younger audience seemed like a fun first step towards creating professional animations, and lined up closely to the kind of projects I want to work on moving forward.
What inspired your idea, and how did you develop it?
Our project was a joint effort between me and 2 other classmates, Jahiem Walker and Calix Borrero Diaz.
When given the task to create a story around the specific theme of dogs and cats, we agreed that exploring the relationships we've had with dogs over the years seemed like a fun concept to work on, as well as something that kids would find interesting.
The idea of a bedtime storybook read by a grandma to her grandchild was a sweet idea we thought many kids would relate to. We started off with a huge variety of ideas and potential concepts (including showing about a dozen different dog breeds), but as with all projects, we eventually had to scale it down to fit within the time limit and our own skills.
Dogs with Jobs | Leonardo De Lazzer, Jahiem Walker and Calix Borrero Diaz
What was your role in the project?
After crafting some rough thumbnails, we separated different shots between us as fairly as we could, which gave us an opportunity to work on separate elements individually.
In the end, my shots amounted to a little over 20 seconds of animation, and were drawn and coloured singlehandedly.
We also all chose the shot types and subjects together, so I guess that made us all co-directors!
What were your highlights of the experience?
Getting positive feedback about my dog designs was very satisfying, as all positive feedback is!
Being able to make them move realistically was a big challenge, as quadrupeds can be a bit tougher to animate than us two-legged people, but I'm very proud of how it all came out.
I think the most fun part was probably chatting with my teammates at the start of the project, deciding on the shot types, and having a fun time with the character ideas and setting. In the end, it all came down to teamwork and finding good people to work with!
What have you most enjoyed about your time at LCC so far?
As with everyone else over the past 2 years, my time at LCC has been greatly affected by COVID, but finally getting to interact and work with my classmates in person has definitely been the highlight.
What advice would you have for other students who are interested in exploring animation?
I’d say that you need to be sure of your choice: animation is fun if you like what you're doing, but it's still an enormous amount of work, and the simple truth is you probably won't love all of it. If you're not sure on whether or not you'll like it, take some time to really think about it.
According to my classmates, Foundation years are good for finding out what it is you really want to do. If not, experiment! Try things out by yourself and see what you like best.
And always take care of your body - stretch, go for walks, and have other hobbies. Don’t let your work be your whole life.
Related links:
- Find out more about the Cats and Dogs exhibition at Horniman Museum and Gardens.
- Explore our BA (Hons) Animation course.
- Experience life at LCC through our interactive Virtual Open Day.
