We’ll introduce you to life-drawing and animation fundamentals – essential skillsets that will develop over your three years as the building blocks of your projects.

You’ll come to understand the principles of production design and storytelling, and become familiar with the ‘animation pipeline’ – the multiple creative processes by which a story idea ‘on paper’ becomes a completed computer-generated animation on screen.

Toolkit 1
This unit comprises three elements – Drawing, Animation, and Autodesk Maya & Supporting Software. Together, they comprise the toolkit - skill-sets fundamental to the origination and execution of computer-generated imagery and animation.

Environment
This unit requires you to investigate ways in which environments may be represented creatively through the design and production of digitally painted concept art, production art and a computer-generated digital set.

Story
This unit challenges you to pre-produce, produce and post-produce your first computer generated animation.

Contexts
This unit introduces you to theoretical frameworks through which to consider, contextualise and challenge their creative practice. Understanding the historical, cultural and theoretical context in which computer-generated imagery and animation is situated is crucial to broadening perspectives and enriching your abilities to discuss, develop and disseminate your ideas with confidence.

You’ll advance your expertise with 3D modelling, animation and character design, while the Collaboration unit gives you the opportunity to work as a team with classmates in the production of an animated short.

The second-year focus is on finding your own specialist way of working and you’ll be encouraged and supported to start working more independently. During this year you may also have the opportunity to complete an industry work placement or even study abroad.

Toolkit 2
This unit comprises three elements – Character Design, Animation, and Autodesk Maya & Supporting Software. Together, they enhance and expand upon core skill-sets fundamental to the origination and execution of engaging computer generated imagery and animation.

Collaboration
Experience of collaboration is a key industry expectation of animation students. This unit challenges you to engage in teamwork in the pre-production, production, post-production and promotion of an original animated short. You will be required to identify your strengths as they align with specific studio roles; for example, concept artist, production designer, character designer, pre-visualiser, modeller, sound designer and animator.

Premise
This unit requires you to identify, develop and pre-produce the premise of your Year 3 project or projects. Premise associates with both the creative and technical constituents of your proposal – what it is you're seeking to put into pre-production and how they expect to produce it. In addition to your individual proposals, you are required to research job roles, departments, and specialisms within computer animation and associated careers.

Perspectives
This unit explores theoretical ideas that associate with postmodernity. A wide range of critical frameworks deriving from philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, feminism, media studies and economics are drawn upon in considering the aesthetics, production and consumption of computer animation, film and associated visual culture. 

The unit readies you to formally place your work within frameworks of theory and practice as required by the Year 3 Thesis unit.

Study Abroad (optional)
This optional unit will allow you to spend a period of time in an overseas educational institution.

In your final year, your skills, experience and creativity combine as you produce an original computer animated film from your own brief.

With an emphasis on production design, you’ll graduate from Computer Animation Arts as a skilled artist in both 2D and 3D production.

Minor
The unit requires you to produce a refined body of work demonstrating knowledge of professional practices representative of CG industry pipelines. The project’s scope should be achievable within the constraints of the project framework but demonstrate creative ambition, advanced proficiency and consistent professionalism. 

A Minor project proposal may be continued into the Major project as first agreed with participating tutors.

Major
This unit requires you to demonstrate innovative, sophisticated and professional approaches to the production of ambitious computer generated imagery and animation, supported by expert creative methodologies. Independent learning, reflective practice and pipelines commensurate with professional practice are now essential.

Thesis
This unit consists of a substantial period of individually negotiated research on a subject related to the contextual and/or theoretical concerns of your creative practice towards the provision of a cogent written argument. 

The unit enables you to engage with a range of research skills and develop an identified methodological approach appropriate to their chosen subject area. Students are expected to reflect upon and articulate a clear and sustained argument that conforms to academic conventions and demonstrates detailed analysis and evaluation.

OR Extended Thesis
Extended Thesis enables you to engage exclusively with individually negotiated research on a subject related to the contextual and/or theoretical concerns of your creative practice towards the provision of a cogent written argument. You are expected to develop an identified methodological approach appropriate to their chosen subject and articulate a clear and sustained argument that conforms to academic conventions. The investigation should be appropriately ambitious and characterised by extensive, wide-ranging research.

This course offers the opportunity to study abroad for part of your second year. To find out more about studying abroad as part of your course please see the Study Abroad section:

• Study abroad information

Our professional staff have close connections with alumni of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, West Hollywood, as well as with new and established CG arts, animation and creative media opportunities.

There is also the opportunity for work placements in the second year with companies such as:

• Nexus Productions
• Butch Auntie.

Possible career destinations include:

• Art directors
• CG artists and animators for film and game
• Concept artists
• Creative project managers
• Creative writers
• Freelance creatives
• Post-production designers
• Pre-production artists
• Production artists
• Production managers

Graduates have gone on to work at companies such as:

• Double Negative
• Framestore
• The Mill
• Glassworks
• Squint/Opera
• Butch Auntie.

Watch the interview with graduate Urvashi who after graduation worked in industry and then has also continued onto a postgraduate course at UCLA in America: