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Monday 28 December 2015
Student Showcase - Online MA in 3D Animation!
Our brand-new online MA in 3D animation (the first of its kind anywhere in the world) has only been up and running for a few months now, but we are already starting to see some excellent results. The short clip above was created by MA student Neil Whitman, and shows perfectly how important it is for animators not only to master the technical side of our craft, but also to entertain an audience. Neil does this perfectly, creating an imaginative use of different walk cycles to create an interesting and funny story.
Sunday 27 December 2015
UCAS Deadline looms for 2016!
UCAS - still enough time left - but hurry! |
The next UCAS deadline is 15 January 2016, and we're still welcoming applications for our fast-growing courses.
Below are some good reasons why we believe we are building one of the best places to study animation in the country, and how you can get started on your new career as a digital animator. Why wait? Apply now!
Friday 25 September 2015
Bucks New University Welcomes Our New Students To The Online MA in Animation!
The world's first online MA in animation |
This is a unique degree - the first of its kind - which can be undertaken by students anywhere in the world, leading to a formal qualification in the field. You will not only learn how to animate, but you will engage at Masters' level with the underpinning theory and structure behind the art form. So, what is this degree all about, and what can our new students expect?
Tuesday 15 September 2015
Bucks Student Pippa Stark Takes the Harry Potter Tour - By Broomstick
To read more about our recent visit to the excellent Harry Potter studio tour in Leavesden, read this post.
And to see some of Pippa's excellent and inventive animation, see this post.
Saturday 29 August 2015
Sydney Padua - Our New Animation Lecturer!
Bucks New University is proud to announce our new lecturer in Animation - industry veteran Sydney Padua, whose animation career not only includes a roster of Hollywood hits but also encompasses countless visual effects blockbusters.
If that's not enough for you, she has even published highly successful graphic novels. So, some very good news then for animation and VFX students at Bucks.
If that's not enough for you, she has even published highly successful graphic novels. So, some very good news then for animation and VFX students at Bucks.
Friday 21 August 2015
A New Demo Reel from Miles Skarin
CRYSTAL SPOTLIGHT VIDEO SHOWREEL 2015 from Crystal Spotlight on Vimeo.
Check out the latest demo from Crystal Spotlight, the work of Miles Skarin, one of our many talented students at Bucks. Miles will be entering the second year of his studies in September, and is already doing work that any graduate would be proud of. Congratulations to Miles on an excellent piece of work.
---Alex
Friday 31 July 2015
Moving On
Like Dick Whittington, I'm off to London |
Sad to say, today is my last day at Bucks, and I am moving to a new job in London with Escape Studios. However, the excellent work done at Bucks by our talented students will continue, and I wish the very best to whoever takes on the running of Animation and VFX course.
Saturday 25 July 2015
Book Recommendation - Animation Methods by David Rodriguez
Animation Methods by David Rodriguez is a very, very good book on learning animation in Maya. It's a book that focuses primarily on 3D Character Animation, a step-by-step guide for learning Maya, and the Maya animation tools. It also has useful sections on how to get into the industry, how to make a great demo reel, and how to get a job in animation. We think this is a very useful companion book to the animation and VFX course at Bucks.
It is also an unusual book in that it makes extensive use of QR codes - meaning you can use your smartphone to scan the codes and then view a 3D animated clip of the lesson. So, not only can you read the lesson, but you can also see and understand it through a video demonstration.
Friday 24 July 2015
CTN hosts Animation Masterclass with Pixar's Michal Makarewicz.
Animation masterclass with Pixar's Michal Makarewicz |
This weekend the Creative Talent Network (CTN) hosts an animation masterclass with Pixar's Michal Makarewicz. There are still some spots available - the only catch is you will need to be in Los Angeles. For any of our students in the area, we highly recommend attending this event - and others like it. Time spent seeing the work methods of master animators is never wasted, and will help you to polish and refine your own workflow.
