Oakfields College alumnus Rotann Colyn recently hosted the third year groups from our Pretoria campus in Lynwood and our Johannesburg campus in Greenstone Hill at the 2021 bi-annual Work Integrated Learning Workshop (WILW).
The WILW is an ongoing initiative that aims to put the 3D Animation students in a high-intensity production environment where they need to demonstrate their preparedness for the industry by working to a brief, and boy was the pressure on!
Rotann, who after graduating from Oakfields College also attained his honours degree at Solent University in the UK, ensured that the workshop was as intense as the real-life work environment.
He provided students with a brief that tested their 3D technical literacy skills to create a small diorama (or art piece in three-dimensional space that communicates an artistic idea) within the eight-hour duration of the workshop. Students were required to define the concepts of placement, framing, direction and speedily producing works through quick sketching.
The content of the workshop included introduction to dioramas and visual narrative, production of a 3D diorama visual art piece, conceptualising and sculpting to maintain control over 3D elements, detailing props and set, and introduction to lighting material production processes. Rotann also touched on aspects of his own industry experience, offering loads of professional advice.
Throughout the workshop Rotann motivated and guided students into using their acquired skills to complete the assignment adequately and competently, thereby giving them additional animation art to include in their portfolio.
During the presentation phase of the workshop he also laid down his expectations forwhat students need to accomplish in terms of materials, resources and tools tobe used.
Whenit came to the concept and sketching phase, Rotann showed the students how tolook for ideas using digital media, sketching these ideas and then finalising sketches for a completed concept design. During construction of their concepts students had to use industry-standard software such as 3dsMax, Unreal Engine 4 and MAYA.
Going through industry-standard creation processes in just eight hours is not easy, but our third-year students accomplished the task perfectly, and by successfully completing the workshop they demonstrated that they are qualified and competent to enter the industry after graduation.
Rotann’s facilitation of the workshop was praised by all the students as tremendously positive, noting that he was ‘helpful and insightful,’ that he gave ‘amazing feedback’ and applauding his knowledge of everything animation.
‘If this is how the industry is going to be, I chose the right course and college’ just about sums up their feelings!
The bi-annual workshop forms part of the Oakfields College Faculty of Animation’s three-year diploma qualification which is interdisciplinary, combining technical training in artistic production with advanced conceptual and creative thinking. It also offers students a wide selection of industry-standard software and training in the 3D Animation field.
Oakfields College also has a memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) with Solent University in the UK which makes studying abroad much more accessible to those seeking to further their education in the 3D Animation field after graduating from Oakfields College.
