UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORDSchool of Computing Informatics and MediaDepartment of Creative TechnologyProgramme/course title: Computer Animation
Awarding and teaching institution: / University of BradfordFinal award: / BA (Honours) [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level H]
Programme title: / Computer Animation
Programme approved by: / n/a
Duration: / 3 years full time; 4 years full time with Diploma of Industrial / International Studies; 4 years part time intensive; 6 years part time.
UCAS code: / G450 BA/Can
Subject benchmark statement: / Computing; Art and Design; Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies
Date produced: / April 2005
Last updated : / May 2012
Introduction
Even in difficult economic times, creative industries are rapidly growing to keep pace with new technological advances, in the UK and internationally. As animation technology is capable of producing ever more spectacular output, the operators using the technology must be equipped with the skills and ideas to get the most from it. Graduates who can demonstrate strong creative and technical aptitude and a critical understanding of the workings of the industry are very much in demand. Studying hard on a degree here will equip you for a fast paced rewarding career.
The Department of Creative Technology is part of Bradford University’s School of Computing, Informatics & Media (or SCIM for short), and it offers cutting edge undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in the fields of computer animation and computer games development. These are delivered by a team of industry experienced lectures against a background of internationally recognised research in computer animation, virtual reality, motion capture technology, distributed virtual environments, visualization, imaging, multimedia, digital video, human computer interaction, artificial intelligence and more. Our courses are unique in that they are offered in collaboration with the National Media Museum (NMeM), giving students access to an additional wealth of resources and expertise.
The Department prides itself on being part of the Yorkshire and Humber Skillset Media Academy, alongside the NMeM and East Coast Media. Employability is one of our key values, and many of our graduates go on to exciting jobs in the animation and visual effects, games, interactive and wider new media industries, regularly winning national and international awards for their work. While our courses provide you with specific sets of practical production skills, they also enhance your overall employability through their extensive use of team-working and problem-solving approaches to learning.
Programme Aims
The programme is intended to:
Equip students who wish to develop expertise in the creative, aesthetic and technical aspects of computer-generated animation, supported by a range of relevant audio-visual media disciplines.
On this course you will develop your creative skills through study of the basics of 2D and 3D computer animation, observational drawing, image production and manipulation, television and audio production, putting all these elements into practice through project modules. While the main emphasis is on content creation (helping you to produce a strong portfolio of work on graduation), the course also provides you with an appreciation of the social, aesthetic, and business contexts within which media artefacts are produced and circulated.
The Department aims to provide Honours degree programmes which enable you to develop an integrated range of knowledge, understanding and skills in the field of computer animation through critical engagement with principles, applications, content design and production practice. In addition the programmes aim actively to encourage students to develop a portfolio of appropriate transferable skills and attributes. For the Computer Animation course, these aims are achieved by:
· Delivering a programme of study with some opportunities for shared learning with other courses offered by the Department, with increasing specialization as you move towards graduation. The final year of the course focuses mainly on project production, allowing you to integrate the skills and knowledge developed in the first two years of the course;
· Providing a supportive, structured environment in which you are encouraged to develop independent learning skills;
· Developing subject knowledge and understanding, developing discipline skills and personal transferable skills, enabling graduates to pursue programmes of further study, or to move directly into responsible employment.
Programme Learning Outcomes
When you have completed the programme you will be able to:
LO1. Implement in practice key industrial software applications, with particular reference to 2D, 3D computer animation and compositing.
LO2. Critically compare and contrast production packages and processes across a range of media forms.
LO3. Make informed judgements in the context of rapidly developing and converging media industries.
LO4. Develop knowledge and practical understanding, of the use of interactive media products.
LO5. Evaluate effectively the inherent challenges that creative and systematic problem solving encompass.
LO6. Evaluate the cultural significance of creatively in a technical context.
LO7. Demonstrate an understanding of the social, political, cultural, technical, and business conditions of animated media production and reception in national and international contexts
LO8. Draw on professional industrial knowledge and understanding of the use of computer animation and special effects for film and video post-production.
