Program Overview

Animation MA

Overview

Our MA Animation is an intensive, practice-based programme which will develop your range of skills in animated performance to allow you to meet industry demands and developments. At the same time, opportunities for enterprise and academic research make a broad range of outcomes available to you.

Course Details

Core Modules

• Acting for Animation
  • This module is an in-depth study of acting theory as applied to character animation.
  • The overall aim is to enable you to create convincing performances using animated characters.
• Body Mechanics
  • You explore the art and science behind body mechanics in animation.
  • You research and analyse the movement of both humans and other elements and apply this knowledge in the production of convincing animation in 3D.
• Creatures
  • Animated creatures can take many forms - from cartoon-styles with human personalities, to the recreation of realistic creatures in live action films.
  • You explore, use and critically analyse the techniques and tools available to today’s animators.
• Facial Animation and Dialogue
  • You explore methodologies and techniques necessary to create animated facial performances to a professional quality.
  • You investigate advanced keyframe animation and performance capture pipelines, experimenting with each to create professional pieces of work.
• Group Project
  • You complete a multidisciplinary group project in your area of interest to create a short film or video game cutscene.
  • You work in an individual production role within small teams to create an original short film or cutscene, which provide a high-end showpiece for your portfolio.
• Master's Project: Animation
  • You undertake a major, in-depth, individual study in an aspect of your animation programme.
  • Your project is drawn from appropriate commercial, industrial, artistic or research-based problem areas and involves research and investigation in relevant aspects of a very specific area of study followed by the production of a major deliverable portfolio of relevant practice based materials from the area of animation.
• Research and Development
  • You gain the knowledge and skills to understand the research process in computing and digital media, and the necessary skills to undertake your masters project.
  • You learn how to use and critically evaluate previous academic research, and to generate good evidence material to justify their professional practice.

Advanced Practice (2 Year Full-Time MA Only)

• Internship
  • The internship options are:
    • Vocational: spend one semester working full-time in industry or on placement in the University.
    • Research: develop your research and academic skills by undertaking a research internship within the University.

How You Learn

• You learn about concepts and methods primarily through keynote lectures and tutorials using case studies and examples.
• Lectures include presentations from guest speakers from industry.
• Critical reflection is key to successful problem solving and essential to the creative process.
• You develop your own reflective practice at an advanced level, then test and assess your solutions against criteria that you develop in the light of your research.

How You Are Assessed

• The programme assessment strategy has been designed to assess your subject specific knowledge, cognitive and intellectual skills and transferable skills applicable to the workplace.
• The strategy ensures that you are provided with formative assessment opportunities throughout the programme which support your summative assessments.
• There is a mix of practical work (usually in the form of a portfolio of animation tasks), presentations, reflective blogs and written reports.
• Formative feedback is typically given during lectures, tutorials and summative feedback using on-line methods.
• The assessments can include individual or group work.

Entry Requirements

• At least a UK 2.2 honours degree in animation or equivalent.
• Other first degree subjects may be accepted when combined with a portfolio of creative work at an acceptable standard.

Employability

• You have many opportunities to develop your professional skills, links with industry and meet with recruiters through ExpoTees, Animex Festival and Student Futures activities.

Fees

Full-Time

• Fee for UK applicants: £8,365 a year
• Fee for international applicants: £17,000 a year

Part-Time

• Fee for UK applicants: £930 for each 20 credits

Duration

• Full-time: within 1 year (September start), 16 months (January start) or 2 years with advanced practice (September or January start)
• Part-time: 2 years (September start) or 3 years (January start)