Turn On Your Future @ UWTSD's School of Applied Computing & Electronics

Posts tagged ‘Creative’

Trip to Yr Egin Carmarthen

Our staff and students recently enjoyed an engaging and inspiring trip to Yr Egin in Carmarthen.

Yr Egin is a creative and digital hub located on the UWTSD Carmarthen campus, home to the Welsh‑language broadcaster S4C and a wide community of media, arts, and digital businesses. Designed to inspire creativity and nurture new talent, the centre provides state‑of‑the‑art production facilities, hot‑desking spaces, an auditorium, and a programme of cultural and industry events. Since opening in 2018, it has developed into a vibrant venue that supports collaboration between students, professionals, and local creatives while contributing significantly to the regional economy and strengthening the Welsh language through its cultural output.

Exploring Creativity and Careers: UWTSD Computing Visit to Yr Egin, Carmarthen

Recently, UWTSD Computing staff and students travelled to Yr Egin, the vibrant creative and digital centre based on the Carmarthen campus. Home to S4C, production companies, freelancers, and a growing community of digital talent, Yr Egin proved the perfect place for students to gain behind‑the‑scenes insights into animation, media production, education technology, and the realities of working in the creative industries. The day combined inspiring talks from industry professionals, a guided tour of S4C’s facilities, and an opportunity to see how creative ideas evolve from early sketches to polished on‑screen productions.

Twt Productions: Getting Started in the Creative Industries

The first speaker of the day was Siwan Jobbins from Twt Productions, who offered practical guidance for students hoping to break into animation and media. Siwan emphasised the importance of keeping things simple when pitching ideas: if you can’t summarise your concept in one clear sentence, it’s not ready yet. She also stressed how crucial strong visuals and a realistic budget are when presenting a project.

Students were given a useful roundup of upcoming festivals, networking events, and industry platforms—from the Cardiff Animation Festival to tender portals such as S4C Production Tenders, BBC Education Commissioning, and Sell2Wales. For graduates, Siwan encouraged maintaining momentum: keep learning, keep applying, and keep refining your skills. Early in your career, she explained, you may need to give up some rights to get your name out there, but as you gain experience you’ll have more influence and ownership over your work.

Cloth Cat: Craft, Creativity and Career Longevity

Next, the group heard from Jon Rennie of Cloth Cat Animation, whose talk blended humour, honesty, and invaluable advice. Jon reinforced the importance of LinkedIn and social media for building visibility in the industry. He encouraged students to develop original showreels—avoiding overused film clips—and to pay attention to how other animators solve problems under tight budgets. Sometimes, he noted, creativity is about making smart compromises, such as omitting footprints in a snowy scene when deadlines are tight.

Jon urged students to constantly update their skills, be adaptable, and above all be reliable: in animation, meeting deadlines is just as important as artistic flair.

He also shared insights from his project “The Ghost of Midwinter / Ysbryd yr Oerfel,” a bilingual S4C Christmas animation produced in just six months. Students watched how a short sequence developed across four stages: from storyboards, to character animation, to effects, and finally to fully rendered backgrounds. It was a clear, fascinating demonstration of the full animation pipeline.

Inside S4C: Touring the Creative Spaces of Yr Egin

The tour of Yr Egin gave students a glimpse into live studios, editing suites, and the collaborative workspaces used by media professionals. The group met Steffan Rhys Williams, a music producer and composer who has contributed to S4C for more than 20 years. Steffan discussed the realities of composing for television, explaining how he sometimes outsources parts of the process so he can focus on creative direction.

Students also visited the hot‑desking area, which UWTSD graduates can use for six months after completing their studies—a valuable opportunity to network, start freelance work, or collaborate with the industry professionals based in the building.

Antur Amser: Blending Animation, Gaming and Education

The final speaker, Osian Evans, shared insights from Antur Amser, an ambitious educational entertainment project that follows a group of children from the year 2174 who travel back to different eras in Earth’s history. The characters act as a creative gateway into subjects such as science, history, and geography, blending classroom learning with storytelling and interactive media.

Osian explained the iterative design process behind the characters and emphasised the importance of giving animators precise instructions—highlighted by the time a “robot with anti‑gravity technology” accidentally ended up flapping wings because directions were unclear.

He also discussed the balance between gaming and learning, and how using existing platforms like YouTube and Roblox helps reach young audiences more effectively than trying to build entirely new ecosystems. Where possible, the team uses pre‑built assets, reserving bespoke modelling for niche cases—an essential strategy for meeting deadlines and budgets.

Where AI Fits In: Not a Replacement, but a Team Member

Osian also spoke about the role of AI‑assisted animation, emphasising that AI complements human creativity rather than replacing it. While AI can accelerate early drafts, improve workflow capacity, and support low‑budget productions like vodcasts, it is not suitable for areas like scripting. Instead, he described AI as a “first draft collaborator”: useful for rough animation tests before the real artistry begins. Tools such as HeyGen are now commonly used for rapid prototyping, helping creators gather feedback earlier and refine their ideas faster.

