Students on the Animation, Illustration and Graphic Design BA Honours courses have produced the title sequence for this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures hosted by the BBC.
The 2023 Christmas Lectures were presented by Professor Mike Wooldridge and focused on the rapidly evolving field of science, Artificial Intelligence (AI). Filmed in the lecture theatre at the Royal Institution, the lectures were broadcast to an estimated audience of over 2 million viewers on BBC Four at 8pm on 26, 27 and 28 December, and are available on BBC iPlayer.
Apart from a four-year break during the Second World War, the BBC has hosted the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures every Christmas since 1827, when renowned scientist Michael Faraday delivered the first one from the famous lecture theatre of the Royal Institution.
Animation BA Honours student, Margarida Cuba, was part of the team that made the titles. About the experience she said: “This live project has really helped me to understand better how to work in a fast-paced environment.”
The links between the Royal Institution and the University of Westminster are longstanding. In 1847, Professor John Henry Pepper became the first director of the Royal Polytechnic Institution, the antecedent organisation of the University, and began delivering his own series of scientific lectures to the working people of London from the Royal Polytechnic on Regent Street.
Zara Powell, executive producer at Windfall Productions, said: "I just wanted to say a huge thanks on the entire team’s behalf for all of the students' work on the titles. I was really impressed with their imagination and creativity in coming up with the title sequence – it’s a brilliant watch, with just the right amount of energy to begin the Lectures."
Stephen Ryley, Course Leader for the Animation BA Honours course, said: “I’m extremely proud of our students; they have been able to deliver an ingenious title sequence, operating effectively as a dynamic and proactive team. They were working for three clients at once: the production company, the Royal Institution and the BBC, so to keep them all happy is a great achievement. I am also very grateful to senior animation lecturer Julie Innes, who has brought all the complex animation elements that the students have created together into a satisfying whole.”
Watch the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on BBC iPlayer.
Learn more about Art, Design and Visual Culture courses at the University of Westminster.
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