Best Universities for Computer Graphics/Animation?
Scroll to see replies
OK it sounds like some of the things you are creating might not be what an animation course will want to see - of course I may be wrong here, I can only speak from what myself and my colleagues look for in a portfolio for an applicant to Hertfordshire but I suspect that the designs of water bottles / black and white logos although probably wonderful for product design or graphic design are not what we would prefer to see. Of course if you are as inventive as Philip Starck, go ahead, chuck them in 
Sketchbooks yes please, but only if they contain actual drawings - not masses of collage/fag packets/pasta shapes with odd notes or so much litter glued/nailed/welded to them that they don't close - the kind of crap you have to make at art college to keep the lecturer happy; avoid those.
Life drawings - definitely, extremely important - ones that show good knowledge of anatomy, proportion and foreshortening are a good bet. If you get a chance to make any with strong lighting and shadows, that's also good.
Still life drawings - one or two, if they demonstrate that you can draw cloth/ ellipses on cylindrical objects, especially receding foreshortened ones, or good use of composition and also recording of detail. If they have some colour that can really help.
Sculptures - if these are in a realist style, definitely include them. Presumably of figures or parts of bodies? Candlesticks... well if they are very interesting/ornate/show great attention to detail, chuck in a photo or two. The process of making; I'm not too fussed about, but more fine art animation courses might like that sort of thing.
Photos - yes if they show good composition, also knowledge of light/shadow/colour or texture, but composition most of all.
Paintings of people/environments - yes please, make sure they show a good understanding of colour, composition, light/shadows etc
Animations - yes do show them even if they are traditionally created, but they have to be good. We see an awful lot of limited animation Flash...things... if your work features characters that are only seen from the waist up, never move their bodies and only blink or have two frame mouth open animation cycles for talking, please don't include them - a really good bet is to make your own versions of the exercises in The Animator's Survival Kit, then once those are going well start to add your own characters and different motions / events - you don't need to make a narrative driven film, we teach all that, but you need to show that you've tried animation, enjoy it and want to do more. We don't need to see animation in 3D, but if applying for 3D or Games Art it's a huge bonus - just download a free rig and use that to show off your animation skills, that's fine with us, just credit the creator in your reel.
Things to add - character designs - front, side, back, three quarter, drawn to scale. A colour version as well. Add props to scale. Environment designs - well drawn demonstrating clear knowledge of at least two point perspective, three point is a bonus (and if you can do four and five point a small crowd of lecturers may gather round in stunned silence!). Also do colour designs, variations etc. Make the environments look like they are either realistic, or so aesthetically stylistic that we don't care and just drool over the pretty colours...
if applying for 3D/Games Art/VFX - some 3D models - made in whatever 3D program you like, good examples are realistic human, a vehicle and a building. Textured and lit if possible, but if you find that hard don't worry about it.
If applying for VFX some example of composited 3D artwork into photos or best of all film/video.
I think the above would be a good selection for any commercially focused course. It might not be experimental enough for a more fine art orientated course though.
Another really important piece of advice is "You are only as good as the worst piece of art in your portfolio" So make sure your worst piece is pretty good Also very important don't turn up with every image you've ever made since you were four. Just pick about 12- 18 best images and that will be fine - I seriously doubt any decent course will have the time to look through more than that, and you can usually tell from the first three images whether the applicant is going to be any good. So choose small quantity, but very high quality. And please present the work nicely, the interviewer does appreciate the fact that you bothered - even mounting work on some simple plain paper and stuck into plastic sleeves in a decent portfolio case is fine for us - many courses do not interview you in person, they ask that you leave you work in a room along with fifty or more portfolios - you then leave and are told to return in a few hours. Meanwhile the lecturers rip through the work at high speed and make two piles - the small one, containing the people they want to interview... and the large one... You will return to the room later to see which pile you are in, and if your work was not protected from the elements/lecturers, it is likely to be scattered about or damaged (unless they liked it).
We don't do this at Hertfordshire, many of the lecturers have taught at colleges where that was the policy and we don't like it (we had it ourselves when we were students many years ago!) but I'm warning you there is a reason for buying a decent portfolio with strong plastic inserts - it means your work will still be in good condition after three or four interviews.
