Here at Hagley we have had a long history of students achieving success in the film and game industry, both nationally and internationally.

The School of Animation and Digital Design, which is in its second year this year, is another unique opportunity for students to follow their creative passion in the digital arts field. Students can learn to do concept design, digital or physical sculpting, computer graphics animation, to create video game assets or animatronic creatures as well as learn to take a project from conception to the final real world product.

The course was developed and is led by Hagley Art teacher, Gavin Hewitt. Gavin conceived the course as a result of seeing the need to meet the students where they are at. Many students have a strong interest in gaming and digital technologies, so it made sense to Gavin to capture and harness that interest into a course which could lead students into a career which matches their passion. “There is now a whole industry which didn’t exist ten or twelve years ago and this can provide an opportunity for these creative students to pursue a career in an area which excites and challenges them,” says Gavin.

Gavin is eager to dispel the myth that success in the arts, and in particular the digital arts, is reliant on talent alone. Gavin places a strong emphasis on helping students understand that success in this field relies on being prepared to work hard, and within the programme he fosters key skills such as perseverance, as these are the attributes that the industry will require of them if they are to do well.

Former students have followed a range of pathways: one is Character Technical Director of game company, Avatar, while another is Lead Concept Artist for Supercell (Clash of the Clans); several are working at WETA, one was part of a Wellington team nominated for a BAFTA for the development of an iPhone game, while others have gone on to further study at Massey University in Wellington or Auckland’s Media Design School.

The School of Animation and Digital Design clearly offers some exciting new opportunities for students.