Thursday 23 July 2015
An Awesome Reel from Studio AKA
STUDIO AKA Montage Reel 2015 from STUDIO AKA on Vimeo.
Check out the latest work by STUDIO AKA, a multi-BAFTA winning & Oscar-nominated independent animation studio & production company based in London. This is just the sort of small studio we love to see, boutique houses doing creative and interesting work in animation. Most interestingly, Studio AKA do a mixture of 2D and 3D work, showing that the medium isn't really what matters - it's what you do with it that counts. Animation is all about creating an entertaining and believable performance. We train our students to master these skills so that they can use any software to create great animation.
Wednesday 22 July 2015
Why Animators Should Go To Siggraph in August
Siggraph 2015 |
This year Siggraph is taking place in the Los Angeles Convention Center, from 9-13 August. Siggraph is the world's biggest conference on computer graphics. Like FMX in Stuttgart, or the Annecy animation festival, it is the perfect place to find out about the latest technologies, meet other animators, find the big recruiters, and figure out where the industry is heading. It is, in short, a window into the digital future. Obviously, not many of our students will find themselves in LA this summer, but for those luckily few that are, we highly recommend attending Siggraph - and events like it. There is nothing quite like it to give you a unique insight into the the new technology that is driving the development of the animation industry.
Monday 20 July 2015
David Thompson Explains How to Produce Movies
David Thompson at BAFTA |
Thursday 9 July 2015
10% Discount On Our Online MA in Animation Extended Until End of August
Learn Character and Creature Animation |
Tuesday 7 July 2015
"Chappie" Student Art Competition
Monday 6 July 2015
Charlotte - a New Free Maya Rig!
Digital artist Ahmed Elmatarawi has just released his newest baby - Charlotte - a free Maya rig available for student and non-commercial use around the world. We haven't tested it yet, but the video below takes you through the rig in detail, and we look forward to seeing what our students can do with her. One of the great benefits of working in Maya is its growing user base, bringing us new and better animation rigs for student use all the time. So who and what is Charlotte?
Thursday 2 July 2015
What Do Sales Agents Do, Exactly?
Sola Media - Sales Agents with a focus on animation |
Tuesday 30 June 2015
Blue Zoo Summer Internships
Friday 26 June 2015
Bucks New Uni's Annecy Survival Guide
Annecy - an ancient medieval town in the French Alps |
Thursday 25 June 2015
Calling All Bucks Graduates - Apply Now for the Aardman Certificate in Character Animation
Aardman's Certificate in Character Animation |
Wednesday 24 June 2015
What Is The Monthly Character Design Challenge?
Character Design Challenge! |
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Framestore Reveal Their Animation Secrets to Bucks Students
Here at Bucks we are committed to bringing in regular visiting lecturers from the animation and visual effects industry, to make sure that what we're teaching is totally current and up-to-date. On Friday 29 May we welcomed Framestore's Marion Strunck to teach our students at Bucks. Marion is a graduate of the excellent Animation Workshop in Denmark and an expert in character and creature animation. Every animator has their own workflow, and it was fascinating to gain some insights into how a top London VFX house approaches the art of character and creature animation.
Sunday 21 June 2015
The Thief and The Cobbler at Annecy
On stage at Annecy - Le Voleur et Le Cordonnier |
Thursday 18 June 2015
Job Alert - Sheridan College Seek Professor of Animation - MA Required!
Sheridan College are hiring! |
Wednesday 17 June 2015
A Love Letter to Almaty - by Anton Alfimenko
Bucks Animation & VFX student Anton Alfimenko has recently finished a film about his home town of Almaty in Kazakhstan. Anton's work is primarily focused on digital media but he has been taking extra classes here at Bucks in the use of live action cameras - which is something we strongly encourage. Here, Anton uses speeded-up photography to give a sense of the passing of time in his home city. It's a beautiful piece of work, and we congratulate Anton on further developing his own personal skillset and creating a finished, polished piece of work.
