Animation students race to the top of the film festival circuit
Award-winning animated film to screen on campus with a live orchestra on Feb. 24.
By Y'Alexia Robinson and Janel Shoun-Smith |
For a group of Lipscomb University animation students, 2024 became an off-road race to success as they watched the animated short film they created in 2023, The Legend of Bill, get accepted and honored at film festivals all over the world.
The five-minute-long film has been selected, nominated or awarded at more than 15 international festivals, including the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival and the Los Angeles Animated Film Fest (LAAF), both in California. Most notably for locals, the tale of a duck who competes in a Texas desert race, won the Audience Choice Award at the Nashville Film Festival in the fall.
The film's poster, created by a student
Awards have included the first prize in the Student Mixed Media/Combo category at LAFF; Best Student Film at the Grand Motoring Film Festival in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Best Animation Film at the French Duck Film Festival which screens winners in Paris, France; and a slew of honorable mentions.
In 2025, Bill has already screened at the KidFilm Family Festival in Dallas, Texas, and the film will travel to Ireland for the Animation Dingle Festival, a qualifying film festival for the Student Academy Awards®, in March.
“I am incredibly proud of what our crew has accomplished with The Legend of Bill. Animation is a team sport, and it takes a crew to cross the finish line on a project this ambitious,” said Jacob Birmingham, a Lipscomb MFA student and director of the film.
Over the course of the production more than 40 Lipscomb graduate and undergraduate students were involved in making the film starting in their Animation Production course but continuing as an extracurricular project.
“Our crew exceeded all expectations in tackling the unknown and problem-solving the right solutions for the right moments, and we credit each and every one of them with the success of the project,” said Birmingham, who moved his family from Texas to Tennessee so he could train under former Disney and Big Idea directors in Lipscomb’s animation program.
Before hitting the film festival circuit, the film took home several awards at Lipscomb’s own 5-Minute Film Festival, including Best Sound Design and Best Original Score.
It will be returning to Nashville to screen at Lipscomb’s annual The Film Concert, where the film will be shown. along with other 2024 5 Minute Film Festival winners, with a full student orchestra performing the score penned by student Kaleb Clarke, on Feb. 24, in Collins Auditorium.
It is also an official selection at the inaugural Point of VU student film festival at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on Feb. 15.
The core team of 13 graduate and undergraduate students produced the film in their Animation Production course. Jacob Birmingham, film director, is in the foreground.
The Legend of Bill Team
The narrative animated film draws inspiration from real-world desert trophy-truck racing, western landscapes, Texas summers, vintage automotive illustration and classic cartoons to tell the story of a duck named Bill and his unlikely rise in the off-road racing scene.
It has a unique visual appeal as it combines 3-D animation, a process that works well for showing depth and realism on the vehicles, and 2-D hand-drawn animation, which works well for showing character expressions.
A 2D- storyboard image from the film.
Mike Meredith, Lipscomb’s chair of animation and interactive media and executive producer on the film, taught the animation production course, where most of the film was created in 15 weeks by a core group of seven graduate students and six undergraduates. The core Legend of Bill crew were: Birmingham, Michael Stephens, Ezekiel Mercado, Kristen Breshears, Kayla Lopez, Avery Kroll, Mitchel Kline, Phillip Burnett, Daniel Gess, Micah Duncan, Brooklyn Gentry, John Willis and Avery Preston.
Once the course ended, the core group continued work outside of class, including rendering, compositing, editing and the final sound mix. Music student Clarke composed the film’s score; Matt Huessman, chair of the film department, mentored the group in creating the film’s audio; Bradley Bowersox, a film MFA student recorded the on-location audio and Karly Falanga, a senior student from the School of Design created the film’s poster, which has also won awards in the festival circuit.
From the writing stage to the final animation, students were supported by George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts faculty, all professionals with industry experience, said Birmingham.
