Announcement of the 11TH HPC NCHC Animation Challenge Award List in 2022. Creation Supported by Scientific and Technological Innovation. Deep Cultivation of Cross-domain Talents

In addition to research and innovation, the combination of science and technology and a humanistic society is also one of the core tasks of National Science and Technology Council. For this reason, the 11th HPC NCHC Animation Challenge Award List in 2022 which was guided by National Science and Technology Council and Ministry of Culture cooperated, co-sponsored by National Center for High-performance Computing and Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB) under National Science and Technology Council, and co-organized by Cultural Affairs Bureau, Hsinchu City, was dedicated to enhancing the cultural creation environment with science and technology, enriching science and technology with culture, and fully embodying the spirit of a cross-domain combination of science and technology and humanities. 

The ranking of the 11th HPC NCHC Animation Challenge Award List in 2022 was announced today (September 15). National Taiwan University of Arts won three titles, namely, Felix won the 3D animation group, Ant Hotel won the 2D animation group, and Diamond Animators won the innovative media group. 

The HPC NCHC Animation Challenge is the most representative animation competition in Taiwan, aiming at actively promoting the development of digital technology and cultivating outstanding creative talents in Taiwan. There were 204 teams from Taiwan universities and industries in the 11th session with 706 signing up. This competition has accumulated more than 850 teams, and 4,000 people participated in the competition so far. Students from the California Institute of the Arts of the United States participated in the competition for the first time this year, showing that the HPC NCHC Animation Competition has gone international and become the benchmark of animation competition. 

This animation competition is classified into the 3D animation group, 2D animation group, and innovative media group in response to the classification of international large-scale film festivals and the application trend of composite technology, so that more visual works and featured themes in meta-forms may be shown. Felix from National Taiwan University of Arts won the 3D animation group. This work presented the essence of the protagonist's heart and emotions in the protagonist's journey of transporting unknown packages. The mature art style and exquisite pictures gave the audience a poetic experience. As an attractive narrative work, it won unanimous favor from the judges.

Felix from National Taiwan University of Arts won the 3D animation group 

For the first time this year, a 2D character and plot animation group - 2D animation group has been added to the competition, which shows the competition diversity of large-scale international film festivals. Ant Hotel from National Taiwan University of Arts won this group. In a film-like narrative style, its work connected three short stories through ants. With a unique vision and vivid narration, it stood out.

Ant Hotel from National Taiwan University of Arts won the 2D animation group

In response to the trend of composite technology application, the innovative media group adopted more visual works in meta-form this year, including Motion Graphics (MG), games, Virtual Reality (VR), and composite media works. The trend of digital and creative media could be shown thereby. Finally, MG Animation -Diamond Animators from National Taiwan University of Arts, with excellent performance in rhythm and split mirror, won the group.

Diamond Animators from National Taiwan University of Arts won the innovative media group

Meanwhile, based on the Point Cloud model of Hsinchu City, the Point Cloud Innovation award was added to this session in combination with local culture information, which encouraged the contestants to create digital works integrating old and new cultures. In the end, eight teams won Excellent Work with the first prize in vacancy. 

General convener of the competition, Chia-chen Kuo, who is also the Visualization and Computing Technology Division Director of National Center for High-performance Computing under National Applied Research Laboratories, noted that since National Center for High-performance Computing developed the Cloud GPU Mapping Farm in 2011, the energy of science and technology, art, and culture in Taiwan was combined to drive the cultural industry-university application and talent cultivation with science and technology. The creation of more than 700 Taiwanese animation films and TV shows was supported. Director General Chau-Lyan Chang of National Center for High-performance Computing said that "HPC NCHC Animation Challenge" successfully introduced the cooperation mechanism of government, industry, university, and institute circles, and achieved a positive cycle of cross-domain value-added creativity, inheritance of previous players and cultivation of youth innovation, which was of great help to the development of animation industry in Taiwan. 

Tsui-yu Hsieh, CEO of Taiwan Living Arts Foundation, noted that National Center for High-performance Computing could give students more valuable suggestions by sharing from the perspective of industry and institute circles for a long time, and establish a multi-channel cultivation model to promote the seamless integration between campus and industry. The selected teams may be continuously coached after the competition to elaborate their works to participate in international competitions, connect with the international creative stage and show Taiwan to the world.