MDX Animation

News

 

MDX Animation News

The latest news from MDX BA Animation

For more updates follow our facebook page OR check out our instagram where we post current and graduate student work

 

Colour Project: A Foreign Land

For our colour project, Rosie, Arturs, and I were given the colours amber, blue, and rosey. We first thought about where those colours appear naturally, and we came up with the idea of a desert sunset scene. We also wanted to have the heat of the desert create a mirage showing a blue pond. This pond then acted as a portal to a different world in a colourful forest. Because this story was pretty fantastical we decided our main character should be an alien explorer. We all wanted to work in stop motion but had different ideas of style and technique, so we broke the story up into three sections and used the entering and exiting of the water to transition between our individual parts.  I created the character designs digitally that then we all based our individual characters off of. The colours of the character change depending on the environment it’s in, but in order to have some continuity the form and outfit remain the same. This project was very limited in terms of time (only 20 seconds of animation per person) and colour palette, but I enjoyed working within those limitations and think it created a much more vibrant story in the end.

A Wish Beyond Death: Second Year student, Anna-Maria Leventi’s film selected for festivals in Greece and Croatia.

Congratulations to our second year student, Anna-Maria Leventi (instagram: @annamaria_lt99 ) for her film A Wish Beyond Death, being selected for Greece’s Drama International Short Film Festival in the animation category of #nationalschoolcompetition, and Croatia’s Four Rivers Film Festival. A Wish Beyond Death is a short animated film which follows an interview with post man, Mr. Andrew Porter, and his account of what happened to the sand woman.

In a statement, Anna-Maria said " Having the freedom to use whatever medium I wanted whilst having the support of all of the staff was incredible. I was encouraged to use my approach to constructing the images I wanted no matter how complicated the process was, in order to get the result I envisioned. I additionally got help immediately whenever I needed it. The facilities also really aided in the creation of the film as speedy macs were available to use at all times for heavy compositing work and editing simultaneously as well as having enough stop motion spaces to spread out the many hand painted cells, paper animation sequences and sand animations."

Stop Motion Workshop: Identity

Identity (2021) - Arturs Voblikovs

Arturs film has everything you want to see in a super short film. It's funny, has great design, character animation, timing and shot choice. The sound design expertly puts you into the world of the film despite the simple plain background and the characters are engaging through dialogue and design.

Identity (2021) - Rozalie Vanaskova

This is a moving, personal film that beautifully expresses the internal battle of changing emotions. The subtle sound design and slow animation softly draws you in and provides space for intimate dialogue, perfectly punctuated with uncertainty by the last line of the film.

SK8 (2021) - Grace Baker

Animating a stop motion skateboarder is never easy let alone one that morphs in size and shape. Grace managed to pull off a lot of technically difficult things in this film from animation to rig removal to a very high standard. The set is simply designed but looks professional and allows you to focus directly on the character as she tries to evade the obstacles in her path.

Identity (2021) Holly McCann

This is a touching film that communicates the love behind the protective nature of a mother. The music and lighting evoke feelings of tenderness and Holly's experimentation with materials also works really well, using a combination of paper and real objects to create her puppets



2020 Graduate Gemma Schnable, wins animation award with #poweryourbreakthrough

“Dysmorphia” by Gemma Schnable, is available to watch on vimeo https://vimeo.com/416318256

“Dysmorphia” by Gemma Schnable, is available to watch on vimeo https://vimeo.com/416318256

Congratulations to our graduate of 2020, Gemma Schnable (instagram: @schnabanimation ) for winning in the animation category for #poweryourbreakthrough, with her graduation film “Dismorphia”. The film is about the feeling of being horribly warped, constantly watched and ridiculed and not being able to control anything in your life.

In a statement, Gemma said “I felt after making this film it was a breakthrough for myself to talk about these topics with other people and not be ashamed of them. The whole process of this film's creation was a personal discovery and a development of myself and my skills, making me feel more confident in both.”


Our new 2020 Showreel has arrived!

A selection of the best animation produced in 2019-2020 on BA (Honours) Animation at Middlesex University.

We are so proud of our students who have continued to work tirelessly throughout the immense challenges of 2020, to produce some of the best work we've ever had on MDX BA Animation.


Drive-in MDX Animation Screening

@mdx_saga have teamed up with @rooftopfilmclub to screen a top selection of films from our students and graduates of BA Animation at Middlesex University

A short collection of animations will screen every day at the drive in cinema at Alexandra Palace. The selection of films were co-curated by @mdx_saga team Anayis N. Der Hakopian, Stephen Quenet and MDX Animation tutor, Osbert Parker

To go see some of our amazing student films, go along to the drive in cinema and make sure you grab some popcorn! 🍿 Book tickets here > https://rooftopfilmclub.com/london/venue/alexandrapalace/?gclid=CjwKCAjwps75BRAcEiwAEiACMeVnqFEVdRvHX-A5lrkpVl09jwXvVKfPT3lsmlmLrtqwnJ9TQ_jLURoCBlcQAvD_BwE

Also a special thanks to all the graduates and students who created artwork for this wicked trailer!