Good luck
Sketchbooks yes please, but only if they contain actual drawings - not masses of collage/fag packets/pasta shapes with odd notes or so much litter glued/nailed/welded to them that they don't close - the kind of crap you have to make at art college to keep the lecturer happy; avoid those.
Life drawings - definitely, extremely important - ones that show good knowledge of anatomy, proportion and foreshortening are a good bet. If you get a chance to make any with strong lighting and shadows, that's also good.
Still life drawings - one or two, if they demonstrate that you can draw cloth/ ellipses on cylindrical objects, especially receding foreshortened ones, or good use of composition and also recording of detail. If they have some colour that can really help.
Sculptures - if these are in a realist style, definitely include them. Presumably of figures or parts of bodies? Candlesticks... well if they are very interesting/ornate/show great attention to detail, chuck in a photo or two. The process of making; I'm not too fussed about, but more fine art animation courses might like that sort of thing.
Photos - yes if they show good composition, also knowledge of light/shadow/colour or texture, but composition most of all.
Paintings of people/environments - yes please, make sure they show a good understanding of colour, composition, light/shadows etc
Animations - yes do show them even if they are traditionally created, but they have to be good. We see an awful lot of limited animation Flash...things... if your work features characters that are only seen from the waist up, never move their bodies and only blink or have two frame mouth open animation cycles for talking, please don't include them - a really good bet is to make your own versions of the exercises in The Animator's Survival Kit, then once those are going well start to add your own characters and different motions / events - you don't need to make a narrative driven film, we teach all that, but you need to show that you've tried animation, enjoy it and want to do more. We don't need to see animation in 3D, but if applying for 3D or Games Art it's a huge bonus - just download a free rig and use that to show off your animation skills, that's fine with us, just credit the creator in your reel.
Things to add - character designs - front, side, back, three quarter, drawn to scale. A colour version as well. Add props to scale. Environment designs - well drawn demonstrating clear knowledge of at least two point perspective, three point is a bonus (and if you can do four and five point a small crowd of lecturers may gather round in stunned silence!). Also do colour designs, variations etc. Make the environments look like they are either realistic, or so aesthetically stylistic that we don't care and just drool over the pretty colours...
if applying for 3D/Games Art/VFX - some 3D models - made in whatever 3D program you like, good examples are realistic human, a vehicle and a building. Textured and lit if possible, but if you find that hard don't worry about it.
If applying for VFX some example of composited 3D artwork into photos or best of all film/video.
I think the above would be a good selection for any commercially focused course. It might not be experimental enough for a more fine art orientated course though.
Another really important piece of advice is "You are only as good as the worst piece of art in your portfolio" So make sure your worst piece is pretty good
Also very important don't turn up with every image you've ever made since you were four. Just pick about 12- 18 best images and that will be fine - I seriously doubt any decent course will have the time to look through more than that, and you can usually tell from the first three images whether the applicant is going to be any good. So choose small quantity, but very high quality. And please present the work nicely, the interviewer does appreciate the fact that you bothered - even mounting work on some simple plain paper and stuck into plastic sleeves in a decent portfolio case is fine for us - many courses do not interview you in person, they ask that you leave you work in a room along with fifty or more portfolios - you then leave and are told to return in a few hours. Meanwhile the lecturers rip through the work at high speed and make two piles - the small one, containing the people they want to interview... and the large one... You will return to the room later to see which pile you are in, and if your work was not protected from the elements/lecturers, it is likely to be scattered about or damaged (unless they liked it). We don't do this at Hertfordshire, many of the lecturers have taught at colleges where that was the policy and we don't like it (we had it ourselves when we were students many years ago!) but I'm warning you there is a reason for buying a decent portfolio with strong plastic inserts - it means your work will still be in good condition after three or four interviews.
Good luck
Thank you!
I'll have those things in mind!
I'll have those things in mind!
hello, i'm currently looking at uni courses because i need to start applying this year. The thing i want to know is how specialized is a animation course?? I mean does it only teach 3d modeling and digital animation? because I like computer graphics using photoshop, flash and maya, but I also enjoy going out there and doing stuff like filming and photography. So i'm not sure if i'm better off applying for a film/ media course or should i specialize and go for an animation course??
