Showing posts with label competitions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label competitions. Show all posts

Friday, October 17, 2014

VES Student Awards Now Accepting Entries - Deadline 23 November 2014


The VES Student Award for
Outstanding Visual Effects as Presented by Autodesk


Calling all Visual Effects Animators at Bucks! The annual VES awards are now open. The Visual Effects Society is the organisation that brings digital artists together from all over the globe - it's our professional community organisation. 


The student awards represent a unique opportunity to showcase your work and have it reviewed by the industry’s leading VFX artists. If you win, you will have a chance to take the stage in Beverly Hills, California at the annual VES Awards.

It’s now time to submit your best visual effects or animation work from school projects completed this year. The deadline is 23 November 2014.



Beverly Hills, yay! Photo: Wikipedia

CRITICAL DATES

Period of Eligibility:  January 1 to December 31, 2014
Rules and Procedures Published: August 25, 2014
Submissions Open:  October 6, 2014
Deadline for Entries:  November 23, 2014 


You can see more details at the official  VES Awards Website

As always, we strongly encourage our students to enter competitions. Even if you don't win, the process of competing will help you raise your game and get better at your craft.

---Alex



Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Anifest is Back! Deadline: 30th September 2014

 The Canterbury Anifest Short Film Competition returns for 2014. Submissions are now open for animated shorts under ten minutes in length with entry closing on Tuesday 30th September 2014. Entries will then be considered by the Anifest judging panel, which includes Andy Frain, Producer of the cult classic Japanese animated film Ghost in the Shell, and Michael Arias, Director of Tekkonkinkreet.


Canterbury Cathedral
The shortlisted films and the winners will be announced at the Canterbury Anifest Awards Ceremony at Canterbury Christchurch University’s Augustine House on Friday 31st October, in front of an audience of professionals and animation enthusiasts.

The submitted animated shorts will be judged according to five separate categories: “Best British Short Film”, “Best International Short Film”, “Best British Newcomer”, “Best International Newcomer”, and “Critics Choice”.

Following an established tradition of seeking out and showcasing remarkable and exciting new talent in the field of animation since Canterbury Anifest had first begun, Canterbury Anifest 2014 aims to continue this celebration of burgeoning talent both within Britain and from around the world. For the first time, Canterbury Anifest also plans to exhibit a diverse selection of the submitted short films for the festival’s opening night on Monday 27th October at Gulbenkian, Canterbury. 

Deadline for entry: Tuesday 30th September 2014
For information please visit http://www.canterburyanifest.com/film-competition/ or call 01227 769075.

As ever, we strongly encourage all our students at Bucks to enter short film competitions. Even if you don't win, the experience you gain will be invaluable, and will help you raise your game and improve your work. And you might even have some fun along the way....

---Alex



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

RSA Student Design Awards Launched. Deadline: 4th March 2015


The RSA Student Design Awards (SDAs) is a competition that challenges designers at University level to tackle design briefs focused around pressing real-world issues. They have eight briefs this year – each is focused around a different social, environmental or economic issue. The challenges range from designing sustainable toys to designing ways of connecting people to their heritage. For the first time in recent history they are launching an animation brief titled ‘Moving Pictures’, which provides two exclusive audio files from the RSA Events programme, and asks students to produce an accompanying animation to energise and illuminate the content.


For the winning entries, there are two cash prizes of £1,000, and a Staff Choice Award of £500.


The deadline for submissions is 4th March 2015. On 16th March judging begins, and the winners are announced on 20th May 2015.


Contact Details:
RSA Student Design Awards
8 John Adam Street
London WC2N 6EZ
T: 020 7451 6834 E: sdaenquiries@rsa.org.uk

A recent prize won by one of our students

As always, we strongly encourage all of our students to enter competitions and compete at the highest level internationally. Even if you don't win, the process of entering and competing will help you raise your game and improve your work. Competitions are an excellent way of helping our students develop into highly skilled professional animators and film-makers.

