BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration

Are you interested in exploring animation and illustration for the creative industries? The university of bolton's dynamic ba (hons) animation and illustration undergraduate degree involves a range of challenging practical assignments, supporting you to develop the wide range of skills and knowledge you'll need for your chosen career in television and film, the web, publishing and advertising, video games or animated special effects. 

Course Overview

• At the University of Bolton's School of the Arts, we offer creative, student-focused courses that employers value, underpinned by the knowledge and industry experience of our high-quality staff. We update our programmes frequently to ensure they keep up with new and emerging trends and provide the tools and techniques you'll need to progress into your chosen area of employment. By studying for your BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration with us, you can develop commercial understanding and high-level technical skills and knowledge while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus in the heart of the North West of England.
• Throughout the course, our dedicated team will guide and encourage you to work to professional standards in the creative use of a wide range of illustration, animation, and digital software programmes. Our diverse team is highly experienced, possessing both professional and academic qualifications. They have extensive experience in the animation and illustration industry and have worked for several broadcasting companies, including the BBC and Granada Television. They bring this creative professional experience to their teaching, so you benefit from their wide-ranging expertise in the field.
• Building on an introduction to the basics of animation and illustration, the second half of the course offers you increasing levels of choice to specialise in either area, exploring digital and experimental means of image making. We'll also support you in gaining lifelong learning skills, which will help you take ownership of your professional development for the future and maximise your potential for success.

Highlights

• You'll have the opportunity to work on a major personal project and present it to industry as part of the Bolton School of the Arts final-year Creative Show.
• We'll support you to specialise in pursuit of a specific career destination, such as digital animation or children's book illustration if you wish.
• We'll encourage you to enter national and international competitions, such as the Penguin Cover Design Award and The Macmillan Prize for Illustration.
• We'll invite you to participate in study visits to animation festivals, galleries, museums, exhibitions and conferences. In the past, these have included The Bradford Animation Festival, Thought Bubble, Alice in Wonderland at the Portico Library, Manchester Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool, and the Manchester Animation Festival.
• Students have also benefited from trips abroad and have visited, in previous years, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Paris and Tokyo. There is also an opportunity for a limited number of exceptional graduates to exhibit at Design and Art Direction in London.

Key Features

• You'll have access to industry-standard equipment in our five dedicated studio spaces equipped with Apple Mac computers and scanners. Much of the coursework involves the creative use of animation, illustration and graphics software.
• The course covers a broad base. You'll explore character design, storyboarding and narrative techniques with traditional and digital animation and illustration for screen and print.
• Our visiting speaker programme allows you to benefit from discussions with industry professionals in the sector.
• We'll also support you in developing transferrable skills for the workplace, such as problem-solving, teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• In addition to the taught modules, which are mostly simulated live briefs, we offer you opportunities to work on live projects for clients from inside and outside the University.
• By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.

Career Opportunities

• The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) in Animation and Illustration offers a practical and critical exploration of these interrelated, dynamic and exciting disciplines. Our animation modules aim to develop your visual voice and technical knowledge, communication and storytelling skills, and ability to work with others and take instruction. In addition, you can increase your networking skills and flexibility by working on several projects simultaneously.
• Our illustration modules aim to make the most of your imagination and enable you to develop your knowledge of computer-aided design techniques and printing processes, including computer graphics and screen printing. You'll also have opportunities to increase your research skills and develop the ability to market your skills to potential employers.

What can I do with this qualification?
Professional careers in animation and illustration include such roles as storyboard, layout and concept artists, character animators and technical directors. After graduation, you might also seek work as a visual development artist in character or environment design for animated films, shorts and special projects or consider careers in publishing, book illustration, editorial or advertising.

• Other common career paths include graphic design, video editing, and web design. As a graduate, you can work freelance for magazines, newspapers, publishers, and TV production companies or seek employment in games, multimedia, special effects, or design.
• Postgraduate opportunities are available in areas such as illustration, advertising, fine art, furniture design and museum studies. Alternatively, you might pursue a teaching qualification.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible fields include:

• Exhibition design
• Produce design
• Animated commercials
• Poster production
• Greeting card design
• Music promotion
• Advertising and marketing
• Studio management
• Arts administration
• Fashion design
• Education and teaching