Last week, former Weston College student, Lily Goodwin, visited our BA (Hons) Art and Design students to outline her role as a freelance animator working with Aardman to assist their animators in creating their popular animations.
During the visit, Lily discussed her journey from Weston College, where she completed the Level 3 Media Production course before progressing to the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design Pre-Degree where she found her passion for animation and stop-motion. Following her course, she then took a break from education before beginning a BA in Animation at UWE Bristol.
During her degree, Lily won two awards with the ATS West of England Student Awards for short films before completing work experience with Aardman. This opened up the opportunity to work with Aardman as an Assistant Trainee Animator which she may not have received if she hadn’t undertaken work experience and gone above and beyond outside of her course. This was important for our students to see the value of industry experience and the potential progression within the industry.
Within her role as an Assistant Trainee Animator, she worked on the popular animation, ‘The Very Small Creatures’, assisting the animators in a range of tasks to ensure the animation process runs smoothly and enough progress is made throughout the day. This insight into the daily life as an animator and the realistic timeframe of each shot gave our students an accurate depiction of what to expect from the animation industry and the challenges they face during production.
To engage the students further, Lily brought in several of the Very Small Creatures plasticine models that she’d moulded for the students to look at. This brought her role to life and allowed them to see how many models are needed during a stop-motion film. She explained the importance of studying phonetics in order to create accurate mouth pieces, and how syncing audio and setting frames is a large part of creating a successful final production.
Following the insightful talk, Lily provided a range of different colour plasticines for the students to have a go at making their own models of the Very Small Creatures, teaching them how to successfully mould and smooth them, create their own unique facial expressions, and add in the eyes. She also outlined the challenges of working with plasticine models, explaining how they are easily misshaped after warming under the lights which can increase the time it takes to create the stop-motion frames.
This session was a great opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of working in stop-motion animation and gives them an appreciation for the time and patience that is required in production. Not only this, it shows how important work experience and networking can be on future progression and potential careers.
Additionally, this experience can contribute to a strong portfolio by demonstrating experimentation and engagement with industry-relevant techniques. Interaction with an industry practitioner also offers networking opportunities and career guidance, while the workshop itself can inspire students to explore new creative pathways.
Kari Nygard, lecturer in Art & Design at UCW, shared, “It was great to have Lily in once again to share her progression and journey with the students, sharing invaluable insight into a career in stop-motion and providing the realities of her work. Hands-on workshops like this provide a fresh perspective and opportunities to learn from professionals and develop skills in a different medium. It was lovely to see the students engage with Lily and ask thoughtful questions regarding her work and upcoming projects.”
A big thank you to Lily for taking the time to deliver this hands-on workshop with our learners.
This workshop forms part of the Art and Design Careers Excellence Hub. University Centre Weston has ten sector-specific Career Excellence Hubs, which evidence our dedication to supporting both employers and learners in achieving their future goals. By creating a seamless connection between industry and education, we enable learners to acquire not only the essential skills and knowledge but also the professional networks necessary to excel in their chosen fields.
If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available in the Weston College Group here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College Group has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College Group is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.
