Noisy, crowded, and full of aspiring filmmakers, the Austin Film Festival is animation teacher Andrew Nourse’s way of giving his students a glimpse into a behind the scenes look at the ins and outs of the processes of animation, production, and more within Hollywood.

Learning about the animation process at Pixar to screenwriting for big budget films, each year Nourse offers his animation class a chance to go from October 26th to November 3rd to the festival. This year, senior Amanda Urrutia and junior Mauricio Flores both submitted their essays to the festival and were eager to learn.

“The festival definitely played an important role in my understanding because what I learned from actual professionals at the festival is going to positively affect the way I make characters, backgrounds, scripts, etc. for future animations,” Flores said.

The festival itself can cost up to $500 for a pass. With filmmakers, screenwriters, and producers from all over the country coming to contribute and speak about their experiences, the knowledge gained is priceless. However, thanks to a well-written essay the animation students didn’t have to worry about the cost.

“The application asked me some general questions such as grade level, school, age and gender but what really determined whether I received the badge or not was the essay,” Flores said. “It asked me why I should receive the badge and I honestly stated that I wanted to learn all sorts of things and apply them to future animations.”

From teaching at Bowie for 11 years, Nourse works hard to ensure that his animation class sparks creativity and innovation from his students; much like the film festival itself.

“I teach them the animation skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques they use to create amazing and unique productions all year long, so it’s easy to be passionate when the students are too,” Nourse said.

Ultimately, it’s Nourse who creates the opportunity for his students to express themselves while also keeping in mind the aspects of the work place outside of school.

“The idea that I can tell a linear story and convey ideas in a digital form is what gets me so passionate,” Urrutia said. “I can choose whatever medium it is that I want to animate in and experiment with new programs, and I really think that the whole experimental process is something that also fuels that on.”

Overall, the festival was a way for Nourse’s students to come together to learn about the skills the festival teaches, while also reflecting on the hard work of the animation class as a whole.

“It’s a great avenue to self expression and where magic becomes reality. There’s no limitation to one’s imagination.” Nourse said. “I witness masterpieces at every level and students evolving into masters of their own style.”