Postgraduate courses in Animation

If you have a creative mind and talent for animation then why not put your skills to the test with a postgraduate degree? 

If you’d like to learn more and begin your research, information which may guide you in the right direction can be found below.

What is animation?

Animation is a method in which figures are manipulated to appear as though they are moving. This can be done through drawing, painting and computer animation. 

Courses

Postgraduate courses in Animation are offered throughout the UK. Some courses might have differing modules but for the most part, they all cover the same material to help you on your journey to your desired career, with the opportunity to focus on 3D also on offer. 

A Masters in animation allows students to practice both individually and as part of a collaborative process. These courses see students develop their skills, think and question animation potential and how to communicate their vision to their audience. Theoretical and contextual content may be covered in order to gain a good understanding of animation, its role, how to get the best from your work and practice your craft while learning from others. 

There are also 3D Animation courses on offer which allows students to develop their computer skills in animation and take them to a higher level. Different aspects of the craft will be focused on such as lipsync, creature interaction and dialogue. 

Entry requirements

Like any postgraduate course, an honours degree in a related field is necessary in order to apply. Often a degree in Visual Arts is sought after.  Different courses and Universities may differ in their requirements while a lot of courses in this field will carry out an interview in practical courses like animation and candidates may be expected to carry out a presentation of previous work. 

All requirements for particular courses can be found online on either course overviews or on University websites. 

Job options 

• Animated filmmaker
• Character animator
• Storyteller
• Designer
• Content creator
• Book animator 
• Freelancer 
• Technical director

Career Development 

With many courses like Animation, your portfolio and build of work and projects is very important. With talent and hard work, developing a career in this industry can take you to all kinds of places. Whether you would like to work on smaller projects such as book animation or you are aiming for the big animated films, through experience and practice, you can use you degree in whatever way you wish. To develop a career in Animation, you must put in the work to be the best you can and produce the best quality content you can. 

Salary expectation 

Your salary can increase with experience in this job. It is hard to know exactly the salary as it can be quite dependent on the type of job or if you’re a freelancer and many other variables. However, the salaries in computer animation can start around £18,000 and rise with experience. Animators with experience of ten or more years can earn £36,000+.

Skills and requirements

• Creative 
• Artistic
• Imaginative and innovative
• Computer literacy 
• Natural talent
• Communication skills
• Work well with others 
• Presentation skills
• Confidence 
• Organised 
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Drawing, analyzing, timing skills