BA Animation Graduates 2020

MDX Animation is delighted to introduce the formidable class of 2020 - and what a year this has been, to say the least! 

We are extremely proud of how professional and determined our amazing students have remained in spite of the recent challenges, working stoically on through the lockdown to produce some of the most impressive and exciting work ever seen on the course. 

Throughout their time at Middlesex, these ascending stars of the animation world have demonstrated a truly outstanding level of expertise and creativity as demonstrated in the recent collaboration with Flintlock Theatre, collectively producing seven incredibly innovative and affecting short films to accompany the NO DOGS production. 

Articulate and eager, organised and reliable, excelling both as team players and visionary auteurs, these remarkable young animation professionals are eminently deserving of your attention.

Welcome to the Creative Graduates website, showcasing the brilliant MDX Animation graduates of 2020.

https://creativegraduates.mdx.ac.uk/2020/programmes/ba-animation


No Dogs: Live project with Flintlock Theatre

Twenty-eight final year students from BA Animation at Middlesex University were recently commissioned by Oxford based Flintlock Theatre to make 7 x 3 minute films for their No Dogs project, a combined theatre and animation project funded by Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund. Led by Flintlock Theatre, the project seeks to explore the shared and contrasting experiences of Irish and Afro-Caribbean people who emigrated to the U.K in the mid-twentieth century, and the evolving relationship to notions of Britishness of their descendants.


LIAF Trailers Made By MDX Animation

Last year at the London International Animation Festival (LIAF) we had a Middlesex Animation graduate and student create two fantastic trailers for the festival.

Izzy Barszcz (@iza_barszcz) graduate of MDX BA Animation 2012, now a student at National Film and Television School, designed a playful, jungle themed, cut-out animation opener for the festival

And Stephen Quenet (@stephenquenet), a current student of MDX Animation studying in his 3rd year, did a great job of editing the trailer of excellent films this year featuring in the LIAF competition

Date: 19/03/2020


MDX Animation Retrospective showing at the International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart 2019

This year BA Animation at Middlesex University is proud to be showcasing a collection of diverse short animated films at the International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart (ITFS 2019), spanning the 1980s to the present day. The retrospective includes early works from animation legend Joanna Quinn, who has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and Neville Astley, co-creator of the award-winning children‘s series “Peppa Pig”. The program also includes many films from more recent graduates from the Animation degree, including Adara Todd’s award winning film ‘Twiddly Things’ and current RCA MA Animation student Trang Nguyen’s Middlesex graduation film ‘I’ll Think About It’.

The showcase takes place on Wednesday 1st May, Metropol 2, Stuttgart. More details of the program can be found here https://www.itfs.de/en/branche/presentationworkshops/

Of course you might not be in Germany this week and we would like to make sure people have the opportunity to view the films. Please email h.titlow@mdx.ac.uk if you would like a private link to this Middlesex Animation retrospective.

Date: 05/05/2019


Jonthan Hodgson’s New Film Roughhouse has won a BAFTA!

We are immensely proud to announce that our BA Animation Program Leader, Jonathan Hodgson, has had his film Roughhouse win the BAFTA for Best British Short Animation! 
http://awards.bafta.org/award/…/film/british-short-animation


MDX Graduate Daniel Quirke Directed New LIAF Trailer 2018

LIAF 2018 trailer as directed by Daniel Quirke of the National Film & Television School (NFTS).

Eve Travers Selected for LIAF and Prime The Animation

Wilted - Directed by Eve Travers

Wilted - Directed by Eve Travers

Congratulations to MDX student Eve Travers who has had her graduation film Wilted (2018) selected to be screened in 2 international animation festivals so far - Prime The Animation and LIAF. Watch this space!


MDX Graduates Produce Films for Baby Loss Series

Coping With Grief - Sofja Umarik

For Family and Friends, How To Give Support - Kate Balchin

Two of our graduates from BA Animation were commissioned to created animated films for Tommy’s Baby Loss Series, in support of Baby Loss Awareness Week (#BLAW).

Watch the rest of the films in the series here https://www.tommys.org/blaw-2018


Adara Todd wins Best of Fest at Triforce

Adara Todd and Ojo Bankey

On Monday 4th December Adara Todd's graduation film 'Twiddly Things' was awarded the prestigious Best of the Fest award at TriForce short film festival. Adara was awarded a £1000 cash prize as well as the chance to pitch to Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE for funding and mentoring for her next short film. She will also receive support from Moneypenny International in putting together their budget.

Twiddly Things - multiple award winning film by Adara Todd

Twiddly Things - multiple award winning film by Adara Todd


RAF Museum Project Success

Dad, I Hope You Get the Lighter - Loki Fellows, Mya McCarthy & Callum Welch

Dad, I Hope You Get the Lighter - Loki Fellows, Mya McCarthy & Callum Welch

Our 3rd year animators at MDX have produced six films this year for the RAF Museum exhibition, Three Pilots, One War (3p1w). As well as being shown in The RAF Museum, Hendon, the films are also going to be shown at Air and Space Museum, Le Bourget, Paris.

One of the films Dad, I Hope You Got the Lighter has already been screened at festivals around the country.