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Actions N.E.mation! is a digital animation competition organised by Nexus for youths to express their thoughts about Total Defence through a one-minute animation clip. The competition has proven highly successful with more than 7,000 students participating since its inception in 2007. With training and guidance, students with no prior experience in animation have been able to produce clips of broadcast quality to screen on free-to-air television. Some of these clips were selected for international animation festivals and won several awards.
N.E.mation! 6 (NE6) this year saw a 23% increase in participation from last year, with a total of 2286 students from 676 teams. Students were tasked to create a story based on the NS45 theme "NS: From Fathers to Sons" which carries a similar message of "it's my turn", where NS is a legacy or duty to be handed down from one generation to another. Although the theme this season is relatively narrow compared to those of past seasons, the students exercised creativity and gave different interpretations of the theme, reflecting a good understanding of NS and maturity of thought with perspectives on the role of women in the support of NS.
The top 10 clips this year also comprise a fair mix of serious and light-hearted stories treated creatively using a good variety of mediums. These 10 clips were created by teams from eight schools of different types. The table below provides key details on the top 10 clips and the teams behind them.
|
S/N |
School |
Title & Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
|
C1 |
Asian Keedz CHIJ St Joseph's Convent (Candice Teow, Sherle Tan, Chantel Tan) |
The Inheritance of Wisdom Fathers pass down their stories of NS experiences and valuable life lessons to their sons. |
|
C2 |
FERD Commonwealth Secondary School (Cheng Ze Xuan, Esther Goh, Lai Jue Yun) |
The Past and The Present The clip depicts two NSmen going through NS during different eras. While some things have evolved over the years, the fundamentals do not change. |
|
C3 |
EATYOUUP Dunman High School (Dawn Teo, Ho Xin Yi, Hung Yu Shan, Lim Sim Lin) |
Little Things Matter This clip shows how a woman’s actions matter to the men in her life as they go through different phases of NS. |
|
C4 |
Hungry Monsters Dunman High School (Pua Jia-er, Lye Siang Ler, Fabian Kang) |
More Than Words A mother receives letters from her husband and son, both currently serving NS. Both men thank her for the support she provided throughout the years, and acknowledge her importance in their lives as they serve the nation. |
|
C5 |
iSmacked Evergreen Secondary School (Cavan Teo, Rifqi Ashraf Rosali, Joseph Lim, Wang Wei Cong) |
NS Rap! This clip shows the conversation about NS between a father and son, expressed creatively through a rap. |
|
C6 |
REVEILLE! Kent Ridge Secondary School (Tan Jun Kang, Lim Xiu Wen, Nurul Ammira, Yam Chiang Yee) |
You Are The Influence Through a reverse-chronological story, this animation reveals that a son's source of motivation to excel in the army is his admiration for his father. |
|
C7 |
S.S.S.A Kent Ridge Secondary School (Samantha Ng, Samantha Suliyanto, Amanda Tay, Lim Shi Min) |
Behind Every NSman This is a humorous clip about three women discussing the different herbal concoctions they give to their husbands and sons for better performance in NS. |
|
C8 |
Viva National Junior College (Chua WeiHang, Janice Low, Felicia Koh, Sheryl Teng) |
Yes, You Can! This clip is a story about how a father nurtures a boy to be courageous and inspires him to be the protector of lives as he grows up. |
|
C9 |
Dreamation School of Science & Technology, Singapore (Ng Kok Yin, Celine Chee, Tan Jing Heng, Wee Ren Chang) |
Small Sacrifices, Big Inspiration A father's every action can have a great influence on his son, and ultimately moulds how the son responds to National Service. |
|
C10 |
Jelvetica St Margaret’s Secondary School (Bianca Lee, Daphne Lim, Alyssa Wong) |
Bag of Love Every parent will be worried when their sons are about to enlist. How they show their love is through their little ways, such as helping their sons to pack their bags. |
The animation clips of the top 10 finalist teams were judged by industry professionals such as Melvin Tan (Animator, Blue Sky Studios) and Oo Gin Lee (Editor of Digital Life, The Straits Times), individuals from the creative industries such as singer Kit Chan, academics and government officials. In addition, the public voted for their three favourite clips from 18 January to 7 February 2012 at the official N.E.mation! 6 website (www.nemation.sg), N.E.mation! 6 Facebook page (www.facebook.com/nemation), via SMS or N.E.mation! 6 mobile webpage (www.nemation.sg) on their smartphones. The winning team will win a coveted visit to DreamWorks Animation in the US.