Mike Nawrocki, visiting professor and creator of VeggieTales, guided the students through the writing and pitching process. Tony Bancroft, program director and former Disney animator and director, taught students the fundamentals of 2-D animation. Diana Coco-Russel, artist in residence and former Disney clean-up animator, guided students in the creation of the animation, while Adjunct Faculty Taylor Parrish helped them master advanced storyboarding techniques.
A 3D image of the vintage Bronco on a computer.
“Lipscomb’s faculty didn’t just teach us; they became a part of our team. Their feedback and hands-on guidance helped us navigate challenges that would’ve been nearly impossible without them,” says Birmingham. “They created a learning environment that allowed us to not only succeed but to exceed our own expectations.”
Among the many tasks needed to complete the film, the students went on-location to record the engine noises for the actual vehicles in the film, a vintage Bronco for the hero’s vehicle and a first edition F-150 Raptor for his antagonist.
“I loved how one person I showed it to recognized the beeping sounds that the Ford F-150 makes when the door is open,” said Stephens, student producer of the film. “Little moments like that make it worth it to put in the extra effort to get the small details right.”
An innovative visual approach
For the visual approach, the group chose to combine 2-D and 3-D computer animation, a concept that is not new, but added many obstacles and creative hurdles for the crew. The Legend of Bill takes the concept further by integrating both mediums in a way that feels seamless, purposeful and groundbreaking, said Birmingham.
The project’s unique aesthetic arose from a desire to marry the hand-drawn, inked style of Western comics with the dynamic action of 3D vehicles, he said. The hybrid approach allowed the team to execute their vision while leveraging the distinct strengths of each animation technique.
“We knew from a functional standpoint that 2D characters paired with 3D vehicles would be the most efficient way to capture the action while also staying true to the artistic direction we had envisioned,” Birmingham said. “We weren’t trying to hide the 3D, but instead, we used it to enhance the 2D aesthetic, making something fresh and exciting.”
The approach required months of experimentation and constant improvement, he said. “We couldn’t take the usual shortcuts. The desert race had to feel as raw and unpredictable as the characters themselves. We had to find a way to make it work.”
By the end of production, the team had developed a pipeline that allowed them to complete complex shots in a fraction of the time, a process that would go on to influence future productions, said Birmingham.
“The Legend of Bill has excelled in its category, standing out as one of the most creative, stylistic and exciting pieces of work from across the globe. This award is a testament to the skill and vision of its creators and entire team,” Randeep Katari, general manager of the Collision Awards, said this past summer upon naming the film a finalist in the student category for the awards, established to highlight the breadth of animation from around the world.
The student animators used 3D computer graphics to give the vehicles the right look for the film.
The spoils of victory
Birmingham, who will complete his degree this summer, has been enjoying Bill’s run on the film festival circuit, leaning into the vintage automobile theme of the film. At the Grand Motoring Film Festival, he attended the companion car show featuring high-end cars, exotic vehicles and historic restorations, including vintage Broncos. The film has been mentioned in articles in Hemmings classic car magazine and Bronco Driver magazine.
Many of The Legend of Bill crew are already developing new projects, including new works headed to the 2025 5-Minute Film Festival, several master’s capstone projects and a full-scale production, in addition to Birmingham working to develop multiple TV series set to include The Legend of Bill.
“The success of this project is a testament to the incredible resources and opportunities provided by Lipscomb,” Birmingham said. “This film is not just a reflection of our hard work, but of a university that truly invests in its students’ potential.”
Learn more…
Interested in learning more about animation? Tom and Tony Bancroft, both former Disney animators and faculty in Lipscomb’s animation program, will be hosting the Animation Y’all Expo on the university’s campus on Feb. 21-23. This inaugural expo will include industry panels, animation special guests, art and product demonstrations, artist vendor tables and booths from colleges, local studios and animation product suppliers.
The film will screen at Lipscomb's The Film Concert with a full student orchestra performing the score on Feb. 24 in Collins Auditorium. It was previously shown on campus in 2024's 5 Minute Film Festival, shown here.