An animation promoting good oral hygiene for children has been unveiled by Lanarkshire Chinese Association ahead of the Chinese New Year.
New College Lanarkshire graduate Ruben Fernandez has created the film designed to encourage regular tooth brushing and healthy eating choices.
He was commissioned by Lanarkshire Chinese Association (LCA) while a student of HND 3D Computer Animation at the College’s Motherwell Campus.
The three-minute-long animation had its debut at the bowling pavilion of Hamilton Palace Sports Ground as part of the LCA’s Annual General Meeting and Chinese New Year celebrations.
The film features a tiger cub character conceptualised by Ruben to reflect the fact that 2022 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.
Ruben, who is originally from Spain and now lives in Blantyre, said: “I felt so good when I finished the project and seeing that the Association love the final product is a bonus point!
“I really enjoyed animating the character – this is the stage when you give it life and imagine his personality, how he speaks, and how he acts.
“I believe that my skills have improved a lot in terms of how to manage projects from scratch, how to communicate with clients, problem solving and, most importantly, correctly interpreting what the client wishes for their project.”
Ruben has now progressed to third year of a degree programme in 3D Computer Animation at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Lecturer Scott McKenzie, HND 3D Computer Animation Course Leader, said: “Ruben Fernandez’s stunningly-professional animated short will help to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of children of Lanarkshire’s Chinese community.
“Ruben’s educational animation promotes oral health and hygiene in a manner that is humorous, attractive to a young audience, and beautifully executed.
“Over the course of my 18-year career at New College Lanarkshire, I have been involved in a number of live projects with external organisations, and this is the project of which I am most proud.”
The partnership arose after Lanarkshire Chinese Association’s chairperson Pui Ling Glass and secretary Alice Yeung approached the College to ask for assistance in the development of an educational animation.
Pui Ling Glass, Chair of the Lanarkshire Chinese Association, said: “The partnership with New College Lanarkshire has proved to be a great success. Scott and Ruben have been enthusiastic and professional in equal measures, and a pleasure to work with from start to finish.
“Scott supervised the project with care, and liaised with ourselves and Ruben in a timely manner, enabling any changes or adjustments to the brief easily.
“Ruben has been a credit to the department, with a great future in front of him. The Association would not hesitate to brief Ruben again and work with Scott’s department again without hesitation.”
The project is funded by the Scottish Government through its Oral Health Community Challenge Fund, which is providing £35,810 over three years to improve oral health amongst infants and families in the Chinese community in Lanarkshire.
To watch the animation, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9PeJEMc1mE&feature=youtu.be
Lanarkshire Chinese Association (LCA) has been supporting the Chinese community from North and South Lanarkshire since 1996. LCA has always sought opportunities to work in partnership with local groups and organisations, including Police Scotland, Lanarkshire Carers, Waverley Care and local councils.
To find out more about the Lanarkshire Chinese Association, please visit https://lanarkshirechinese.org.uk/
To find out more about New College Lanarkshire’s courses in Art, Animation and Digital Design, please visit https://www.nclanarkshire.ac.uk/courses/art-animation-and-digital-design
