Course summary

Animation is everywhere: from the classic Disney fairy tale to the quirky Aardman comedy and the dynamic Pixar blockbuster. BA (Hons) Animation Production provides you with the opportunity to excel as a creative and critical practitioner in the exciting field of Animation Production. Animation starts right here with traditional 2D animation drawing, where fundamental skills of drawing and painting underpin the development of animation production in all its forms: hand-drawn, stop-motion and CGI. What you will study A series of workshops, seminars and lectures will introduce you to the fundamental principles of animation. Knowledge of traditional animation techniques and contemporary software is complemented by the rigorous development of ability in observational drawing. Team-based projects will help you to develop knowledge of your specialist role within an animation production team, with workshops to help develop an understanding of storyboarding, concept design, advanced animation and fundamentals of post-production. We equip you with specialist technical skills – for example, in CG and stop motion – and offer opportunities for you to develop your practice in a range of contexts – on industry placements, exchanges with other universities, or working in the demanding studio environment at AUB. The course also connects the practice of animation to its critical and theoretical contexts. By contextualising animation through theoretical debate, we enable you to understand the conceptual foundations underpinning your own work. We emphasise the importance of independent study, research and analysis to extend your creative abilities and inform critical reflection upon your work and that of others. We believe that in order to succeed in the competitive world of animation production you require a high level of production skills and practical knowledge, a strong sense of professional responsibility and a keen eye for the critical and theoretical contexts in which you will work. To this end, we develop highly skilled and socially aware practitioners who are able to respond to the changing nature of the industry at local, national and international levels. By the end of the course you will be able to... • Confidently articulate your understanding of animation as a collaborative production process • Demonstrate your specialist skills within a production-based context to enhance your career opportunities and for post-graduate study • Confidently articulate your knowledge and critical understanding of the relationship between the practice, theory and history of animation • Apply research skills and express your analytical, intellectual and aesthetic awareness • Demonstrate your professional competence and understanding, and evidence management abilities within a team framework • Demonstrate the ability to critically self-evaluate progress and performance; demonstrate self-directed learning for independent study and development • Demonstrate the ability to be a highly skilled and socially aware practitioner who is able to respond to the changing nature of the industry at local, national and international levels Studios and resources At AUB, our Animation studios mirror industry, with lots of students working together in a high energy environment. Students have access to studio spaces with PC workstations Wacom tablets and light boxes, and the course has its own computer suite for teaching specialist software.