BA (Hons) in Animation

Overview

The BA (Hons) Animation programme combines artistic foundations with cutting-edge digital production pipelines. Students master drawing, character design, storyboarding, 3D modelling, rigging, lighting, and compositing. Working in professional digital studios, you will produce individual shorts and collaborative animated films, preparing for careers in feature film, television, gaming, and commercial VFX. BA (Hons) in Animation is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 3 years full-time, and the credit total is 360. Students move from Drawing for Animation & Anatomy through Drawing for Animation & Anatomy; Principles of 2D Animation & Motion; Storyboarding, Concept Art & Visual Narrative; Digital Illustration & Matte Painting; Introduction to 3D Modelling in Maya/Blender; History & Theory of Animation, and finish on Honours Animated Graduation Film & Capstone. Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students apply the method of the subject to a defined problem and defend the result. Reading is a core text, a case or dataset, and a critique. The artefact a marker expects is a submission that shows the method, the evidence, and the limit of the claim. The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Master industry-standard 2D and 3D animation software (Maya, Blender, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects) Create expressive character animation adhering to the 12 principles of animation Develop complete pre-production packages including concept art, model sheets, and animatics Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass. The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.

Who This Programme Is For

• ✦Aspiring 2D/3D animators and character artists
• ✦Digital storytellers and visual effects creators
• ✦Creative learners seeking studio-grade animation pipelines

Programme Structure & Delivery

Learning Outcomes

• ✦Master industry-standard 2D and 3D animation software (Maya, Blender, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects)
• ✦Create expressive character animation adhering to the 12 principles of animation
• ✦Develop complete pre-production packages including concept art, model sheets, and animatics
• ✦Direct, animate, and composite an honours graduation film for studio festival submission

Career Pathways

• ✦3D Character Animator
• ✦2D Animator
• ✦Storyboard Artist
• ✦Rigging Technical Director
• ✦VFX Artist
• ✦Motion Designer

Curriculum