BA (Hons)Animation

Advancements within the digital industry have led to a huge revival in animation techniques. This course enables you to explore and understand the creative potential of digital animation, while developing industry relevant skills in a specialised field. 

Designed to inspire and enhance your creative abilities, this course provides a structured pathway in digital animation practice as well as a selection of elective modules focusing on areas such as drawing for animation, digital narrative technology, compositing, and pre-production elements.

You will:

• Develop the skills you need to pursue a career in digital animation, TV and digital media
• Understand how to develop creative and digital technology abilities
• Learn which attributes are required by animation organisations

This is for you if.

• You possess creative flare and imagination
• You have the ability to understand 3D form and scale
• You want to explore the creative potential of digital and traditional forms of animation

All about the course

• You will produce a strong body of work that will enable you to develop your career in the animation industry. You will learn how to tell visual stories through performance and character developing industry-leading skills in a specialised field.
• Designed to boost your creative thinking and technical abilities, this course provides a structured pathway in digital animation practice. From the start, you will be hands-on and will learn traditional stop-frame animation techniques as you are introduced to the principles of animation and the laws of motion. You'll also learn industry-leading 3D animation software.
• This course allows you to identify and define your own career prospects with dedicated portfolio modules, which will help you in your preparation for employment.
• Animation is one of the fastest-growing areas within the UK creative industries providing multiple opportunities for graduates. Based in MediaCityUK, you'll be right in the heart of this growing creative sector which is focused on developing adaptive, highly-skilled, industry-ready creatives.

Year 1

• Animation 101
• Introduction to Creative Play
• Animation Context
• Animation 102
• Storytelling: Script to Screen
• Introduction to the 'Making of'

Year 2

• Performance and Character
• Specialist Animation Studies
• Engagement Challenge
• ‘Making of’ Integrated Practice
• Creative Collaboration

Year 3

• Negotiated Project - Phase One
• Research Project
• Negotiated Project - Phase Two
• ‘Making Of’ - Negotiated Project
• Showreel and Professional Engagement

Teaching

Whilst there are a variety of teaching and learning methods on this course, the design project forms the basis for the majority of activities. Most modules include:

• Lectures
• Practical workshops or skills sessions 
• One-to-one tutorials
• Group seminars
• Design studio practice
• Teaching facilities include lecture theatres, computer rooms, the workshop (wood metal, laser cutter), the animation studio and a stop motion studio.

Assessment 

• There will be different types of assessment methods used, but the majority will be project based assessment work. 

Be a part of a creative, supportive community

• All our Creative Digital Media and Gaming courses are delivered by the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology. We are a creative community with a focus on creating a collaborative environment where you can thrive and gain the skills needed to pursue your dreams. 
• Our Engagement Team coordinates school-wide events such as the Create Student Awards, academic conferences, networking and volunteering opportunities, welcoming and wellbeing fairs and exhibitions like our annual Degree Show. 

For non-course matters, you will have access to our university-wide support service askUS, who will support and guide you to be successful in all aspects of your life. 

• Throughout your time at Salford, you’ll be mentored and supported by experts. And once you graduate, it won’t end there. You’ll join a thriving alumni network across Greater Manchester and beyond, meaning you’ll be supported professionally and personally whenever you need it. 

Mediacityuk facilities

Our MediaCityUK facilities are industry-standard, so much so that they are used by our industry partners themselves.

When you study with us on this Animation degree, you’ll learn from our experienced tutors and demonstrators, who’ll teach you how to use our facilities. These include:

• TV studios - our TV studios have been used by the BBC for a variety of broadcasts, such as the Olympics and Christmas music concerts, and they’re equipped with the same audio-visual systems used by the ITV and Sky too. 
• The studios have green screen facilities as well as basic props so you can design and build sets for a range of projects. 
• Green screen facilities - these allow you to create effects such as those you see on weather reports and incorporates a camera system and 3D graphics software.  
• Audio production - we’ve got all the hardware and software you need to make sure you’ll know just how to create, edit, mix and master audio for film and television. Our main studios feature Avid S6 consoles – a similar set-up to those at our MediaCityUK neighbours, such as Dock10 and ITV. 
• MakerSpace - bring your designs to life using 3D scanners and printers, power tools and a range of art and craft materials.  
• Stop-frame studio – we have animation booths equipped with industry standard lighting, grip, software and cameras and learn just what it takes to make your ideas and storyboards a reality. 
• Computer Suites and Editing Studios – our computer suites are equipped with the latest industry-standard software. You’ll learn from our experienced demonstrators, who’ll teach you the skills needed to turn your concepts into a reality.
• Equipment stores - cameras, lighting kits and mics – they’re all essential to media production. But don’t worry, you won’t need to spend thousands of pounds to get the set-up you need – we have a fully equipped equipment store available for you to use and take out industry-standard kit. 

A taste of what you could become
An animator A storyboard artist A graphic designer An illustrator A web designer And more...

Career Links

• Our students have worked with the BBC, ITV, Studio Distract and Manchester International Festival and have visited specialists such as Mackinnon and Saunders, an animation production company and puppet makers.