Animation BA Honours

In your first year, you will develop a personal approach to animation and learn to apply an understanding of film language, narrative and the technical processes of animation to the creation of your own animation sequences. You will learn about changing practices in the history of animation and explore and experiment with different forms of graphic media.

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of character animation and explores a range of visual storytelling and sound production techniques. On completion of the module you will be practiced in using visual research as a tool for developing realistic and convincing animation and have a working knowledge of storyboarding, animatic production, audio recording and creative sound design techniques.

This module aims to encourage you to develop a unique vision drawn from personal experience and to explore creative approaches to animation filmmaking. You will examine their own history and cultural background to find inspiration for a narrative, to develop into an animated short. From the initial concept through to completed film, you will gain an elemental working knowledge of the animation process, working from concept to pre-production and production through to post-production.

This module will introduce you to the essential processes and disciplines utilized in animation production. Comprising a series of workshops aimed at developing entry level animation related expertise, the aim of the module is to bring you up to a fundamental level of competence across a range of 2D and 3D animation techniques including stop motion, a portfolio of industry standard animation software packages and a regular program of classes in life drawing for animation.

This module will introduce you to core issues in the international histories and theories of animation. It aims to develop students’ understanding of the changing cultural contexts, modes of production, technologies, practices and aesthetics that characterise the evolution of animation as a global art form. It aims to develop your abilities to engage critically with key concepts related to animation and to develop research and analytical writing skills. The module informs and expands your knowledge of how their own practice relates to that of others, which in turn promotes personal development and innovation.

In your second year, you will further develop your animation practice and begin to identify specific areas of interest. The second year of study gives you the opportunity to refine your technical and problem-solving skills. In the Critical Animation Aesthetics module, you will be introduced to a range of animated genres and forms from around the world.

The module aims to enable you to explore the communication of emotional states in animation and to create original designs of both characters and backgrounds using materials in an innovative way. These character projects give the animator the skills they need to develop both technical and storytelling skills. The module further develops your storytelling skills and collaborative working practices. Throughout the module, students gain a deeper understanding of animation from a contemporary, historical and cultural perspective.

This module aims to develop your personal voice to produce original and enthralling stories. It fosters a better understanding of film structure and narrative and development of a personal animation style. It aims to improve your animation skills as well as help them acquire new software skills. It will enhance your professional documentation and pitching skills so that you can verbally pitch an idea for a 2-minute animated short film and then develop and produce it to completion. Through the process of feedback, you will further develop skills to enable articulate discussion, analysis and evaluation of your own work and that of others. Throughout the module, you will gain a deeper understanding of animation from contemporary, historical and cultural perspectives.

The module develops your core technical and professional skills to prepare them to interact with the industry. Continuing from the Level 4 animation skills workshops, the module improves and expands students’ animation skills towards a professional level. Life drawing strengthens your drawing skills, enhancing your understanding of form and perspective and exposing them to new and different materials. The professional practice and development section of the module improves your collaborative skills by allowing them to work in an animation production team, which mirrors how a professional studio works. The grad assist project helps you to develop your listening and teamwork skills; this internal internship is accompanied by a project where you research and contact members of the industry, preparing them for seeking employment.

The module aims to develop your abilities to think independently and to apply analytical and critical thinking skills to your work as creative practitioners, as well as to be able to effectively research, reflect and communicate in an academic context. The curriculum is socially critical in its aims, drawing from the analytical and critical methodologies found in aesthetics, critical theory, film, media and cultural studies. It plays a central role in your development of graduate attributes such as academic excellence, critical thinking, effective communication, ethical awareness, teamwork and cultural competency.

In your final year, you will consolidate your skills to a professional standard and fully prepare for a career in the animation industry, identifying potential career paths and preparing a graduation show reel, portfolio and promotional material. You will research and write a contextual dissertation that connects to your practical areas of interest.