LO9. Critically evaluate the relative efficacy of different approaches to computer animation problem solving.
LO10. Demonstrate an awareness of the concepts surrounding sustainability, as these relate to computer animation.
LO11. Effectively implement complex project management in an individual and group context.
LO12. Analyse and interpret aural, visual, and audio-visual material.
LO13. Evaluate the challenges surrounding teamwork and leadership.
Curriculum
The map of your studies is detailed further below showing core (C) and optional (O) modules. Each year, or stage, of an Honours course comprises 2 semesters with 60 credits being studied in each semester. It is also possible to study on this course on a part time basis over 6 years, with 60 credits per semester being taken. Although the University does not recruit directly to Ordinary degrees this route is available to students for whom a less intense course of study is appropriate. Ordinary degrees comprise 100 credits at stage 1 and 80 credits at stages 2 and 3. For entrants 2011/12 onwards placed on Ordinary programme route after stage 1 or 2, in addition to meeting the requirements for stage 1, students must study units amounting to 100 credits in stages 2 and 3 respectively.
Stage 1
By the end of this stage, you will be able to: demonstrate a broad knowledge base of fundamental technical, practical creative and theoretical concepts and will be able to apply them to your work. You will have a greater practical and conceptual knowledge of major subjects including the practical application of key 2D and 3D animation software, the development of solid creative skills, and the development of professional organisational and time management. You will have a secure grounding in technical / creative / theoretical subjects, with an additional emphasis on core elements such as visual literacy, observational drawing, and 2D and 3D computer animation.
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / SemesterEM 0139D / Introduction to 3D Computer Animation / C / 20 / 1 / 1
EM0142M / Observational Drawing 1 / C / 10 / 1 / 1
EM0106D / Visual Literacy and Imaging / C / 20 / 1 / 1
EM0145L / Developing Professional Skills (CT) / C / 20 / 1 / 1+2
EM0128D / Conventions of Animation / C / 20 / 1 / 2
EM 0140D / 3D Character Modelling & Animation / C / 20 / 1 / 2
EM0143M / Observational Drawing 2 / C / 10 / 1 / 2
Stage 2
By the end of this stage, you will be able to analyze and evaluate information on animation and the global media industry market and will be able to relate this information to your own work. You will have a more advance creative and technical application of the specialist issues and be able to apply them to your individual and group projects; have a technical and conceptual application of topics such as audio for animation, the importance of good design, video production, acting and the importance of animation subtleties, facial modeling and animation, and have the opportunity to critically and practically implement motion capture technology. You will also be making strong headway to advancing your autonomous learning and have implemented stronger project management.
Module Code / Module Title / Hons / Ord / Credits / Level / SemEM0264D / Advanced Character Animation / C / C / 20 / 2 / 1
EM0258D / Media Ethics, Compliance & Sustainability / C / - / 20 / 2 / 1
EM0265M / Advanced Observational Drawing / C / C / 10 / 2 / 1
EM0208M / Video Production / C / C / 10 / 2 / 1
EM0263M / Animation Appreciation and Analysis / C / C / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0270M / CGI Lighting, Rendering & Look Development / C / C / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0242D / Computer Generated Visual Effects / C / C / 20 / 2 / 2
EM0257M / Option: Environment, Set and Prop Creation / O / O / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0271M / Option: Digital Sculpting / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0253D / Option: Facial Modelling/Animation / O / O / 20 / 2 / 2
Stage 3
By the end of this stage, you will be able to effectively implement deeper, more rigid project management on both, a personal and group standing. You will have had the opportunity to fashion your own specialist and career focused goals. You will have been given the opportunity to develop and strengthen your industry experience with a live client lead brief. You will be able to implement personal choice regarding a leaning towards industrial environment and have acquired and strengthened your academic, conceptual, communicational, conceptual, and project management skills.