----Alex

To see more work by our talented undergraduate students and recent graduates, check out the work of Andy Thomas here. Also see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan. To see some of the festivals and competitions where our students have won prizes, follow this link.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Nickelodeon Announces 2014 Student Animated Shorts Program: Deadline Monday Sept 15


Nickelodeon has announced their 2014 Student Animated Shorts Program, and the deadline for submission is Monday Sept 15th. You don't have to pitch a finished film, just an idea in concept. You will need an idea, characters, a setting, a story, and some storyboards. This is an opportunity to have your idea for a TV series picked up by a major US network - time to sharpen your pencils and start brainstorming.


http://signup.viacom.com/NickPreschool/StudentShortSubmission.aspx

What is this competition?

It is a creative shorts program sponsored by Nickelodeon Preschool Television.

What are they looking for?
Short films that will make pre-school kids laugh out loud.

What would she find funny? Photo:Wikipedia

What are the Creative Guidelines?
Nickelodeon are looking for character based shorts that are silly, whacky, loony and hilariously funny to their core audience of two to five year olds. Also:
  • Shorts should include strong characters that appeal to both boys and girls.
  • Shorts should avoid stereotyping of any kind. 
  • Shorts should be respectful of preschooler's development, gearing humor and content to the audience. 
  • Shorts should be visually stimulating and push the conventions of design while working on a level respectful of pre-schooler's development. 
  • Shorts should avoid topics and issues that date and link the series to a particular time and fad.
  • Shorts should have no more than 2 – 3 characters. 
  • Shorts are limited to 2:00 in length and should primarily take place in 1 setting.
  • Open to all animation styles.
How can you submit?
Submit your idea as a pitch. The pitch materials must include the following in a single .PDF file:
  • Concept treatment (1 to 2 paragraphs about your idea)
  • Character descriptions and designs 
  • 2 minute script/outline OR 2 minute rough thumbnail storyboard
  • Resume and credits 
  • Link to online portfolio and/or work samples (if available)
If available, you can provide a link to additional pitch content.


When is the deadline?
The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 15, 2014. No submissions will be accepted after this time.

To find out more, follow this link.
http://signup.viacom.com/NickPreschool/StudentShortSubmission.aspx

As always, here at Bucks we strongly encourage our students to enter competitions. Even if you don't win, the experience will teach you a huge amount about what is needed to bring a project to completion. Every time you enter a competition you will get a little (maybe a lot) better. You will hone your skills, and improve your chances of building a successful career in the industry.

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK. Find out why we're giving free laptops to all our students, and why we give all our students free access to videos at Lynda.com. Also, see what financial assistance might be available to you. Learn which is better for animation, a PC or a Mac? Get hold of a copy of a map so you can find your way around campus, and learn about motion capture at Bucks. And find out about how our online video tutorials work. 



Tuesday, August 5, 2014

What is the Eleven Second Club?


The 11 Second Club is a monthly character animation competition, and a great way for aspiring animators to practice their skills and get their work noticed. Animators from all over the world participate, animating a character speaking a line of dialogue, which is provided every month by the club.

Throughout the competition, participants can share their progress with one another and critique each other's work - just like in a real animation studio. At the end of the month, all the participants vote for the submission that they consider the best for that month - so it's a very democratic process. The idea of the 11 Second Club is "to give animators a chance to practice their skills in a fun, challenging environment".
It's all about the acting
How do you enter?

To participate, the first thing you'll need to do is to download this month's audio file. Then, use the month to animate a character performing the line, using whatever acting you feel interprets the audio best.

Finally, upload your movie to the site before the end of the competition. To get the most out of the club, use the "Work in Progress" forum throughout the month to get feedback on your work. The feedback you get from your peers will make your work that much stronger! Just like in a real studio, you will get used to both giving and receiving notes.

Time runs from the first of the month - Eastern Standard Time
What are the dates of each competition?

The competition runs from 12:01 am New York time on the 1st of each month until midnight New York time on the last day of the month.

The Voting period runs from the 1st to the 5th of each month. The winner is announced on the 5th of each month.

There are many free character rigs available

But I don't know anything about modeling or rigging! How can I participate without my own character???

Relax! No one said anything about modeling or rigging your own character. There are plenty of characters available online for you to animate with. Have a look in our "Resources" section to find expressive and ready-to-animate rigs for most popular 3D programs.


Can I still enter the competition if I'm a paper-and-pencil animator, or if I use stop-motion puppets? 

