Two student projects from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences were presented at FMX 2026 in Stuttgart, one of the most important international conferences for animation, visual effects and digital media.
From 5 to 7 May 2026, Stuttgart once again hosted FMX, one of Europe’s leading conferences for animation, visual effects and digital media. International industry professionals, studios, creatives and universities came together to present and discuss the latest developments, technological trends and innovative projects in the digital media sector.
Students from the MultiMediaArt (Bachelor’s) and Realtime Art & Visual Effects (Master’s) programmes at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences attended the FMX alongside their lecturers as part of their coursework. The opportunity to engage with international experts, as well as gaining insights into current production processes and technologies, provided the students with valuable inspiration and practical insights into the industry.
A particular highlight was the selection of two student projects from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences for the “Education: The Quest for Young Talent School Presentations”. The presentation series showcases selected university projects from across the DACH region each year and is regarded as an important platform for young talent in the field of computer animation and digital media.
From numerous international submissions, the projects SCREWED and CROSSDOT were selected this year and presented to an enthusiastic audience at FMX.
SCREWED
The SCREWED project was developed in the 4th semester of the Bachelor’s degree programme in MultiMediaArt, within the Computer Animation department. This animated short film, produced in Unreal Engine by Philipp Pöllitzer, Lisa Wilkinson and Tamara Schinagl, tells the story of a loose screw on board a spaceship, whose drift gradually causes chaos. In a single continuous two-minute shot, the camera follows the screw through different rooms and small parallel scenes until the ship’s final explosion.
Team:
Philipp Pöllitzer – 3D Generalist
Tamara Schinagl – 3D Generalist
Lisa Wilkinson – 3D Generalist
CROSSDOT
The CROSSDOT project was developed by Hannah Rampitsch and Jona Melvin Grobe during the third semester of the Master’s programme in Realtime Art & Visual Effects. The result is a student studio experiment focusing on procedural workflows and visual storytelling in SideFX Houdini. Instead of a single film, the two students developed eight independent works spanning the fields of advertising, music videos and short-form storytelling. At the same time, this gave rise to the student studio CrossDot Studio. https://crossdot.studio/
Team:
Hannah Rampitsch – 3D Motion Designer
Jona Melvin Grobe – Technical Artist
The successful participation at FMX 2026 once again underlines the high quality of student projects at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences and the strong international visibility of the degree programmes in the fields of computer animation, real-time art and visual effects.
