University News Last updated 18 April 2012
Final year BA (Hons) Animation student, Gareth Hirst, has been crowned as the winner of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) Silent Movie Animation challenge. His winning film called ‘Street Act’ will be screened at Symphony Hall on Friday 20 April, accompanied by a live orchestra and watched by around 2500 people.
The challenge was open to anyone with a passion for animation so competition in this creative city was tough. Entrants were asked to use one of the originally composed Silent Movie tracks to create a piece of animation that included the word 'Birmingham' or an iconic image of the city.
The selected Silent Movie track was recently rediscovered in archives during preparations for the opening of the new Library of Birmingham and will be recorded by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).
Gareth’s animation, ‘Street Act’, will appear on a giant screen at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, accompanied by the CBSO on Friday as part of the Friday Night Classics: Classic Chaplin night.
Gareth has also been given the chance to complete a placement at leading animation studio, Charactershop where he will get the chance to hone his skills alongside some of the industry’s top animators and he will also get to take part in the Introduction to Final Cut Pro X course at NTI Birmingham.
Acting Course Director for BA Animation & Animation for Games at Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BIAD), Kelvin Wong said: “Gareth's persistence, hard work and resilience in meeting the competition deadline, in conjunction with his final year project has paid off tremendously well for him. We are very proud of his achievements and he deserves this kind of recognition. He should be an inspiration to fellow students who want to achieve great things in this industry.”
The concert at Symphony Hall will start at 7.30pm on Friday 25 April. Full details of the event can be found on the CSBO website.