Durham College Animation - Digital Production students, from left, Matt Halpin, Nick Cirinna Rob Strickland and Travis Twilt, recently competed at a nationwide animation competition held in Waterloo, Ontario. Cirinna and Strickland placed first in their division while, Twilt and Halpin finished fourth.
A recent gold medal win for two Durham College students proves again that the school's Animation program is the best for animation studies in the country.
Nick Cirinna and Rob Strickland, second-year Animation students at Durham College placed first at the Skills Canada Animation Contest held recently at the University of Waterloo.
Animation students from schools across Ontario participated in the competition, judged by Keyframe Animation Studios. Students presented projects that focused on storytelling and acting, defined by traditional animation principles, as they apply to 3-D animation.
"It was amazing. We all did a great job of showing what Durham College students are capable of," said Strickland. "It is also something that looks good to put on the top of my resume."
Durham College also received honourable mentions from the competition, as Travis Twilt and Matt Halpin, also in their second-year, finished fourth in the competition for animation shorts.
Students from the Animation-Digital Arts and Digital Production programs learn the latest technology used by employers and graduate with the skills required to become employed with leaders in the industry.
Durham College animation graduates have been hired by highly-regarded companies including the IMAX animation team, and have worked on blockbuster films including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Skills Canada hosted the annual competition and is a national, not-for-profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trades and technology careers among Canadian youth.