Progression – Higher Education

Courses I would personally consider:

3D Animation and Modelling

University of Hertfordshire

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Attendance

Study on site

Qualification

BA (Hons)

Course specific requirements

280 points from GCE A Levels (or equivalent) including a qualification in an art related subject plus GCSE English language and maths at grade C or above and Key skills are accepted as equivalent. Selection is based on a portfolio interview, after which you may be required to complete a Foundation Year or Foundation Diploma before progressing to the degree course.

This course is designed to give you the high level of skills needed to succeed in today’s 3D animation industry. The emphasis of this course is placed on creativity, character animation, narrative, cinematography, special effects and compositing – all underpinned by advanced software skills.

Modular structure

This course is divided in to core and elective modules. Year 1 core modules include: Digital Systems: Digital Animation, Animated Thinking: histories, theories, contexts, Digital Imaging for Animation and Games, Moving Image for Animation and Games, Visualisation and Narrative for Animation and Games.

Year 1: You study your first year in the 3D Digital Animation degree in common with students on the 2D Digital Animation and 3D Games Art. Whilst still focusing on your chosen digital degree study you will experience high levels and intensive engagement with the latest software and animation techniques. First year study also concentrates on essential skills needed throughout your degree study such as design of character, narrative and drawing. Animation and games histories will add context to your study. As you gain experience in your chosen area of study during this year, you have the opportunity to switch to either of the other two degree routes. Year 2: Today's 3D CGI is informed by the best film, animation and cinematographic practices. Second year studies enable you to engage and use film language, illusion of life character animation, and the power of post production for integrating and compositing 3D-SFX. To complete year two study you will also take a self initiated project, with professional help, from planning stages and storyboarding through to completion. Third Year: The final year of study is about engaging in real world practices and preparing for employment. You will make a final short film project, taking it from pre-production, storyboard, animatic through production and post-production. You will also prepare a showreel, and a professional website in preparation for work in the industry.

After the course

Employment opportunities include computer animation companies, work with games, TV and film special effects companies. Our graduates work and freelance with some of the worlds best known production and post production houses.

This is a course that I have some interest in, it seems to highlight some of the specific fields that I am interested in withing the courses curriculum, so I am intrigued to learn more about this course and possibly apply for a place in this course. 

Illustration with Animation

The Manchester Metropolitan University

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Attendance

Study on site

Qualification

BA (Hons)

Course specific requirements

280 UCAS Tariff points from 3 A levels (or their equivalent)

GCSE English Language at Grade C or above (or acceptable alternative)

Provides you with the rare opportunity to combine illustration with animation, developing yourself as a visual communicator at home in a wide range of professional contexts. *****An experimental course that encourages you to be ambitious, curious and reflective. ****Development of traditional and digital skills including drawing, book binding, etching, screen-printing, typesetting, drawing on film, working with sound, imovie, Photoshop, in Design, Final Cut Pro and website development. ****Recent investment of £34million in both state-of-the facilities, workshops and learning environments, with access to both traditional and state-of-the-art technology and equipment. ****Opportunities for collaborative working across disciplines and with the local community to develop professional practice skills. *****

Modular structure

In Year 1 you will be introduced to the three main building blocks of the course: drawing, printmaking and animation. You will develop your skills through a series of projects, introducing you to possible strategies for solving visual problems and applications which explore context. As the course unfolds, you will start to identify a framework for your own practice. In Year 2 you will begin to experiment more fully with your own practice and will be introduced to real life situations that you would encounter in professional practice. For example, you will work with text and narrative, make books, experiment with sound and movement and develop design concepts. In Year 3 you will work more independently and focus on your particular strengths, deciding which contexts are most suitable for your visual language. We aim to give you the courage to be yourself and the understanding of how and where you may contribute to the wider world of visual communication and practice.

After the course

90%* of art, design, media and architecture graduates go straight into employment and/or further study. ****Previous graduates have embarked on a range of careers as architects, photographers, ceramicists, jewellers, glass blowers, retailers, gallerists, retail buyers, design managers and a variety of other design-based roles. ****There are a range of opportunities available within the creative industries including designing for magazines, publishing (print and internet), advertising and motion graphics for television, journalism, filmmaking, freelance media and independent production. ****Alternatively, there is also the opportunity to become self-employed and some of our previous students now successfully run their own creative businesses. ****- Source: DLHE survey 2010 for all respondents available for employment or further study and whose destinations are known.

This is another course that I have some interest in, it seems to highlight some of the specific fields that I am interested in withing the courses curriculum, so I am intrigued to learn more about this course and possibly apply for a place in this course. 

Animation

The University of Salford

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Attendance

Study on site

Qualification

BA (Hons)

Course specific requirements

240 UCAS Tariff points from 2 A levels (or their equivalent)

Level 3 BTEC (grade merit)

Two GCSE subjects at grade C including English Language

Links with top animation and post production companies •Go on to a career in digital animation, TV and digital media •Emphasis on developing both creative and digital technology skills from a range of core and elective modules. This course enables you to explore and understand the creative potential of digital animation. Practical teaching of core skills combines with industry standard applications and techniques to offer you the chance to develop industry-relevant animation production skills. It provides a structured pathway in digital animation practice and encourages creativity in the context of real world practice. This inventive and demanding course enables you to identify and define your own employment plans and prospects in this specialised field. There will be a range of elective modules to choose from during the first and second year. The course is based at MediaCityUK.

