Colin, cordially yours

By Kelly Yates
A CARTOON featuring a love-struck cordial bottle has won top prize for a Berwick woman at a national information technology competition.
Debbie Nield scored first place in the flash animated narrative category in the recent IT Challenge Competition, a multiple category competition for high school and TAFE students in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, for her cartoon, “Colin the Cordial Bottle”.
The two-and-a-half-minute cartoon is set in a family kitchen and centres on the friendship between Rita, the packet of crackers, and Colin the cordial bottle.
“When Rita disappears to parts unknown, Colin gives chase, eventually discovering Rita in a recycling bin,” Ms Nield said.
Ms Nield, who has been working as a relief teacher at Brentwood Park Primary School, said she wanted to put together an animation that would appeal to young children, with a focus on the environment.
“Environmental issues are a great subject for schools so I was looking for a way to introduce it to children in an entertaining way. Because I’m not a very good drawer, animation was the ideal format,” she said.
“I was very flattered to take home the winning prize.”
This was the first time Ms Nield had created an animated cartoon, which took her a couple of months to finish.
The 37-year-old is getting ready to complete a Certificate IV dual award in information technology at Chisholm Institute in Cranbourne.
Ms Nield was one of six Chisholm Institute students to be honoured at the awards.
The competition awards were presented at the International Digital Entertainment Festival, held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.