The theme this year was ‘Into the Future’, and we received a huge number of entries unveiling significant skill in 2D animation, 3D animation and film. The entries of our students went above and beyond, diving into the future world and exploring what that world might look like. 

Two winners were selected for CreAIT 2024 – meet Scarlett and Faith!

We asked our amazing winners some questions to learn more about their creative style, tips and tricks for new animators and what they hope for the future. Read on to learn more about these budding animators.

Name: Scarlett

Location: Melbourne

Year Level: 10

Scarlett’s CreAIT Competition submission.

At what age did you start drawing/animating?

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, my earliest memory is in grade 1 in primary school. I really enjoyed drawing as a kid and it is something I have always done for fun.

How did you learn to draw?

I am self taught mostly, and my style and skills have just naturally progressed over the years.

What was your inspiration for your CreAIT entry?

There are lots of news stories and things in the media currently about AI and machines that are being developed. We were discussing this at school as a theme idea of Art vs Science, and what could happen in the future. My inspiration worked in perfectly with your theme of ‘Into the Future’. I thought about the advancements of nuclear weapons, cryogenic freezing and technology, and wondered what each of those themes would look like as characters.

If you could give others one piece of advice to improve their drawing style, what would that advice be?

Don’t worry too much about things being perfect, or how other people think it should look like. Trust your gut and keep developing your style and ideas. Step back from your work and look at it with fresh eyes and you will instinctively know what areas are ‘not quite right’. It is also good to experiment with different materials and techniques to develop an understanding of what works well with your type of art.

What career pathway would you like to follow in the future?

I would like to have a creative career, however no matter what I choose to do, I will always keep drawing as a way to relax, vent and express different ideas. 

Name: Faith

Location: Sydney

Year Level: 12

Faith’s CreAIT Competition submission.

At what age did you start drawing/animating?

I’ve always had an interest in art since I was young but I really started putting in the effort to get better when I was 11 years old.

How did you learn to draw?

I’m self-taught in that I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials to learn how to draw. That’s in combination with the constant motivation and passion to practice and improve my skills.

What was your inspiration for your CreAIT entry?

My inspiration for the overall feel of ‘A Step Into The Future’ was based on the movie, ‘The Creator’ by Gareth Edwards and the game ‘Star Wars: Fallen Order’. I wanted to step away from time travel as a main motif and focus more on sci-fi worldbuilding which was done really well in both forms of media. I enjoyed the sense of vastness of the environment compared to the character and tried to play around with that myself in this piece.

If you could give others one piece of advice to improve their drawing style, what would that advice be?

To improve, I’d say find things that inspire you to draw. Whether that’s an animated show or maybe your own original characters, just go and create! Study and practice is always a factor but I think art should be something you enjoy rather than a fixed program or to-do list on what to improve on. There’ll always be areas we can improve so we might as well enjoy what we are creating.

What career pathway would you like to follow in the future?

Ironically, I’d like to pursue a career in the healthcare field but art will always be a passion of mine.