Digital Animation BA(Hons)

Why study BA(Hons) Digital Animation at University College Falmouth?

 BA(Hons) Digital Animation course leaflet (1.68 MB)

Often, learning how to use software is the easy bit - being creative is the hard part. At Falmouth you'll combine cutting-edge animation practice with the study of animation theory, film language, drawing, and traditional animation processes - all of which will enhance your creativity; informing your work and giving it greater depth.

University College Falmouth is part of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy network - a UK-wide group of institutions identified as centres of excellence in creative media education and training.

What will I get out of the course?

You'll develop your digital animation skills using industry-standard software and you'll be encouraged to work creatively across a range of subjects from traditional art practices such as life drawing and visualisation, to performance, acting and motion studies. To give your work further context, you'll also study the history and evolution of animation techniques and the process of producing animated films.

Taught through seminars, workshops and tutorials, you'll often work in groups to mirror the industry that you're preparing to enter. Assignments will also be professional, often ‘live' briefs working with ‘clients' from the creative industry. 

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) Digital Animation course

By choosing to study for a degree in Digital Animation at Falmouth you will:

• Be taught by a staff of highly experienced and award-winning professionals in both technical and creative disciplines.
• Develop creative and technical skills to help you become a highly skilled practitioner, who can excel in a professional collaborative studio environment.
• Be based at the stunning Tremough Campus, which boasts cutting-edge animation studios with the very best industry-standard facilities.
• Have the opportunity to work collaboratively, helping you to gain important team experience in animation production processes and work, in a true-to-life simulated studio environment, preparing you for a career in the industry.
• Benefit from a schedule of visiting industry practitioners who'll bring a diverse range of current industry experience to the course.
• Have the opportunity to undertake a professional placement that will enable you to practise your craft and contextualise your studies.

Projects

Students have recently created short animations to accompany sound clips gathered by the Hayle Oral History Project. They ranged from stories about the war to everyday life, and were premiered in Hayle as well as being shown at the Cornwall Film Festival. "It was a fantastic opportunity for us as students to experience what it would be like to work on a project for a client, meeting their deadlines and expectations!" says BA(Hons) Digital Animation student, Jessica Hudson.

Digital Animation course leader, Andy Wyatt, has recently collaborated with Children's BBC on two projects.

• www.cornwallfilmfestival.com
• Press release: UCF collaborates with Children's BBC to create eccentric ooglies
• Press release: Falmouth course leader directs animation on BBC1

Samples of student coursework

Projects by first year BA(Hons) Digital Animation students

The Library, by BA(Hons) Digital Animation students

Karuzele, by Karolina Glusiec BA(Hons) Digital Animation Erasmus student

Idents, by BA(Hons) Digital Animation students

Professorial lecture series

Falmouth's Professorial lecture series aims to produce an engaging and challenging public programme that stimulates the intellectual curiosity of our staff, students and alumni, our research collaborators, our industry partners, our local communities and other supporters. Recent lectures relevant to students in the School of Media include Andrew Chitty and Emily Bell.

Andrew Chitty

Seven myths that drive the digital economy

Andrew has been a pioneer in the converging worlds of TV and digital media since the mid 90s when as Editor of BBC2's The Net he was responsible for the BBC's first website and virtual world. Since 1998 he's built Illumina Digital into the UK's leading cross platform production company winning a raft of awards including 4 BAFTAS, 8 RTS Awards, The UN award for e-learning and even a Golden Ladle for the world's best cookery site. In 2008 Illumina joined All3Media, the UK's largest independent production group.

Andrew has been active in policy and industry groups, co-authoring OFCOM's paper New Options for Public Service in the Digital Age and has advised Lord Stephen Carter as a member of the ministerial steering board for the Digital Britain Report. He is a council member of PACT, trustee of TRC Media in Glasgow and a past board member of Skillset. Andrew is currently Chair of the National Skills Council for Digital Media.

A video of Andrew Chitty's lecture can be viewed online here

Download the transcript of Andrew Chitty's lecture (175.81 KB)

Emily Bell

Back To the News Future: Journalism 10 Years from Now

Director of Digital Content for Guardian News and Media, Emily set up www.mediaguardian.co.uk in 2001. www.guardian.co.uk has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Webby for Best Newspaper on the web in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Oxford graduate, Bell is one of the rising stars coming through from a younger, more web-focused generation of senior media figures.

A video of Emily Bell's lecture can be viewed online here

Facilities

Our dedicated animation studios and Learning Resource Centre include:

• 30 workstations
• Industry standard 3D and 2D animation software and hardware
• Traditional stop motion and 2D animation production areas
• Specialist animation post-production facilities
• Enhanced media facilities including TV studio, sound recording and green screen studios
• 17,000-title TV and film library

In the press

Digital Animation is the headline story for the South West Screen bulletin...

South West Screen online bulletin

Course outline

Level 1

• Digital Animation Practice
• Design, Scriptwriting & Motion Studies
• History & Theory of Animation

Level 2

• Digital Animation Practice
• Animation Technologies
• Research & Method
• Post-production

Level 3

• Major Project & Innovation Project
• Dissertation
• Professional Placement

Answers and advice about the course

If you have any queries about the course please visit our HelpMe Forum

HelpMe Forum

For further information about BA(Hons) Digital Animation at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 213851.

Career opportunities

Graduates can expect to enjoy careers within the animation, interactive and games industry as animators, effects artists, pre-production artists, web designers, illustrators, or in post-production. Freelance commercial illustration practice, design practice, art direction, advertising, research or postgraduate study are further options.

• Interactive and games industry animator
• Film maker
• Effects artist
• Pre-production artist
• Web design
• Post production
• Art direction
• Advertising
• Illustration

Course entry requirements

A minimum of 220 UCAS points, equivalent Level 3 qualifications or relevant experience. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview and present a portfolio of creative work so we can assess your abilities, skills and potential to succeed at this level of study.

Please see our How to Apply page for more information.

For further information about BA(Hons) Digital Animation at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 213851.

Interview dates and selection process

Interviews will commence from January, with the majority of interviews held in March.

The interview will include a tour and an interview where applicants can present their portfolio of work. Applicants are welcome to show portfolios at interview but this is not an essential requirement. Portfolios should include artwork and/or moving image work together with sketch books and examples of music/sound and an example of written work.

Location: Tremough Campus

Related courses

• Graphic Design BA(Hons)
• Illustration BA(Hons)