2795 students from 23 countries participated in the free student challenge to produce a 30-second animated film in under 24 hours; over $77K in prizes were awarded to 8 teams.
This year’s 24 HOURS: Animation Contest for Students, a free event that challenges students worldwide to compete in teams of five to produce a 30-second animated film in under 24 hours, wrapped up October 5. Now celebrating its 22nd year, the international competition is hosted by California State University, Long Beach animation professor, Aubry Mintz.
The contest had a record breaking 559 teams from 107 schools (that’s 2795 students!!!) representing 23 countries including Australia; Brazil; Canada; China; Chile; Germany; Great Britain; Hong Kong; India; Ireland; Israel; Mexico; Philippines; Russia; Scotland; South Africa; Spain; Taiwan; Thailand, Türkiye, and the U.S.A. 89 colleges, 17 high schools, and one middle school (3 teams) competed during the same 24 hour period.
This year, more industry supporters provided prizes and funding efforts to support the competing student teams. This included an equipment request program for underserved students, which not only allowed them to participate in the contest, but also provided tools to aid in virtual learning.
The contest, which is free to enter, provided the following prompt to this year’s team participants.
“In 24 HOURS make a 30 second film giving your teams vision for the future with AI as a friend or a foe and show how our world might fail or benefit from its evolution.”
Students used a variety of animation mediums including hand drawn, CG and stop-motion.
Mintz was able to present an additional award in innovation this year due to the generous support of sponsors. Eight teams received cash prizes, studio swag bags, art books, software, handheld drawing tablets, festival tickets, and more with a total value over $77K.
See all the winners below.
This year’s sponsors were Toon Boom; ASIFA-Hollywood/Animation Educators Forum; Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pixar; Netflix; XPPen; Sony Pictures Animation; Illumination; Bento Box; Nickelodeon Animation Studios; NICE; DreamWorks; Titmouse; Animation is Film; X in a Box; TVPaint; TAAFI; Wacom; DigiCel; CRC Press; Mac Hollywood; Stuart NG Books; Legends Animated; Animation Magazine; and Indee.
Sony Pictures Animation director Maggie Kang kicked off this year’s contest by delivering a video message to students that addressed the pressure of creating an animation within the contests’ time constraints. She also offered tips to help the students plan and succeed.
The final 30-second films were judged by a volunteer panel of esteemed animation professionals:
Shannon Prynoski, (Titmouse co-founder and vice president); Evally Owo Aguila (Disney director and Storyboard Artist); Wilma Miranda (animation director, animator - The Boys); Angela Abeyti (Nickelodeon, Titmouse, Bento Box - prop design supervisor and character designer); Alex Smeaton (Apple TV+, Cartoon Saloon, Titmouse - animator); Ryan Stapleton (Netflix, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros - storyboard artist); Khoa Le- Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment - animation director, lead cinematics editor); Amelie Le-Roche (Sony Interactive Entertainment, Infinity Ward - senior animator; and Romney Marino (Bento Box, Titmouse – associate producer, director of development.
“This contest is never the same experience” said Mintz, “This year we had our first disqualification due to a team not closely following the rules, and we had teams competing from Israel during war and teams competing from Florida in the middle of a Hurricane. So, while this year was filled with tension and difficulties, what makes this contest special is that all of these artists from around the world come together for this one 24-hour period and focus on what they love doing best – animating. And I like to think they forget about their troubles, even if for a short time.”
You can watch the films in order of ranking on the contest’s YouTube channel @24HOURScontest.
Also check out the fun “Behind the Scenes” reels from participating schools:
Here are the winners:
1st place - Team: What Are We - School: Sheridan College Points: 314
Film: https://youtu.be/88C0KzGDoU4?si=6KLFzDR5o0Hyqk7I
- First place winner prizes: Toon Boom Prize: $2500 ($500 each team member)
- Wacom Movink Wacom Cintique tablets
- 5 x pro licenses of TVPaint Animation for each team member of one team
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios - each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
2nd place - Team: Move it Move it - School: Ringling College of Art and Design Points: 310
Film: https://youtu.be/-8iSqYtEVLg?si=nm5dbyOQtqr6aEpZ
- ASIFA-Hollywood/AEF prize for 2nd place winning team: $1500 ($300 each team member)
- Pixar prize pack for each team member
- Stuart NG Books - 5 x $100 gift certificates for one winning team
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
3rd Place - Team: tapeworm - School: Ringling College of Art and Design Points: 307
Film: https://youtu.be/M0OmMKloIaE?si=VbdUkDg1sGE3vNyX
- Runner Up winner prize: XPPen $1250 ($250 each team member)
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
Runner up - Team: Stop Mo Rules - School: PennWest- Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA - Points: 303
Film: https://youtu.be/GgI4FdtWGlw?si=9FotuLCTQqTHZ2Lh
- Runner Up winner prize: Netflix $1000 ($200 each team member)
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
2nd Runner up - Team: newBeez - School: SCAD, Savannah, Georgia, USA - Points: 300
Film: https://youtu.be/7Srv9-7gRLk?si=zLNwfUMqHpsynEL5
- Second Runner Up winner prize: Illumination $1000 ($200 each team member)
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
3rd Runner up - Team: 20 piece chicken nugget meal with a medium fry, large soda, and special grade garlic sauce - School: Sam Houston State University, Texas - Points: 297
Film: https://youtu.be/SQvZYRQLoQ0?si=4oV8DR0FDL8Ga5rK
- Third Runner up winner prize: Nickelodeon $1000 ($200 each team member)
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
Best High School - Team: Dummy Media - School: Orange County School of the Arts, California - Points: 279
Film: https://youtu.be/lWsk1GmO0Wk?si=5lIepfiOoVeBk15W
- Best High School team winner prize: Sony $1000 ($200 each team member)
- AIF full festival passes
- 5 x 1 year Student Memberships to ASIFA-Hollywood
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
Behind the Scenes Prize (BTS) - Team: Wouldn't You like to Know - School: OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Film: https://youtu.be/NeGE5Ot-ZKE?si=9gS95Xqdrn0qyCnv
- Best Behind the Scenes Disney/Pixar winner prize: $500 ($100 each team member)
- 5 Harmony Premium / 5 Storyboard Pro 1 yr license for EVERY winning team
- Walt Disney Animation Studios each member will be invited to participate in a one-hour virtual "coffee chat" session with members of Walt Disney Animation Studios
- 5 CRC Press “Ideas for the Animated Short , 2nd Edition” for each winning team
- Full student passes to TAAFI for each team member
- X in a Box - team will participate in Story Xperiential
- 5x pro licenses of Digicel’s Flipbook software
- Animation Magazine 2-year Digital subs for each team member of all winning teams
Source: 24Hour Contest
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
