Animex
Encyclopedia
The Animex International Festival of Animation and Computer Games takes place every year in Middlesbrough
in the North East
of England
. The festival has its roots firmly planted in the creative side of the animation and computer games industries and acts to provide animators, directors, students, artists, designers, writers and educators with a forum in which they can share their knowledge and skills and promote the art of animation and computer games.
Animex began as a two-day series of lectures by animators and industry professionals at the University of Teesside
in February 2000, and has rapidly grown to a week-long festival incorporating the two day event that began it all, Animex Talk. Animex Game expanded on this idea in 2004, by creating another two days of presentations, this time by games professionals.
The main venue for the festival is The University of Teesside, with other events taking place at the held at the Cineworld
Cinema and other venues throughout Middlesbrough and the rest of the north east.
The festival also runs an exhibition of animation and games art, an international student awards scheme, screenings, workshops and Animexperience, a programme of school and community events giving people the chance to try their hand at animation and meet industry luminaries.
Guest speakers in the past have included such industry professionals as Pixar
animator Mark Walsh, Bob the Builder
designer Curtis Jobling
, Phil Tippett, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, owner of Ritual Entertainment Richard Levelord Gray, Blitz Games
, Ernest W. Adams, Chris Crawford
, Professor Stuart Sumida and representatives from almost every major games and animation studio around the world.
Animex was in part the inspiration for the Red Stick International Animation Festival
in Baton Rouge
, Louisiana
.
Animex is run by animation and computer games lecturers within the University of Teesside
:
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
in the North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The festival has its roots firmly planted in the creative side of the animation and computer games industries and acts to provide animators, directors, students, artists, designers, writers and educators with a forum in which they can share their knowledge and skills and promote the art of animation and computer games.
Animex began as a two-day series of lectures by animators and industry professionals at the University of Teesside
University of Teesside
Teesside University is a university in Middlesbrough, England. It has a student body of 29,285 students as of the 2009/10 academic year. It recorded rises in applications of 25.1 per cent and 23.5 per cent for degree courses beginning in 2010, the highest such percentage increases of the five...
in February 2000, and has rapidly grown to a week-long festival incorporating the two day event that began it all, Animex Talk. Animex Game expanded on this idea in 2004, by creating another two days of presentations, this time by games professionals.
The main venue for the festival is The University of Teesside, with other events taking place at the held at the Cineworld
Cineworld
Cineworld Group plc is a cinema chain operating in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Jersey. The chain consists of 78 cinemas; 76 of which are located in the UK and one each in Ireland and Jersey. It is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with 801 screens, and the owner of...
Cinema and other venues throughout Middlesbrough and the rest of the north east.
The festival also runs an exhibition of animation and games art, an international student awards scheme, screenings, workshops and Animexperience, a programme of school and community events giving people the chance to try their hand at animation and meet industry luminaries.
Guest speakers in the past have included such industry professionals as Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
animator Mark Walsh, Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
designer Curtis Jobling
Curtis Jobling
Curtis Jobling is a British illustrator and animator, born in Blackpool, England but lives in Warrington.He is best known for his role as production designer of children's TV hit, Bob The Builder, where he visualised all of that programme's inimitable characters and sets...
, Phil Tippett, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, owner of Ritual Entertainment Richard Levelord Gray, Blitz Games
Blitz Games
Blitz Games is a division of Blitz Games Studios and is responsible for producing its family titles, which are often licensed games based on well known IP. It is located in Warwickshire, England...
, Ernest W. Adams, Chris Crawford
Chris Crawford (game designer)
Christopher Crawford is a computer game designer and writer noted for creating a number of important games in the 1980s, founding The Journal of Computer Game Design, and organizing the Computer Game Developers' Conference.- Biography :...
, Professor Stuart Sumida and representatives from almost every major games and animation studio around the world.
Animex was in part the inspiration for the Red Stick International Animation Festival
Red Stick International Animation Festival
The Red Stick International Animation Festival is an annual event is hosted by the Lab for Creative Arts & Technologies , a research group within the Louisiana State University's Center for Computation and Technology. The first festival took place from April 21 until April 23, 2005, and has...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Animex is run by animation and computer games lecturers within the University of Teesside
University of Teesside
Teesside University is a university in Middlesbrough, England. It has a student body of 29,285 students as of the 2009/10 academic year. It recorded rises in applications of 25.1 per cent and 23.5 per cent for degree courses beginning in 2010, the highest such percentage increases of the five...
:
- Festival Director, Animex Talk - Chris Williams
- Animex Game - Gabrielle Kent
- Animex Screen - Chris Wyatt
- Animex Student Awards - Justin Greetham
- Animexperience - Dougy Pincott
- Animex Exhibition - Stephen Murray