ChunnyBoy
hello, i'm currently looking at uni courses because i need to start applying this year. The thing i want to know is how specialized is a animation course?? I mean does it only teach 3d modeling and digital animation? because I like computer graphics using photoshop, flash and maya, but I also enjoy going out there and doing stuff like filming and photography. So i'm not sure if i'm better off applying for a film/ media course or should i specialize and go for an animation course??
At Bournemouth Uni (Ba Computer Visualisation and Animation, or computer animation arts), you'l get the chance to do filming. In fact there is a class every week in the 2nd year that teaches you how to use the cameras and shoot green screen etc.. Also in the first year you have a cinematography unit where you need to understand clever camera angles/shots. You also have a "Still and Moving Image Theory" unit to look forward to in the first year.
Hope that helps a bit?
I would hope that most decent animation courses would teach a wide variety of skills; mainly because what a student thinks they want to do (career wise) at the start of year 1 is rarely what they want to do by the end of year 3, and being taught a wide variety of skills is essential in assisting somebody in making that choice. I wouldn't advise a film course if you want to do something as technical as 3D animation or VFX or Games Art though - you'll learn a lot about directing and camera use, but to work in any form of 3D animation takes a lot of training in the subject. If you are thinking of going into more fine art based 2D animation you could potentially do well with a film course as long as you have strong art skills already.
Hi, thanks for clarifying it up for me, nice to know that I won't be sitting in front of a computer all day. Now all i gotta do is improve my portfolio (haha it sounds so easy in my head).
jackowales
swansea met uni is excellent for computer animation.
they hold an animation convention there every year called SAND(swansea animation days)and have connections with lots of companies.
more info here http://www.ampersandswansea.com/index.html
they hold an animation convention there every year called SAND(swansea animation days)and have connections with lots of companies.
more info here http://www.ampersandswansea.com/index.html
I'm going to Swansea Met this September (and studying Computer Animation)
Originally, I was stuck between Cardiff Atrium and Swansea Met. However, Cardiff were really awkward towards me when it came to my application, so I thought that Swansea would be a better choice. After reading all of the Met's successes in 3D Computer Animation, I'm glad I made the right choice
I read, (according to Swansea Met's News Thread), everyone that has graduated from the Bsc 3D Animation course at Swansea Met (this year) have been snapped up by studio, Double Negative. Also S.M.U was voted one of the best places to study 3D Computer Animation by 3D World Magazine. I only knew this after I got my offer, which is reassuring.
Personally, I can't wait to start
Deadfish41
At Bournemouth Uni (Ba Computer Visualisation and Animation, or computer animation arts), you'l get the chance to do filming. In fact there is a class every week in the 2nd year that teaches you how to use the cameras and shoot green screen etc.. Also in the first year you have a cinematography unit where you need to understand clever camera angles/shots. You also have a "Still and Moving Image Theory" unit to look forward to in the first year.
Hope that helps a bit?
Hope that helps a bit?
Quick question if you don't mind, what was your timetable like in the first year? I'm going to Bournemouth in a couple of weeks to joining the visualisation course but we haven't got any information like that yet, it would really help with planning
Oh and how would you rate the cinematography unit and the teaching of film in general?NLight
Quick question if you don't mind, what was your timetable like in the first year? I'm going to Bournemouth in a couple of weeks to joining the visualisation course but we haven't got any information like that yet, it would really help with planning Oh and how would you rate the cinematography unit and the teaching of film in general?
Oh and how would you rate the cinematography unit and the teaching of film in general?First year, the time table is really busy.. i think we had 35hours or something, for lectures and tutorials/lab session times. The cinematography unit is run by Phil Allen who's one of the senior lecturers and know's a lot about cameras/types of shots/camera angles/composition etc.. I found the lessons interesting and it will help you improve your work. It depends how much you already know about cinematography. If you already know it all then it may seem like a drag to you, but for me i enjoyed it as i was a bit clueless on certain techniques.
The teaching of film isn't very detailed or as in depth as you might expect though. Either way it was still good enough for me to put my knowledge into practice for my own animations. Hope that helps?
