Students on London College of Communication’s BA (Hons) Animation course are emerged in professional activity from the beginning. They are led through the intricacies of the professional world and gain essential industry-based experiences.
Highlighting one such opportunity – a lecture series featuring London-based animation studios Moth Collective and Animade – student Rita De Ataide E Almeida Novais speaks about her professional development and time on the course as our guest blog writer…
Words by Rita De Ataide E Almeida Novais, BA (Hons) Animation student
The connection between our studies and professional life is thoroughly established at LCC and repeatedly brings forward exciting experiences. One of these was a series of lectures organised by our BA (Hons) Animation course, delivered by a number of renown animation studios based in London and by the London International Animation Festival. These lectures granted us the opportunity to speak directly with the founders and animators of Moth Collective and Animade, giving us the notion of how an animation studio is formed and successfully grows.
They explained to us how they handle the workflow in their studios, how their work ethic is achieved and how their projects are developed in correspondence with the clients. Furthermore, the director of the London International Animation Festival revealed to us how the festival came to be, its progression and organisation, giving us a peek on how an animation festival is created. He also screened some of the rewarded shorts, which were not available publicly at the time.
In addition, tutors have a network of contacts which they bring to the course. Actor Ross Mullan, who starred in Game of Thrones as the White Walker, has visited to give us acting workshops in order to help us develop our characters. Also, the tutors are constantly sending us live briefs and work experience opportunities, such as working for CNN, Disney and the V&A Museum of Childhood, among others.
Presently in my second year I have been working on client briefs as part of the course, leading to the development of my professional skills and experience. I have been given the opportunity to exhibit my work at the Horniman Museum, at the Image and Science Film Festival and at LCC’s own exhibition ‘Beyond 2001: New Horizons’, an exhibition exploring work inspired by the Stanley Kubrick Archives, which we have access to as they are currently held at London College of Communication.
We are now working on a collaborative project with the Barbican Centre led by acclaimed composer Max Richter in which we are producing animations that will be screened in conjunction with a concert at the Barbican Centre, which is very exciting.
This professional practice has given me a better notion of industry work and it has brought me confidence and experience for my own work. I can now say I am a young professional.
Words by Rita De Ataide E Almeida Novais, BA (Hons) Animation student
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