Students animate conference with creativity
The annual Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts (SCRCA) is an affordable student showcase where students from any college/university present original, academic work. Student creativity will be highlighted at the Animation Festival and Symposium and Creative Art session during this year’s 22nd SCRCA.
Animation Festival and Symposium Session
The Animation Festival and Symposium will be held Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in the SSCB Lecture Hall. Showcasing the best 3D and 2D, also called motion graphic, animations produced by UHCL students, the symposium portion of the event features presentations on topics that range from animation to game design.
The festival will have a movie theater experience consisting of 3D animated shorts and 2D motion graphics. A panel of animators will show their projects, then talk about their process and experiences, followed by questions and answers from the audience.
“It is an enjoyable evening and a great opportunity to see the courses we offer at this university,” said Anne Henry, lecturer in communication and digital media studies.
Students used industry standard software and workflows, such as After Effects, Premier and other Adobe products, when developing their animations. Students were required to conceptualize, write storyboards, model and apply special effects and typography to their animations, resulting in the finished 30-second animated shorts seen during the animation festival.
Creative Art Session
The Creative Art session will be held Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in the SSCB Lecture Hall along with the Animation Festival and Symposium. The Creative Art session includes work in creative writing and art presentations.
Martin Wnuk, art professor at San Jacinto College, is sponsoring two students who will be showcasing a cross-section of their work done in Wnuk’s Painting and Drawing class. The students will present their work via PowerPoint and also bring portfolios of their actual work.
“People should come because their work is far beyond the level of work one usually sees coming out of first drawing and painting classes,” Wnuk said. “Much of the work represents personal statements about the artists themselves and the world they live in.”
Chloe Diepenbrock, associate professor of writing, is sponsoring one of her students. The student’s presentation will include the importance of teaching art in public schools. Diepenbrock has sponsored student research before, but this is her first time sponsoring a student for SCRCA.
“Research is essential to developing our understanding of our areas of study, and encouraging undergraduate research invites students to become true members of their academic communities,” Diepenbrock said.
The junior-level writing courses offered in UHCL’s Writing Program serve to support students as they learn about the process of engaging in research and then reporting on it in writing.
“Presenting that work at a conference is the logical next step for the new researcher because it provides the opportunity to participate in the academic conversation,” Diepenbrock said. “There is no better way to learn.”
Follow #SignalCAST and #SCRCA for live coverage of the research conference and animation symposium.