NLight
Quick question if you don't mind, what was your timetable like in the first year? I'm going to Bournemouth in a couple of weeks to joining the visualisation course but we haven't got any information like that yet, it would really help with planning Oh and how would you rate the cinematography unit and the teaching of film in general?
Oh and how would you rate the cinematography unit and the teaching of film in general?Deadfish41
First year, the time table is really busy.. i think we had 35hours or something
I'd just like to add my 2p to it, since the course changed after your year Deadfish we now only have around the 18 hours of lectures/labs all together, because the course is split into 2 groups. But it still feels pretty full on, you just get lots of time say where group A will have a lab and then group B, just switching over etc.
And the cinematography unit is good, you learn about all the different shots and pans etc, how they all work together and what you use them for, eg. to create drama or calm etc.
And then you have to do a storyboarding project which is all about the cinematography of the shot, so you get to practice it quite a bit.
Can anyone tell me which software Uni Teesside uses for its MA Digital Animation, Sound and Visual Media? And how's the situation in the computer rooms? Do you always have access to a computer or do you sometimes have to wait a long time?
Hello there again, I'm back with another question It's about applying - I'm an EU student, so I'll have take the IELTS exam and I was thinking, would it be ok to wait for the replies from the unis first or even for the offers before taking the exam? And maybe it could be one of the conditions in a conditional offer? I know it's a rather silly question, but still, it would save me some nerves and money for that time.
It's about applying - I'm an EU student, so I'll have take the IELTS exam and I was thinking, would it be ok to wait for the replies from the unis first or even for the offers before taking the exam? And maybe it could be one of the conditions in a conditional offer? I know it's a rather silly question, but still, it would save me some nerves and money for that time.I can only tell you what my university does in this situation (other universities may be totally different), but at Hertfordshire we don't require you to prove that you have IELTS at 6.0 or higher until you actually appear for the first day of the course - you have to have the certificate by that point or the university will not let you join the course; it's one of the requirements. We do interview everyone that applies, so your English would have to be verbally good enough for an interview. So to answer your question IELTS 6 would be a requirement of a conditional offer from us, I would expect the same would be true of most UK universities. For us you would have to have good enough English for the interview, and if you were offered a place, you'd have at least three months (possibly up to six) to pass the IELTS exam before starting the degree. However do check other universities; their regulations may be different.
thenoodlepirate
Grrr To be honest I feel a bit confused right now, because I do like 3D animation and I'd love to learn how to make 3D animation, but I'd also like to be taught the 2D fundamentals and experiment in that area as well whilst I'm at uni. I don't want to focus too much on just learning some 3D programs if you know what I mean...argh!
I don't even know how to express what I want I am confuuused! I'm just sitting here, freaking out about courses...
Grrr To be honest I feel a bit confused right now, because I do like 3D animation and I'd love to learn how to make 3D animation, but I'd also like to be taught the 2D fundamentals and experiment in that area as well whilst I'm at uni. I don't want to focus too much on just learning some 3D programs if you know what I mean...argh!
I don't even know how to express what I want I am confuuused! I'm just sitting here, freaking out about courses...moid
Yes We teach all the traditional animation skills (12 principles etc) and apply them to 3D. You have to if you want to make decent animation. Having said that, so should all the Skillset courses; one of the obligations of the accreditation process is proof that these areas are taught, so those courses should be teaching them (or at least they were at the time of accreditation).
If you are thinking of studying in 2D or 3D you will need to show example work in your portfolio. I would worry less about where to study and spend the same time on making top quality work for your portfolio, or you won't be able to get into the courses you wish to study at - the few good courses in the UK get phenomenal application numbers. Once you've been to a few open days you will know what courses you want to apply to. Get drawing/modelling/animating!
We teach all the traditional animation skills (12 principles etc) and apply them to 3D. You have to if you want to make decent animation. Having said that, so should all the Skillset courses; one of the obligations of the accreditation process is proof that these areas are taught, so those courses should be teaching them (or at least they were at the time of accreditation).If you are thinking of studying in 2D or 3D you will need to show example work in your portfolio. I would worry less about where to study and spend the same time on making top quality work for your portfolio, or you won't be able to get into the courses you wish to study at - the few good courses in the UK get phenomenal application numbers. Once you've been to a few open days you will know what courses you want to apply to. Get drawing/modelling/animating!
