BA (Honours) Animation

Create meaning through movement in ways only animation can, learning to navigate your personal, creative and professional journey one frame at a time. 

Course summary

• Explore the unique capabilities of 2D, stop-motion and 3D animation. 
• Supercharge your skillset using industry-standard tools and techniques.  
• Share your story, perfect character performance and interpret motion.   
• Adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of animation-related practice.
• Study career routes, plan for festival submission and craft your online portfolio. 

Through our industry-focused learning and connections, you’ll learn to embrace innovation and challenge expectations. You’ll develop and showcase your skills in ways that are individual to your creative identity. 

How you learn
On this course you’ll be based in our bespoke studios, workshops and digital spaces, joining a dynamic and collaborative learning community. With their support you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities and challenge conventions.   

• Through our teaching, we’ll unfold your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to industry, culture, society and life systems. The course covers a wide range of topics related to 2D, stop motion and 3D animation – from storyboarding and animatics to concept art, writing, direction, character animation and performance. You’ll explore model making, set building, art direction, rigging and professional distribution methods – as well as sustainable and ethical animation practices.   

You learn through:

• Studio practice    
• Workshops    
• Technical demonstrations    
• Group and individual tutorials    
• Reviews    
• Lectures    
• Guest lectures      
• External visits and field trips  
• Film screenings 

Key themes

• Your first year introduces you to the world of professional animation practice. You’ll explore the skills required to develop your own original animated projects and respond to live client briefs.
• The second year builds on this learning, focusing on professional portfolio development and the curation of your industry presence – through practice, research, industry interaction and cross-discipline projects.
• You can then choose to enter the industry during an optional placement year, working in studios and agencies, or setting up a business of your own.
• In your final year you’ll lead industry-focused animated projects, focusing on sustainable production practices and the importance of getting your work seen in festivals and exhibition spaces.

Course support

• We take the time to get to know you, with a holistic and person-centred approach to assessment that supports your creative growth while respecting the diverse ways people learn. We’re a dedicated, qualified and highly experienced team of teaching staff – with world-leading research and recognised professional creative reputations.    
• We strive for an inclusive and equitable studio environment where divergent ideas, histories and practices are encouraged to thrive.

You’ll also be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include: 

• Access to three student support advisers to help with your personal, academic and career development 
• Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments 
• Industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities

Applied learning

• We’ve designed the course to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful. You’ll develop your expertise in collaboration with various industry, commercial and creative practitioners, clients and organisations. 

Work Placements 

• Through a series of work experience opportunities, you’ll gain knowledge, skills and professional behaviours to help you reflect on your goals, and future career paths. You’ll become more confident, resilient and practised in professional interactions, preparing you to succeed when you graduate.
• You’re encouraged and supported to undertake a full-time work placement between your second and third year of the course. Sandwich placements give you valuable additional work experience to help prepare you for your future career. They can have a transformative impact on your personal and professional development, which you can enhance further by completing Sheffield Hallam’s Applied Professional Diploma.
• Previous students have gained work experience at local animation studios and thrived as freelance artists – both alongside their studies and through the dedicated placement year. Work experience and placements particularly enhance your final-year student experience, underpinning independent practice with real-world experience. 

Live Projects

• Live projects are embedded in our curriculum from the first year, providing you with an early chance to develop your portfolio and gain vital client communication skills. Then in larger, independently-led projects in your second and final year, you’ll begin to form your own industry connections.

Network Opportunities 

• You’ll have opportunities to network through industry talks. Previous speakers have included Mikey Please (co-director of Robin Robin) and Barry Purves (director and animator). We also have a cross-discipline lecture series and regular attendance at the regional Royal Television Awards. 

Field Trips

• Trips are offered as part of the first and final years of study – previously they’ve included visits to the Manchester Animation Festival and Aardman Animations. Optional international trips are often offered too (at a cost to students), to locations such as Bilbao and Paris.

Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in: 

• 2D animation 
• 3D CGI animation 
• animation production and supervision 
• asset design for 2D and 3D production 
• character design 
• concept art 
• direction  
• illustration 
• graphic design 
• motion design 
• project management 
• prop construction 
• stop motion animation 
• storyboarding 
• studio coordination 
• VFX compositing 
• VFX matte painting 

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for: 

• A Productions 
• Blinkink 
• Bluedog 
• Blue Strawberry Elephant 
• CBBC 
• Collingwood Learning 
• Doodledo 
• EC 3D 
• Ed Lounge 
• Epic Games 
• Finger Industries 
• Flix Facilities 
• Flycheese Studios 
• Framestore 
• Grizzle 
• Growing Me 
• Hogarth 
• iHasco 
• Jellyfish Pictures  
• Kerrupt Animation 
• Place 
• Playforce 
• Revolver 
• Spokes Education 
• The Animation Guys 
• Twinkle 
• Ubisoft