STORIES OF EVERYDAY SINGAPOREANS BAG TOP PRIZE AT N.E.MATION!

For telling stories of common, everyday Singaporeans who did their part to turn a bleak situation around, four students from Tanglin Secondary School won an uncommon prize. The team, named The 4 of Us II, is now bound for Walt Disney Studios in the United States after bagging the top prize at the eighth season of the annual N.E.mation! Competition.

In their animation clip titled Unsung Heroes, the team weaved animation techniques with interviews of real people who had each done something to better the lives of others. One of those people was 2nd Lieutenant (NS) Kamalasivam s/o Shanmuganathan, who shielded a recruit during a grenade incident while training.

The students put something of themselves in the clip too, with team member Xena Goh telling the story of how her family helped a retrenched neighbour tide over difficult times.

"For a month, my family brought meals to them. Sometimes we would cook something and share with them," said the sixteen-year-old. "As neighbours, we have to help, we can't just stand there and watch bad things happen."

That was right in the spirit of this year's N.E.mation! Competition, themed Because You Played a Part.

The winning team received their prizes from Second Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing at a ceremony held at the National Museum on 20 Feb. Said Mr Chan: "While I was impressed with the stories (in the clips), I was even more impressed with the stories behind the stories."

One of the team members, for instance, had foregone an overseas trip to work on the animation clips with their teammates over the school holidays. Another encountered some family issues which almost stopped her from completing the projects. Thanks to her teachers and friends who chipped in to help, the team completed their work on time.

"These are stories that are testimony of the commitment that all of you present here today have towards Total Defence," said Mr Chan.

For CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, it was double happiness as both the first and second runner-up teams were from the school.

Second runner-ups, team Delta-Gaytors from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, told the story of an ex-convict through a game-board style narrative that won the judges and public voters over.

"The Yellow Ribbon Project has been around for a while, but we wanted to raise more awareness," said 16-year-old Gwyneth Ang. "Through the competition and from watching the others' (animation) clips, we learnt a lot about Total Defence and also about things like the military."

First runner-ups and schoolmates, team Momento Mori, interpreted the N.E.mation! theme a little differently. In their clip titled Keeping Watch, the team's clever use of words and graphics showed how all Singaporeans played their part to keep the country safe no matter how small a part they seemed to play.

"Because it's also the 30th year of Total Defence, we decided to focus on time and (the idea of using) watches (as a motif) came naturally," said 14-year-old Phoebe Mak.

When asked what she learnt from being in the competition, Ms Mak said: "Total Defence is important because Singapore wouldn't be where we are without it."

This latest edition of N.E.mation! started in July last year and the top 10 teams were shortlisted on their proposed story ideas, spending close a month during their school holidays to produce their clips with the help of local animation firm Animagine. A total of 552 teams joined the competition

To view all the top 10 clips, visit the official site www.nemation.sg