Of course! Animation is animation. However you feel most comfortable animating your entry, then that's how you should approach it. All that's really required is that you are able to upload a quicktime movie of your work to the site by the end of the month. The style and the medium is absolutely up to you!


What if I don't want my work picked apart and posted for everyone to see?

If you're troubled by the thought of having a professional animator pointing out areas of your work that need improvement, you can decline the prize by unchecking the box on the entry submission page at any time before voting starts. In the event that you win, the eCritique™ prize will go to the next highest rated entry.

That said, the experience of having someone much better than you point out your mistakes in front of a crowd of your peers is a daily one for a working animator (in sessions called "dailies" or "sweatbox"), and it's one of the best ways you can improve your work.


Wow, I really want to win! What are the things that will disqualify my entry and prevent me from winning?

Glad you asked! Here are the rules you need to be sure to follow to avoid having your entry disqualified and ineligible for voting or winning:
• Don't edit the sound file (beyond adding silence before/after if needed).
• Don't put your name or contact info anywhere on the actual video (this makes voting unfair).
• Don't try to upload files more than 10MB (the server will automatically reject it).
• Don't use anything overtly offensive (this is not the place for crude sexual humor).
• Don't try to cheat. You can give your own entry a high rating if you think it deserves it, but you are not allowed to organize groups of friends to give your entry unfairly high ratings. Our system is set up to check for suspicious voting activity, and if we find you've been cheating, consequences can include entry disqualification, account suspension, or a permanent ban from the site.

Is there anything else I should know?

Here are the terms and conditions.

To see more about the contest, go to www.11secondclub.com. As always, here at Bucks we encourage our students to enter competitions and compete at the highest level. You may not win, but what you will learn by entering is almost always invaluable. Competitions help you sharpen your skills, raise your game, and make your work as professional as possible. Plus, you never know - you might actually win!

---Alex

To see the impressive work done by our students and recent graduates here at Bucks, check out SuperFergy in 3D by Anton Alfy, see the work of Jens Kopke,  Ben Gray's Moonbeam, and the architectural visualisations of Sabah Masood and Anton Alfimenko. Also take a look at the work of Andy Thomas here, see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan. And don't forget to see the simulation work of our students done in RealFlow. To see our student demo reel, click here.


Thursday, June 26, 2014

Bucks Unite App Design Competition: Win £250!


Summer money: a competition to win £250! Rebecca Rochon, Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development, has developed a new App called Unite, which allows students to connect with other students before starting university. The App was successfully entered into the JISC Summer of Student Innovation, winning £5,000 for Bucks students to develop the App further. Now Rebecca needs some help from designers and animators at Bucks to help bring the project to life.

What is the JISC Summer of Student Innovation?
The JISC Summer of Student Innovation is a chance for students to create real technology solutions to improve education, research and student life.  JISC champions the use of digital technologies in UK education and research and is funding learners with new ideas on how to use technology to improve student life.

What is the winning app?
The winning project is called Unite. It is a mobile app to connect people through higher education. And it now needs some student-designed graphics.

What specifically is needed?
The following elements need to be designed:
  1. A logo
  2. The app icon (if different, but presumably incorporating the logo)
  3. A colour scheme and font choice for interface
Who is it aimed at?
The main target market is students aged 18-24, but it should have general appeal.

What style should the design be?
The design can be in any style, but it should be universally appealing. To get inspired, just take a look at your phone and see other apps that have been well designed. Good app designs are simple, clear and stylish.

Who is eligible to enter?
Bucks students and recent graduates.

What is the deadline?
The competition closes at 5pm on August 15th.

Who do you submit to?
Designs must be submitted to Rebecca Rochon at Bucks New Uni. Please submit by email to Rebecca.Rochon@bucks.ac.uk and (just to be safe) cc Rebecca at hello.unite@gmail.com

Who will own the IP?
In submitting your work, you are agreeing that (if selected) the submission becomes the property of the project. It may be used and adapted without any further consultation from you.

Where can I find more information?
For full details of the project, please go to http://elevator.jisc.ac.uk/sosi14/ideas/unite-app-connect-people-through-he

---- alex

Monday, June 16, 2014

The VES Student Award for Outstanding Visual Effects - soon accepting entries


The VES Student Award for
Outstanding Visual Effects as Presented by Autodesk

It was inspired by Steven Spielberg…
Winners have come from across the globe…
Will you be the next one to join them on the red carpet?

