Work Based Learning: DMA Project

World Animation Marathon

Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California

About the World Animation Marathon

One of the biggest nationwide events in the animation industry each year is the World Animation Festival, which is held in Hollywood for a full week.

The festival starts each year, on Memorial Day, with an animation competition called the "World Animation Marathon". This is a competition where 80-90 college and high school teams (10 animators each) from across the west coast spend one day (9am-6pm) developing and creating a 30 second traditional cel animation (hand drawn).

Teams/students from as far away as Arizona and Washington attend, and all of the LA four year and private animation schools have teams there every year. Five cash awards are given, in the college category, one each for:

Best overall sequence
Best character design
Best use of color
Best story
Best animation

The winners of this competition are announced each year on the closing Sunday of the week of the festival.

The 2000 WAM was hosted by the sponsors of the World Animation Celebration, and AnimAction. AnimAction is an organization devoted to giving young people the opportunity to experience the spirit of collaboration, develop new skills, and exercise their creative freedom through the medium of animation. AnimAction hosts numerous workshops and activities dedicated to bringing about this goal. To find out more about AnimAction visit their website at www.animaction.com.

Cerro Coso Students Win Best Color

In 2000 year, our animation academy took three teams down by bus to the WAM marathon competition, which was held in stage 29 on the lot at Paramount Studios.

I can't begin tell you how excited I am to announce that today one of our academy teams won "Best Use of color" for their animation, titled "Evolution!"

~ Jim Kiggens
Director, The Academy of Digital Animation

Congratulations to the following members of Cerro Coso, Team 1:

Pat Clark
Sean Farrell
Cori Karnos
Debbie Kiggens
Jason Lodas
Brad McBurnett
Trevor Ratliff
Chris Rummer
Adam Vinson

About the WAM Animation Experience

There were two Cerro Coso teams and one Burroughs High School team that attended the World Animation Marathon and each team created their own 30 second animation. The theme given was 'The Environment'. Teams were given creative freedom to develop their own original story, characters, and then perform the work, and of this in one 8 hour day. Students worked furiously to plan, sketch, storyboard, draw, ink, paint (color) and then compile their animation. Lunch was a blur of sandwiches and drinks as teams became immersed in their work.
Each team member was assigned a specific task and a production line was established to make the work go as quickly as possible. By the end of the days nerves were frazzled, fingers numb, hands and arms sore, and many were wondering how they actually survived the experience. In the end, and after a week of recovery, it was all worth it when the students got to see the fruits of their efforts displayed on the big screen when the awards were announced. To the students great surprise and excitement, Cerro Coso was awarded Best Color for their short animation, "Evolution?."

You can now view the animations created at the World Animation Marathon online. Click below to view video.

Real Player

Following are the title cards for the three team animations and information about the teams.

Cerro Coso Team 1

Title:
     Evolution?
Animation storyline basis:
     Toxic waste dumping and the effects of water pollution.

Team Members:
     Pat Clark
     Sean Farrell
     Cori Karnos
     Debbie Kiggens      Jason Lodas
     Brad McBurnett
     Trevor Ratliff
     Chris Rummer
     Adam Vinson

Cerro Coso Team 2

Title:
     Don't Be a Lumbering Jack
Animation storyline basis:
     Preventing over-cutting by lumber industry.

Team Members:
     Jim Kiggens
     Pat Cole
     Susan Neves
     Justin Witt

     Leif Davisson
     Chencha Acevedo
     Peggy Canterbury

Burroughs High School Team

Title:
     Beneath the Label
Animation storyline basis:
     Tuna industry and the killing of dolphins in the process
     of capturing tuna.

Team Members:
     Mark Archer
     Kris Clark
     Rodney Connors
     Lauren Nevins
     Danny Rodriguez
     Alex Schriener
     Elizabeth Henry
     Brian Maletsky
     Maureen Brackey