Meet the Animators Helping to Beat the Coronavirus
The Coronavirus pandemic is presenting real challenges to the world, not least with the need for protective equipment to help those on the front line. In the UK at least, supply is not meeting demand which is leading to big problems. Problems like this call for creative solutions and there’s no community more creative than the animation community, so here on Skwigly we’ve decided to highlight and celebrate some of the animators putting their creativity to good use in times of crisis.
Tünde Vollenbroek is a producer and curator based in Amsterdam. Prior to the lockdown she visited the home of Cartoon Saloon Director Tomm Moore and Liselott Olofsson, a ceramic artist for a short visit. The lockdown has extended her stay whilst flights were unavailable but together Liselott and Tünde have been helping Cartoon Saloon workers with safeguarding measures “When word of the pandemic got out, it seemed like companies could continue working as long as they made some sensible adjustments like distance and continual hand-washing. Liselott talked to her friend Catherine Roycroft, Cartoon Saloon’s COO, and came up with the idea to make masks for even safer working conditions.” Liselott and Tünde worked for three consecutive days to create masks for the studio employees working on Wolfwalkers, Cartoon Saloon’s upcoming feature “Home internet is usually too weak for big animation productions like Wolfwalkers, so it was mostly the compositors and some animators that kept working in the studio for a while.” Since then measures tightened and Liselott continued to make masks for weeks afterwards, for family, friends and even the President of Ireland.
Liselott Olofsson and Tünde Volenbroek manufacturing masks
In the UK Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is making headlines and is reported to be in short supply. With frontline NHS staff and carers in need of the kit, innovative solutions are being met by those with the technology to assist with animators and animation studios have fired up their tech, usually reserved for animation productions to produce the much needed parts. Chris Randall is the Creative Director of Second Home Studios based in Birmingham who decided to use his companies facilities to aid in the manufacture of PPE. “We all know close friends and family members who work in the NHS. It made me feel ill watching and hearing reports of the most important people in our workforce without the adequate protection to do their jobs without risk of infection” When King Henry VIII school in Coventry announced it was looking for help in manufacturing face visors Chris liaised with the staff there to help laser cut them. Batches of visors are produced, sealed for 72 hours to minimise the risk of transmission and sent on to local care homes and recently hospitals who are in desperate need of them. The materials however are running low, “sheet polypropylene is in short supply – we’re using 0.5mm or 0.8mm for the headstraps and A4 acetate sheet for the visors, so donations of each are welcome.”. If you can help you can contact Chris via Second Home Studios Website.
Second Home Studios have been manufacturing Face Visors
With the rise of home 3D printers animators have been able to help the effort from home. Scott MacDonald is a video game animator working at Unknown Worlds on Subnautica. As the lockdown hit he received delivery of a new 3D printer which he had lined up to print household objects and replacement parts for retro gaming units.“I’m part of the rapidly growing community of volunteers at 3DCrowd UK– a group effort organising in local areas making the Prusa Face Masks RC3 PPE, which has been approved in the Czech Republic and is now being accepted by some UK Health Boards”. Like others, Scott was motivated by family work working for the NHS “My cousin works in the health service and despite our government saying they had enough PPE, clearly they don’t. I have the 3D printers and printing doesn’t cost much time or money, so why not help those who are helping us all?”
Scott MacDonald’s 3D printer helping the 3DCrowd UK efforts
Creative Media and Animation tutor Katy Rushton from The Manchester College has also been using a home 3D printer, producing visors and mask guards for people she knows in the NHS. The printer was purchased a few years ago by her partner “He bought it about 3 years ago. I gave him loads of stick at the time, saying it was a waste of money. I’ve had to eat my words since then!” Katy has been inspired by friends working in the NHS. “My friend is an infectious disease specialist working in London so as you can imagine right in the thick of it. I just wanted to keep him safe so fired up the printer.”
Katy Rushton makes good use of her home 3D printer
Whilst we find ourselves in extraordinary times, it is reassuring to see the animation world coming together to respond to the crisis in its usual innovative way.
If you have a 3D printer you can join the efforts of 3DCrowd UK via the website https://www.3dcrowd.uk/