Animation

Bring your creative ideas to life, designing assets for animation and games while mastering workflows used by top studios. Through practical briefs you will build a diverse, industry-oriented portfolio.

You will put into practice principles and techniques of creating assets for animation and games, emphasising art direction, technical requirements, and integration into game engines or animation pipelines. Topics include 3D modelling, texturing, and rigging. You will use industry-standard software and workflows to create assets such as characters, environments, and props.  

Gain practical experience in managing film projects, from planning and scheduling to budgeting, and learn how to pitch your project and get your film funded.

This module will give you an opportunity for hands-on experience in the logistical, financial, creative, and people management aspects of the film making process. You will be introduced to the roles in producing and learn that whilst every film involves a series of routine processes, each film is also unique, with its own set of challenges to overcome. Activities will include understanding and answering a professional and real documentary funding opportunity, developing an idea and a synopsis, a creative statement, and put together a confident and engaging demo (including all required production paperwork). You will also develop and complete a production folder following industry requirements working towards the BFI funding scheme BFI NETWORK England short fiction film funding. You will work from an actual script and will be guided to write a director statement, produce a script breakdown, a financial structure as well as a budget, a mood board and team bios. You will also be introduced to the industry requirements in terms of inclusivity and environmental sustainability, and you will have the opportunity to gain your BAFTA albert professional certification

Whether your passion is games, films, or interactive media, this is your gateway to creating animated experiences. Learn the principles of timing, weight, and motion dynamics while getting to grips with animation workflows.

This module focuses on the principles and techniques of computer animation, including key concepts such as timing, spacing, weight, and motion dynamics. You will explore 2D and 3D animation workflows using industry-standard software. You will focus on the application of animation in games, audiovisual storytelling and interactive experiences.  

Discover movies from around the world, studying their cultural, political, and economic backgrounds, while learning how to create compelling video essays and to curate film programmes.

This module focuses on the cinema industries of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. It examines terms such as ‘world cinema’, ‘accented cinema’, ‘transnational cinema’, and ‘migration cinema’ in relation to representation, as well as to historical, political and economic contexts. The module introduces you to the diversity of world cinema, whether in the form of documentaries, drama, or animation, and to the local, regional or national cultures that have given rise to particular modes of film production, stylistic traditions, consumption habits, and social significance. It also examines the cultural, economic and ideological positioning of world cinemas within global patterns of film distribution, consumption and meaning.

You will explore the role of film festivals in the circulation of global cinema and may include a field trip to a London institution or festival involved in the promotion of global cinema. A guest industry speaker will update you on emerging trends. In this way, you will be introduced to film curation and programming as potential career paths.

Learn to design and animate characters with distinctive traits and styles. Gain expertise in rigging, texturing, and motion capture while building a portfolio that stands out in the competitive creative industry.

This module equips students with skills to effectively incorporate animated characters into game designs. Students engage with the complete process of character creation, beginning from initial conceptualisation and extending through detailed execution of both 2D and 3D animations. The curriculum integrates foundational practices such as character articulation, balance, and the application of Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation, alongside technical competencies in animating inanimate objects, human and animal biomechanics, and digital acting techniques (e.g., facial expressions, body language, lip-syncing, and motion capture). Through a combination of seminars, hands-on workshops, peer collaboration, and iterative project feedback, students develop a critical understanding of industry-standard animation practices. Additionally, students produce original scripts, demonstrating their narrative skills and translating them into professional-quality animations, thus preparing them for creative roles within the global game art and animation industries.

Master the skills to lead creative projects, from budgeting to stakeholder engagement. This module uses real-world examples to prepare you for managing teams and meeting deadlines.

This module focuses on project management principles and practices tailored to creative industries. Topics include creative project lifecycle management, resourcing, stakeholder engagement, intellectual property considerations, budgeting for creative endeavors, leadership and managing creativity within constraints. It explores a variety of traditional, Agile and Hybrid model of project management, offering students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience with a different project management tool and output in each session (for example schedule, risk assessment, communication plan, Agile iteration, hybrid plan). Real-world case studies from diverse creative industries will anchor the curriculum in professional practice.

Choose between completing a creative project or gaining industry experience through a placement. In your final semester, you will get ready to graduate with professional skills and an impressive portfolio.  

Develop innovative projects, refine your creative identity, and build a professional portfolio. Through a combination of research, experimentation, and hands-on practice, you will tackle real-world briefs, showcase your work across platforms, and prepare for a dynamic career in the creative industries.

