Animation BA(Hons)

How this course is delivered

COVID-19 has changed everything. We’ve made some changes to the way our courses are taught to keep everyone safe and that will help you stay connected and involved in university life.

From the start of term in September, you’ll learn through a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that will provide lots of opportunities to interact and engage. Together with carefully managed access to libraries, labs, workshops and studios this means your studies are as collaborative, practical and flexible as possible.

Areas of study 

• Animation fundamentals, experimental image making and visual effects.
• Storytelling through a range of imaginative projects using linear and non-linear narratives.
• Screen-based kinetic typography and its applications across a range of creative environments such as title sequences and music videos.
• Exploration of animation in response to contemporary culture and society.
• Applied animation for immersive technology including AR and VR.
• Design for interactivity, tablets, apps, installations and expanded cinema.
• Collaboration with other disciplines including music, sound art and design.

Year 1 

In year 1, you will explore animation through a series of creative projects. These projects will develop your skills in storytelling through a variety of experimental artistic techniques. 

Your work will be nurtured and developed through both group and personal tutorials, and inspired by a series of lectures from visiting industry professionals.

Under the guidance of expert teaching staff, you will immerse yourself in an exciting programme of lectures and workshops, shaping your projects and building your portfolio as you progress through the year.

In year 1 you will work alongside Design for Digital Media and Games Art and Design students, sharing modules and collaborating on projects.

Modules

• Design Principles and Practice

  This module will introduce you to the basic concepts and components of image making and design for digital media, with a focus towards the principles of screen-based illustration and graphic design. You will investigate practically and analytically, the relationship between composition and form through a series of projects that will establish a fundamental understanding of digital visual communication. The module will introduce you to basic working methods and studio practices whilst exploring emerging digital delivery formats.

  This module introduces the basic concepts, components and practices of graphic design, illustration, animation and games art, focusing on imaginative and targeted visual communication through a digital outcome. You will investigate fundamental design principles through a series of projects that will explore and define working methods and studio practices.

• Sequence and Narrative

  This module introduces the basic concepts and components of sequence and narrative within illustration, graphic design animation and games art. Project briefs enable you to explore story telling, form, pacing, play, presentation and audience interaction. You'll also be introduced to basic working methods and studio practices whilst exploring emerging digital delivery formats.

• 2D Motion Graphics

  This module introduces the foundations of 2D computer motion graphics and basic animation. You'll cover the fundamentals of 2D motion design, editing and animation, and be able to create simple animated graphic sequences for multiformat delivery.

• Historical and Critical Studies

  This module includes a broad history of visual communication. You'll focusing on new technologies and digital media, the impact the digital revolution has on the culture of graphic design, illustration, art, film, as well as the development of animation, games art, and social media.

Year 2 

In year 2, you will focus on developing your creative potential, building on knowledge gained during your first year.

The projects you will be set have strong links with industry, so that the skills you learn and practise reflect those that employers are looking for.

You will be encouraged to work collaboratively with your fellow students to develop ambitious projects within the local and wider professional community. Your research and analytical skills will be developed through group discussion and documentation of project outcomes.

Modules

• Virtual Studio
• Visual Language and Personal Voice
• 2D and 3D Motion Graphics and Animation
• Historical and Critical Studies 2
• Option module programme

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Final year 

In your final year, the knowledge and skills that you have developed so far come together as you work on a final personal project. You will also write a dissertation in conjunction with Historical and Critical Studies.

Final year lectures and tutorials are taught by teaching staff and by visiting industry professionals. They include practical information about professional development, preparing you for your professional or academic life after university, and one-to one personal tutorials offering in-depth, personalised support for your continued development.

Modules

• Context and Consolidation
• Virtual Studio – Animation
• Professional Practice
• Extended Research Project

Meet the team

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Portfolio advice and interview 

Portfolio

This course requires you to submit an online portfolio. In this, we would like to see:

• examples of work that demonstrates how you develop ideas. The work can be in any medium or combination of media, for example drawing, typography, collage, photography, animation or video
• evidence of personal work including drawing, use of type, collage, photography, and other mediums. It would be great to see how this reflects your personal interests
• your ability to develop an idea from concept through to a finished project
• at least one sketchbook showing how you experiment and explore different techniques and media
• any completed moving image, animation or interactive work (best shown on Vimeo)
• several examples of your finished outcomes in either 2D design, illustration, animation or moving image if you have them
• your potential to experiment and explore ideas, using different techniques and media
• a passion for image-making and design.

We recommend using Flickr, Tumblr or making a pdf to create a simple portfolio and Vimeo or YouTube for embedding video. Please note that you do not need to show work that moves or interacts within a digital environment, as we will support you to develop that. At this stage we are looking for an exciting and creative portfolio and a genuine passion to learn.

Interview

Due to COVID-19, we expect interviews to be online and the processes may change slightly – check back here for updates. If you've already applied, we will tell you about any changes.

Course fees

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies, although we have tried to keep this to a minimum. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Media are listed here.

• There will be opportunities to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but you can budget approximately £30–£700 for these. The nature of the costs vary from provisions for a packed-lunch to flight and accommodation costs for international field trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
• Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects. These costs are normally associated with specialist equipment and materials for making work and for the public presentation of work.
• Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning. Students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment, these may include cameras, or computers and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. This expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
• For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
• Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.
• For some courses you will need to budget up to £150 for stationery.
• Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500. 

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships, as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

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