BA (Hons) - Animation and Visual Effects

Year one

In your first year, you will take part in a series of practical workshops, studio activities and introductory production projects. These will help you develop core technical skills, understand animation and VFX workflows, and begin to explore how ideas are shaped into visual outcomes.

You will also study the cultural, historical and social contexts that inform creative work, helping you understand animation and visual effects as part of a wider screen and visual culture. Alongside this, you will work collaboratively with other students on creative briefs, developing skills in communication, problem-solving, teamwork and production planning.

The emphasis in Year One is on building enthusiasm, confidence and practical understanding. You will be encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, solve creative problems and begin identifying the areas of animation and VFX that interest you most.

• Animation and VFX Pipelines
  You will be introduced to the core principles of animation and visual effects production. This includes understanding how ideas, designs, assets and shots move through a production pipeline, from early concept development through to finished screen work.
• Digital Narrative and Concept
  This module develops your generalist skills in animation and VFX by exploring visual storytelling, character, scenario design and screen action. You will begin to consider how digital tools can be used to create engaging worlds, characters and narrative moments.
• Virtual Stagecraft
  You will explore how digital imagery, animation and computer-generated elements can be combined with filmed or photographed material. The module introduces key principles of compositing, screen-based illusion, virtual production thinking and the relationship between physical and digital image-making.
• Cultural Contexts
  You will be introduced to cultural, historical and social contexts that inform creative practice across a range of disciplines. This module will help you develop critical thinking and understand your own work in relation to wider visual culture.
• Collaborative Practice
  You will work with students from other areas to explore creative collaboration through an industry-relevant brief. You will develop skills in discussion, debate, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and shared production practice.

Year two

In your second year, you will build on the foundations developed at Level 4 and begin to take greater creative and technical ownership of your work. You will develop your skills in ideation, pre-production, visual storytelling, cinematography, animation, asset acquisition and experimental production.

This year gives you the opportunity to explore more ambitious ideas and begin identifying specialist interests. You may work on independent projects, negotiated briefs, collaborative work and live or external opportunities. Tutor-led studio forums will support your development, giving you space to test ideas, receive feedback and refine your approach.

The focus in Year Two is on developing confidence, professional awareness and a clearer sense of creative direction. You will begin to connect your production interests to deeper research, more focused technical development and longer-term career or postgraduate goals.

• Shot to Screen
  You will undertake a self-directed production project, adapting an existing story, scene or narrative form into a new animated or digitally recreated sequence. This module encourages you to reinterpret source material through your own visual style, technical approach and production process.
• Script, Storyboard & Previs
  This practical module introduces key techniques in visual storytelling and pre-production for animation and VFX. You will explore idea generation, script development, storyboarding and previsualisation for a range of screen media.
• Experimental Narrative & Concept
  You will explore alternative approaches to narrative, visual form and production thinking. This module encourages experimentation, helping you challenge conventional storytelling methods, test new creative processes and evaluate different ways of making animation and VFX work.
• Animation and VFX Cinematography
  You will prepare for the creative and professional challenges of practical effects, digital asset acquisition and on-set VFX production. This may include working with props, scene artefacts, reference material, lighting, production continuity and footage intended for 2D, 3D or composited outcomes.
• Professional Development
  You will develop your understanding of professional practice in the creative industries. This module supports your transition toward independent work, helping you consider career goals, portfolio development, industry expectations and future opportunities.

Year three

In your final year, you will focus on your own specialist interests, creative ambitions and professional direction. You will apply the skills, knowledge and experience developed across the course to produce a substantial final project or portfolio of work.

Your final year will support research, development, production planning, pitching, experimentation and advanced technical practice. You will be encouraged to develop a project that reflects your own ideas, visual style and skillset, while also considering audience, feasibility, production values and professional presentation.

By the end of the course, you will have a clearer sense of your creative identity, a portfolio of work that demonstrates your abilities, and an understanding of how to position your work for employment, freelance practice, festivals, exhibition or postgraduate study.

• Research Brief
  You will carry out research and pre-production for your graduate project. This module helps you contextualise your work, define your specialist interests and develop a research portfolio that supports your final production.
• Production Review
  You will develop and pitch a production idea to a professional or industry-facing audience. This module reflects elements of commissioning and studio practice, requiring you to present your concept, production materials, creative rationale and feasibility planning.
• Professional Studio Project
  You will consolidate the practical, conceptual and technical skills developed across the course to produce a substantial screen-based project. This final project should reflect your creative identity, specialist skills and understanding of contemporary animation and VFX practice.
• Festivals & Exhibition
  You will prepare your work for public and professional presentation. This module supports your engagement with festivals, competitions, exhibitions, portfolio platforms and other media-related opportunities after graduation. It will help you consider how to promote your work, reach audiences and take the next steps beyond the course.