Alumni Magazine Issue 3 Mar 2011.pdf - Arts University Bournemouth

INTERNATIONAL LINKS
GLORY AND
DREAMS IN
ANIMATION
“This amazingly
successful project
has provided
our Animation
students with a
valuable experience
which has already
enhanced their
career prospects”
Five years ago, the
Animation Production
course set up a partnership
with Glory ‘n’ Dream
Digital Animation Studio
in Nanjing, China. After
the success of the first
student work placements
in 2006, a further 12
students were engaged in
pre-production concept
design on animated feature
film Back To The Sea.
This gave the film a vital injection
of fresh design ideas, whilst two
of the film’s main characters
were designed by students
Alex Ward and Ben Thomas.
When production stepped up in
2008/9, six University College
graduates were called to work
on the production stage of the film as
animators and background artists. In
early 2010, the course was successful
in obtaining funding from the British
Council Prime Minister’s Initiative 2 (PMi2)
to send 10 students to the studios in
Nanjing and Shanghai for a one-month
work placement. In addition, two of
our international students benefitted
from a one-month placement. This
amazingly successful project has
provided our Animation students with a
valuable experience which has already
enhanced their career prospects.
Back to the Sea is now in post-production
in Nanjing, Vancouver and Los Angeles
and is due to be screened this year.
Glory ‘n’ Dream Studio plan to continue
this flourishing partnership on their
second animated feature film due
to start pre-production soon.
Aya Suzuki, 2005 Animation
Alumnus, is now working for the
high-profile Japanese animation
studio Madhouse, in Tokyo.
The studio has created such
productions as Tokyo Godfathers
and Paprika. Building on her career
as an animator for Sylvain Chomet’s
recent production The Illusionist,
Aya is forging ahead within the Anime
industry at this prolific studio. She is
currently animating on forthcoming
production The Dreaming Machine.