OCSB International Student, Fernando Castro Soares, with fellow St. Peter High School student Ricardo Atalla, win gold for 3D Animation at the National Skills Canada and Skills Ontario Competitions
The Skills Ontario Competition took place May 6 – 7, 2024, at the Toronto Congress Centre. This unique opportunity allows top students in Ontario to demonstrate their skills and compete to be the best in their field. Prior to this provincial-level competition, students must participate in qualifying contests to determine who will continue to Skills Ontario. Not only did St. Peter High School students Fernando Castro Soares and Ricardo Atalla make it to the Skills Ontario Competition, they took first place for 3D Animation!
After their win at Skills Ontario, the duo headed to the 2024 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Québec City, held on May 29 – June 1, 2024. More than 500 of Canada’s top students in skilled trades and technologies come to SCNC to compete in over 40 competitions, making the gold medal win for Fernando and Ricardo in the 3D Animation category a truly incredible accomplishment. This OCSB team now holds the title as the top students in 3D Animation in the entire country!
At SCNC, the first task for Fernando and Ricardo was to create a character and a story with a conflict and a resolution in a 15 second video. However, on the day of the competition, they were given wildcards to incorporate; adding a “dodge or zig-zag” movement to their character and incorporating a baseball bat to their story. They had 4 hours to plan and submit a storyboard, as well as create a basic “animatic” of the scene. Next, they had 8 hours to develop their character animation. They were challenged to incorporate setting, texture, sound, lighting, transitions, camera angles, and creativity. For context, the judges mentioned that the same task would take days to accomplish at a professional studio. Upon completion of their animation, Bats & Bones, the judges were blown away by the caliber of Fernando and Ricardo’s work, earning them the top spot in the category.
Fernando is an OCSB International Student from Brazil and he and Ricardo both attend St. Peter High School and are currently taking Grade 12 Media Arts with teacher Martin Deschambault. Martin, along with Principal Linda Meulenbroek and Guidance Counsellor Michelle Lydon, have been supporting and encouraging these students to showcase their skills and are over-joyed with their recent accomplishments at both Skills Canada and Skills Ontario. The entire OCSB community and St. Peter school community are celebrating this outstanding duo and recognizing the teamwork and determination that triumphed over all the obstacles thrown their way!
