A young girl with a speech disorder learning to express herself. A baby sea turtle trying to make its way to the ocean while confronted with obstacles.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 animation programs were ranked No. 4 among the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the nation by the Animation Career Review.
The films produced by this year 麻豆精品 S檚 senior character animation students are more than art for art 麻豆精品 S檚 sake. Both 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淣ight Light 麻豆精品 S� are decidedly message-driven. And after two years spent creating the films, students in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 character animation program are working to ensure their films reach new audiences beyond premiere night on Monday, April 23, at the Center for Emerging Media in downtown Orlando. The showings are free and open to the public.
Meet Layla of 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� tells the story of Layla, a young girl living with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to send oral messages from their brain to their mouth. Children with CAS will often know what they want to say but are unable to verbally communicate it.
麻豆精品 S淚t was really important that Layla portray herself the way that somebody with [childhood apraxia of speech] would, 麻豆精品 S� Thomas says.
Layla 麻豆精品 S檚 frustration with the inability to express herself leaves her isolated, but she eventually learns to express herself through the power of music and friendship. The film 麻豆精品 S檚 title is a mash-up of the main character 麻豆精品 S檚 name and the ukulele, the instrument Layla uses as a medium to communicate.
麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to bring light to this situation that many kids go through and give them representation in media where there really hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 been any, 麻豆精品 S� says senior Character Animation major Haleigh Mooney, who pitched the story for 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� and acts as student director on the film.
To make sure they got the details right, the 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� team partnered with the nonprofit organization Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America to ensure that CAS was depicted authentically.
For the film 麻豆精品 S檚 production manager Tabitha Thomas, 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� was especially personal. The senior 麻豆精品 S檚 younger brother has CAS, which provided her with insight into the disorder.
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Meet Fin of 麻豆精品 S淣ight Light 麻豆精品 S�
The film 麻豆精品 S淣ight Light 麻豆精品 S� follows a baby sea turtle named Fin on his journey from nesting beach to the ocean.
The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light.
The film touches on the threat of light pollution to hatchlings, who are drawn to the brightest nearby light. Artificial light from sources like street lamps can distract baby sea turtles away from the reflection of natural moonlight off the ocean 麻豆精品 S檚 surface, exposing them to moving vehicles and other threats. On his journey, Fin is joined by Abueluna, a maternal spirit, and Lumin, a friendly light bulb. Abueluna supplies wisdom and guidance by following the moon as a natural light source, while Lumin represents humankind 麻豆精品 S檚 curiosity and ignorance about nature.
The 麻豆精品 S淣ight Light 麻豆精品 S� team consulted with sea turtle expert and UCF associate professor of biology Kate Mansfield, as well as the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group, to ensure accuracy in even the smallest details, such as nailing the texture of Fin 麻豆精品 S檚 shell. Students from the program also visited nesting sites in Melbourne Beach with the research group to see the sea mammals up close. The film 麻豆精品 S檚 creators were careful not to dissuade people from interacting with nature, but rather inform the audience on how to do so safely.
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The teams hope the short animated films live on beyond the premiere. The 麻豆精品 S淯kelayla 麻豆精品 S� team hopes to provide DVDs of the film to speech clinics for children, while the 麻豆精品 S淣ight Light 麻豆精品 S� creators are in talks with the Brevard Zoo and the Barrier Island Sanctuary to start educational showings for visitors. And for about a year after the premiere, the films will be submitted to short film festivals. Both teams have opened ongoing fundraising pages to help pay for admission to the festivals.
More About UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Animation Programs
The animation programs at UCF continue to gain national recognition. Along with experimental animation, the character animation program was ranked No. 4 among the Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the nation and No. 3 among of Top 10 Animation Schools and Colleges in the South by the Animation Career Review this year.
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The two-year specialization accepts only 30 students each year and prepares and trains them for careers in the animation and visual effects industry as animators, modelers, texture artists, and more. Graduates have gone on to careers with film and visual effects giants like Disney, Universal, Framestore and Blizzard Entertainment.
麻豆精品 S淲e have students at all the major studios, and also working in gaming and special effects, 麻豆精品 S� says Lecturer Jo Anne Adams, who has worked with the character animation program since 2008 and served as the faculty director for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 student films. 麻豆精品 S淏ecause of their success, employers are noticing us and then students are more attracted [to the program]. 麻豆精品 S�
As a result of its exclusivity, the program is intensive, with students devoting anywhere from 40 to 80 hours per week on their films.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 like a full-time job. The farther into the semester you get, the more you 麻豆精品 S檒l see people coming in earlier and staying here later and later, 麻豆精品 S� Thomas says.
And even though the hours can seem daunting, faculty members foster an environment that allows room for failure without fear of punishment.
麻豆精品 S淭he faculty here really help you try to learn, 麻豆精品 S� says Mooney. 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e not here to suffer consequences for trying something new and not succeeding. You 麻豆精品 S檙e here to find out what you 麻豆精品 S檙e good at. 麻豆精品 S�
Reserve free tickets to the UCF School of Visual Arts & Design 麻豆精品 S檚 Character Animation Premiere.
