Animation BA Module Details
Year one | Year two | Year three
Year 1
Introductory sessions
The first module aims to introduce and build foundational skills in animation practice, theory, narrative and drawing. The practical material will be focused on the established 12 principles of animation and is structured to support the developmental skills necessary to become animation practitioners. 2D and 3D Animation will use industry standard software and introduce professional processes in preparation of a larger scale portfolio work. Students will also explore narrative for animation, focusing on the fundamental aspects of ideas generation, structure and story concepts. Animation history will critically explore the animation landscape and students will explore the context of animation, reflecting on the materials presented and how this may apply to their own practice. Introductions to drawing will form the foundational skill necessary to support refined, professional animated practice through study, rendering and mark making.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Animation principles
This module further expands on the Principles of Animation, applying them to character performance across 2D and 3D. Narrative structure will unpack the various ways we can tell animated stories, introducing students to a variety of narrative approaches that reflect professional processes. Students will further develop their drawing portfolios with a focus on perspective, shading, scale and form. Students will also be introduced to audio, where they engage in recording practices in preparation of their animated works. Animation history will investigate the artistic productions of international animation, exploring a variety of animated approaches from a contextual perspective.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Visual thinking and communication
This module expands on animation fundamentals; exploring expression, dialogue, and the emotive performance of character animation in both 2D and 3D. Narrative practice will support students' final block animation, as they develop short form stories to bring to life through scripts for animated projects. Students will begin to explore pre-production, producing industry-standard storyboards, based on continuity editing. These will focus on character and how this relates to both environments and emotions through narrative. Anatomy will further develop drawing fundamentals exploring the human body and how it can be accurately and creatively articulated through visual imagery. This module will also continue with Audio production for animation, where students will engage in recording processes in preparation of their block 4 animated projects.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Project 1
In this final module students will create a short form animation in both 2D and 3D in preparation of both their portfolios and second year 2D or 3D pathway learning. This should integrate and consider the placement of audio production conducted in block 3 and reflect the material taught throughout the year. Narrative production will finalise students' understanding of story and animation by documenting the processes of their animated work to reflect industry standard practice. Drawing content will focus on conceptual application and design, expanding outside of realism into more imaginative forms relating to digital practice. Students will continue pre-production, translating storyboards into industry standard animatics, further developing students' growing portfolios. This module will finalise students' foundational knowledge in anticipation of increased creative ownership, professional practice and independence in their second year.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Year 2
Advanced animation
For this module students will select between the 2D and 3D pathway, this will channel and focus their professional and creative development to specialise in either mode of animated practice. They will learn new creative methods and software, producing performative tasks relating to puppet and rigged animation respectively. Animated work will be supported by audio, reflecting professional production practices, in anticipation of sound and dialogue tasks. Students will further explore the contextual history of animation at a more advanced and critical level, studying the impact of digital 3D animation and VFX. Additionally, students will produce a body of pre-production, reflecting either 2D or 3D industry pipelines. This will begin with effective research and ideation processes, concepts and designs focused on creative briefs. Drawing content will focus on imaginative application, with an emphasis on character design, supporting the collective elements of this block and further contributing to a developing artistic portfolio.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Animated communication
In this module students focus on animated performance, exploring how sound and dialogue relate to practice, producing portfolio pieces relating to either their 2D or 3D pathway. 2D pathway students will learn how to create dialogue-based animations and 3D pathway students will focus on facial rigging in preparation of dialogue. The animated outcome will integrate sound preparation from the first module, to show an advanced understanding of how audio relates to animation. Students in either mode of practice will also collaborate in a group project, as they each contribute animated work to a larger scale team project. Visual context will explore how design communicates the various intentions of narrative through design, further developing the practical implementation of context to practice. Students will then explore more advanced skills in drawing, developing a 4-panel comic format body of work which aims to further develop the relationship between narrative structure and design. Pre-production will investigate the advanced applications of both design and narrative in relation to a developing body of pre-production portfolio work.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Project development
This module will prepare both 2D and 3D pathways students to produce a final animated short to include in their developing professional portfolios. These developing animations will be supported by audio sessions which will facilitate further understanding of professional production practices. Students will also explore layout and composition, examining the deliberate placement and framing of their design work and how this applies to narrative. Pre-production will enter the animatic phase for 2D or 3D, as students apply their developed work to a progressed level reflecting the industry production pipeline. Students will be further supported in traditional life drawing sessions, focused on anatomy, dynamic art and action poses to further expand their portfolios and support animated practice.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Project 2
This module will finalise student animated shorts in relation to either 2D or 3D pathway disciplines, refining and preparing their work ready for portfolio integration. Students will also complete their pre-production work by generating test shots that reflect the years developing work and to further enhance their developing portfolios. To widen the student’s perspective on animated narratives and styles, the field of Contemporary Experimental Animation is explored, examining films that push traditional cinematic storytelling and innovate animated techniques through an artistic lens. Students will further develop their drawing skills with a focus on creative set design and environments, presenting both traditional and digital modes of practice.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Year 3
Pre-production 1
Students will begin their final year with the necessary groundwork and pre-production processes to facilitate a larger scale project. This block encourages independence, as students accumulate what they have learned throughout the course to prepare for their 2D or 3D final project. Students will engage in processes such as; idea generation, concepts, storyboards, scripts and design; producing material that demonstrates their thought process and the applicable preparation for their final project. Audio will provide students with collaboration opportunities to consider in their pre-production and scheduling, allowing them to be involved in the full production process. The focus of lecturers will be to support, guide and facilitate the student realising their animated ambitions, acknowledging the developed expertise they have cultivated whilst on the course.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Pre-production 2
This module will finalise the needed 2D or 3D preparation for students' final projects. All students are expected to produce a body of both visual and written materials demonstrating appropriate pre-production to create their 2D or 3D projects in the following modules. The prepared materials should reflect the industry processes relating to either 2D or 3D modes of practice to further enhance students' professional portfolios. Guidance will be given by lecturers to support the ambitions of the students' projects and further promote the implementation of professional practice. Students developing projects will be supported by sound production, providing collaboration opportunities to further enhance their projects as they follow industry production pipelines.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Animation production
During this block students enter the production phase of their projects in either 2D or 3D modes of practice. The work should reflect the body of pre-production produced in the previous modules and students are expected to document their production process. They will demonstrate industry standard procedures to ensure the work produced is portfolio ready for their post DMU careers. Audio production will support students developing work to encourage professional processes and industry ready projects. Additional guidance and support is provided in relation to industry preparation to ensure students are professionally prepared.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours
Post-production
The final module concludes with the post-production phase in relation to the students' final 2D or 3D major project. Students are expected to finalise their major project and demonstrate professional post-production processes. This will be accompanied by documentation reflecting on their work, critically evaluating the materials they have produced and the production of promotional materials to prepare for film festival submissions and their post DMU careers. Students will be supported with further industry preparation exploring industry application processes, so they leave prepared for professional environments.
Lecture: 18 hours
Studio/lab: 60 hours
Self-directed study: 130 hours
Tutorial: 30 hours
Assessment: 62 hours