Overview
Course In Depth
Modules
Entry Criteria
Careers and Employability
Finance
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Overview

UCAS Code: | W615 |
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Course Length: | 3 Years Full-Time |
Start Dates: | September 2020 |
Department: | Department of Media |
Location: | Edge Hill University |
Example Offers: | BBC-BBB (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria |
- Gain a range of technical skills and develop a design appreciation of animation production processes;
- Engage with guest speakers to support your learning and develop industry contacts;
- Build a portfolio of production products or a showreel and take the opportunity to undertake studio practice.
From Méliès crashing a rocket into the titular character’s eye in A Trip to the Moon (1902) right through to Disney’s pioneering studio work of today, animation is about creating the illusion of movement in a variety of visual art forms to engage audiences and tell stories, and where anything is possible. This degree will teach you about the animation process from idea generation to post-production, taking in drawing practice and character design, and developing your ability to produce a variety of animation products, for formats such as film, television, the internet and computer games. You will have the opportunity to obtain specialist skills in areas such as 3D CGI and stop- motion animation, while also gaining practical skills in sound and lighting, and building a showreel. An optional studio skills module will introduce you to the professional animation world.
In Depth
What will I study?
In Year 1 you will explore the relationship between animation production and design, gaining a range of creative and practical animation skills. You will cover the principles underpinning animation production, experimental animation practices, drawing for animation, scriptwriting skills, dramatic creation and film structure, learning how to develop ideas from conception to final production. You will also consider film and global visual culture as an important element within animation.
Year 2 develops your practical experience where you will refine essential animation studio skills such as character animation, sound, lighting and post-production. You will gain an understanding of animation, film and television theory, and its relevance to animation forms, through the study of the relationship between producers and audiences. Year 2 provides an additional focus on developing specialist studio animation skills and techniques. These include 3D CGI, stop-motion and 2D animation. You will also have opportunities to pitch animation concepts to industry specialists to hone your skills in presenting and communicating ideas.
Year 3 includes a creative enterprise module where you will appreciate the real-life aspects of running and working within a professional animation studio. Guest speakers will engage you in evaluating the industry and encourage you to think about your future. Central to Year 3 is the opportunity to undertake a substantial animation project demonstrating your creative ability and technical skills. You will also engage in research and produce a dissertation in a relevant area of interest.
How will I study?
This degree combines a creative arts and vocational approach to the subject of animation. Coursework includes practical projects, essays, case studies and individual and group presentations. Developing problem-solving skills will be a key aspect of the course and throughout the programme you will be encouraged to think both laterally and analytically.
Experimentation, innovation and the learning of new skills and modes of delivery will be encouraged in order to broaden your approach. Tutors provide individual supervision and support and the course is supported by industry-standard facilities including Apple Mac studios, television and animation studios and video editing suites.
To give you a flavour of the work you might produce on our Animation degree, you can view some of the films made by past and present Animation students at vimeo.com/channels/edgehillanimation. A selection of student showreels are available at vimeo.com/channels/edgehillshowreels.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment will be via written and practical assignments, research projects and individual and group presentations.
Who will be teaching me?
You will be taught by an experienced team with a wide range of interests and industry experience. Lecturers are research-active in animation and the media and have experience in using the variety of resources available to you.
A Great Study Environment
The Department of Media is based in Creative Edge, a state-of-the-art £17m building offering highly contemporary suites of outstanding facilities for Animation students.
Key features include TV studios with broadcast capacity and full production capabilities, recording studios, sound-editing suites, animation studios, a photographic studio, radio studio and multimedia laboratory. Our innovative resources are designed to ensure you gain practical experience to a professional standard. Dedicated support in the use of all creative media facilities is available through our Media Development Team.
