It’s about time sitting around watching cartoons all day paid off.
Netflix bingers, closet cartoon watchers and artists alike now have the opportunity to tap into their inner children and receive a $25,000 award to advance their education thanks to the inaugural “What’s Your Nickfluence?” Animation Challenge.
Kids’ TV network Nickelodeon is teaming up with nonprofit organization Get Schooled to host an animation film competition for college students aged 17-24.
Russell Hicks, president of content development and production at Nickelodeon, said Nickelodeon is on a mission to bring the next generation of animators to the forefront.
“By partnering with Get Schooled, we are able to discover the next generation of storytellers and provide an animation scholarship for a deserving student, which is really rewarding,” Hicks said.
To apply, students must submit an animated short film, a maximum of three minutes in length, that pays tribute to Nickelodeon and shows how its TV shows have influenced their childhood, art and lives.
Stephanie Galindo, a senior media arts major, said she thinks it’s exciting that students have the opportunity to apply for a creative scholarship rather than the typical essay/application scholarship.
“I grew up watching Nickelodeon, especially their older shows like ‘Hey Arnold!’ and ‘All That,’” Galindo said. “I think (it will be) interesting trying to figure out what to do in just three minutes.”
Galindo also said she thinks upperclassmen who apply will have an advantage over other applicants because they have taken more classes that teach them how to use the necessary tools to create a quality animation.
Students at UNM have access to such classes through the Interdisciplinary Film & Digital Media program.
Diahndra Grill, IFDM program manager, said she thinks this is a good opportunity for students at UNM because there are students on campus who are very focused and driven when it comes to animation.
During the spring 2015 semester, a group of these students in the Capstone program produced an animated film project called “Slow and Steady,” using animation software from Pixar before it was available to the public.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“Any opportunity our students get to work on film or use their skills... is really beneficial and a good opportunity for them,” Grill said. “Those skills are in really high demand, so the more they get to use those skills, the better. It sounds like a great scholarship.”
UNM has roughly 150-200 animation students, but the scholarship is open to any eligible college student, regardless of major.
Miguel Gandert, IFDM director, said he thinks this scholarship is exciting because it offers opportunities to students who are interested in more creative fields.
“The creative parts of visual and digital media aren’t as well supported. There’s lots of scholarships in engineering; there’s lots of scholarships in biology (and) in the hard sciences,” Gandert said. “This is something creative that sometimes people might think is not as important, and yet this is a really important job market.”
Animation is used in myriad media, including cartoon shows, video games, CGI and special effects in movies and TV shows, and more, he said.
“I think there’s an opportunity for people to think differently about animation and the skills involved,” Gandert said. “It’s nice to have somebody out there who’s willing to support that.”
Brad Swardson, an animation professor, said he thinks it’s a good thing there’s a scholarship like this to support students interested in animation because majoring in such a technical field is expensive -- at some places more than others.
Swardson said he doesn’t think students from schools specializing in media arts have an edge over students from more general schools like UNM.
“While you can get a great education at any one of those schools, it all depends on your application,” Swardson said. “I think students at the University will actually get a broader exposure to different ways of thinking in the liberal arts areas through the core that they offer that’s not just solely focused on specific skills for the position.”
Students interested in entering can get more information at www.getschooled.com/nickfluencechallenge. Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 14.
Skylar Griego is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TDLBooks.