Tuesday 16 June 2015
Make Your Own RenderFarm With Backburner
Render by Gilles Tran - Wikimedia Commons |
Monday 15 June 2015
Introducing The Shaththan Rig
Shaththan Rig |
Sunday 14 June 2015
BAFTA Piccadilly hosts film-making masterclasses on July 11th - for just £6
Saturday 13 June 2015
Bucks Students End of Year Show 13-18 June 2015
Friday 12 June 2015
Weight Lift Animation by Anthoni Zakheos
Creating a believable sense of weight and balance is one of the hardest skills to acquire as an animator. After all, unlike stop-motion animation, our digital creations have no real weight at all: they are just collections of pixels moving around on a screen. The weight that the audience sees must be entirely simulated; the animator must maintain the illusion convincingly and plausibly throughout the shot. One of our first year students, Anthoni Zakheos, recently competed an excellent piece of work showing a complete understanding of the tricks needed to pull of the illusion of weight.
Wednesday 10 June 2015
The Rise of the Quadcopter - Friend or Foe?
The DJI phantom with stabilized flight, GPS positioning and advanced flight modes |
So what's not to like?
Big Hardware Upgrade for Bucks Animation Resources
The New Lenovo Animation Workstation at Bucks! |
Working with out new IT partner, Lenovo, we are re-equipping our Animation Studios with high end ThinkStations. These will be specified to meet the Autodesk requirements and will include dual screens to allow our students to experience a professional environment. We will now be able to set up poses on one screen and adjust curves on the other. We can have a model on one screen and set up materials or edit UV's on the other screen. Any aspiring 3D Artist should consider a dual screen set up as it makes many processes far more efficient and enjoyable.
We are also setting up a dedicated Render Farm on a new local network specifically for the Animation courses!
Tuesday 9 June 2015
Wednesday 17 June - Our Next Open Day at Bucks!
Wednesday 17 June is our next Open Day at Bucks, and the last one for the current academic year. Open Days are a great way for prospective students to get a feeling for what it is like studying at Bucks. Come and see our campus, take the tour and see the state-of-the-art facilities that we offer. Meet the Animation & VFX course team, and find out what we can do to start your career in this most exciting, challenging, and rapidly-expanding industry. We'll even give you free coffee and muffins.
Sunday 7 June 2015
How Did Disney Animators on Frozen Approach Their Shots?
Watch Disney's smash hit animated film Frozen and you will find some first class acting, beautiful work which arguably takes the medium to a whole new level of sophistication and skill. But how do animators achieve such great acting? The answer of course is just the same as it would have been at the Disney studio 70 or 80 years ago: if you want great acting, study great actors. Below is an excellent shot progression showing how animators on Frozen used live actiion reference to bring their shots to life.
Saturday 6 June 2015
Bucks Library Gets Subscription To 3D Artist Magazine
3D Artist magazine - now in the library at Bucks |
3D Artist Magazine is now available for our students in the library at Bucks. 3D artist is one of the leading periodicals for our industry, packed with great information about the latest news in 3D animation and - crucially for students - full of tutorials on how to use the latest stuff. You can learn animation, modeling, texturing, lighting - all the key components of 3D artistry. Here at Bucks we're committed to stocking the library with the very best magazines, books and journals about animation - so our students have access to the best materials possible to support their studies.
Thursday 4 June 2015
The Top Three Free Maya Plugins
Maya 2016 |
Wednesday 27 May 2015
Akshay Ohari Wins YouTube Silver Plaque
Akshay Ohari |
Akshay started studying Animation & VFX with us at Bucks last year, but left to set up his one online business FutPacks, which has been growing rapidly. Here at Bucks we encourage all our students to be entrepreneurs, taking on freelance work and growing their skills as digital artists and creators of original content. Congratulations to Akshay on a great achievement.
