Winning students’ animation on display at London’s iconic LED ceiling

Following the announcement, Sysco Productions took to Instagram to congratulate James: “Huge congratulations to James Doherty… His bold, sci-fi-inspired vision transformed the London skyline with cinematic brilliance.”

Demonstrating their commitment to supporting the next generation of emerging digital artists, the Awards invited five artists to respond to a creative brief. Sysco Productions guided them from concept development in its simulator to staging on one of the city’s largest suspended digital canvases. This collaborative process culminated in the premiere of five remarkable works, including three by UCA students.

Among the showcased works are, Livvy Seabrook-Wilkins' ‘Little Meadow’, Oliver Pearse's “Organic Ocean” and James Doherty's “Into the Smog”. All three works will be on show for the next two months.

The winning animation by James Doherty was inspired by Brutalism, featuring a space station in the smog, flanked by industrial rigs and robots, with the whole effect contributing to a sense of depth and volume of space.

James explained: “I created a dark, brutalist void that brought the viewer into a new world. The animation starts with a robot revealing the scene: A brutalist space station floating in the fog. I loved the atmosphere this created – dark, mysterious and lonely.

James not only had his work brought to life in a large-scale public installation but also received prize money and professional support to develop his piece for exhibiting.

“I just love making worlds, so this was a unique challenge, as I'm not used to creating something that you look directly up at,” added James.

Catch the full programme of animations on display at Skyframe London, 120 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 5BA.

Follow @jfdohertyanimation @lseabrook_animation @oliverpearse.animation

To learn more abouts studying animation at UCA, visit the course pages.