Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Animation in the UK?

Can anyone recommend me a good university in the UK where I can study both 2D and 3D animation? I would like to focus on video game creation in the future, however I want to learn the traditional way too.

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by sleepykoala

AUB and Herts (although the Herts courses have 2d or 3d pathways they have a common first year) and maybe South Wales?

) @moid can explain much better than me and might have some other suggestions

The courses accredited by screenskills are a good starting point (although many are focused on one specialty like BU which is computer animation only)

Reply 2

username3444162

You could have a look at Nottingham Trent and UAL as I’m pretty sure they both have Animation, here are some links to those courses, might be worth looking at CUG for some insights as to which Unis tend to be the best for Art and Design courses as the one you’ve mentioned.

https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/find-your-course/art-design/ug/2019-20/ba-hons-animation

https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/animation-interactive-film-and-sound/undergraduate/ba-hons-animation-lcc

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Art+%26+Design

I’m actually quite certain that Brunel University have a Games Design course at Undergrad, they have quite a few postgrad degrees which let you specialise as well, here they are, the first link is to do with the undergrad degree and the second let’s you look at whatever you like, postgrad included.

https://www.brunel.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/games-design-ba
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/games-design

Reply 3

Thepizzawaffle

UCA -university for the creative arts they have a few unis spread out and they offer an animation course like you are looking for

Reply 4

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Thepizzawaffle

UCA -university for the creative arts they have a few unis spread out and they offer an animation course like you are looking for

only UCA Farnham offers Animation (and it isn't industry accredited aside from the computer animation course which OP has said they don't want to do)

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 5

Thepizzawaffle

Original post by PQ

only UCAS Farnham offers Animation (and it isn't industry accredited)

Actually UCA Farnham and Rochester do and UCA Canterbury offer animation and illustration joined

Reply 6

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Thepizzawaffle

Actually UCA Farnham and Rochester do and UCA Canterbury offer animation and illustration joined

Rochester is Computer Animation

Reply 7

Thepizzawaffle

Original post by PQ

Rochester is Computer Animation

Yeah but it’s also 2D animation with it

Reply 8

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Thepizzawaffle

Yeah but it’s also 2D animation with it

There's no evidence of that in their showreel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AIDzWPd8_o

Reply 9

Thepizzawaffle

Original post by PQ

There's no evidence of that in their showreel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AIDzWPd8_o

I’ve been to the open event lmao that’s because the FINAL piece is on the computer but you do 2D throughout

Reply 10

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Thepizzawaffle

I’ve been to the open event lmao that’s because the FINAL piece is on the computer but you do 2D throughout

It really doesn't look like it - their facilities information doesn't even mention lightboxes?

They might have character studies and storyboarding in 2d but it doesn't look like they teach/produce 2d animation

Reply 11

Thepizzawaffle

Original post by PQ

You realise you don’t have to use a light box to do 2D animation 🙄 please stop harassing me

Reply 12

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

ARU does both, and also has quite a bit of stop-motion work (or at least did when my sister was there). Their 3D/computer animation side did seem a bit weaker than traditional/stop-motion though at the time though (this was about 5~6 years ago so quite possibly has improved since then).

Reply 13

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Thepizzawaffle

You realise you don’t have to use a light box to do 2D animation 🙄 please stop harassing me

For traditional 2d animation (like the OP is looking to learn) you'd struggle without a lightbox.

I'm not harassing you - I'm worried that UCA have misrepresented the amount of 2d in their course to you at their open day and that you're repeating that information to others. It doesn't mean that it's a bad course (their alumni seem very successful in getting VFX work) - but there doesn't seem to be a focus on traditional techniques that the OP is looking for.

Reply 14

Ravensbourne

Original post by sleepykoala

Hello Sleepykoala,

If you are interested in studying Animation, you may want to consider Ravensbourne. We are a specialist design and media University based in North Greenwich, London. Our BA Animation course is a mixture of practice and theory-based learning. You will be able to work on live briefs set by the industry standards, as well as working on competition briefs that will aid you in developing your portfolio and future employability.

We are an industry focused University and our courses are taught by industry professionals who are familiar with the current trends and can guide you in the direction you are interested in pursuing.

There are elements of both learning 2D & 3D animation within the course, but you will get to specialise on what you would like to do during 3rd year, once you were taught most of the required content. I know of some students that have graduated, which were also interested in video game creation and were developing game environments using the Unity engine, so you could easily get support from the tutors to pursue that. Another benefit of studying here is having a new BA Games Design course in our open plan building, where you could easily collaborate with other courses such as this one, which is recommended by the university, and often times is implemented within the briefs.

If you want to see how Ravensbourne is like, come to one of our open days. I think you would find it very helpful to speak to the tutors and learn about the building, as well as the chance to ask questions from student ambassadors that study these courses and get their honest opinions.

Hope this helps! If you have any questions feel free to ask :smile:

Kind regards,
Michail

Reply 15

Beenypurkiss

Hi sleepykoala, I just finished a illustration and animation degree at Anglia Ruskin uni. They teach hand drawn traditional animation techniques as well as digital and 3D. They really concentrate on drawing skills as there was some classes in the first year with illustration students too. This was greate as I developed really good drawing skills which employers are always looking for.I decided to do my final major project in VR, and became very familiar with a lot of computer games art technologies such as unity. There a computer games art course at the university and I recived help off some of the lectures from that course, everyone was very friendly. Anglia Ruskin currently offers scholarship for alumni and there is a master course in computer games art so if you wanted to move in that direction in the future I would say Anglia Ruskin is a greate option! Beeny

Reply 16

sleepykoala

Thank you very much to everyone that has replied!

Reply 17

belinda.ayres

Original post by sleepykoala

Hey!

I am Belinda, I came to Leeds 4 years ago as a student at Leeds Arts University and now I work here!

Leeds Arts University, the only specialist arts university in the North of England, offers both 2D and 3D studies into BA (Hons) Animation. The course investigates character development, storyboarding and concept art combined with exploration of traditional 2D/3D and digital animation processes will help you to develop an increasingly focused skill set that will help prepare you for the commercial needs of the animation industries.

https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-courses/ba-hons-animation/

We also offer BA (Hons) Comic & Concept Art, which sounds like it would be more suitable for you as you will develop a practical, technical and professional understanding of a range of skills. These skills include sequential illustration, visual narrative and visual communication for comic strip and comic art; character development for 2D, 3D and 4D production; print and web-based publishing; and pre–production concept visualisation for film production, game design and live performance.

https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-courses/ba-hons-comic-concept-art/

If it sounds of interest to you, please come along to one of our open days where you can meet students and staff from the course and see our award winning facilities!

Thanks
Belinda

(edited 5 years ago)