{"id":28216,"date":"2025-10-07T10:50:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T10:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=28216"},"modified":"2025-10-07T10:50:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T10:50:50","slug":"vut-students-excel-in-global-24-hour-animation-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/vut-students-excel-in-global-24-hour-animation-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT students excel in global 24-Hour Animation Contest"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT Digital Arts students showed creativity, teamwork & resilience at the 24-Hour Animation Contest, creating 30-second films & earning global recognition.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

07 October 2025 | Story By:\u00a0Staff Reporter | Picture: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a03 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"VUT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Visual Arts and Design at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) has once again demonstrated its creative excellence as Fine Art students from the Digital Arts 2 and 3 modules participated in the annual 24-Hour Animation Contest for Students, a global competition that tests skill, imagination, and endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosted by Professor Aubry Mintz of California State University, Long Beach, the contest challenges students from across the world to produce a 30-second animated film within just 24 hours. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cFlip Perspectives,\u201d was announced live by special guest Pete Docter, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind Inside Out and Soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At VUT, the challenge began at midnight on Saturday, 4 October 2025, with seven student teams gathering in K-Block to work through the night and day. Under the mentorship of Dr Mashaole Makwela, the students collaborated across animation, sound, editing, and storytelling to deliver high-quality productions that showcased their technical expertise and artistic creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is our fourth year participating, and each year I see remarkable improvement,\u201d said Dr Makwela. \u201cThe contest is not just about animation; it\u2019s about teamwork, project management, and learning to operate under industry-like pressure. Our students continue to surprise me with their growth, professionalism, and dedication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many participants, the experience offered valuable lessons that extended beyond animation. Ms Liyema Viti, a second-time participant, described it as both \u201chard and rewarding.\u201d She reflected, \u201cWorking within 24 hours taught us flexibility, teamwork, and storytelling under pressure. It\u2019s amazing to see how much we\u2019ve grown since last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Madibo Leo found the competition \u201cfun, exciting, and creatively challenging.\u201d His team\u2019s animation, about a coin that wishes to become paper money, cleverly embodied the year\u2019s theme. \u201cDespite fatigue, our teamwork and communication kept us going. Submitting our film on time was incredibly rewarding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Matjila Sponono noted how the contest strengthened her collaborative skills: \u201cWorking under strict time constraints taught me to trust my teammates and adapt quickly. It reminded me that creativity thrives on teamwork and persistence.\u201d Similarly, Ms Kutlwano Modise reflected on the importance of harmony and communication: \u201cA team without unity can easily break down. But through challenges, I learned resilience, leadership, and adaptability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For others, the competition became a real-world lesson in the power of shared learning and perseverance. Ms Ayanda Buthelezi expressed, \u201cIt challenged us to think fast and stay creative under pressure. I learned that teamwork, time management, and communication are essential to success.\u201d Ms Chauke Hlawulani, participating for the first time, added, \u201cI never thought we could compete with teams from Africa, Asia, and Europe. It was eye-opening and motivating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mzimakwe Luthando said, \u201cThough the hours were long, teamwork made it easier. The contest helped us understand our strengths and how to perform effectively under pressure.\u201d Mr Bandile Tshabalala described the experience as \u201can intense but exciting challenge that pushed creativity and collaboration,\u201d while Mr Mdaka Sbonelo beautifully summed it up: \u201cEven when we were exhausted, we supported one another. Our animation was more than a project; it reflected shared growth and unity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of VUT\u2019s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) approach, the competition provides students with an authentic simulation of professional animation studios, preparing them to meet global creative standards. \u201cThe 24-Hour Animation Contest proves that our students can compete internationally,\u201d added Dr Makwela. \u201cIt is about innovation, creative discipline, and resilience, qualities that will define the next generation of South African digital artists.\u201d From intense midnight brainstorming sessions to the final rendering at sunrise, VUT\u2019s Digital Arts students demonstrated not only artistic brilliance but also the collaborative spirit that lies at the heart of the university\u2019s vision for a digitally savvy and sustainable future. As one student concluded, \u201cThe experience itself became just as valuable as the final product.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“VUT Digital Arts students showed creativity, teamwork & resilience at the 24-Hour Animation Contest, creating 30-second films & earning global […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":28218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28216"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28219,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28216\/revisions\/28219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}