BAFTA has been working recently with Creative Skillset to deliver a series of guest lectures at media universities across the UK, aiming to bring leading figures in the film, television and games industry together with newly emerging talent, through lectures designed to inspire students to develop their creativity alongside their business and technical skills.
Last year Oli Hyatt, Creative Director at BAFTA-winning animation studio Blue Zoo, talked to students in Edinburgh about his work. You can also see them at the BAFTA Guru YouTube page.
Here’s a brief summary of some of the things that Oli talked about:
On getting hired:
"If you’ve got a five second clip that will blow our socks off, just put that on [your show reel]". Plus, the importance of starting at the bottom and doing anything to get your foot in the door.
On working in animation:
"You can either be really, really creative or you can still be really, really geeky. In the pipeline of animation there’s a whole breadth of characters in the office."
On working with the right people:
"Make sure you go into business with people whose opinion you implicitly trust."
On his Proudest moment:
"My proudest moment was winning the BAFTA for Best Production Company, which recognised the company as a whole."