Turning a passion for art and technology into a career in animation takes more than a childhood dream.
At UTS Animal Logic Academy, creativity meets opportunity with extraordinary results.
“As a collaboration between UTS and industry, we’ve been set up to mirror the production pipeline used by large studios,” says Ian Thomson, Head of UTS Animal Logic Academy. “I don’t know of any other university in the world that has set up a 3D production studio environment quite like this.”
UTS and Animal Logic, now Netflix Animation Studios, led a world-first collaboration to set up the Academy in 2017 after identifying a local talent gap in the growing 3D animation and visual effects industries.
Since then, everything about UTS Animal Logic Academy has continued to create opportunity.
I don’t know of any other university in the world that has set up a 3D production studio environment quite like this.
There are no lecture theatres here. Master of Animation and Visualisation students prepare to enter the highly competitive animation industry by doing. Immersed in their specialisation, students collaborate across 11 departments spanning the production pipeline to create several projects, including a studio-quality 3D animation short firm.
And the end product? World-class.
The breathtaking film ‘Alone’ created by 2023 Master of Animation and Visualisation students showcases the magic that happens when creativity meets opportunity.
What happens when a lonely robot on a journey through space breaks all the rules to make a new friend? Watch ‘Alone’ below.
A chance to shine
Support from Netflix Animation Studios ensures these world-leading opportunities are open to talented animators and storytellers from across Australia, including many from regional areas, through scholarships.
“I was drawn to the Academy because it champions creativity while teaching how to navigate a production,” says Hollie Secomb, one of the talented students behind ‘Alone’.
“But the scholarship was the reason I was able to do the course.”
“I was able to relocate from Port Macquarie and pay for rent, food and support myself without having to work extra hours outside the course, increasing my risk of relapse of my Crohn’s disease,” says Hollie.
“Working on ‘Alone’ made me realise how much I love being part of a process where individual efforts come together to create something special that lives and breathes on its own.”
Hollie Secomb, a UTS Animal Logic Academy graduate and one of the talented students behind the breathtaking 2023 film ‘Alone’.
Since graduating, Hollie’s career has taken off, with a role as Crowd / Fix Animator on Netflix Animation Studios’ upcoming animated film ‘Steps’, a spin on the Cinderella story.
With the global animation market predicted to grow to around US$580 billion by 2032, UTS graduates are in a leading position to meet demand.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunities I had as part of this course. Working on ‘Alone’ made me realise how much I love being part of a process where individual efforts come together to create something special that lives and breathes on its own,” says Hollie.
The power of collaboration
Thanks to Netflix Animation Studios and UTS, our students don’t just learn about the 3D animation production pipeline. They learn the power of collaboration.
A feature-length 3D animated film can crew up to about 1200 people across art department, modelling, rigging, 3D animation, pre-visualisation/layout, surfacing, effects, lighting, compositing, technical direction and production management.
When our graduates go into studios and say, ‘It’s just like it was at the Academy’, that’s exactly what we set out to do.
The partnership with Netflix grants students unparalleled industry access, including 30-40 industry Masterclasses per year with leading industry experts, and specialised studio support so they can hone their skills.
With 85–95% graduate employment rate, the formula is working.
“When our graduates go into studios and say, ‘It’s just like it was at the Academy’, that’s exactly what we set out to do.” Ian Thomson.
Animation captures our hearts with its incredible depth of storytelling, meaning and beauty. And our partnership with Netflix Animation Studios ensures we can bring these powerful skills to shape the future, one frame at a time.
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When the Crookes Family Foundation funded the first-ever U@Uni scholarships, their goal was to help students overcome educational disadvantage. They are achieving this and much more, nurturing a commitment to philanthropy that will span generations.
A collaboration between UTS Law, tech company Neota Logic, and supported by law firm Wotton Kearney, is opening the door to justice for people and communities across Australia.
As the recipient of the Ern MacDonald On-Country Fellowship, Anaiwan researcher Dr Callum Clayton-Dixon is reclaiming his ancestral language from the archives, reconnecting it with Country, culture, and community.
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