Bournemouth University graduates are celebrating further Oscar success following the 2016 Academy Awards.
BU graduates worked on several films nominated at this year's ceremony, and wins for Inside Out in the Animated Feature category and Ex Machina in the Visual Effects category ensured that BU graduates are among the winners.
Mark Ardington graduated from BA (Hons) Computer Visualisation & Animation in 1997 and took to the stage as a part of the team who worked on the film Ex Machina to collect an Oscar in person on the night, celebrating his involvment in the visual effects for the film.
Mark's success follows that of another BU graduate Andrew Lockley, who won Oscars in 2011 and 2015 for his work on Inception and Interstellar respectively. This means that Bournemouth University graduates have been on stage collecting an Oscar in successive years for the first time.
Phil Spicer, Programme Leader for MA Digital Effects, teaches visual effects skills to BU students and said, "We are very proud of Bournemouth University graduates who have forged careers in the Visual Effects Industry. Every year at this time, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate the success of graduates who have worked on Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning films. This year is no different as a number of these films have been worked on by BU graduates. Big congratulations are due to all of our graduates who have been involved in Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning films this year. Their talent and hard work is astounding, and it is a privilege for us to have helped shape and mould their futures in this way."
This year, Bournemouth University graduates have worked on films such as Mad Max: Fury Road, which picked up ten nominations in total including Best Visual Effects, Best Picture and Best Cinematography. BU graduates have also worked on the latest in the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, which was also nominated in the Best Visual Effects category among others. Other films that can boast BU involvement include The Martian and The Revenant.
