Animation with Integrated Foundation Year

Develop your skills by entering the creative industries on an Integrated Foundation Year degree.

If you’re interested in taking on a new subject that you’ve not had the opportunity to study in depth before, or have been out of education for a while, then our Integrated Foundation Year courses might be for you. These four-year courses include an introductory year to help you build the core skills needed for specialist degree-level study.

This is a chance for you to let your imagination run wild and explore your creativity, expand your professional skills and develop enhanced subject knowledge in the domain you want to study. We’ll help nurture your expertise in problem solving, risk-taking, designing and making as you develop your abilities through five core modules.

After your foundation year, you’ll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skill set and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject when you join other students for the rest of your course.

Bring your ideas to life through animation. Join this Animation degree and learn to craft believable worlds through animation, a dynamic medium for imaginative storytelling. This course blends traditional and life drawing techniques with 2D, 3D and stop-motion animation methods used in industry today. You’ll explore all aspects of animation before specialising and developing your personal style, preparing you for an exciting future in animation.

On this Animation degree, you’ll learn in an authentic studio set-up, using professional pipelines and working in the collaborative teams this industry thrives on. With the ability to pitch, present and produce, you’ll graduate as a capable, career-ready animator.

You will:
Develop technical, design thinking and production skills in your chosen specialism
Learn teamwork, leadership and project management skills through a variety of learning environments
Develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills through the development of unique and innovative projects
Complete your chosen degree over a four-year period
Study at a university which is a member of CILECT, the association of the world’s best film, TV and animation schools
Learn from staff with industry backgrounds and experience in film, children’s TV and advertising
Work in multi-skilled teams, reflecting industry practice
Develop technical and creative knowledge through character animation, storytelling, concept art and the use of software
Hone your skills in the production of 2D, 3D and stop-motion animation, working in professional-standard facilities
Underpin your creative work with theoretical and historical understanding
Gain a working knowledge of industry practice
Graduate with a varied and professional animation portfolio

Through this course, you'll develop your creative and technical skills, build professional practice approaches and hone your personal identity and autonomy within animation production. You'll master the art of your specialism in either 2D, 3D or stop motion animation and learn to present and pitch your ideas. Mirroring industry, you'll also work with multi-disciplinary teams to produce exciting, unique animation productions ready to make your mark in industry.

Foundation Year:
In your foundation year, you'll study five core modules: three short modules in the first study block and two in the second (one short, one long). These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of both creative practice and your chosen specialism. 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.
After your foundation year, you'll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject when you join other students for the rest of your course.

Modules:
Explore
Technique
Apply
Industry
Launch

Year One:
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
Animation Practice 2
Underpinning 1
Production Design
Design & Motion
Underpinning 2

Year Two:
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
Create
Underpinning 3
Pre-production Collaboration
Production
Critical Proposal

Year Three:
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
Ideas and Development
Major Pre-production
Production
Profile

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Any students affected will be informed of any changes made directly.

Foundation Year assessments are 100% coursework based
Assessment will take place at the end of each module, and you'll get feedback and evaluation throughout the year. You'll be assessed through visual, verbal and written assignments, including your portfolio and a reflective journal. In your foundation year all assessments are pass/fail to encourage students to take risks and engage with the feedback provided.

Progressing in your specialism
Students studying on courses with an Integrated Foundation Year must successfully complete and pass all foundation modules before they can progress to the next stage of their course.

Your specialism
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.