I didn't know about Herts when i was applying but i got offers from all my applications and in the end i had to pick between UCA Farnham and Bournemouth. I chose Farnham because like you i didnt want to graduate a one trick pony. Farnham has excellent facilities and teaching for ALL types of animation (the best facilities i saw and i visited 6-7 unis) and importantly you're free to specialise in whatever media or area of the animation (film) industry you want to. It's also one of, if not the oldest UK animation course has an impressive selection of oscar winning alumni and has a high reputation in industry which IS something you should definitely consider. Employability counts for a lot.
Thanks moid, 2D at herts is my main goal right now And about the interviews - I suppose international students send in their portfolios and most EU students come to the unis for the interview, am I right?
And about the interviews - I suppose international students send in their portfolios and most EU students come to the unis for the interview, am I right?Thanks noobcake! I do consider those things when it comes to deciding!
Moid, I've also got a question about the IELTS. Because English is not my first language, but I do live and study in London, I need to sit the exam in order to apply for Uni, but!, I haven't done so, yet. My question is: if I've got a lower score than 6, or no score at all, on the exam and I want to apply for Herts, will my application be considered? I mean will UCAS send my details to the Uni, and if yes, will I be called for an interview? I haven't spoken to my tutor about when we send off the applications to UCAS, but I think that would be around October :? I'm asking because I don't feel quite ready to sit the exam and I'd like to make up my mind about the exact date of the exam.
Moid, I've also got a question about the IELTS. Because English is not my first language, but I do live and study in London, I need to sit the exam in order to apply for Uni, but!, I haven't done so, yet. My question is: if I've got a lower score than 6, or no score at all, on the exam and I want to apply for Herts, will my application be considered? I mean will UCAS send my details to the Uni, and if yes, will I be called for an interview? I haven't spoken to my tutor about when we send off the applications to UCAS, but I think that would be around October :? I'm asking because I don't feel quite ready to sit the exam and I'd like to make up my mind about the exact date of the exam.
I read in your previous comment, that you interview all applicants, but I'm asking about UCAS, just in case, because I read somewhere that there's no point of applying, if you do not cover the entry requirements. I don't know if this means that UCAS will not send off the details of the student to the Uni, or that there's a small chance to be accepted.
Thanks
Thanks
dun-dun
Thanks moid, 2D at herts is my main goal right now And about the interviews - I suppose international students send in their portfolios and most EU students come to the unis for the interview, am I right?
And about the interviews - I suppose international students send in their portfolios and most EU students come to the unis for the interview, am I right?Well for anyone outside of the UK we offer them the option to either come to the university for an interview in person (which I recommend because in my opinion you should visit any university that you are potentially thinking of studying at for three years and spending a lot of money at), or to have an interview over the phone... which is usually me as I tend to handle most of the non UK interviews. If you are not attending the interview in person we like to see your portfolio first because there's not much point in interviewing you if the portfolio is not good enough - sorry that sounds harsh, but the application numbers we have are so vast that myself and another lecturer spend one day a week for half the year dealing with interviews, and anything we can do to cut that number down is a help - because there's almost always a group of current students who would prefer me to be helping them in a lab instead of interviewing!
thenoodlepirate
Thanks noobcake! I do consider those things when it comes to deciding!
Moid, I've also got a question about the IELTS. Because English is not my first language, but I do live and study in London, I need to sit the exam in order to apply for Uni, but!, I haven't done so, yet. My question is: if I've got a lower score than 6, or no score at all, on the exam and I want to apply for Herts, will my application be considered? I mean will UCAS send my details to the Uni, and if yes, will I be called for an interview? I haven't spoken to my tutor about when we send off the applications to UCAS, but I think that would be around October :? I'm asking because I don't feel quite ready to sit the exam and I'd like to make up my mind about the exact date of the exam.
I read in your previous comment, that you interview all applicants, but I'm asking about UCAS, just in case, because I read somewhere that there's no point of applying, if you do not cover the entry requirements. I don't know if this means that UCAS will not send off the details of the student to the Uni, or that there's a small chance to be accepted.
