#1 world ranking coup for Flinders digital media

Mogwai (Gremlins) Concept by Flinders student Amy Tho Nguyen.

In the ever growing world of digital media content, Flinders University has just joined the world’s best creative illustration schools in this year’s global Rookies rankings.

The competition, which involves more than 600 schools and more than 3,000 entrants and thousands of their entries from 81 countries, rated Flinders University and its partner CDW Studios Adelaide as #1 in Best Digital Illustration Schools.

The Rookies is an international awards and mentor platform for young designers, creators, innovators and artists in film, animation, games, virtual reality and architecture visualisation.

Flinders in conjunction with course collaborator CDW Studios in Adelaide is a standout performer in the Best Creative Media and Entertainment Schools in the World 2017 Global Rankings Report.

The South Australian digital media students were ranked among the most industry-ready participants in the international competition.

Put together with the help of Oscar-winning judges – like Joe Letteri from Weta Digital – and 60 other influential industry veterans from around the world, the report ranks schools across five categories including, Best Animation; Best Digital Illustration; Motion Graphics; Game Design and Development; and Visual Effects.

The report’s findings are based on a methodology that assesses the quality and performance of student work who enter mentor and awards platform, The Rookies.

A scene from The Aridlands by Ryan Mugan.

“Visual illustration skills are becoming increasingly useful in the new millennia,” says Flinders Screen and Media digital media lecturer Katie Cavanagh, who helped to establish the course at Flinders.

“There is high demand for these skills in entertainment and creative industries as diverse as film, gaming, advertising, illustration, concept art, and more.”

Entertainment design graduates from Flinders, who also study at the CDW School of Visual Effects and Entertainment Design in Adelaide, have been snapped up for work at new media companies such as Twitter in addition to traditional areas of media and digital game and animation companies.

“We’re very proud of our association with CDW Studios over the past decade, which is helping our graduates come to the attention of their peers and employers,” Ms Cavanagh says.

Cody Foreman – work in progress.

CDW Studios founder Simon Scales says the quality of young digital artists in SA is providing the backdrop for expansion in home-grown companies in Adelaide.

The Top 10 Best Digital Illustration Schools 2017 – selected from 2,465 entries from 42 countries – as rated by The Rookies were:

1.  Flinders University/ CDW Studios – Adelaide (score 130)

2.  New3dge – Paris, France (score 105)

3.  Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art and Design – Toronto, Canada (score 87.50).

4.  Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, USA and The One Academy – Malaysia (equal 80)

6.  HOWEST – Kortrijk, Belgium and 3dsense Media School – Singapore (equal 60)

8.  Gnomon – Los Angeles, USA (58.75)

9.  Vancouver Film School – Vancouver, Canada (52.5)

10.  University of Hertfordshire – Herfordshire, UK (50).

The only other Australian school in the online Rookies competition was the Billy Blue College of Design, which was ranked third in the category of Best Motion Graphics Schools.

Digital media lecturers Katie Cavanagh and Shane Bevin with some of the Flinders student entries at this year’s AVCon video game and anime festival in Adelaide.

The Rookies is an international awards and mentor platform for young designers, creators, innovators and artists in film, animation, games, virtual reality and architecture visualisation.

The awards have been growing for the past eight years when they were founded by Andrew McDonald and Alwyn Hunt who both have more than 15 years experience in visual effects with some of the world’s top studios.

“At a time when studios report a lack of skilled students applying for entry-level roles, it’s crucial for reports like these that highlight to students where they should study,” says Adelaide-based Alwyn Hunt, co-founder of The Rookies.

Of the young Rookies discovered in Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania countries, students have gone on to work on films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Mummy, Wonder Woman and Iron Man and AAA level games such as Hellblade, Far Cry and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

For more information about the Bachelor of Creative Arts, Digital Media, go to Screen and Media Studies at the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Flinders website.

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