This year, the production of N.E.mation! 6 was made possible with sponsorship from strong supporters of the local arts and media industries, Canon Singapore, Nanyang Polytechnic and the SPH Foundation.
Project Milestones
|
Dates |
Updates |
|---|---|
|
27 Jun 11 (Mon) -
|
Online Registration Content Development Workshops for teachers and students to learn story creation techniques |
|
3 Sep 11 (Sat) |
Half-day workshop for Top 100 teams (new this year) The session was highly interactive, and students asked many questions about the soldiers' experiences and were greatly entertained by the sharing. The response from the students was very good, with the majority saying that the sharing was useful to them. |
|
5 Sep 11 (Mon) |
100 teams pitched their story ideas; 40 teams selected |
|
6 Sep 11 (Tue)
|
40 teams pitched their story ideas; 20 teams selected for one-week training and selection phase |
|
7 Sep 11 (Wed) -
|
20 teams underwent basic animation training and storyboarding training |
|
10 Sep 11 (Sat)
|
20 teams underwent super-pitch for selection of Top 10 teams |
|
21 Nov 11 (Mon) -
|
Top 10 teams underwent a 3-week production phase to produce their animation clips |
|
16 Jan 12 (Mon) |
Top 10 clips unveiled for public viewing |
|
18 Jan 12 (Wed) -
|
Public voting |
|
15 Feb 12 (Wed)
|
Final Results - Crowning of Champion Team |
|
Mid-June 2012
|
Champion team visits DreamWorks Animation, USA |
Past Awards
Some of the winning clips have, over the past few years, won awards or nominations in international animation festivals and competitions.
|
Season - Clip (School) |
Competition |
Award/Nomination |
|---|---|---|
| N.E.mation! 4 - Carevolution (Methodist Girls' Sec Sch) |
KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival 2010 | Official Selection for "International Commissioned Animation Competition" category |
| N.E.mation! 4 - pRICEless (School of the Arts) |
||
| N.E.mation! 4 - Post-it with Love (Dunman High Sch) |
||
| N.E.mation! III - Seeds of Love (Hwa Chong Institution) |
||
| N.E.mation! III - Our Home (Yishun JC) |
||
|
All clips in N.E.mation! III & N.E.mation! 4 |
Anima Mundi International Animation Festival of Brazil 2010 | Official Selection for "Future Animator" category (non-competitive) |
| N.E.mation! II - Nation Moulders (Jurong JC) |
Annecy International Animated Film Festival^ | Finalist for "Best Advertising" 2009 |
| N.E.mation! - Just Because (CHIJ St Joseph's Convent) |
Annecy International Animated Film Festival | Finalist for "Best Advertising" 2008 |
| N.E.mation! 5 - A Small Action Goes a Long Way (Nanyang Girls' High) |
DigiCon6 Awards 2011 (Singapore) | Top 10 Finalists |
| N.E.mation! 5 - Dear Singapore (National JC) |
||
| N.E.mation! 4 - Carevolution (Methodist Girls' Sec Sch) |
^ The Annecy International Animated Film Festival is considered the "Oscars of Animation"; it is one of the most important animation festivals in the world. In 2008, "Just Because" by CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent became the first entry from Singapore to be officially selected for the festival since it started in 1960.
|
Season - Clip (School) |
Competition |
Award/Nomination |
|---|---|---|
| N.E.mation! 5 - Extreme Temperatures! (Hua Yi Sec Sch) |
DigiCon6 Awards 2009 (Singapore) |
Special Mention and Top 10 Finalists |
| N.E.mation! II - Nation Moulders (Jurong JC) |
Hiroshima 2008^^ First entry in 24 years |
Official Selection |
| N.E.mation! - Just Because (CHIJ St Joseph's Convent) |
Phoenix Awards | Winner - Most Outstanding Film for a Product or Cause by a Student 2007 and 2008 |
| N.E.mation! - A Countree (Hwa Chong Institution) |
||
| N.E.mation! - How to Make a Singaporean (National JC) |
||
| N.E.mation! II - Nation Moulders (Jurong JC) |
^^ "Nation Moulders" by Jurong Junior College is the first Singapore entry to be chosen as an Official Selection in the Hiroshima International Animation Festival since it started in 1985.