Moid, I've also got a question about the IELTS. Because English is not my first language, but I do live and study in London, I need to sit the exam in order to apply for Uni, but!, I haven't done so, yet. My question is: if I've got a lower score than 6, or no score at all, on the exam and I want to apply for Herts, will my application be considered? I mean will UCAS send my details to the Uni, and if yes, will I be called for an interview? I haven't spoken to my tutor about when we send off the applications to UCAS, but I think that would be around October :? I'm asking because I don't feel quite ready to sit the exam and I'd like to make up my mind about the exact date of the exam.
I read in your previous comment, that you interview all applicants, but I'm asking about UCAS, just in case, because I read somewhere that there's no point of applying, if you do not cover the entry requirements. I don't know if this means that UCAS will not send off the details of the student to the Uni, or that there's a small chance to be accepted.
I just pasted both your questions together, let's see if this works
That's a good question about the application - the honest answer is I don't know, nobody's ever asked me that before! I would suspect that the UCAS application won't care if you have an IELTS score or not, it looks for academic achievement (in other words do you have/ are likely to get 300 UCAS points in your previous qualifications), we also have a check on applications for UK students to ensure they also have Maths and English GCSE at grade C or higher, but if your school qualifications are from another country it won't recognise them and therefore your form will be reviewed manually by someone in our admissions department, and then usually passed on to a lecturer to check.
I can understand why you would want to wait until later before taking the exam, but I don't believe there is any limit on the amount of times you can attempt it - only that they charge you for each attempt
Of course please check these statements; I might be wrong or have out of date information in this area. If you send your applications off in October you'll be in the first group of students that we interview (February usually). If you get some sort of rejection from the UCAS system when you apply because you don't have IELTS at that point, just get in contact with me and we'll bypass the system
There's always a way around every problem, you just have to be creative.Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for the informaiton!!! I feel quite confident about the IELTS in general, but still...everything happens and one never knows, so I'm also confident about the UCAS points, because I already have 200 from my first year. I will double check the details about the applications with Ann (my tutor) when we start college on Wednesday.
I hope everything will go well!
P.S. Yes, the IELTS can be retaken at any time, so, in case I haven't got the needed score I can retake it later on, which is good. My main concern at that point is the UCAS application and the IELTS in particular, the personal statement (I've got no clue what to write exactly) and my portfolio
I'm also confident about the UCAS points, because I already have 200 from my first year. I will double check the details about the applications with Ann (my tutor) when we start college on Wednesday. I hope everything will go well!
P.S. Yes, the IELTS can be retaken at any time, so, in case I haven't got the needed score I can retake it later on, which is good. My main concern at that point is the UCAS application and the IELTS in particular, the personal statement (I've got no clue what to write exactly) and my portfolio
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- what laptop/Mac/ computer is recommended for doing a BA animation?
- What undergraduate art courses should I be applying to?
- MA 3D Animation - Bournemouth or Kingston University?
- Which Subjects should i take for A levels
- Is the animation course at Westminster good?
- I'm confused really
- A-level Help
- Is anyone applying at USW for 2024?
- Need help choosing a course
- What can I do with an HNC in Games Development?
- Kingston School of Art (KSA) - Workshop Information
- Where should I apply for illustration?
- I haven't enjoyed architecture for the past year. But I dont want to seem lazy or stu
- Will I be able to Do Computer Science at university?
- BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in IT
- Am I allowed a Calculator for university Computer Science exams?
- Getting into to Computer Science with the wrong grades.
- Not sure where to go from here
- Official Arts University Bournemouth 2023 Applicant Thread
- Game Development Program
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
Is getting a 3rd class honours in interior architecture and design bad?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Foundation Art Falmouth or Bath Spa or Edinburgh College or UAL.Last reply 2 weeks ago
UAL London College of Fashion or Leeds Arts University for Fashion Design?Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
Is getting a 3rd class honours in interior architecture and design bad?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Foundation Art Falmouth or Bath Spa or Edinburgh College or UAL.Last reply 2 weeks ago
UAL London College of Fashion or Leeds Arts University for Fashion Design?