ATTENTION: Students of Visual Effects, Animation and Digital Media

Looking for a unique opportunity to showcase your work and have it reviewed by the industry’s leading VFX artists?

Then get ready to compete for this coveted award and a chance to take the stage in Beverly Hills, California at the annual VES Awards.

It’s prep time, so think about submitting your best visual effects or animation work from school projects completed this year.  Keep your digital files handy so you can use them in the fall to prepare your entry.



CRITICAL DATES

Period of Eligibility:  January 1 to December 31, 2014
Rules and Procedures Published: August 25, 2014
Submissions Open:  October 6, 2014
Deadline for Entries:  November 23, 2014 


Stay tuned for details and updates on the VES Awards Website

Friday, May 23, 2014

Calling all animators - time to enter the annual Winston Churchill Design Competition



The Winston Churchill Design Competition has just been launched. The annual competition, delivered by Pentland Group PLC in partnership with The Churchill Centre and ARTS THREAD, seeks to encourage and uncover upcoming talent, who will create a unique piece of artwork that captures Winston Churchill's essence, making his life and work relevant for a modern audience.

Cash prizes

The top three winning entries will all received a cash prize.
  • First prize is £1000
  • Second prize is £750 
  • Third prize is £500
The winners will also get a paid work experience at Pentland Group PLC headquarters in London. They will also receive an invitation to the prestigious annual Sir Winston Churchill Dinner in London, in the Autumn of 2014

The Brief

The brief for the competition is to "capture the essence of Churchill's unique style and personality, and present it for a modern audience". Entrants can create work in any media that can be viewed on a website.The panel, made up of external patrons and members of The Churchill Centre, will review entries against five criteria.

The Criteria
  1. Design craft. Does the design demonstrate a high degree of sensitivity to materials and techniques? Is the composition exciting and dynamic? 
  2. Insight. Does the design present fresh and insightful perspectives into the different aspects of Churchill as a journalist, historian,great orator,politician,soldier,bricklayer, artist and more? Is the design exciting and compelling? 
  3. Communication.  Is the design easy to understand? Is it able to communicate its message directly and with force?  
  4. Contemporary relevance. Does the piece of work show thought about the enduring appeal of Churchill's personality and style? 
  5. Inspiration. Does the work have the potential to inspire great things?

The competition is open to international BA/MA students or recent graduates and will close on 31st August.

2014. Further details can be found on ARTS THREAD's website, here.

http://www.artsthread.com/winston-churchill-design-competition/

---Alex




Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Thames Valley Student Film Competition - £200 cash prize


Connecting Thames Valley Tech (CTVT) is running a film competition open only to students at universities in the Thames Valley (including High Wycombe). The competition brief is to produce a video about the diverse range of technology companies that we have across the Thames Valley. The winner will receive £200 in cash and will appear as the featured “about us” video on the front page of CTVT for at least three months. The deadline is Midnight on 24th April 2014


 
Thames Valley. Source: Wikipedia
What is the Thames Valley?

The Thames Valley is, as the name suggests, the valley through which the Thames river runs. It boasts a diverse range of technology companies including; Space, Engineering, Motor Racing, Robotics, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Film and Games.


What is the Brief? 

The brief, aimed exclusively at student film-makers, is to produce an engaging video highlighting the diverse range of technology companies that we have across the whole of the Thames Valley. The winning video must be under two minutes, and will be featured on the front page of the CTVT website for a period of three months. To view the beta site please go to www.ctvt.co.uk/home.

Your winning video will feature where the current Samsung news article is positioned.


What is Connecting Thames Valley Tech?

CTVT is the brainchild of Louize Clarke and Adam Clark. Louize and Adam met at a local technology event and discovered they had a shared frustration that the Thames Valley, once known as the ‘Silicon Valley of Europe’, had all but lost its sparkle.

While the Thames Valley continues to be a hotbed for cutting-edge technology in areas as diverse as motor racing and space science, it had been overtaken by new technology hubs that both Government and media were now lavishing their attention on.

