Every year, the entire CG community looks forward to the Rookie Awards. It’s amazing seeing the community come together to celebrate so many aspiring artists from the world of Games, Animation, VFX, Architecture, Fashion, Motion Graphics, and then some. At Think Tank, we always encourage our students and eligible graduates to enter this annual contest as it is perhaps the best way to get their work recognized by industry icons, reputable studios, and other like minded artists from pretty much everywhere on Earth.

Earlier this month, The Rookies announced the finalists for the 2023 contest, and we were thrilled to see so many artists from Think Tank being slotted for the finals. Of the three main categories open in the awards, the type of work done at our school has Think Tank artists nominated in the prestigious Rookie of the Year category. Additionally, the Rookies partners with a number of leading studios across the globe to offer entrants the chance to win a Career Opportunity– allowing them to kickstart their career with an internship or mentorship opportunity.

Click here for the complete list of winners.

Rookie of the Year Award
With 10 subcategories including Visual Effects, 3D Animation, and Game Development, Rookie of the Year is by far the largest winnable category in the contest. For every category that Think Tank student was made a Finalist in, a Think Tank student received a prestigious Winners Awards. Without further ado, here they are:

Think Tank Blog Rookies Winners Steven Bottcher 1080x761Rookie of the Year | Visual Effects: Steven Webb Bottcher (Runner Up)

With his incredibly well-executed and moving entry, The Mara Project, Steven was able to grab the Runner Up Award. Telling the story of Mara, an anti-social mech pilot who’s waiting to be picked up on a blind date, Steven seamlessly integrated his robotic CG asset mech-hand to a real-life actor. Learn more about his Match-Move process and his winning entry here.

Think Tank Blog Rookies Winners Guilherme Campos 1080x761
Rookie of the Year | 3D Animation: Guilherme Campos (Highly Commended)

Guilherme’s colorful Lighting and Lookdev demo reel, Cargo - CG Short Film, earned him a Highly Commended award in 3D Animation. This project was completed in the final term of Guilherme's program alongside his personal mentor, Gianni Vardanega. You can learn more about this uplifting entry here.

Think Tank Blog Rookies Winners Alsu Rakhimova 1080x761Rookie of the Year | Game Development: Alsu Rakimova (Highly Commended)
Think Tank had an impressive showing in the Game Development category, but this didn’t curb any excitement when we found out character artist, Alsu Rakimova, won a Highly Commended award for her project, No Home Left to Love. Rendered in Real Time, this character is based on the original concept, Kira (The Crow), by Jude Smith. Take a closer look into Alsu’s impressive project here.

Career Opportunity Award

Partnering with production studios from all over the world, The Rookies also offered a number of Career Opportunity Awards for the 2023 contest. Winners of these awards are handpicked by certain studios for mentorship or internship opportunities. These awards are no joke. These are opportunities of a lifetime.

Think Tank Blog Rookies Winners Jose Almeida 1080x761Career Opportunities | That’s No Moon: José Miguel Gomes de Almeida

LA-based studio, That's No Moon is a AAA game company offering a one-on-one demo reel review at the 2023 Rookie Awards. Think Tank student, José Miguel Gomes de Almeida, submitted an entry consisting of two characters which earned him this amazing opportunity. Take a closer look at his entry here.

Think Tank Blog Rookies Winners Soumya Verma 1080x761Career Opportunities | INDG: Soumya Verma

INDG offered Soumya Verma a 4-week mentorship with a focus on digital fashion for her incredible character, Aura. Completed during the Portfolio Production phase of her Think Tank program; with the texturing and execution of this real-time character, it’s not hard to see why this entry was selected for such a fashion-forward placement. See Soumya’s piece in all its glory here.

Congratulations again to all the Winners of the 2023 Rookie Awards, as well as to all the Finalists. It’s so great to see so much amazing art from so many schools. Here is a breakdown of the Think Tank winners for the TLDR crowd:

Rookie of the Year Awards
VFX: Steven Webb Bottcher (RUNNER-UP)
3D Animation: Guilherme Campos (Highly Commended)
Game Development: Alsu Rakimova (Highly Commended)

Career Opportunity Awards
That’s No Moon: José Miguel Gomes de Almeida
INDG: Soumya Verma