This module focuses on the development and realisation of research briefs and creative challenges, with the aim of honing technical skills, showcasing and exhibiting your work across platforms, and preparing a professional portfolio. You explore and refine your individual creative identities while responding to briefs that align with professional practice. Through a combination of research, experimentation, and practical application, you will produce a portfolio of work that demonstrates technical expertise, conceptual depth, and creative problem-solving. The module will be supported by guest lecturers from industry professionals and visits to places of work within the creative industries.

30 credits

You will develop your core academic and integrated English language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will become familiar with key academic skills and concepts, such as referencing methods and awareness of academic integrity and tone. You will apply these skills and knowledge to both broad topics and also your chosen subject pathway.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs.

30 credits

You will develop your research, numeracy and information technology skills. You will investigate the difference between primary and secondary research, conduct your own research project and demonstrate your findings through data analysis. You will also develop your awareness of equality, diversion and inclusion in the UK, through a real-world issue; discrimination in the workplace.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs. 

30 credits.

This module invites you to take on the role of a video content creator, building on the skills acquired in Fundamentals of Image Making. You will examine the dynamic world of social media as news, with a particular focus on the theme of "identity." You will explore the impact of distributed media, examining how non-professionals contribute to shaping new media practices through platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Throughout the module, you will critically engage with the history and implications of self-promotion on social media, analysing its influence on society and the efforts to address its challenges. You will also explore citizen journalism, where social media content plays a pivotal role in reporting on crises and events inaccessible to traditional news outlets.

Teaching and learning

In weekly seminars, you will explore citizen journalist strategies – from video blogging to video editing – for creating engaging media content. Alongside these hands-on activities, you will engage deeply with thought-provoking questions about identity, voice, and representation in the digital age.

By the end of the module, you will have the skills to create compelling video content and a nuanced understanding of the role of social media in shaping our world.

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour workshop per week. Lectures will provide a critical foundation, introducing key concepts such as identity, social media and citizen journalism, while seminars will focus on hands-on skill development.

There will be an additional 30 minutes of online digital support per week. This will consist of virtual learning tools to extend access to resources through online tutorials, videos, and discussion forums.

Due to the highly technical nature of this module, you will be taught in a computer lab equipped with Adobe Creative Suite to support the required software-based learning outcomes.

You will also have access to DSLR cameras, microphones, lighting equipment, and a dedicated photography/filming studio, to facilitate practical exercises in media production.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using critical commentary and a self-produced video.

30% - critical commentary, you will explore the module theme ‘identity’. You will critically analyse a piece of video content that engages with the concept of identity.

70% - self-produced video, you will produce a four-minute video as a piece of citizen bases, engaging with the module theme of ‘identity’.

30 credits

In this module, you will critically explore how media representations are constructed and manipulated. You will examine semiotics, framing, and context, understanding how these elements influence perception.

The module will also address the social and cultural impacts of altered imagery, focusing on the concept of authenticity and the ethical considerations of image manipulation, while reflecting on historical perspectives of visual content authenticity.

You will gain practical skills in photography, learning to control key technical aspects like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and colour temperature. You will also explore the use of natural and artificial lighting to create specific moods, alongside composition techniques such as focal length and depth of field to enhance your imagery.

The module also introduces you to Adobe Photoshop, starting with basic tools and non-destructive editing techniques. You will advance to more complex methods like masking and compositing, developing a cohesive photographic project. Finally, you will manage workflows and deadlines, preparing your work for an online portfolio to showcase your skills as both a photographer and an image-maker.

Teaching and learning

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour workshop per week. Lectures will provide a critical foundation, introducing key concepts such as media practices, and image construction, whilst seminars will focus on hands-on skill development.

There will be an additional 30 minutes of online support per week. This will consist of virtual learning tools to extend access to resources through online tutorials, videos, and discussion forums.

Due to the highly technical nature of this module, you will be taught in a computer lab equipped with Adobe Creative Suite to support the required software-based learning outcomes.

You will also have access to DSLR cameras, microphones, lighting equipment, and a dedicated photography/filming studio, to facilitate practical exercises in media production.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using a research presentation and a creative online portfolio.

30% - research presentation, you will deliver a 5-minute in class exploring the module of theme of ‘authenticity’. This will involve selecting a visual event from a media-related field and critically analysing how the chosen image(s) engage with the concept of authenticity.

70% - creative online portfolio, you will produce a photographic series that creatively interrogates the notion of ‘authenticity of the image’.