Top 5: Student Events at Manchester Animation Festival 2023
10 November 2023
Manchester Animation Festival is the perfect place for animation students to engage with the industry as it is one of the biggest animation festivals in the UK. As well as hosting screenings of student movies, it also provides invaluable workshops and events which are ideal for the development of key animation skills.
The festival itself brings together students and practitioners alike and allows them to network and share their love of animation, all while making contacts and helping to develop the UK animation industry as a whole. With that in mind, we’ve gathered together five student-friendly events at Manchester Animation Festival 2023 that are ideal for those still in education.
Portfolio Reviews
Portfolio Reviews are a great opportunity for animation students to make new industry contacts and get invaluable criticism on their portfolios which can benefit them greatly in looking for careers and potential further study. These bookable slots allow you to schedule a session with an industry professional to get their reviews and constructive criticism regarding your work.
Discussing your portfolio at these sessions allows a personal discussion rather than the disconnected feeling you can sometimes get when emailing someone about your portfolio or dissecting it digitally. They also give you the opportunity to elaborate on your output, explain why you included certain pieces and get specialised feedback.
Above all else, these sessions offer a safe space to get industry-focused feedback from professionals. As well as this, they can also set you up to make pivotal contacts in the animation industry, which, like any creative sector, can often be based on contacts and networking. Booking for our Portfolio Review sessions has now closed but keep an eye out for last-minute availability.
Workshop: Animation Directing
This is a workshop that specifically discusses Animation Direction and is run by Will Becher, who is the co-founder of Paper & Clay and is currently working as a supervising animator on the upcoming Wallace and Gromit film, due for release next year. As if this wasn’t exciting enough, Will is also the designer of MAF’s iconic bee featured in this year’s branding.
This workshop aims to provide information on a number of key Animation Directing skills including a detailed explanation of pre-shoot processes relating to stop-motion, best practices regarding live-action video referencing, the chance to try your own live-action video referencing and also some insider tips on how to get the most out of industry-standard stop-motion software.
Students can also expect to find information on various other job roles available in the animation sector alongside advice on how to work with animation directors. To book your space, head here.
Nimona’s Fearless Journey From Book to Screen
This is a talk featuring N.D. Stevenson, the author and illustrator of Nimona, as well as the co-producer of its 2023 feature film adaptation which is available now on Netflix. Stevenson was also the co-creator of Lumberjanes and the showrunner on She-Ra: Princesses of Power. This talk will give attendees behind-the-scenes information on a project that was delayed for many years and yet still turned out well and received a brilliant response from fans and critics.
This talk will show guests that the animation industry is vast and creatives can get their start in any number of ways. It’s also likely to discuss the ways in which projects can get delayed before offering advice on how to overcome these hurdles.
It’s a great way to hear from a well-known professional who’s risen up in the industry despite setbacks and delays when attempting to bring one of his projects to life. It also gives animation students insight into other industries in the arts including comics, a medium Stevenson specialised in before making the jump to feature filmmaking. Book a seat at this session by heading here.
IEA Workshop: Storyboarding
This workshop is essential for anyone who wants to enter the animation industry through storyboarding, especially students as it provides insight into a pivotal industry role and essential tips from a professional with a 20-year career. It’s run by the filmmaker and story artist J. P. Vine who directed 2021’s Ron’s Gone Wrong and worked as a storyboard artist on Pixar’s 2015 hit Inside Out.
It’s a collaborative workshop which will give attendees the opportunity to learn more in a hands-on fashion. Vine will also share otherwise unattainable tips alongside information about what is expected in the industry today and details on how the sector has changed since he first entered it.
A lot of animation students start out with a specific job preference in mind and this workshop will allow those who want to pursue storyboarding to gain knowledge on how the role itself works. To book your space in one of these workshops, head here.
IEA Character Design Roundtable
This is a talk from industry professionals about character design where they will share details of their processes. Attendees can expect an honest and insightful conversation about the different aspects of designing memorable characters. The professionals participating are Glen Southern, who runs Cheshire-based character and creature design company SouthernGFX, freelance character designer Kenneth Anderson and author and visual development artist Rebecca Crane.
Combined, this trio has extensive experience in designing characters specifically for animation and can likely provide invaluable advice and information that would be difficult to gain elsewhere. Character design is a pivotal part of the animation industry, even if you aren’t always intending to make a character-based project, there is a high chance that you will end up making one at some point in your career – so having the basics down and a general understanding of the career-path as a whole is essential. To book your seat at this roundtable event, head here.
Words by Alex Price.