Conflicted over choosing universities for Animation

Hi,
I'm a year 13 student who wants to go into the animation industry and have already applied/ sent off my portfolio to my 5 unis over the winter break. I'm unfortunately an international student so I have to consider my almost double tuition (I am doing private fundung + bursaries/scholarships) and I'm having a hard time deciding on which unis to pick as my firm and safety. My top choices rn are Hertfordshire, Staffordshire and NTU but I've also got an offer from AUB. I want to have a fun experience at uni but also want to prioritise getting the best industry connections/job prospects for afterwards. Does anyone have any advice or are currently studying animation at these schools that could give me some insight?
Thanks in advance

Hi,
I'm a year 13 student who wants to go into the animation industry and have already applied/ sent off my portfolio to my 5 unis over the winter break. I'm unfortunately an international student so I have to consider my almost double tuition (I am doing private fundung + bursaries/scholarships) and I'm having a hard time deciding on which unis to pick as my firm and safety. My top choices rn are Hertfordshire, Staffordshire and NTU but I've also got an offer from AUB. I want to have a fun experience at uni but also want to prioritise getting the best industry connections/job prospects for afterwards. Does anyone have any advice or are currently studying animation at these schools that could give me some insight?
Thanks in advance

Hi,

I'm a year 13 student who wants to go into the animation industry and have already applied/ sent off my portfolio to my 5 unis over the winter break. I'm unfortunately an international student so I have to consider my almost double tuition (I am doing private fundung + bursaries/scholarships) and I'm having a hard time deciding on which unis to pick as my firm and safety. My top choices rn are Hertfordshire, Staffordshire and NTU but I've also got an offer from AUB. I want to have a fun experience at uni but also want to prioritise getting the best industry connections/job prospects for afterwards. Does anyone have any advice or are currently studying animation at these schools that could give me some insight?



Thanks in advance

What sort of animation are you hoping to work on?

I've already practiced a lot of 2d animation over the past two years. I'm hoping to hone in my skills in 2d and primarily start to learn 3d in university due to the accessibility of programs (I'll also try and do some 3d over the summer) but I want as much range in my skillset as possible for the industry

Hi,
I'm a year 13 student who wants to go into the animation industry and have already applied/ sent off my portfolio to my 5 unis over the winter break. I'm unfortunately an international student so I have to consider my almost double tuition (I am doing private fundung + bursaries/scholarships) and I'm having a hard time deciding on which unis to pick as my firm and safety. My top choices rn are Hertfordshire, Staffordshire and NTU but I've also got an offer from AUB. I want to have a fun experience at uni but also want to prioritise getting the best industry connections/job prospects for afterwards. Does anyone have any advice or are currently studying animation at these schools that could give me some insight?
Thanks in advance

In the first year at Hertfordshire if you get a place on the 2D Animation course you will still be taught character animation in 3D as well, so that you can decide at the end of the first year if you would prefer to switch to the 3D Animation degree for the second year onwards if you discover that 3D Animation is more your area than 2D. In terms of software to practice in 3D I would suggest either Blender or Maya, but getting hold of Maya can be tricky, so Blender might be a lot easier for you to install. The ability to be a good animator requires the same mental skills in 2D as in 3D - knowledge of timing, weight, anticipation etc - it's just the interface to the software is very different. We teach both areas, and 2D is becoming closer to 3D if you animate using tools like Toon Boom Harmony which uses rigged (puppet) animation in 2D, which is very similar to rigged 3D models in Maya. If you're animating in 3D don't attempt to build your own rig unless you are very technically adept; download a free rig that haas a good reputation and animate in that - you'll enjoy the process more if you're not fighting a rig you made yourself (rigging is hard; we do teach students how to do it, but they usually need a lot of help and extra knowledge before they can do it successfully - it is mainly taught in our second year of study).