COURSES THAT HAVE A REAL EFFECT ON FOLK
What courses?
A myriad of titles including: animation; computer arts; creative digital media; animation production; animation technology; computer visualization; computer games arts. Plus a host of joint honours combinations.
What do you come out with?
BA, or a BSc for some computer animation courses. At Dundee, you’ll get a BDes.
Why do it?
“Recent years have seen unprecedented growth in computer-generated films and games.
Animation and digital effects are among the most demanding and fastest growing areas of creative and technical endeavour.
Each new release pushes the boundaries of computing technology by applying artistic skills with mathematics, physics and software engineering.
Successful tecnophile artists have a mastery of the sophisticated technology involved and the talent to use it in the creation of works of art.
A good degree in this field should equip you with understanding, knowledge and skills in the creative and technical aspects of animation.”— Peter Comninos, director of the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University
What’s it about?
Producing multiple images that create the illusion of movement when strung together.
Your work can be com-missioned for films, television advertisements, cartoons and video games.
Students choose to specialise in 2D animation, 3D model-making animation or digital animation that uses computer-generated imagery (CGI) — the software made famous in the early 1990s by hit dinosaur movie Jurassic Park.
During the course you can expect to study drawing, character animation, graphics and video production, and you will learn about the whole animation production process from start to finish, with the opportunity to create every-thing from storyboards to scripts.
For computer animation courses, students will gain an understanding of both the creative and the technical processes involved — so a talent for life drawing will be just as valuable as maths and programming skills.
Some choose to study animation with another subject, illustration being one of the most popular choices.
Study options:
Three years full-time for most courses, although a small number offer the opportunity to take a sandwich year in which to work in the industry.
What will I need to do it?
A flair for art, and, In many cases, a good grasp of IT.
The usual route is via a pre-degree art and design course such as a foundation art and design, although most courses accept A-levels too.
Nearly all courses interview applicants and ask to see a portfolio providing evidence of your creative ability.
What are my job prospects?
Good, if you can get the work.
It’s a very competitive industry and most jobs are given on a freelance basis, but it can pay well once you’ve made a name for yourself, especially in the ever-growing computer games industry.
Starting salaries are very low but rise quickly with experience.
Unlike some art courses, there’s a real commercial angle, meaning you can actually get a job that utilises your creativity.
Related degrees:
Art design; graphic design; computer science.