Module Code / Module Title / Hons / Ord / OrdFor 2011/12 entrants / Credits / Level / Sem
EM0333K / Design For Industry / C / C / C / 20+20 / 3 / 1+2
EM0324D / Individual Project 1 / C / C / C / 20 / 3 / 1
CM0341Q / Option: Final Year Project (Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme) / O / O / 20+20 / 3 / 1+2
EM0353D / Option: Experimental Filmmaking / O / O / 20 / 3 / 1
EM0347D / Option: Dissertation – Preparation / O / O / 20 / 3 / 1
EM0337D / Option: Individual Specialisation / O / O / 20 / 3 / 1
EM0261D / Option: Concept and Idea Development / O / O / 20 / 2 / 1
EM0328D / Individual Project 2 / C / C / C / 20 / 3 / 2
EM0257M / Option: Environment, Set and Prop Creation / O / O / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0271M / Option: Digital Sculpting / 10 / 2 / 2
EM0348D / Option: Dissertation – Write-up / O / O / 20 / 3 / 2
EM0253D / Option: Facial Modelling/Animation / O / O / 20 / 2 / 2
EM0366D / Option: Motion Capture / O / O / 20 / 3 / 2
Course arrangements for students commencing part time intensive course, over 4 years in September 2011:
Year 1
Module Code / Credits / Semester / Level / Module Title / HonoursEM0139D / 20 / 1 / 1 / Introduction to 3D Computer Animation / C
EM0106D / 20 / 1 / 1 / Visual Literacy and Imaging / C
EM0128D / 20 / 2 / 1 / Conventions of Animation / C
EM0140D / 20 / 2 / 1 / 3D Character Modelling & Animation / C
Year 2
Module Code / Credits / Semester / Level / Module Title / Honours / OrdinaryEM0142M / 10 / 1 / 1 / Observational Drawing 1 / C / C
EM0264D / 20 / 1 / 2 / Advanced Character Animation / C / C
EM0145L / 20 / 1+2 / 1 / Developing Professional Skills (CT) / C / C
EM0143M / 10 / 2 / 1 / Observational Drawing 2 / C / C
EM0242D / 20 / 2 / 2 / Computer Generated Special Effects / C / C
Year 3
Module Code / Credits / Semester / Level / Module Title / Honours / OrdinaryEM0258D / 20 / 1 / 2 / Media Ethics, Compliance & Sustainability / C
EM0265M / 10 / 1 / 2 / Advanced Observational Drawing / C / C
EM0208M / 10 / 1 / 2 / Video Production / C / C
EM0263M / 10 / 2 / 2 / Animation Appreciation and Analysis / C / C
EM0270M / 10 / 2 / 2 / CGI Lighting, Rendering & Look Development / C / C
EM0257M / 10 / 2 / 2 / Option: Environment, Set and Prop Creation / O / O
EM0271M / 10 / 2 / 2 / Option: Digital Sculpting
EM0253D / 20 / 2 / 2 / Option: Facial Modelling/Animation / O / O
EM0366D / 20 / 2 / 3 / Option: Motion Capture / O / O
Year 4
Module Code / Credits / Semester / Level / Module Title / Honours / OrdinaryEM0333K / 20+20 / 1+2 / 3 / Design For Industry / C / C
EM0353D / 20 / 1 / 3 / Option: Digital Videography / O / O
EM0347D / 20 / 1 / 3 / Option: Dissertation – Preparation / O / O
EM0337D / 20 / 1 / 3 / Option: Individual Specialisation / O / O
EM0261D / 20 / 1 / 2 / Option: Concept and Idea Development / O / O
EM0348D / 20 / 2 / 3 / Option: Dissertation – Write-up / O / O
EM0257M / 10 / 2 / 2 / Option: Environment, Set and Prop Creation / O / O
EM0271M / 10 / 2 / 2 / Option: Digital Sculpting
EM0253D / 20 / 2 / 2 / Option: Facial Modelling/Animation / O / O
EM0366D / 20 / 2 / 3 / Option: Motion Capture / O / O
Summer period
EM0324D / 20 / 3 / Individual Project 1 / C / CEM0328D / 20 / 3 / Individual Project 2 / C / C
The curriculum may change, subject to the University's course approval, monitoring and review procedures.