As part of Apollo Creatives continual effort to support young people at work, for a week in June we had a creative young talent called Arran join us at our offices in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. Arran is a GCSE pupil at the local comprehensive school, King James. Ben Johnson, product specialist at Apollo Creative was struck by Arrans enthusiasm when he first interviewed him about the work experience placement, “I was really impressed with Arran at his interview, I could sense that he would fit well into a creative role and therefore made the decision for him to work on our ensemble software and create an animation that would fit well in a sensory learning environment.”
Ben showing Arran the Apollo Ensemble software
Animation has been a passion for Arran since a young age, he often spends his free time sketching and creating new characters using just his iPad and an app. Bursting with ideas, Arran began work on a storyboard about a chameleon who would change colour when the user interacts with an interactive soft play cube. Progressing through the week, Arran developed his animation using an iPad, whilst maintaining focus on the end user and how they would interact with the colour changing chameleon named Gino (named after the long tongued rock star Gene Simmons!) With a deadline to be met Arran worked hard to create a sequence in which he then spent time with Ben to bring his idea to life.
Ben and Arran try out the software and cube with the animation.
Arran expressed his joy with working for Apollo Creative “I very much liked being made to feel part of the team and the fact I was entrusted with a task and allowed to simply get on and be creative. I really appreciated the very positive feedback I received from the guys at Apollo.” Work experience is hugely important for students to get them suited to work life outside of school. Andrew Bull, Arrans dad, had this to say, “It is hard to put the value on his time with Apollo. As a kid with autism, he faces social challenges every day, some of them being extremely tough from his own peer group. He came away feeling that he wanted to stay, work and be part of something that really had a positive effect on his young life.”
We wish Arran the best of luck with his continuing studies and hope that he keeps animating creative and compelling ideas.