DURHAM COLLEGE
DC grad Daylan Belsey places first in Animation at the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge

Durham College (DC) animation grad Daylan Belsey recently won top spot in the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge, landing him a coveted internship at Ubisoft Toronto.

More than 300 aspiring game developers from across the province participated in the annual event, submitting projects across nine categories.

Participants in the Animation category, including Belsey, were challenged to display an understanding of body mechanics and acting through body language. Belsey's winning submission expertly captured the category's theme of shock both literally and through the emotion of his characters.

A 2024 graduate of DC's Animation - Digital Production program, he leveraged the skills and professional growth he acquired during his time as a student.

"There are so many different places to take inspiration from with this sort of project," said Belsey. "I actually submitted a piece in last year's competition, too, but at the time I didn't have an eye for some of the mistakes I was making and didn't quite know how to strengthen the theme in my piece."

While participating in the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge is not a mandatory part of the program, it is encouraged and students are able to use their submission as a project in class.

"Regardless of how the competition went, my side goal was to improve my workflow, acting and body mechanics, and to have a great demo reel piece - my expectations were blown out of the water when I placed first," he said. "Everybody at the studio was so kind and I'm excited for the opportunity to learn from them."

Student's in DC's Animation - Digital Production program have access to state-of-the-art equipment including the Mixed Reality Capture Studio, as well as supportive, expert faculty. Belsey fondly remembered the pride and comradery he felt during the program's final All-Years Screening where students debut their work to faculty and peers. He also highly values the essential soft skills he developed in the program such as collaboration and problem solving.

"I was happy, although not surprised, to see Daylan win," said Faculty Member Gary Chapple. "He was always one of the hardest working students, he thrived on feedback, was very dedicated to pushing himself - and is also just a super nice person."