Louize and Adam also agreed on the main reason for its demise in public affection. While there were many agencies and initiatives promoting the region, there wasn’t a central ‘mouthpiece’ to showcase the Thames Valley’s innovative spirit toward a new generation of entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses. And those technology firms already based in the region often found themselves operating in isolation, unaware of the wide range of potential partners, customers and employees who were just a stone’s throw away.

These views were shared by many others, but doing anything about it usually fell into the ‘just too hard’ category. Not so for Louize and Adam, who in the face of this apathy decided to challenge the status quo and created CTVT.


How to Enter

Should you wish to speak directly to Louize at CTVT to gain more information please e-mail louize@indigoloop.co.uk and we can arrange a time to talk.

You must produce a video of not more than 2 minutes

Upload to a video sharing platform (such as DropBox) and email the link to takethemic@ctvt.co.uk with your name, age, educational establishment you are currently studying at and a contact e-mail and phone number.


The deadline

Closing date: Midnight 24th April 2014


The Prize


The winner will receive £200 cash and will appear as the featured “about us” video on the front page of CTVT for three months.



The Rules

This competition is only open to students studying in full time education at Schools, Colleges and Universities based in the Thames Valley.


The Fine Print

All material used (film, still images, music and sound) must be original or copyright cleared (e.g appropriate Creative Commons licenses for material not originated by the contestants)

Winners will be notified by the email address that they provided when entering, so use one that you check regularly. Any entries that do not have a correct email address will not be eligible to win the prize.

The decision of the Judges is final and no correspondence can be entered into. The prize is not transferable


The Legal Stuff

By entering the Contest, the Contestants:
  1. agree to the official rules and the criteria for which the winners will be chosen.
  2. agree that Copyright clearance of all material used by the contestants, both sound and picture, is the sole responsibility of the contestants
  3.  consent to CTVT’s use of the content submitted
  4. consent to the use of the winners' names and likenesses and any other material supplied by the entrants for publicity purposes.
  5. assign the rights to re-print, display, perform or exhibit such materials without limitation and without any additional compensation to the winner or any other party, except where prohibited by law.
  6.  release CTVT, its affiliates, their officers, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting acceptance, possession or use of any prize.
  7. The Thames Valley boasts a diverse range of technology companies including; Space, Engineering, Motor Racing, Robotics, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Film and Games.
----Alex

(Editor's Note: As always, we strongly enourage out students to enter competitions such as this. Even if you don't win, the experience you gain along the way is invaluable, and will help you raise your game and imporve your skills as a film-maker.)


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Viral Tap wants your videos - £1,000 prize!


Stephen Partridge, who runs the Media Production Department at Bucks, has brought in an exciting competition for all our talented students at Bucks, from a former colleague who is working on a new show for ITV2 titled Viral Tap.

Viral Tap is an panel show presented by Caroline Flack, which will showcase entertaining clips sent in by contributors. Viral Tap will be putting a weekly call out for clips and also wants weekly contributions to be filmed by members of the public - that means you and me.



Below is a copy of their flyer which sets out all the details.


The show is presented by Caroline Flack, and they are offering a £1,000 prize for the best videos. To find out more, go to www.itv.com/viraltap.


Caroline Flack
Here at Bucks we believe that entering competitions is good practice for a successful freelance career. Even if you don't win, the knowledge you gain along the way is invaluable for the next time you try. Every time you enter a competition you raise your game and get a little better at it. Before you know it, you will be entering and winning.

---Alex

(Editor's Note: for more on recent animation competitions, check out this competition from Aardman Animation,  and this competition from Sofa.com)

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Aardman Animation Competition - Success against the odds

National Accident Helpline has teamed up with Aardman Animation to run an animation competition called 'Success against the odds'. Aspiring animators are invited to create a short animation on this theme, for a chance to win a tour of the Aardman studios, a 'Make a Morph' workshop, an original Morph artwork signed by Peter Lord, plus paid travel expenses and accommodation. The winner and shortlisted entrants will also get personalised feedback on their animation from Aardman.

