Course summary

Arts University Plymouth is an arts university for the 21st century, preparing students who are uniquely placed to provide creative solutions to the complex global challenges of a changing world. Formerly known as Plymouth College of Art, we were granted full university title in Spring 2022. We are now the city of Plymouth’s first and only specialist arts university, allowing us to offer our students a dynamic and unique learning experience. If you want to pursue a creative degree at Arts University Plymouth but feel you have yet to acquire the experience and range of skills necessary, our Extended BA course will prepare you for entry to one of our BA (Hons) undergraduate courses. This four-year route offers an exploratory year, developing your insight into a range of art, design and media skills and approaches, before focusing on your Animation & Games degree. A successful career in animation or games requires a highly creative mind, a strong knowledge of the creative software used to create new realities, and the ability to imagine within the constraints of a particular narrative. Graduates from this course are working in animation, video games, film and television, with leading roles in these industries. A degree in BA (Hons) Animation & Games prepares you for today’s highly competitive market and rapidly expanding environment in the entertainment industry. Through storytelling, prototyping and problem-solving, you will create and lead in interdisciplinary contexts, gaining knowledge that will be valuable whether you work for a multinational organisation or a small studio. With courses in animation and games, and other content linked to entertainment designs, integrated studies and the humanities and arts, you will develop a comprehensive and sustainable approach for creating dynamic and engaging animations and games. The objective of the course is to prepare each student to join a studio, having observed and practised the numerous phases required in the production of animated features and game development, including writing, concept art, storyboarding, art direction, animation, editing etc. During the first year, a significant part of the course is devoted to fundamental drawing practice such as: anatomy, characters, posing, animation etc. Then your skills will be developed further through working with the digital tools that are widely used within our focused industries. The yearly projects give students the opportunity to apply academic knowledge, project-based skills, and team/project management focus. The primary focus is on concept art and visual development towards outputs such as: characters, worldbuilding and asset creation. These are the kinds of creative skills required by artists working in the entertainment sector; during their second year, students will be able to select either an animation or games career development specialism. The animation path develops students in the disciplines of character animation, storyboarding, modelling, art direction and the principles of 2D and 3D lighting. The game arts path prepares students to create and communicate visual concepts through 3D and 2D prototyping, iteration and production.