A Day of Inspiration and Industry Insight

The visit to Yr Egin offered our Computing students a rich, realistic look at the creative industries—highlighting both the opportunities available and the hard work and adaptability required to thrive in them. From pitching and production pipelines to character design and the role of AI, the day showcased the many pathways open to students interested in animation, digital creativity, and media technology.

Most importantly, the trip demonstrated just how connected UWTSD students are to Wales’ creative sector. Yr Egin isn’t just a building—it’s a collaborative hub where ideas grow, careers begin, and the next generation of digital storytellers can find their place.

We would like thank all the staff and industry experts from Yr Egin who made the day so enjoyable and inspiring for us all. Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi.

~

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Computing & Technology – to infinity and Beyond

buzz-lightyear-toy-story-murals

Technology has and is revolutionising the way we live and work – but believe it or not, it’s just getting started. Technology is getting better and better and in the future – the possibilities are infinite.

Technology is a very exciting area. As new technology emerges and evolves it continues to enrich and enhance our lives, such as:

  • Helping us to share and  communicate with family friends or work colleagues;
  • Empowering us to bring our ideas to life and create in an infinite number of ways;
  • Entertain ourselves with music movies games or various social-media platforms.

Computers operated by the mind motion and emotion, wearable technology, environmental technology and advanced medical treatments are among the emerging technologies that will enhance our lives and reshape the future. Some recent developments include:

  • The internet of things in which the physical objects around us are connected to the web will make our environment more interactive including such things as Smart Homes Cars, Offices, Cafes, Public and Community Spaces.
  • Google Glass that allow us to live in an Augmented Reality, being able to view social media feeds, text, play games, navigate with Google Maps, take photos etc… other tech companies are bound to innovate and create different versions with increasing features and possibilities soon.
  • Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift – this 3D headset lets you feel that you are actually inside a video game. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.
  • 3D printing technology allows us to print our design ideas into a solid real-life product.
  • Wearable Computing, recent developments include gadgets with flexible displays, making it possible to wrap a handset around your wrist, turning it into a bracelet that plays your favourite music or displays Social Media updates. Many forecast that flexible electronics will give rise to smart fabrics, making clothing items with built-in music-players, changeable colours and patterns, or heaters (for the colder months) a reality.
  • Robotics will see intelligent machines or robots expand beyond manufacturing and enter our lives to assist our working and personal lives. Maybe someday soon, your new robot friend will help you to complete tasks, will help around the house and help you make a delicious meal.

Advances in electronics and nanotechnology will continue to make computers ever smaller, slimmer and multi-functional. Increasing Philanthropic initiatives coupled with low-cost Smartphone’s tablets and communication methods will continue to reach developing parts of the world, providing hard-to-reach community’s access to the Global Connected Community.

The World Economic Forum has compiled a list of the most potentially influential technologies currently being developed. Each innovation was selected for its capacity to have a real and positive impact on the world, according to the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies topping the list is “brain-computer interfaces” which would build on the already available technology which allows people to type by monitoring their electrical activity in their brain. The technology could make it possible for people with disabilities to operate wheelchairs and other equipment using their thoughts. In its report the council stated:

Technology has become perhaps the greatest agent of change in the modern world. While never without risk, positive technological breakthroughs promise innovative solutions to the most pressing global challenges of our time.

The council wants to see governments working with researchers and businesses to promote the emerging technologies which could bring great improvements to many people’s lives. Martina Larkin, senior director and head of the Network of Global Agenda Councils, said: “Close cooperation between governments, industry and academia is essential to harness their potential.” And Noubar Afeyan, chair of the Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies and CEO of Flagship Ventures, said:

“These breakthroughs show the boundless potential for technology to have a positive impact on society.”

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Guest Speaker: Andrew Thomas of Brightseed Ltd.

AndrewAndrew Thomas pictured above, a Graduate of the School of Applied Computing, now a Successful Entrepreneur and Technical Director of Brightseed Ltd. located on the Mount Pleasant Swansea Campus, recently spoke with undergraduates at the School about Entrepreneurship and openly shared what it is like to create and run your own Company. Sharing many hints and tips along the way Andrew’s talk was very inspiring and part of the University’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) programme of events.

Building on a strong technical experience gained within a large corporate environment, Brightseed was born out of the passion of providing a quality service to customers with a strong emphasis on a quality product and support.  The partnership with a strong Creative talent (Simon Lee, Creative Director) has propelled Brightseed into a strong position.

The University’s Global Entrepreneurship Week co-insides with News that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s place as a world-leading authority on enterprise and entrepreneurship education has been further enhanced as a senior United Nations (UN) official is set to spend the next four months at the University to learn about its work and to develop new educational approaches that improve international educational provision and inform new policy developments.

For more information please click-here.

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