Animation BA(Hons)

In your first year, you'll explore 2D, 3D and stop-motion techniques to develop your understanding of the fundamental principles of animation. You'll build your knowledge of the animation pipeline and explore underpinning skills in drawing, design and techniques of film language, narrative structures and visual storytelling. You'll also learn to use industry-standard software to support all areas of your work.

Modules

Animation Practice 1

You'll begin by building essential foundation knowledge on the principles of animation with a focus on 2D and stop motion.

Animation Practice 2

A continuation of the previous module, here you'll deepen your understanding of the principles of animation, with the introduction of workflows in 3D animation.

Underpinning 1

You'll explore the practical and contextual ideas and concepts underpinning animation production.

Production Design

You'll be introduced to the creation of pre-production work for animation and how the pipeline is composed.

Design & Motion

In this module, you'll explore animation production through a range of design and technical responses.

Underpinning 2

You'll investigate key research concepts and critical debates in media, visual and cultural theory while developing concepts for animation production.

In your second year, the emphasis is on collaboration. Working on a live client brief as part of a team, you'll enhance your awareness of communication, time management, responsibility and job roles within the animation industry. You'll continue to develop your expertise in your chosen industry specialism, while refining your underpinning skills in drawing and techniques of film language, narrative structures and visual storytelling. You'll also develop critical research, identifying and exploring a topic that's related to your area of interest. 

Modules

Planning

Working on a live client brief, you'll collaboratively plan, develop and create content materials for pre-production in animation for either 2D, 3D or stop motion.

Create

In this module, you'll develop fluency with roles and practices for animation production through a team-based assignment.

Underpinning 3

This module focuses on independently developing your specialist skills in 2D, 3D or stop motion, depending on your career aspirations.

Production

You'll extend and deepen an understanding of animation production and the roles within it.

Pre-production Collaboration

In this pre-production module, you'll work collaboratively, enabling and developing your communication and varied creative thinking skills.

Critical Proposal

In preparation for your final year Critical Research module, you'll propose an individual research project designed to give you the opportunity to enhance your understanding of a particular context of animation.

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

Your third year is focused around the final major project. You'll have the opportunity to present your film idea and take part in a pitching process, with industry professionals selecting films to go into full production.

You'll have complete creative control over the theme, concept and style of the project. Through the production process, you'll showcase your professional skills as you prepare to step into industry. 

Modules

Critical Research

In your Critical Research module, you'll Independently research and develop a response to a self-selected topic.

Ideas and Development

In this module, you'll get the opportunity to pitch your film and your skills to a panel of industry professionals.

Major Pre-production

Throughout this module, you'll implement and achieve high level pre-production skills as you work within a team on successfully pitched films.

Production

Working on a collaboartive challenge, you'll demonstrate your technical animation production skills and professional practice know-how.  

Profile

You'll build a portfolio of work that showcases your skills and sets the course for your career.

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route?

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree.

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops. 

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject.

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

On this practice-based Animation degree we combine theory, creative experimentation and technical tuition to meet the demands of the animation industry. By starting as an individual and quickly migrating to working in creative teams, you'll mirror life as an industry professional. You'll also develop your own specialism, be that as a director, producer, animator, rigger, texture, layout or background artist.

On top of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, you'll take on live briefs from industry clients, attend guest lectures and work with an industry mentor in your third year.

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.

We employ a variety of assessment strategies over the course of this Animation degree. These include the submission of portfolios of practical work, presentations, essays, written or verbal reports and a major research project. In your first year, you'll also have the chance to take part the process of peer group assessment.

Your summative (final) assessments occur at the end of each module, usually at the end of the study block. However, you may have interim formative assessments part way through a module as well. These assessments help ensure that you remain on track with your work.

You'll receive continuous feedback on all your work throughout the year. This will be delivered through tutorials and while you are working in the studio. At the end of a module, you'll receive detailed written feedback and will have the chance to discuss this with your assessor.

If you choose the Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course, all assessments within your foundation year will be 100% coursework based.