Practical animation work is supported by four dedicated animation studios equipped with 24″ HD Cintiq Wacom Touch monitors, Rostrum camera stations, Rotational light-boxes, 3D Printer and industry standard software: Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Flash), Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, Harmony Premium, Autodesk Maya, Cinema 4D, ZBrush and VRay. Mac studio facilities provide access to the latest editing and audio software (AVID ProTools 11, Apple Logic X, Propellerhead Reason 7, Adobe SoundBooth CE, Native Instruments Komplete Ultimate, and Sibelius).
The stop-motion studio is designed to professional standards, utilising Canon EOS 700D/850D with 18-135mm IS Lens, Dragon Frame, Dedo lighting and motion control camera movement technologies.
For Foley-FX work and voiceover production, you will utilise our audio post-production studios which come equipped with AVID ProTools HDX digital recording systems with C|24 control surfaces, as well as Waves and IK Multimedia, and a range of microphones (AKG, Coles, Neumann, sE, Electro Voice). There are also several dedicated rehearsal rooms which provide electronic keyboards (Yamaha, Kawai) and a range of acoustic and electric guitars (Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Martin, Taylor), effects modules and practice amps.
The University library stocks a comprehensive range of animation books, e-books and specialist animation journals, including Animation Magazine, the Animation Practice, Process and Production Journal, and the International Journal of Computer Graphics and Animation.
The North West is a vibrant place to study Animation and Edge Hill University’s outstanding facilities are underpinned by excellent links with the creative industry centres in Manchester and Liverpool. Recent guest speakers to the University include BBC (CBeebies/CBBC), Mackinnon and Saunders (Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie), Cubic Motion (Amazing Spiderman 2), Mainframe North and Studio Liddell, as well as speakers from Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick (Pip) and Factory TransMedia (Strange Hill High and Clangers).
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to attend annual Animation festivals, such as Manchester Animation Festival MAF. Partnerships with international institutions such as Changsha Social Work College offer the possibility of an overseas exchange.
Modules
Expand AllYear 1
MED1202Sound for Picture (20 credits)
MED1425What is Animation? History and Context (20 credits)
MED1443Design for Animation (20 credits)
MED1444Animation Production (20 credits)
You will select two of the following modules:
MED1420Drawing Practice (20 credits)
MED1433Experimental Animation (20 credits)
MED1435Stop-Motion Studio Practice (20 credits)
Language modules, delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, are available to study as an integral part of this degree. A single Language module can be studied instead of one of the optional modules above.
Year 2
MED2082Creative Research Methods and Professional Ethics (20 credits)
MED2304Animation Studio Skills (20 credits)
MED2324Animation Practice 1 (20 credits)
MED2325Animation Practice 2 (20 credits)
You will select two of the following modules:
MED2305Animation VFX (20 credits)
MED2306Cinematography and Visual Design (20 credits)
MED2307Character Design and Performance (20 credits)
MED2318Spectacles, Bodies and Other Pleasures: Concepts in Television, Animation and Film (20 credits)
MED2323Transmedia Storytelling (20 credits)
If you studied a Language module in Year 1, you may wish to study a further Language module in Year 2. This would form an integral part of your degree in place of one of the optional modules above.
Year 3
MED3272Personal Specialism (Pre-Production) (20 credits)
MED3273Personal Specialism (Production) (20 credits)
MED3275Dissertation (40 credits)
You will select two of the following modules:
MED3264Advanced Sound for Animation (20 credits)
MED3265Creative Enterprise and Employment Portfolio (20 credits)
MED3267Studio Practice (20 credits)
If you studied Language modules in Years 1 and 2, you may wish to study a further Language module in Year 3. This would form an integral part of your degree in place of one of the optional modules above.
Optional modules provide an element of choice within the programme curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements.
Timetables
Timetables for your first week are normally available at the end of August prior to enrolment in September. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your first week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
Entry Criteria
Entry Requirements
Typical offer 112-120 UCAS Tariff points. The study or experience of Creative Arts subjects, for example Art, Graphics or Media, is preferred. An interview may form part of the selection process.
