September 29th, 2022 
Jerry Beck 
This year’s 24 HOURS: Animation Contest for Students will be hosted online, from Friday October 14th to Saturday October 15th. This free event challenges students around the world to compete in teams of five to produce a 30-second animated film in under 24 hours. Now celebrating its 20th year, this international competition is hosted by animation professor, Aubry Mintz, at California State University, Long Beach.
Still image from 2021’s top-placed entry Awkward Greetings, from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) in Brazil.
The final 30-second films will be judged by a volunteer panel of esteemed animation professionals:
Angela Abeyti – Character and Prop Designer/Lead, (Nickelodeon, Titmouse, ShadowMachine, Hothouse Productions, Avalanche Films – Baby Shark’s Big Show, Bojack Horseman, Tuca and Bertie, My Momma Named me Sheriff , Chicago Party Aunt and more).
Grace Babineau – Background Painter/Color Designer (Nickelodeon, Titmouse Inc., Cartoon Network, Bento Box Ent, and art aired on Netflix, HBOmax, Amazon)
Todd DeJong – Animator and Director (Warner Bros)
Karina Gazizova – Director (Wacky Races) Storyboard Artist (Teen Titans GO!), Technical Director (Studio RedFrog, France)
Rebecca Kartzmark – Animator (Tangled the Series, Hilda, Mickey Mouse and Molly McGee)
Kimmie King -Animator (Nickelodeon, Giphy Arts, BET, Ziwe Fumudoh, Rick and Morty, “Helluva Boss)
Ira Owens – Confirmed – Cinematographer for Sucker Punch Productions – Ghost of Tsushima
Nathan Palm – VizDev Artist and Character Designer (Dreamworks, StoopidBuddy, ShadowMachine, Bento Box, – Duncanville, The Great North, Solar Opposites, Family Guy, Final Space, Paradise PD)
Ryan Stapleton – Storyboard artist (20th Century Fox Animation, Glen Keane Productions/Netflix, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros / American Dad, Trash Truck, Inside Job, Dinotrux, Santiago of the Seas)
Interested in joining this year’s challenge? Students can register their team of five online.
Aubry Mintz states, “I am thrilled to announce we are in our 20th year and more than 10,000 students from 150+ schools have benefited from participating through the years. The challenge has featured participants from 20 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Kenya, New Zealand, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, UK, and the USA!. This year, industry supporters are getting behind this contest with additional prizes and funding efforts to support students in new ways. An example of these new initiatives is an equipment request program for underserved students, which will not only allow them to participate in this year’s 24 HOURS challenge, but provide tools to aid in their virtual learning and production of art. Eligible students are encouraged to apply to the program.
Generous supporters have included Toon Boom, Illumination, ASIFA-Hollywood, Nickelodeon, Bento Box, TAAFI (Toronto Animated Arts Festival International), CSU Summer Arts, Wacom, TVPaint, Digicel, Animation Magazine, CTNX, CRC Press, X in a Box, Xencelabs, Mac Hollywood, Stuart Ng Books, Animation is Film, DreamWorks, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation, Walt Disney Animation, and more!.
Curious to see the top-placing films from previous years? You can find a playlist of previous entries on YouTube.
Still image from 2020’s runner-up entry, Inner Space, from Belas Artes University, São Paulo, Brazil.
How does it work?
As we are in the midst of a pandemic, we will allow all students to each work from home, but they must still register in teams of five. We still ask that each team have a faculty advisor from their home school. This ensures that all teams are currently students and that this contest falls in line with each school’s student learning outcomes. Teams at the same school are permitted to share faculty advisors.
All teams start at the exact same time and submit a YouTube link of the completed films to the contest before the deadline, Saturday October 15th at 4PM PST. Late submissions are not accepted. Teams need to plan ahead and troubleshoot issues, including unsent emails and broken YouTube links. Finished films will be judged by a panel of industry experts and prizes will be awarded to the top 7 teams.
How did it start?
In 2002 Aubry Mintz challenged his students to work through the night to see how much they could accomplish. Five students remained when the sun rose, and Mintz was impressed by what they were able to produce. 24 HOURS Animation Contest for Students was born, and Aubry Mintz decided to continue to offer this contest once a year to students in search of a challenge.
“It brings out the best in students,” said Aubry Mintz, after watching entries from 291 teams in 2019. “It pushes them to their limits but teaches them to make creative decisions in a severely limited time. Working with a team of five challenges artists to learn how to work collaboratively. Sometimes this creates tension and obstacles that the teams must work together to overcome. It’s a rapid speed lesson in animation production.”
“Although this contest sounds crazy — the model seems to work. The top films are as good as some completed student films that take several months to produce. I think it’s their chance to set personal goals and work outside of the classroom structure on a creative project.”
What is new?
For our 20th year we are teaming up with Wacom at LightBox Expo, October 14-16, 2022, in Pasadena. Meet professional animators and see the amazing student work in Wacom’s booth (#801) while trying Wacom’s award-winning pen displays. Wacom products fill professional animation studios around the globe with the technology animators need to create the animated films and shows we love. “We continue to be inspired by the students who spend 24 hours pouring their creativity into this project. Wacom is honored to offer prizes to these students, who we know will have successful careers in animation,” says Linzie Reynolds, Director of Enterprise Business at Wacom.
Animation professionals are welcome to come by and cheer the 24 HOURS teams on between 10am-6pm on Saturday Oct 15 where Aubry Mintz will be conducting live inspirational interviews for the 24 HOURS participants.
For more questions about the contest, contact 24hourscontest@gmail.com, and please join the Facebook group and review the FAQs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/24hourscontest/
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