Animation

The BA (Hons) Animation programme supports you to develop the creative, technical, and critical skills needed to become confident and original practitioners within the animation and wider screen industries.

The course emphasises classical training in character performance, movement, and visual narrative, while giving you a broad understanding of contemporary animation practice. You will work across multiple production pipelines, including traditional 2D hand-drawn animation, digital 2D workflows, stop-motion, and 3D performance using pre-existing assets. This diverse technical grounding allows you to explore varied creative approaches and develop your own distinctive artistic voice.

The curriculum reflects real industry practices and is supported by active practitioners, live briefs, and regular formative “rushes” sessions that mirror studio environments. Throughout the course you will also be encouraged to adopt reflective and collaborative working methods, engaging in iterative processes such as versioning, critique, and peer-led review.

Our in-house creative agency, Solent Creatives provides you with the chance to pitch for paid work with commercial clients – past clients have included Bear Grylls, the BBC and Southampton Airport.

If you’re looking to study our animation degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the digital arts foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the digital arts foundation year.

Who is this course for?
Solent’s animation programme is ideally suited to students who want to bring characters to life on the screen. Applicants should have a keen interest in drawing, making things move, and cinema generally.

What does this course lead to?
The classical animation training on this course provides a springboard into any of the animation and related industries after graduation. Whether it’s animating explosions on the latest video games, or creating a quirky character in adverts, or TV. It is all built upon a solid, classics approach.

YEAR ONE
CORE MODULES

Let's Animate!
Bring it to Life
Animated Interactions
Mini Moments

YEAR TWO
CORE MODULES

Concept to Creation
Industry Survival Kit
Doodle to Deadline
Pitch it!

FINAL YEAR
CORE MODULES

Showtime!
The Motion Manual
The Big Project
Finale

You may be assessed by a combination of:
Portfolios
Visual journals
Showreels
As part of this course, you will study one module at a time, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding and see the results of your hard work more quickly. With regular assessments and feedback, rather than exams all at once, you’ll also benefit from improved focus, and a more manageable workload.