Computer Animation Arts

It's still very early days on BA Hons Computer Animation Arts ; returning students are just about back in the saddle, getting used once more to the cut and thrust of multi-tasking and having 'lots to do', while our newest recruits are still looking a little bit like sweet fluffy bunnies caught in the full-beam glare of an incoming truck... Next month's PWTM will be chockfull of updates from our students' various projects. This edition gives me a chance to catch-up with some of our graduates and get into the nitty-gritty of 'what comes next', in all its different guises.  We'll also be hearing from Ethan Shilling, Computer Animation Arts' very own secret weapon and loyal creative collaborator. But first - by way of opening the new academic year with a suitable flourish - enjoy our all-new showreel! Charlie Serafini graduated with a First-class honours degree in June 2017.  Charlie became something of a fixture in the CAA Baseroom du...

This is a heads-up for our third years... last year, composer Jeffrey Wang, collaborated with Tom Smith ( Escape Zone 3000 ), Becky Stapley ( The Jellyfish & The Hermit Crab ) and Ian Garling ( The Garbage-O-Saur ).  Jeffrey got in touch recently and asked me to give our third years the following message: "Hi Phil, I'll be taking on student projects over the current academic year and it would be great if you could send info to anyone relevant. Details on student rates are at the following link: https://www.jeffreywangmusic.co.uk/composing-for-students … The lowest range (£0-16) should be enough for most students, with upper ranges existing for those who want something more. I'll be giving first priority to UCA Rochester students and will happily write for any 3rd year students." Collaborating with composers will be a big part of your creative role as you take your stories into production - and working closely (and early) with a composer is key in...

This will give you the warm and fuzzies! Enjoy. One Small Step from TAIKO Studios on Vimeo .

I just thought I would quickly highlight a few services that are available to students, that you might not know about... The first is a new initiative called the 'Listening Post' - this is a drop-in session on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, between 11 and 2.  If you are feeling a bit anxious, homesick, stressed etc., it is an opportunity to go along and have a chat with a volunteer from outside of the university.  They cannot offer counselling but can signpost you to other services that might be able to help you...sometimes just talking to someone can make all the difference!  You can find the Listening Post in the library, in the secluded seating area just past the Gateway desk. The second is an online resource, called the Autism & Uni toolkit; although mainly aimed at students on the autistic spectrum there are several sections that could be useful for any student, such as 'Coping with stress', 'How to survive assessments', 'Working in groups...

Today in the foyer...12 - 2pm Part of the Careers & Employability SPECTRA programme; in the Foyer. A chance to meet the Careers & Employability Adviser and get some individual advice and tips to help you succeed in getting work placements, internships or jobs.

Let's all meet up at the Rochester Wetherspoons for the traditional meet and greet between old, current, and new!  Aim for 6pm on Friday 21st September - all are welcome!  Spread the word - and grab a first year on your way down, as they might not know the way or yet understand that this particular pub is our unofficial HQ!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, 3rd October is your Invisible Cities  Online Greenlight Review (OGR) Your OGR is to be presented as a single Scribd presentation on your blog, beginning with your name, date, and project title. If you are still yet to get to grips with Scribd go here for some easy-to-follow instructions.  Save your documents as PDFs before uploading to Scribd , as this should mitigate against formating glitches. When pasting Scribd embed code into your blog, you must first select the HTML mode tab, then switch back to 'Compose' to view the embedded presentation. Your OGR presentations should be uploaded to your blogs on Wednesday 3rd October. Written feedback will follow as comments on your OGR post and will take between 1 and 3 days. Invisible Cities  2018 OGR: What do you need to present? 1) Your 100 thumbnails exploring all cities  (minimum). 2) Your chosen city, its key descriptions and associated thumbnails. (Please include the...