Kimi-Khan Kouakou is 24 years old and a 4th semester student at the Computer Graphic Arts Programme. She moved from Sweden to Viborg, Denmark, to study at one of the world’s best animation schools.
“I have always liked drawing and working creatively. That is why I initially applied to study at a school of architecture. There, I discovered that what I enjoyed the most was working with 3D and visualisations. Unfortunately, those aspects were not a major part of the programme. At the same time, I had heard about Computer Graphic Arts at The Animation Workshop. A broad programme in 3D for film and animation. That sounded more like me,” Kimi, who ended up applying and getting accepted into CGA, explains.
Lots of possibilities and community
The broad scope of the programme and the many opportunities it provides were among the factors Kimi found exciting. Additionally, she had also heard about the strong sense of community among students at The Animation Workshop.
“It is nice that we get to try a lot of different things. That way, you can figure out what you enjoy the most. I really like working with sculpting and texturing. We use the Software ZBrush for that, which is quite realistic and intuitive,” Kimi explains and describes her favorite project:
“So far, my favourite project has been “Short Shorts”, which we worked on during the second semester. The assignment was to create a 45-second short film for kids in collaboration with students from the Character Animation programme. In our group we made the film “A Hiccup At The Opera”. It was the first time, we did something where we ended up with a complete film afterwards. And it was really cool working in groups consisting of both CA and CGA-students. There is a strong sense of community at TAW. Many of us share the same interests. And joining some of the many different student clubs and activities is a great way to get to know new people. That is super nice”.
Information Overload
There are plenty of things to do once you get to TAW. Both socially and academically. And sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, according to Kimi:
“I had drawn a lot before I joined TAW. And at the school of architecture, I had learned a bit of 3D. But there are still lots of new software to learn once you start. And the first year can feel a bit like information overload. I do think that the second year is more fun, now that we are more familiar with the different disciplines”.
Some of the things, Kimi has found out throughout the programme, is where she can see herself working after graduation.
“I would of course recommend the programme to anyone who wants to work with 3D for animation and film. But 3D can also be used for many other things like architecture and product visualisation. And funnily enough, I think I want to work with visualisation in architecture once I graduate,” Kimi concludes.