An award winning animated short made by Bournemouth University students is being shown in cinemas around the country.
“The Lab”, a final-year project from four students at the University’s National Centre for Computer Animation, is being screened alongside the national release of the feature length animated film Away.
The animation tells the story of an eccentric scientist working on her latest creation and was made by an all-female team - Izzy Livesey, Kitty Smith, Shelly Ferrerosa Alves and Livvy Cook. Each of the team brought their own strengths that they learnt on their course, from animation and modelling to texturing and visual effects.
“It’s an incredible achievement, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team,” said Director Izzy Livesey. “Seeing ‘The Lab’ on the big screen, knowing that audiences nationwide are watching something we poured our hearts into, is a surreal and deeply rewarding experience. It’s a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion we put into the project,” she added.
Izzy and the team graduated last year and are now focused on sharing The Lab at various film festivals, which has been an exciting journey for them. They have already won ‘Best Animation’ at the Bradford International Film Festival, ‘Best Animation’ at the Earl’s Court Film Festival, ‘Best Animation’ at the Ffilmic Festival, ‘International Graduation Short Film’ at the Heroes International Film Festival, and the ‘Audience Choice Award’ at the ACM London Siggraph Fast Forward event.
Looking ahead, the team are working towards establishing their careers in the animation industry and building up their portfolios whilst carrying out freelance work and taking part in programs to learn new skills.
Looking back at her studies at Bournemouth University, Izzy said, “BU has been instrumental in shaping our success. The facilities, industry connections, and support from our lecturers and peers have given us a strong foundation. Our time at BU has given us a great understanding of production pipelines and working on projects such as ‘The Lab’ has further improved our techniques and skills.”
The Lab has been preceding screenings of Away in cinemas in Bournemouth and across the UK from 14 March.
