Eight students at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) successfully won first place at a regional animation contest. They won the contest through their animated work entitled ‘Homepia.’ The contest itself was hosted by the Industrial and Trading Service of Central Java, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

The contest employed the theme ‘Animation as a Promotional Medium of Creative Industry.’ High school and college students from Central Java participated mainly in it. It aimed to introduce the creative industry and the Indonesian cultural heritage using animated works.

The leader of the winning team, Mohammad Vieyo Naufal Zarra Daffa, explained that the judges at the contest mainly rated three aspects of the animated works, including how accurate it is to the theme, uniqueness, and originality. In addition, the visuals and storytelling also weigh a point.

“At the event, my team and I successfully earned the highest score, with a total of 30,384.3 points. This allows us to claim victory over other competitors in the student animation category,” Vieyo explained.

The team also involves other members consisting of students of the 2023 and 2024 cohort. These students included Muhammad Farkhan, Muhammad Naafi Rizqullah, and Raihan Farrel Muhammad Zakky, three of which filled their part as 2D animators. In addition, Muhammad Rajata Wahana was also involved as a 3D animator, editor, and composer, as well as Rian Hidayat, who played his role as a story writer and voiceover. Moreover, Muhammad Hably Rizqi also took part in the development stage as a 3D animator, with Ahmad Zein as the illustrator.

Furthermore, Vieyo also explained the meaning of the animated work created by his team aligned with the theme of the event. Namely, it tells a story about lumpia, a food covered in a layer made of wheat, as a culinary icon of Semarang City. The story revolves around a student studying culinary arts in Japan.

“In our animated short, the main character is Vina. When she was faced with a cooking test, the test reminded her of the taste of traditional cuisine. Ultimately, her cooking fascinated even international judges. This cuisine is the theme of our work to promote the creative industry,” Vieyo continued.

Meanwhile, Dr. Khafiizh Hastuti, M.Kom., the Head of the Animation Department at Udinus, expressed her pride in the accomplishment attained by Vieyo and his teammates. According to her, the accomplishment could serve as a way for the Animation Department to gain a reputation among Indonesian animators, as well as produce more innovative animated works in the future.

“Vieyo’s achievement proves that students at Udinus can innovate and compete against other animators on the regional level. Hopefully, this accomplishment can motivate other students to create more creative works on behalf of the campus,” Khaffizh uttered. (Humas Udinus/Haris. Foto: Humas Udinus)