If you apply to join this degree and do not meet the UCAS Tariff requirements, we may invite you to submit a portfolio of work as evidence of your suitability for the programme.
Example Offers
Some examples of how you can achieve 112-120 UCAS Tariff points are detailed below.
- A Level: BBC-BBB;
- BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications): Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM);
- Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit or 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.
Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.
As long as you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as the Welsh Baccalaureate and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven’t been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.
For further information on how you can meet the entry requirements, including details of alternative qualifications, please visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/offers.
EU students can get country-specific information about the University’s entry requirements and equivalent national qualifications at www.edgehill.ac.uk/eu.
International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international for information on the entry criteria for overseas applicants.
English Language Requirements
International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
If your current level of English is half a band lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’).
Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s academic regulations (sections C7 and F3.1) or contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.
Career Prospects
What are my career prospects?
A degree in Animation equips you with the skills and techniques required to succeed in this vibrant creative industry.
You will be able to seek a career in animation houses, film studios, television companies and web companies as well as freelance opportunities. Potential roles include those such as animator, character designer, animation production assistant, art director, storyboard artist or within visual effects and video games design.
How can I enhance my employability?
It is useful to consider, even before you apply, how you will spend your time while studying and make the most of your university experience.
Optional, additional activities may be available on this degree which could help to prepare you for a stimulating and rewarding career. These include:
- Sandwich Years – you may have the opportunity to apply to complete a sandwich year placement, usually as the third year of a four year degree, and gain highly relevant work experience;
- Erasmus+ and Study Abroad – you may have the opportunity to apply to spend time studying or working abroad, usually as the third year of a four year degree, enabling you to immerse yourself in a different culture;
- Learning a Language – you may be able to select language modules, delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, as an integral part of your degree (for which you will gain academic credits). Alternatively, it may be possible to participate in Language Steps classes as additional study.
Please note, the availability of these additional activities cannot be guaranteed for all students. Depending on availability and the number of students wanting to participate, there may be a competitive application process for sandwich year placements or studying abroad opportunities or you may be required to secure a relevant placement yourself.
Finance
Tuition Fees
If you are a prospective UK or EU student who will be joining this undergraduate degree in academic year 2020/21, the tuition fee will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2020/21 are £12,250 per annum.
The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.
Financial Support
Subject to eligibility, UK and EU students joining this undergraduate degree can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK and EU students enrolling on the programme may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.
For comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK and EU students joining this programme, together with details of how to apply for potential funding, please view our Money Matters 2020/21 guide at www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradfinance2020.
Financial support information for international students can be found at www.edgehill.ac.uk/international/fees.
Scholarships
Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships with a competitive application process for prospective full-time undergraduate students. These scholarships aren’t linked to academic success and celebrate determination, talent and achievement beyond your coursework, for instance in creativity, enterprise, ICT, performance, sport or volunteering.
Additional scholarships, which you may qualify to receive, reward outstanding grades and are available to eligible UK and EU students.
To find out more about scholarships, to assess your eligibility, and to meet some of our dedicated scholarship winners, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.
Apply
How to Apply
Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.com.
Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyucas to find out more about the application process.
Further information for international students about how to apply is available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyinternational.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
Visit Us
If you are considering applying to study at Edge Hill University, the best way to gain an insight into student life is to discover our stunning campus for yourself by attending an open day. You can view dates and book your place at www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays.
Alternatively, if you are unable to attend an open day, you can find out more about all of our events for prospective students, including monthly campus tours, at www.edgehill.ac.uk/visitus.
Request a Prospectus
If you would like to explore our full range of degrees before you apply, you can order an undergraduate prospectus at www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradprospectus.
Get in Touch
If you have any questions about this programme or what it’s like to study at Edge Hill University, please contact:
- Course Enquiries
- Tel: 01695 657000
- Email: study@edgehill.ac.uk
International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk with any queries about overseas study.