LOS ANGELES – Women in Animation is continuing to expand its ongoing WIA Scholarship Program with workshops and software packages for recipients of the 2021 cycle from industry partners Animation Mentor, Autodesk, Toon Boom and Unity.
The WIA Scholarship Program is an annual award devoted to furthering the academic efforts of deserving animation college students who demonstrate artistic talent, a passion for animation, a financial need, and a promising future in the industry. Applicants who have identified themselves as female or non-binary, and who are enrolled in schools all over the world to pursue various aspects of animation production, are encouraged to apply.
Animation Mentor will offer one WIA Animation Scholarship winner a six-week workshop and will allow that awardee the choice of several courses. With their choice of 13 different classes, including Maya Workshop: Animation Basics, Cartoony Animation for 3D Animators, and Animation Mentor’s brand new workshop 2D Animation: Walk Cycles & Character Movement, the student winner will have many options to best personalize this educational opportunity.
Autodesk is supporting this year’s recipients with licenses of their 3D modeling and animation software. Winners will have the choice between one-year subscriptions of Autodesk Maya or Autodesk 3ds Max. For yet another year, Toon Boom will be supporting the WIA Scholarship Program with both software and scholarship funds. One-year bundled licenses of Storyboard Pro and Harmony Premium will be awarded to each finalists as well as virtual training and contribution to the WIA scholarship fund to be split among the three winners. “Toon Boom Animation is focused on strengthening its partnership with WIA by working together on projects that encourage diversity and female leadership in animation arts and business,” stated Stephanie Quinn, Director Marketing, Toon Boom Animation. “By providing women animators the best software and training, we look to support their creative journeys from inspiration to big screen.”
To further support the participants, Unity will be providing 15 Annual Unity Pro licenses and 15 Annual ArtEngine licenses to help female animators gain employable skills and practice of real-time 3D tools and technologies used in the animation industry.
The deadline to submit applications for the WIA Animation Scholarship is December 1, 2020. More details can be found on the WIA website. Scholarship winners will be announced in February 2021.