Animation students from UWE Bristol have been awarded second place in a competition run by TV Licensing and the BBC to bring the bizarre excuses for watching television without a licence to life.
I Steal My Neighbour’s Signal, which was created by third-year students Ben Sullivan and Linh Nguyen, was judged runner up by a panel of respected animation experts, in a competition which drew entries from five other universities. 
More than 40 excuses films were submitted from students across the UK, illustrating the dubious explanations for non-payment, which TV Licensing officers and call centre staff have heard over the past year.
I Steal My Neighbour’s Signal features a pair of crafty foxes, who head into a farmer’s cottage to nab the TV aerial cable, which they then plug into their TV set, hidden in their den.
Ben Sullivan said: “I really enjoyed taking part in the No Excuses project. It was a great opportunity for us to put our skills to the test and to showcase a variety of animation techniques. To have our animation recognised as one of the leading entries by industry experts is incredibly rewarding.”
Linh Nguyen added: “Getting the chance to work to a client brief, especially for an institution as well-known as TV Licensing, was really exciting and a great creative challenge.
“The No Excuses campaign was particularly interesting because we got the chance to put a fun spin on an issue which is actually quite serious and important. Hopefully our animation will have helped to raise awareness amongst the public.”
Head judge Charlie Mawer, executive director at London-based entertainment and content marketing agency Red Bee Creative, said: “The beautiful illustrative style, gorgeous colours and clever framing made I Steal My Neighbour’s Signal a really charming runner-up.”
Associate head of department, lens and moving image, Bristol School of Film and Journalism, Abigail Davies, said: “Coming in the top two of this prestigious competition is a real endorsement of Ben and Linh’s design and storytelling talent, which is what we are all about at UWE Bristol’s School of Animation.
“The sixteen students who took part in the No Excuses project, gained excellent industry style experience and we are always keen to promote such opportunities to students as a way of building their professional skills.”
TV Licensing South West spokesperson Richard Chapman added: “The winning animations are a testament to the imagination of the students.”
To view all the animated films, including I Steal My Neighbours Signal and the overall winner, visit this YouTube page
