Ever wonder what a work experience student gets up to on a typical week in Brown Bag? Last week we had two talented work experience students based in our Manchester studio - Dan Tromans studying Art Btech and Saffa Alohaer, studying Art and Design, both students at Oldham Sixth Form College.

We asked Saffa and Dan a few questions, to get to know them and see what gets them ticking and to give us an inside peek at what they were involved in during their work experience with us. Here's what they had to say…

Can you tell us a little about your hobbies?

Saffa: I love listening to music in my spare time and just different styles of art and painting to improve my skills, but other than that I like to explore areas and travel with my friends.

Dan: I used to play for team GB in a sport called Octopush but now I’m more or less a full-time art student.

Tell us about your first day doing work experience with us…

Saffa: I was extremely nervous and shy just meeting new people and learning about something so big, but overall it was really exciting.

Dan: I felt calm and interested in what the two weeks would be like, also I was fairly amazed by The Sharp Project campus.

What have you enjoyed the most about your experience with us?

Dan: I really enjoyed painting backgrounds then playing about with them.

Saffa: Learning about the process of creating an episode has really made me aware of how much time, money and people go into creating something short but something that kids will love.

How do you feel now having completed your work experience with us?

Dan: I feel very content about the experience and happy about what I have learnt.

Saffa: I definitely feel more confident after working with the production team, it challenged my social and personal skills.

Has this given you an idea of what career you would like to pursue in the future?

Saffa: It helped me explore different areas of art that I’ve never seen or tried so it really opened my eyes to different careers.

Dan: I have no idea what I’m going to do but this experience has taught me a lot of skills for my art.

What was the most important thing you learned during your work experience?

Dan: Using layers properly on Photoshop and organising will really help me.

Saffa: Production really taught me to manage my time and be more organised. I learnt how essential that is when trying to complete more than one task. Also, my communication skills have improved thanks to the people I was working with.

Have you been introduced to any new software/skills?

Saffa: I learnt about Toon Boom which I had never used before.

Dan: I’ve learnt loads about vectors and layer/layouts.

What inspired you most on your work experience?

Dan: The working environment was inspiring and the art styles used on the shows can be adapted and used in my own work. This experience will impact what I produce in the future.

Saffa: The artists were very passionate and hard working when it came to their work, including their personal projects which were all unique and inspiring. It has inspired me to be more driven and to explore and experiment in things I love and to try new styles.

If you could sum up your time here in three words what would they be?

Saffa: Beneficial, exciting, awesome!

Dan: Photoshop, trees, dogs.

Are you looking to apply for work experience with an animation studio? Be sure to check out our Dos and Don'ts here!