Borderlands Short Film to Be Animated By Art University Students

Get ready to explore more of the Borderlands universe, animated by art students from the Academy of Art University!

According to IGN, 2K and Gearbox are teaming with the Academy of Art University on a new program called the Borderlands Cooperative. 2K and Gearbox will give students the tools needed to make the animated short before the end of the year and will also offer them a chance to interview for a 2K internship.

The students will create shorts that take place in the Borderlands universe and one lucky team will have their work included in the Borderlands series to become part of its canon.

Sarah Anderson, 2K senior vice president of marketing, talked to IGN and said, "This partnership is a natural fit for 2K, Gearbox and the Academy of Art University. The Academy's mission is to prepare students for 21st century careers by providing real world experiences, and that’s exactly what the Borderlands Cooperative is all about.”

According to Academy of Art University storyboarding professor Shaun Featherstone, the courses at the school forces students to think of how it would be to run an actual business.

"Students have to not only come up with the creative, but determine what they need to get the job done, solve problems, work as a team, present to the client, and meet deadlines under extreme pressure. These are not homework deadlines. These are real. It is about as real world as it gets. There are hundreds of hard-working animators in the industry who haven’t had an opportunity to work on one of the most popular video games in the world, and these students are getting that opportunity before entering the profession," said Featherstone.

The film should be released later in the year. We look forward to seeing the final product and the future careers of these students.

Would you want to watch the product of the Borderlands Cooperative? Maybe this story has got the gears in your head turning? Let us know what you think!