MA (Animation)

This course attracts students from around the world and has a rich cultural mix. You will come to the programme as an established animator but will be encouraged to take risks, explore new techniques, develop your interests and exchange, debate and discuss ideas. 

• Along the way, you'll be expected to produce original, high-quality and exciting films, and explore the wide range of creative possibilities of frame-by-frame filmmaking – all with the support of internationally renowned staff.
• Our course is proud to have no house style and offers a wide range of technical resources covering the whole spectrum of contemporary animation. 
• We have a long and illustrious history of animation education at UCA Farnham - all started by Henry's Cat creator Bob Godfrey. Follow in the footsteps of the greats on our MA Animation degree.
• During your time here, you'll take an interdisciplinary approach to the animated form, and we'll encourage you to experiment and speculate when you're making your work.

What you'll study

• The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Integrated Pre-Masters (if undertaken)

• On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Masters course.

Term one
Animation Studio 1

• In this unit, you will consolidate and extend your animation skills, employing industry standard techniques of pre-production, production and post-production to develop an original idea into a completed animation with sound. Typically, this will comprise a one-minute short film.
• The brief allows for you to explore the potential in animation for communication and connection with your audience, and to extend and explore your chosen area of expertise. 

Animation Research & Professional Contexts 1 

• Exploring practical processes, techniques and technologies, you will develop your own methods to create a series of test animations, forming a showreel. You will explore the different modes of research related to the creative process, through critical and practical study. You will develop your analytical skills and establish the links between theoretical and creative practice.  Research workshops will provide the basis for your independent critical study, and you will write a critical reflection as a component of this unit.

Term two
Animation Studio 2 

• Building on the pre-production techniques established in Animation Studio 1, you will research and develop an idea and a methodology for your Animation Major Project, a substantial personal project which you will undertake in your next unit.

Animation Research and Professional Contexts 2 

• In this unit, you will have the opportunity to work on industry briefs from external organisations such as companies, cultural institutions, community groups, NGOs, or charities, and/or collaborate with musicians or other independent creatives. Working on short projects, you may work in small production teams to reflect usual industry working practices or work individually with a client. If working in a group, you will explore both individual roles and responsibilities whilst maintaining a wider role within the team and the project. 

Term three
Animation Major Project 

• You will bring together the knowledge, skills and experience gained on the course to produce a self-directed project and associated critical investigation/portfolio of work. 
• The project can be self-initiated or in collaboration with a client, but the project will be negotiated in collaboration with the course team and should use the language and medium of animation to communicate and create meaning. 
• You will be required to situate your practice in a professional context of animation production, exhibition, and distribution, both in the UK and internationally and to develop a plan for the exhibition and distribution of your own project work. 
• You will be required to write a critical evaluation of your completed project work which situates your practice in a theoretical context. 

Facilities

• Animation facilities include stop motion studio with Dragonframe capture software, Canon DSLRs and professional camera stands, and stages pre-rigged with grips, stands and lights. Studios feature individual workstations, light boxes, Wacom tablets, line testers and batch scanners. Macs have the full Adobe Creative Suite as well as Toon Boom and Maya CG software, while there’s also sound and editing suites on campus.

Career opportunities
Industry links

As a long-established degree course, we’ve built an extensive network of industry connections, giving us access to high-profile visiting lecturers, and to commissions, competitions and exciting work-placement opportunities. Our industry links include:

• Aardman Animation
• Studio AKA
• Cinesite
• The Mill
• Create and Make
• Agile Films
• Blackdog Films Limited
• HSI Film
• Blink Productions
• The Film Club
• National Film and TV School
• Passion Pictures (one of the leading studios in Europe)
• Nexus
• Moth Collective
• UsTwo
• Beakus
• Fudge Animation

Careers
An enormous range of career opportunities exist in animation, and typical careers in the industry include:

• Directors
• Producers
• Animators (in commercials, films, broadcast, online media and games)
• Editors
• Character designers
• Production designers
• Pre-vis artists
• Compositors
• Storyboard artists
• Post-production.

As one of the pre-eminent animation courses in the world, our sought-after alumni have landed many exciting, high profile roles across the industry. These include:

• Animators
• CG animators
• CG riggers
• Designers
• Directors
• Model makers
• Producers
• Storyboard artists.

Many well-known studios have been set up by our alumni, including:

• Animade
• Astley Baker Davies (makers of Peppa Pig)
• Film Fabrik
• Honeycomb Animation (makers of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids)
• Mackinnon & Saunders
• Moth Collective
• Slurpy Studios
• Tandem Pictures.

This gives our course very solid links to a vibrant industry, and we enjoy connections with a range of creative talent, studios and potential employers.