Alyce Tzue’s 3D animated short film Soar is amassing awards as it flies through the festival circuit. Tzue, a 2014 MFA graduate of the Academy’s School of Animation & Visual Effects, developed the film as her thesis project. Soar‘s accolades so far include first place, Student Animation, Palm Springs International ShortFest; BAFTA Award finalist; first place in Animation, Short Films, at the USA Film Festival…and now, the 2015 Gold Medal Student Academy Award, presented to Tzue by Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter!
An Epic Collaboration
To create Soar, Tzue leveraged the impressive opportunities for artistic collaboration available in the Academy’s thriving creative community. “Over 100 people touched it, and we were able to make something cohesive that doesn’t look like a student film,” she says. “All the work that went on behind the scenes is part of movie magic.” With a compelling storyline and clear vision for Soar, Tzue had no difficulty involving students, faculty and professionals in the project. Team members from the schools of Illustration, Visual Development, and Animation & Visual Effects contributed specialized skills—including modeling, surfacing, texturing, and lighting—throughout the animation process.
“It’s wonderful that Alyce was able to realize her vision through the combined efforts of the Academy of
Art University community,” says Animation & Visual Effects Graduate Director Tom Bertino. “Our program is designed to mirror the collaborative atmosphere of a professional studio, and the fact that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized the results is a tremendous tribute to the talents of our student body and the dedication of our faculty.” Academy of Art University previously saw 2010 MFA alumni Lisa Allen, Bernardo Warman and Shaofu Zhang strike gold at the Student Academy Awards with their 2011 animated short, Dragonboy.
Path to Production
As Tzue worked toward earning her MFA in Animation & Visual Effects, the idea for the film took shape and transformed in unexpected ways. Storyboarding and preproduction classes, taught by Bob Steele and Animation & Visual Effects Executive Director Chris Armstrong, had a great impact on her. “The story always resurfaced at the end of those classes stronger than it’d been in the beginning,” says Tzue. “Those courses taught me to trust the process. Constant questioning and experimenting—especially at the very beginning—is not a bad thing.” Tzue produced the film under the guidance of Associate Director of Animation & Visual Effects Derek Flood, whose studio classes are designed for higher-level students ready to apply their education and pursue an animation career in a fast-paced production environment similar to a professional studio.
