FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, 29 June, 2010

Skillset is bringing the best of this year’s animation graduate talent to Soho in an event that combines a recruitment fair, industry presentations, professional advice and networking.

The Skillset Animation Showcase, on Thursday next week (8 July), will feature the best animation work from Skillset’s nine accredited animation degree courses and a number of guest courses from Skillset Academies, with selected students presenting their work to industry guests. It will also feature leaders from the animation and games industry giving presentations and advice to lecturers.

Matt Jeffery, EA’s Global Director of Talent Brand, will give a keynote presentation on the “12 principles of Animation according to EA”. Representatives from Aardman Animations (Wallace and Gromit) will be talking about the new visual effects and animation talent they are searching for.

Visual effects companies Double Negative (effects for Iron Man 2, Sherlock Holmes) and MPC (Robin Hood, Prince of Persia) will be taking part in panel discussions. Games company Bizarre Creations (makers of racing games Blur and Project Gotham Racing) will join the likes of animation company Blue Zoo (CBeebies and Nickelodeon series) and Rushes (recent animation work for the Gorillaz, Nike Air, Coca Cola) to give advice on graduate’s showreels and interview techniques to assembled tutors and students.

Others taking part include Musion, a company working on a form of 3D holography that is interested in working with student talent. There will also be presentations from software giant Adobe on Stereo 3D and The Foundry on their acclaimed VFX tools Nuke and Mari.

Saint John Walker, Skillset’s Animation Computer Games and facilities manager, said: “We have brought this showcase to Soho to allow as many animation and VFX companies to be exposed to the talent graduating from Skillset accredited animation courses as possible.

“We want it to be a one-stop shop service for industry, allowing them to check out the best new talent and also talk and advise tutors, who can then feed back that information into their teaching.”

The Animation and VFX Showcase will take place at the Vinyl Factory, Poland St, Soho, London, on 8 July. Entry is free and limited to animation film and TV personnel only, but guests must register for the event. Please visit skillset.org/animationshowcase.

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For more information contact

Skillset press and PR officer Nick Sheridan on 0207 713 9854 or nicks@skillset.org

Or

Skillset press and PR manager Jennifer Walters on 0207 713 9812 or jenniferw@skillset.org

Out-of-hours: 07827 989 330.

Notes to Editors:

• Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media, with responsibility for 60 per cent of the UK Creative Industries. This comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging, publishing, advertising and fashion and textiles. SSCs are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenges by sector. They are independent, UK-wide organisations, are employer-led, and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the industry.