Program Overview

Introduction to the BA (Hons) Animation Program

The BA (Hons) Animation program at Wrexham University is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to join the animation industry. The program focuses on providing a comprehensive understanding of animation techniques, including 2D, 3D, and stop motion.

Program Highlights

• State-of-the-art digital facilities for all forms of animation.
• Staff with industry experience, focusing on providing students with skills and insights that prepare them for the future.
• A balanced approach to improving practical skills and employability in the future.

Why Choose This Course?

The BA (Hons) Animation degree provides students with the skills needed to enter the industry, creating compelling animations that captivate audiences. It prepares students for a career in animation across multiple industry sectors.

Course Structure

Year 1 (Foundation Year)

• Introduces students to the primary elements of art and design.
• Students explore the creative thinking process involved in various art and design disciplines, developing their core skills in observation, drawing, and visual communication.
• Modules include:
  • Studying Skills for Success: Provides essential skills for thriving in a digital learning environment, including time management, research techniques, academic writing, and digital literacy.
  • Engaging with the Arts: Encourages students to respond to art, developing observational and analytical skills.
  • Visual Language: Introduces the fundamental principles of visual communication, exploring composition, color, and form.
  • Critical Thinking: Promotes critical analysis of art and design, considering historical, cultural, and social contexts.
  • Project Sequence: Students work on a project that demonstrates their understanding and application of the skills learned throughout the year.
  • Welsh for Beginners (Optional): An introduction to the Welsh language for those with no prior knowledge.

Year 2 (Level 4)

• Visual Communication: Students begin to understand the language of shapes, lines, and colors alongside practical experience with various materials, starting to develop skills in pre-production animation, such as character design.
• History and Context: Introduces academic research, looking back to understand the student's subject specialization better. This research is then combined with initial design knowledge, showing how information can be presented appealingly.
• Interactive Design: Introduces the world of motion graphics and the ethos of UX design, combining this with early animation understanding to create interactive elements or characters with a living presence.
• Digital Communication: Animation is a versatile medium not just in cartoons or films but also in commercial assets. This module teaches how this application happens, providing tools to read industry briefs, understand client requirements, and design for a targeted audience and market.
• Storytelling: Theory and Practice: Animation is a powerful tool for storytelling. This module introduces narrative structure, cinematography, and scripting. Students also learn the basics of storyboarding, a crucial step in planning and storylining short animated films and feature films.
• Social Design: This module brings the idea of diversity to the forefront, allowing students to flex their artistic muscle and further experiment with character design, creating a diverse range of forms and figures from direct inspiration and reference material.

Year 3 (Level 5)

• Motion Graphics: This module introduces the synergy of graphic design and animation through the field of Motion Graphics. Students learn to animate textual and graphic works in exciting projects like promotional videos and explanatory animations.
• Modeling and Production: Model making is an essential part of film production. This module teaches students to design props, from poster designs to candy wrappers, and discover how their animations can be used in film sets.
• Critical Thinking: Critical analysis of one's work and others' is essential for improvement. This module promotes methodological research skills, such as comparative and contextual analysis, to form educated arguments and evaluations, nurturing confidence in one's subject matter and preparing students to be informed practitioners in the arts.
• Animation Project: Applying accumulated skills from previous modules, students create their first short animated film based on a short story or their concept. They work through every stage of production, from initial scripts and storyboarding to editing and sound design.
• Creating Futures: Professional Practice: With the end of the degree in sight, the question "What's next?" arises. This module provides a highlight to your potential career, in the form of guest speaker events with industry experts. Alongside these sessions, there are also weekly group design challenges monitored and attended by these experts, allowing them to offer valuable insight and feedback.

Year 4 (Level 6)

• Specialist Animation Project: Students combine academic research with their animation skills to create a short animated film based on a refined concept. This further enhances their ability to find and tell stories within complex themes or ideas.
• Research Project: This module encourages academic research skills, challenging students to dive deeper into significant animation questions as a form of art and entertainment. Similar to previous research modules, students gather this information into a format that can be professionally presented and supports their design skills.
• Live Brief: In the industry, animations are often created to satisfy client requirements. This module has students create an animation based on an externally set brief, simulating industry standards and deadlines, teaching them to analyze briefs, manage time, and meet audience and client expectations.
• Creative Futures: Professional Practice: As the final year comes to a close, the question of "What's next?" becomes more pressing. This module gives students a glimpse into their possible career paths in the form of guest speaker events. There are also weekly group challenges that experts from the industry monitor and participate in, offering valuable insights.

Admission Requirements and Application

• UCAS Code: 259D
• The academic requirements for this course are 48-72 UCAS tariff points, but each application is considered individually. The program team welcomes applications from anyone who can demonstrate a commitment to the subject and the potential to complete their program successfully.
• Applicants without traditional academic qualifications are considered based on relevant experience, training, or professional qualifications. International students are also welcome to apply.

Teaching and Assessment

• There are no fixed exams. Assessment is continuous and involves all aspects of the program, with a focus on formal assessment and feedback on your coursework throughout the academic year.
• Various assessment formats encourage learning through group seminars, treatments, and tutorials. This may include presenting a range of work, such as sketchbooks, design sheets, finished art, screen-based work, technical/files, and visual presentations.

Career Prospects

The program prepares students for careers in various animation fields, including:

• Lead roles such as senior designers
• VFX artists/animator
• Concept artists
• Storyboard artists
• Assistant animators
• Keyframe animators
• Character designers
• Game artists
• Interactive developers
• Environment and background artists
• Matte painters
• Model makers
• Set designers
• Digital painting
• Texturing
• Compositing

This degree also enables students to develop a range of transferable skills that can lead to various employment opportunities.

Fees and Funding

• Tuition fees are subject to change, but detailed information can be found on the university's fees and funding pages.
• The university offers various forms of support, including guidance on tuition fees, living costs, and financial assistance.

Accommodation

Wrexham University offers on-campus en-suite rooms in its student village, providing convenient access to campus facilities, study areas, and social spaces. The university is also just a 10-minute walk from the city center.

Conclusion

The BA (Hons) Animation program at Wrexham University is a comprehensive course designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the animation industry. With its state-of-the-art facilities, experienced staff, and focus on practical skills and employability, this program is an excellent choice for those looking to pursue a career in animation.