This module aims to reinforce, extend and consolidate previously acquired skills to achieve a confident, independent approach to animation practice at a professional level. You may elect to work either individually, as a partnership or in collective to develop a compelling concept, proposal and preproduction materials, from which you will then prepare an engaging final major project, choosing to work either on an animated short film or alternatively, produce a professional portfolio.

This module aims to advance your ability at identifying and evaluating potential career paths and anticipating the expectations of the animation industry. Essential work experience will be gained through collaboration on a professional ‘Live Brief’, delivered according to the specifications of a real creative industries client. Additionally, you will prepare a graduation showreel, portfolio presentation and promotional materials. On completion of this module students will have garnered essential professional experience, built their self-confidence and finessed their professionalism, organization, presentation and communication skills.

This module aims to enable you to identify, conduct and deliver a critical and contextual research essay that is the product of sustained engagement with a range of research resources and an area of animation practice. The module will consolidate the development of skills of project identification, research organisation and development, time management, visual analysis and critical argument. You will extend your ability to think creatively about the presentation of historical, conceptual, critical and contextual material in both written and visual form. You will further consolidate the development of skills required for autonomous learning, which are intended to promote the lifelong learning habits of critical practitioners. You will also practice your capacity for self-reflection and respond productively to feedback over the course of an extended written project.

You will be studying at our north London campus in Hendon.

BAFTA-winning animation director, Jonathan Hodgson, has recently won his second BAFTA and Best British Film at London International Animation Festival with his short animation film Roughhouse. He has also designed and directed the animation 'The Trouble with Love and Sex', which explores relationships using audio from a series of Relate counselling sessions. This ground-breaking animation was the first full-length animated documentary to be broadcast on British TV.

Our stop motion Lecturer and MDX BA Animation alumnus Daniel Quirke’s film ‘The Song of a Lost Boy’ was nominated for a Best British Short Animation BAFTA in 2021. Daniel just completed a short stop motion animation ‘Dagda’s Harp’ for Irish Children’s TV.

You will hone your skills through demonstrations and practical work in our studios and workshops, as well as lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, visits and your own personal research. Seminar groups are typically around 20-30 students.

Lectures allow you to gain and develop knowledge in specific subjects. You can discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures and practicals in smaller seminar groups.

You will also have the opportunity to attend presentations by professional animators and interview them to learn more about their work. You will give presentations, take part in class discussions and work on group projects, essays and practical assignments.

For one-to-one support, you will meet with either your personal tutor or module leader. We also will share our library of online resources.

Timetable

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Teaching

We take pride in our approach to teaching on our BA Animation degree. In our external examination from recent years, we were praised for the use of clear language in our briefs, assessment criteria and learning outcomes, and for the way we support our students' learning:

"The students continue to be overwhelmingly positive about the tutors and the effectiveness of their feedback. They also very much appreciated receiving their feedback quickly, usually the day after hand-in. Students continue to be very positive about lectures and seminars and, as with the practical projects, the quality of dissertation feedback is clear and detailed. An excellent new feature of the Year 3 major project, the Graduation Film, is the use of visiting film editors. All students were very positive about this and the films were improved notably by their influence. One of the course's primary strengths is in the commitment and desire of the tutors to go 'above and beyond' for the students."

Independent learning

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop your skills from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus.

This course is based on 100% coursework.

Assessments

We'll test your understanding and progress with informal and formal assignments.

The informal assignments take place regularly over the course of our modules, from which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor and your peers. The grades from these assignments don’t count towards your final marks.

There are formal assignments, known as summative assessments, for each module, usually at the end, which will count towards your module and your final marks.

Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.

Group crit

At the end of each project, which might have a duration of just one day or extend for several months, there will be a group crit. Here alongside the academic and technical staff, all students will be expected to give constructive feedback to their fellow students.

After the crit there will normally be a few days to make revisions based on the feedback and then the project work is submitted for interim assessment and a provisional mark will be given. In May of each year, there will be a final coursework hand in and students will have the opportunity to resubmit all their coursework for the final assessment.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.