Student showcase - James Hatton takes Monty for a stroll

Recently our first year Animation and Visual Effects students completed their second formally assessed animation exercise. This time the project was to animate a series of walk cycles, combining different character walks into one shot. The brief included sound effects and music, collaborating with sound designers to create a miniature short film.

Many students came up with very imaginative work, understanding that as an  animator it is necessary not just to be technically good but also to be entertaining. Good animation combines creativity with technical prowess - after all, animators are actors with a pencil - or a mouse.

Monty - a green pea with legs - and a great way to learn animation

Above is one of the most successful films - a short submission by James Hatton, titled "Monty's afternoon stroll". It uses the excellent Monty rig by Raveen Rajadorai, a great little free rig, perfect  for learning the essentials of character animation. The action is well timed, funny, tells a short story and has great music and sound effects.

Here at Bucks we encourage all our students to master the technical skills involved in making great animation, but we also want our students to be story tellers as well. Good animation, even at its most simple, should tell a story that engages the viewer. James's film pulls off this trick, taking a basic animation brief and turning it into a charming miniature film.

---Alex

(Editor's Note: For more impressive work done by our students and recent graduates here at Bucks, check out Ben Gray's Moonbeam, and the architectural visualisations of Sabah Masood. Also take a look at the work of Andy Thomas here, see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan.)