Lessons From the Animation Workshop

Gateway to The Animation Workshop

At the beginning of January I was back at The Animation Workshop in Denmark, working as a "Censor" or - as we would say in the UK - an External Examiner.

External Examiners exist to maintain standards across higher education and ensure that degree results are fair.

Letter From Denmark - What Can We Learn From The Animation Workshop?

The Animation Workshop, Denmark

The Animation Workshop (TAW) in Viborg, Denmark has become one of the best places to study animation in Europe, with ten students competing for each spot on their character animation course.  I have taught classes there for many years and this year I acted as an external examiner, helping to grade the students on their final year "bachelor films", which were among the strongest student films I have ever seen. So what, exactly, is the secret of their success, and what can we learn from them here at Bucks?

An interview with the Danish creators of The Interview

The Interview

How do you make a great animated short film? Getting a group of students to come together and collaborate on a group project can be tough, but when it works well, the outcome can be much more impressive than a solo project. Students at university tend to get used to working alone, and the discipline and co-ordination required by a group endeavour are hard skills to master. But, if the project is done right, with each person pulling their weight, the results can be stunning.

One of this year's most successful films from The Animation Workshop in Denmark is Interview, a funny and surprising film with a delicious twist. We asked two of its creators, Mikkel Okholm and Mikkel Brons-Frandsen, to talk about how it came about.

Who or what is Erasmus?

Erasmus - the greatest internationalist of the early Renaissance

Erasmus of Rotterdam, usually just known as Erasmus, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. He was also an early European, a respected scholar who studied in many countries and was justly famous throughout sixteenth century Europe.

Today, Erasmus is the name given to a student exchange programme run by the European Union, since 1987. Its official name is The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students. That's a bit of a mouthful, so most folks just call it Erasmus.

What has all this got to do with animation? The answer is, plenty, especially if you are a student who is interested in pursuing opportunities to study overseas.

Space Stallions!

Here is a marvellous short film recently completed by students at The Animation Workshop in Denmark, one of Europe's leading animation schools. It shows what can be done when a group of like-minded students come together with talent, dedication and perseverance, and pool their talents to create a short film.