BRISTOL, UK — The NFTS has launched a new animation course in partnership with the Aardman Animations (www.aardman.com), here, in an effort to meet the growing demand for animators in the UK. The three-month “Certificate in Character Animation” course will be taught by lead by Aardman’s head of animation Loyd Price and supervising senior CG animator Mathew Rees.
Price has contributed towards Nightmare before Christmas, Chicken Run, The Curse of the WereRabbit, Flushed Away and Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. Rees has worked on commercials for Serta, Chevron, British Gas and Hershey’s as well as on Pirates!. The Bristol based studio has won four Oscars and had 10 Oscar nominations.
The 12–week intensive course will take place at Aardman’s Bristol headquarters and will provide the core practical skills needed to become pro animators. The majority of the course is practical, with participants working on animation exercises to improve their skills, knowledge and experience. This will also be supported by animation theory. It culminates in a short character animation sequence — pre-planned and boarded — to showcase the skills learned during the course.
The NFTS's stop-frame animated film Head Over Heels was nominated for Best Short Animation this year – the only film school nominated for an Oscar in 2013. The school’s stop-frame animated film Miss Todd is also a finalist in the Oscar qualifying 2013 student Academy Awards.