Carshalton College is celebrating after winning the WorldSkills Games Development Competition on Tuesday 22 November. The students were given first place after competing against 3 other Colleges from London and the South East.

36 students from Games Development courses and diplomas took part in a Speed Modelling Competition. Judged by industry practitioners, the students had two hours to develop a games element and were marked on the speed and accuracy of production, use of 2,000 polygons, elegance of design, realisation. As a work skill speed modelling is one of the essential ingredients in the successful students profile, the competition was a chance to put their college work into a work based context.

Students from Carshalton College from the 1st and 2nd year of the BTEC Diploma in Creative Media Production competed against each other to win the right to battle it out against the best students from London and the Southeast. The students used Maya software and 3D Studio Max for the modelling. Carshalton College sent these successful students to the final 1st year students; Elliot Tunmore, Sam Viera, Tyrone Capel and Jordan Willis and 2nd year students; Charlie Poole, Curtis Mihalop and Joseph Riches. They were accompanied by sizable body of supporters The Finals held in Wandsworth on 22 November, featured students from Carshalton, College of Harringay and North East London and South Thames College .Congratulations go out to Charlie Poole who won the Year 2 Gold Award and Curtis Mihalop who raced in at the last minute to sieze the Year 2 Silver Award for Modelling. The finalists were set the task of modeling and texturing a London Bus in just 2 hours. The competition was tense with all students successfully completing the tasks to a very high standard.

Judges included experts Charles Birt, from Colossal Games who have 30 years experience in the games industry, Darren White, the Lead Visual Artist on Need for Speed- the top racing game and Slightly Mad Studios, multi award winning independent British video game company.

This is hopefully the first of many competitions with plans for concept art and level design rounds next year. Prizes included World Skills medals and exposure in the industry plus a great achievement for students to add to their CV. The competition was held at South Thames College and other competitor Colleges include: South Thames College; West Thames College and College of North East London.

Carshalton College offers the BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Creative Media Production and BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production (Games Development) looking at Games platforms and technologies, Digital graphics, 3D design, including modelling and environments, Audio, video and animation for games, The narrative structure of games, Working in the games industry and professional practice and Concept art.

Please visit our website for more details www.carshalton.ac.uk Based on information supplied by Maxine Alexander.