Monday 25 May 2015
Bucks Students Take The Harry Potter Studio Tour
Harry Potter Tour |
Sunday 24 May 2015
Reminder - Creature Animation Masterclass on Friday 29 May
Framestore did the character animation for Paddington |
Friday 22 May 2015
Finding a Summer Internship in Animation & VFX - Twelve Rules for Success
Interview, a short animated film by Mikkel Okholm and Mikkel Brons-Frandsen |
Thursday 21 May 2015
How to Apply For Our New Online MA in Animation
The world's first online MA in animation |
Wednesday 20 May 2015
Bucks Graduation Show at The Curzon Soho on 4th June
Tuesday 19 May 2015
Reminder - Producing Animation Workshop with Steve Burch on Tuesday 26 May!
Steve Burch |
Monday 18 May 2015
How Did Animators on Disney's Big Hero Six Plan Their Shots?
Shot Breakdown: Fred basketball test from trent correy on Vimeo.
Above is an excellent shot breakdown video by Disney animator Trent Correy about how he planned out one of his shots on Big Hero Six. How does an animator actually plan their shot? There is, of course, no single answer to this question - every animator has their own workflow that works for them. That said, most animators approach a shot in fairly similar ways, thinking about it, planning it, thumbnailing it, making a road map for their destination. Watch Trent's video above and see how a skilled animator approaches their subject. You can also click here, or follow the link below:
http://trentanimation.tumblr.com/post/112765648590/ive-had-a-few-requests-lately-to-do-a-shot
Sunday 17 May 2015
Wednesday 17 June - Our Next Open Day at Bucks
Wednesday 17 June is our next Open Day at Bucks, and the last one for the current academic year. Open Days are a great way for prospective students to get a feeling for what it is like studying at Bucks. Come and see our campus, take the tour and see the state-of-the-art facilities that we offer. Meet the Animation & VFX course team, and find out what we can do to start your career in this most exciting, challenging, and rapidly-expanding industry. We'll even give you free coffee and muffins.
Friday 15 May 2015
Introducing the Animus Rig!
Animus rig by Nick Miller and Lin Xiong |
Thursday 14 May 2015
"White Walker" Sculpt by Phaedrus Byskou
Tuesday 12 May 2015
Reminder - Still Time to Sign Up For Annecy 2015!
Annecy - still time to sign up |
Monday 11 May 2015
CGMeetUp post Free Maya Rigs
CG MeetUp - full of great resources for animators |
Sunday 10 May 2015
Harvard Referencing by Sara Eaglesfield
Friday 8 May 2015
Reminder - Harry Potter Tour on May 13th! Be at Lily's Walk at 9.30am
Harry Potter Leavesden Entrance. Photo by Karen Roe |
Thursday 7 May 2015
One Week Left to Submit Your Project to Cartoon Forum!
Do you have an animated TV series or TV special in development? And if not, why not? Our animation students at Bucks are not just technicians, they are creators, brainstorming new ideas and concepts in animation, searching for the next Peppa Pig or Charlie and Lola. But you can't do it alone - animation is a team sport. A successful TV series needs co-producers, financing, broadcasters and new media partners. And where do you find those? Well, Cartoon Forum is where.
Wednesday 6 May 2015
Framestore Animation Masterclass Comes To Bucks on May 29
Framestore did the character animation for Paddington |
Monday 4 May 2015
Bucks New Uni and The Hornets Show - by Rob Kelly
Hornets Show - by Bucks students |
Sunday 3 May 2015
Internship at Leading London VFX House for Bucks Students
Soho VFX |
Saturday 2 May 2015
Free Textures from Pixar!
Pixar have recently released a number of free repeating textures from their archives - for use in 3D animation. The archive was first created in 1993, and is now free for use by the rest of us - for the first time ever. Included in the free release are bricks, metals, fabrics, skins, ground surfaces, and tons of other stuff. All of them are designed to repeat seamlessly with no nasty visible joins.
Friday 1 May 2015
Still Time to Apply for our Online MA in Animation!
The world's first online MA in animation |
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