Modular structure

Year 1; Core modules: Animation 1 (Introduction), Visual Arts, History of Animation, Animation 2 (Production). Optional modules: Drawing for Animators, Creative Media Analysis, Introduction to Digital Editing, Creative Sound and Music. Year 2; Optional modules: Animation Production, 3D Character Creation, Character Animation, Animation and Compositing with Sound. Optional modules: Digital Narrative Technologies, Digital Environment Art. Year 3; Core modules: Creative Artefact Production Planning, Practice Based Dissertation, Creative Portfolio Development.

Skills and experience gained

Lucy Blundell, Graphic Artist, Chillingo. Animation BA (Hons) graduate 2009. "My experience of the BA Animation course was great. I got to learn new, useful software which has aided me in my profession today. I learnt some new skills such as observing the way characters move and express emotion, understanding the production process from script to screen, and time-management. I like how every aspect of animation was covered as it gave me a better understanding of how it all comes together and which area I wanted to work in. Although I enjoyed animating, the course showed me that what I was really passionate about was the concept art, storyboarding and 3D modelling. Now, I work as a Graphic Artist in an iPhone game publisher. Previous to this, I did a short internship as a 3D artist. Although I only do a small amount of animating now, I am using all the 2D, 3D and production/post-production skills I learnt from the degree and applying them to the games I work on today. The course gave me the opportunity to be able to work in the job I wanted." The course has close links with local and national animation production companies and you will have the opportunity to work on live assignment briefs. Work placement opportunities can arise and industry representatives are invited to the end of year graduate showcase. Employers have outlined how important it is to focus on specialist techniques (with a fundamental understanding of traditional techniques) to communicate an understanding of timing, weight and emotion and provide graduates equipped to adapt to the rapidly changing digital industry. The course team have written the curriculum based on this consultation.

After the course

Depending on your individual areas of specialism, you will be equipped to work in the areas of digital animation, film and TV, post-production and interactive media. Recent graduates have started their careers in a variety of areas of the industry including; film and TV runners, freelance animation for industry and art organisations, storyboarding and pre-production/conceptual art, animation for games, visuals for music videos and independent film companies. Graduates from this course have been nominated for two recent Regional Royal Television Society awards (2009 and 2010). As well as nominations for the regional North West RTS awards in 2009 and 2010, Alfonso Romano won the regional award in 2011.

This is another course that I have some interest in, it seems to highlight some of the specific fields that I am interested in withing the courses curriculum, so I am intrigued to learn more about this course and possibly apply for a place in this course. 

Motion Design

Stockport College

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Attendance

Study on site

Qualification

BA (Hons)

Course specific requirements

UCAS does not hold qualification specific entry requirements for this course

The design industry is rapidly changing and evolving and we want to produce students who are at the forefront of this. We are now bombarded with moving imagery; this area of the industry is growing and evolving rapidly. The changing appetite for the way we consume information is going to shape the design industry for the foreseeable future.

Modular structure

We provide a studio culture that nurtures experimental, confident, collaborative, adaptive and independent students. By joining us you will be following our many successful graduates who gained the essential knowledge and skill to enter employment in motion graphics, broadcast design and Post-Production Visual Effects. This new course is designed with employability at the forefront. Our close contact with the design industry ensures that the knowledge & skills the students develop are current and relevant.

After the course

Professional Practice is a core element of all levels of the course, with students investigating the industry through research, studio visits, external talks, visiting practitioners and live collaborative briefs. This along with our reputation both locally and nationally, contributes to the high number of our graduates that have found employment in the design industry. We think there has never been a better time to study Animation & Motion Design, so why not join us?

This is another course that I have some interest in, it seems to highlight some of the specific fields that I am interested in withing the courses curriculum, so I am intrigued to learn more about this course and possibly apply for a place in this course. 

Animation

Leeds College of Art

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Attendance

Study on site

Qualification

BA (Hons)

Course specific requirements

You will need 260 UCAS Tariff points from A levels (or their equivalent)

GCSE grade A*-C in English Language or English Literature. Standard Grade 1-3.

Alongside your core study you are encouraged to negotiate work placements/experience , industrial research and studio visits to suit your particular interests or specialisms which will enhance your overall experience.

Modular structure

Year One - You’ll explore visualisation, character, narrative and sequential thinking, plus industry-standard development processes, software and associated technologies. You’ll consider the practical, conceptual and theoretical concerns of animation and develop an awareness of the opportunities open to you as an animator. Year Two - You’ll expand your understanding of animation and develop skills across a range of media, applications and contexts. You’ll investigate animation as an industrial tool and problem-solving process, identifying your own individual creative interests and content. You’ll also learn essential business skills. Year Three - You’ll focus on your own creative ambitions and your strategy for becoming a professional animator. You’ll negotiate your own project work and also undertake competitions, live briefs, collaborate with others and undertake studio visits, industrial research and placements, building a portfolio which reflects your individual practice.

After the course

Graduates enjoy a choice of careers in visual effects, TV (including titles and idents), film, games design, 3D modelling, art direction, character/background design, layout, storyboarding, and much more.

This is another course that I have some interest in, it seems to highlight some of the specific fields that I am interested in withing the courses curriculum, so I am intrigued to learn more about this course and possibly apply for a place in this course.