The Brief to animators is as follows:
  • To create a short animation on the theme of 'success against the odds' 
  • Entrants can use any discipline of animation you choose (2D drawn, 3D CGI, traditional stop motion animation etc.)
  • Animations should be 10 seconds or under in length
  • Entries should be submitted by 18 May 2014 at 10.00pm
Anyone interested in entering should request an entry pack by entering their email address on this page: http://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/success-against-the-odds

The prize:
  • A personal tour of the Aardman Animations studios in Bristol for you and a friend including ‘Make a Morph’ workshop (approx. 2 hours in total)
  • Framed original Morph sketch signed by Peter Lord (Aardman co-founder and creator of Morph)
  • Accommodation the night before or after the tour (TBC), and travel to and from Bristol
More information and entry pack available here: http://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/success-against-the-odds

As ever, here at Bucks we strongly encourage our students to enter competitions such as this. You might win, or get shortlisted, and the experience of entering and competing is hugely useful in itself. nothing teaches you the skills of film-making like the focus of entering your project into a competitive race.

---Alex



Thursday, February 13, 2014

Sofa.com competition - last call for entries - £3,000 prize!


Last November Sofa.com launched a student animated film competition titled ‘Filmed with Happiness’. Anyone who is studying or working in film making, animation or television is invited to submit a short film (15-30 seconds long) for children, based on the theme of "happiness".

The winner gets £3,000 in cash - and the chance to boost your profile with a little help from the sofa.com PR agency. There are also three runner-up prizes of £1,000 each. The deadline for submission is 31st March, and - perhaps most interesting of all - one of the judges has recently been confirmed as Peter Jackson, he of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.


Peter Jackson is on the judging panel
The winning animation will be shown online and in all of the company's showrooms in the children’s area.


As well as the first prize of £3,000, three runners-up will also win a £1,000 cash prize.

Here at Bucks we strongly encourage our students to enter film competitions, not just because it's awesome to win, but because the process of taking part will teach you so much. You learn project management, working together as a team, and how to make a film with a practical, client-focused outcome. All of which is to say, it will help you raise your game and become a working professional.

You can find full details of the competition here:

(Editor's note: For more on the mechanics of group projects, see this post. To see how a short film gets made, read this piece here. Having trouble getting your story figured out? Read this post on storytelling. )

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Creative Talent Showcase 2014 - deadline noon on Friday 14th February


Creative Talent Showcase 2014
Calling all animators and digital artists! You have until noon on Friday February 14th to submit your best work to the 2014 Creative Talent Showcase at Bucks, organised by Enterprise at Bucks. First prize is £300, second prize is £200, and the third prize is £100. What are you waiting for? Send your work in now!

Who is eligible?
All undergraduate students at Bucks. 

What can I send in? 
Any work that you have done at Bucks that you are especially proud of; in other words - your best work.

Is there a form to fill in?
Of course! This is Bucks - there is always a form to fill in. You can find it here: http://enterprisebucks.ning.com/

Who do I send it to?
All applications should be submitted by email to enterprise@bucks.ac.uk
Make sure you cc lydiah.igweh@bucks.ac.uk

When is the deadline?
Noon on Friday 14th February

As always, we strongly encourage all our students to enter competitions whenever possible. Even if you don't win, what you learn along the way by competing will be invaluable experience. You will inevitably get better at putting your best foot forward and submitting your work in the most professional way.

For more about the Creative Talent Showcase 2014, visit their official page.

---Alex

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Student Showcase - Jens Kopke's "highly commended" work for AD&D


This very stylish short video is by Bucks graduate Jens Kopke, who entered it for the Design and Art Direction (D&AD) awards and was "highly commended" for his work.

D&AD is an educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising. They aim to "reward great ideas that are well executed and appropriate".

Entering competitions like D&AD is a great way for students to test their skills and compete internationally. Winning prizes is an excellent way to build a profile and also get noticed by employers.

Getting that first job is always the hardest step in launching a career. But having an award on your CV is the best start you can have.

And, even if you don't win, the process of entering competitions imposes its own discipline, forcing you to raise your game and do the very best possible job you are capable of. Which is something that few people ever regret.

---Alex

(Editor's Note: For more impressive work done by our students and recent graduates here at Bucks, check out the work of Sabah Masood. Also take a look at the work of Andy Thomas here, see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan.)