Graduates recognised in BAFTA Games Award nominations

10 April, 2024

Alumni from Animation, Computer Animation and Game Art courses at the University of South Wales (USW) have worked on seven games nominated for BAFTA Games Awards.

The 20th annual awards, which take place in London tomorrow (Thursday 11 April) celebrate video games’ creative achievements, and are voted for by a combination of BAFTA’s professional membership and by selected specialist juries.

Among the games nominated for the 2024 awards are Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin; Hogwarts Legacy; Baldur’s Gate III; CyberPunk 2077; Forza Horizon 5; Horizon: Call of the Mountain; and Disney Illusion Island – with a total of 13 USW graduates on their creative teams.

David Clifford

David, who graduated from Computer Animation in 2007, was an Animator on Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, which is nominated for Best British Game.

He said: “My role involved 3D Gameplay Animation, 2D storyboard art and 3d Previsualisation. I was fortunate to have a varied role on Realms of Ruin, contributing to some 3d Previsualisation for the single player campaign, where the heroes are investigating ancient haunted ruins.

“Using Blender Grease Pencil and primitive 3D modelling, I helped define the layout for some key cutscene moments which also helped inform the design and environment process.

"After this I produced some traditional 2D storyboards for several in game cinematics. I also got to animate some very cool characters like the Kruleboys and Stormcast, using Maya.

“My favourite part of the project was definitely my time working in Blender, which allowed for a lot of creative flexibility and a chance to add some artistic direction early on in the cinematics process.

“My time at USW was pivotal in setting my expectations for working in the games industry. It gave me hands on experience of collaboration with others, and a sense of the quality bar required in a professional environment. The curriculum at USW focused on the most important skills that would give us the best chance of breaking into games. Rather than spending time on things that companies aren't really looking for in candidates, the course directors encouraged us in all the right ways to make us as employable as possible upon graduation.”

Sravya Datla

Sravya, who graduated from Computer Animation in 2018, also worked on Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin as a Senior Animator.

She said: “My role involved working closely as a team to bring these fascinating yet complex miniatures to life in exciting and creative ways.

"One of my favourite things about working on the game was the opportunity to work with such a variety of characters and figuring out how they would move and the challenges of implementing them into an RTS setting.

“Getting the chance to experiment with different types of projects during my time at USW such as Games, VFX etc gave me an insight into animating for each of these platforms and thus sparked my interest in game animation.”

Phil Gray

Phil, who graduated from Animation in 1996, was Producer on Hogwarts Legacy, which is nominated for Best Family Game.

He said: “Some of the cinematics animators at Travellers Tales were asked to help get the game out in good order and on time, and as Head of the Department I got a credit. My role was acting as a line manager, liaison for any feedback and talking to their animation leads.

“Highlights for me would be working with the team, as they are the talent, and seeing some of the final shots in the game trailer. My main memory of my time at university is how all the tutors always fostered a great sense of confidence and self-belief, as well as providing good industry knowledge to help with steps after study.”

Dominic Pugh

Dominic, who graduated from Computer Animation in 2014, was a 3D Artist on Baldur’s Gate III, which won Best Multiplayer Game, Best Music, Best Narrative and the EE People's Choice award.

He said: “While working on the project at the outsource studio Airship Images, I created hair, armour, weapons and accessories.

“We worked with the main developer Larian to deliver a lot of assets that ranged across all the species in the game. It was such a great project to be part of as you would bounce between different asset types, which really helps to keep engaged as an artist.

“What I took away from USW was that interdisciplinary communication and openness about the work you’re making.

"Being based in the UK, and Larian being based in Belgium, you worry about the ability to pass along an intent or idea. But through pursuing a goal towards a singular vision and maintaining the content open line of communication, you’re able to have the frictionless feedback loops needed.”

Dean James

Dean, who graduated from Computer Animation in 2006, was Senior Animator on Horizon: Call of the Mountain, which is nominated for Best Technical Achievement.

He said: "My role on the game involved crafting cinematic events and boss battle intros using Guerilla Games' assets, and editing them to make them suitable for VR. I was also lucky enough to hand key a number of shots from scratch.

"It was a great experience to work on an amazing IP such as Horizon and with Guerilla Games. It was a dream to work on the characters from that franchise and I am very proud of the shots I was assigned to create for the game.

"Seeing my shots being used in the promotional material of Horizon: Call of the Mountain was a particular highlight for me. Going into the world of animation, and in particular video game animation, will always be something I am thankful for, from my time studying at USW (formerly GCADT).

"I have had the opportunity to animate characters from the worlds of Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars and Horizon - opportunities I didn't know existed before studying the Computer Animation course at USW. Who'd have thought a kid from South Wales would be animating Harry Potter, Captain America or a Storm bird for video games?"

Gareth Hutchinson, course leader for Computer Animation, added: “We're delighted that so many of our alumni have contributed to BAFTA Games nominated titles this year. It’s another fantastic example of how well the education and training we provide at USW sets our students up for such exciting careers in the industry.”

The full list of alumni who have worked on nominated games is below:

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – nominated for Best British Game