BA (Hons) (Digital Animation)

This cutting-edge ba programme will develop your skills across the digital animation practice conventions. You will be taught by established practitioners, who will provide their knowledge on 2d and 3d animation disciplines. 

Overview

• The course is part of Birmingham City University’s Film suite, designed to develop graduates with knowledge of the theory, practice and industry trends that will enable them to succeed in a rapidly changing industry environment.

What's covered in this course?

• The course will help you establish the core art fundamentals, such as anatomy, gesture, pose, weight distribution, perspective, composition and an understanding of how they underpin digital animation practice. You will also learn about the 12 principles of animation required to create engaging animation performance, whether you choose a Film/Television or Games/Interactive pathway. The course will introduce you to industry standard project management and pipelines methodologies that mirror industry production procedures.

Depending upon the route you choose to take on the course (Film/TV or Game/Interactive) you will produce a range of assessed material including but not exclusive to:

• Storyboards & story-reels
• Animation foundation exercises
• Performance animations
• Specialist portfolios and showreels
• Short films, made collaboratively, demonstrating animation principles and pipelines

Game animation sets, demonstrated within the Unity and Unreal game engines
A key focus of this course is developing performance within character animation. You will develop acting techniques that will promote the development on your inner actor to project performance through your characters. You will also develop an understating of and demonstrate visual storytelling, with ‘show don’t tell’ philosophies.

While theoretical and practice-based considerations of animation techniques and principles remain a central focus to the award, the course also provides shared modules within the School’s film and games courses, offering wider collaborative opportunities which help provide core skills relevant to industry.

Professional Placement Year

• This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.
• If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course.
• Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.

Why Choose Us?

• The School of Games, Film and Animation (formerly known as the New Technology Institute) opened in 2005 and is housed within the University’s Faculty of Arts, Design and Media. In this vibrant context, you’ll enjoy the benefits of outstanding resources, at the heart of a thriving creative community in our City Centre campus.
• You will be taught by tutors with over 30 years of experience within the UK and International Animation industries.
• The BA Digital Animation course is an employment-led programme, so your knowledge and skills will be up to date and relevant, making you industry ready upon graduation.
• Top 20 in the UK for student satisfaction for Computer Science (Complete University Guide 2025).
• We have a partnership with the BFI, which offers students free access to the BFI player.

Open Days

• Join us for an Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Year One
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Art Theory & Practice 20 credits
• Film Primer 20 credits
• 2D Animation Principles & Production 20 credits
• 3D Modelling Theory & Practice 20 credits
• 3D Animation Production 40 credits

Year Two
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

• Character Concept 20 credits
• Character Production 40 credits
• Performance Practice 40 credits

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.

• Collaborative Practice 20 credits
• Work Placement 20 credits
• Live Project 20 credits

Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Year Three
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Animation Pipelines 20 credits
• Professional Practice 40 credits
• Final Major Project 60 credits

You will learn through a series of lectures, seminars and practice-based workshops, as well as gaining valuable collaborative skills within Animation production.

Year One

• In the first year of study, you will develop your skills within core Art and Animation principles.
• You will receive intensive training in industry standard 2D and 3D digital Art and Animation tools.
• You will experience working collaboratively to make short films and establish practical and theoretical skills within Digital Animation production.

Year Two

In the second year of study, you will develop your practical skills and knowledge within Character development. From Concept, through to animation ready character creation.

• You will begin to explore your chosen specialisms, in 2D or 3D Animation production, either within a Film/TV or Games pathway.
• You will have the option to collaborate with wider GFA and BICA courses, to make short films or to participate in Game jams.
• You will develop your skills within acting for animation, where you will learn to capture and project performance within your animation.

Year Three

• Our Professional Practice modules will help you develop and consolidate your theory and practice within Animation, enabling you to create a body of work that demonstrates the quality of work required to enter the Animation industry and start your future career.

Employability
You will learn of range of skills which will be key to enhancing your future employability.

Specifically, you will learn to:

• Develop your own practice within a professional context that would enable future employment options in the Animation industry.
• Identify the relationship of theory to practice and effectively demonstrating it through your work.
• Produce animation shorts, effective animation pipeline to a professional standard.
• Work independently and collaboratively.
• Be a self-motivated, organised and independent effective learner.
• Be confident in showcasing your work for critique and highly reflective of your processes.

You will also learn skills in a range of workshop practices in relation to individual development, including but not limiting to the use of camera and photography, 3D printing, motion capture, sculpting and life drawing.

Professional practice guidance will teach you a range of skills such as CV writing; portfolio development, editing showreels , use of social media and other platforms for self-promotion, presenting yourself and your work in a professional framework.

Placements

• You will have the option of an international exchange, and the opportunity to get involved in a range of live projects. Placements are not part of the curriculum but are encouraged and supported by staff should an opportunity arise.
• In such an example, our students have worked closely with Flatpack Festival in programming some of the events, organised and ran animation workshops and volunteering throughout the festival.
• Graduates and students were also involved in the production of a Rube Goldberg animation for Second Home Studios which subsequently won the RTS Best Production Craft Skills award.
• Students have also participated in Animation Festival submissions such as Annecy, Encounters, New Designers, and the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards amongst others.
• Students have been wining RTS Awards dating back to 1997 with more than a dozen winners and nominees.
• The Jury Distinction was also awarded to one of our graduates for his outstanding Animation at Annecy Animation Festival which was of the highest accolade.