Calling All Bucks Graduates - Apply Now for the Aardman Certificate in Character Animation

Aardman's Certificate in Character Animation

Aardman and the NFTS are offering an intensive three month Certificate in Character Animation, aimed primarily at graduates and taught by industry professionals at Aardman studios in Bristol.  The course is headed up by Loyd Price, Head of Animation at Aardman, with the aim of "bridging the gap between education and industry" and "enabling students to develop the core practical skills needed for them to become competent professional animators and to create believable characters through acting and performance".

What is the deadline?
The application deadline is 29 June 2015

What's in the Course?
The course will take place at Aardman’s studio in Bristol and will be taught by practicing Aardman animators who have worked on many productions including Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Flushed Away, The Pirates! and Shaun the movie. There will also be additional support from other industry professionals from both the Stop-frame and CG animation disciplines.

Why is it just 3 months?
The course is short but very intensive with the main aim being to produce students with the level of animation skills needed to allow them to get jobs as animators within this competitive industry. While this is no guarantee of future success, to date over 70% of the students have become animators within the industry.

When are the course dates?
Course dates: 21st September – 11th December 2015

How many students will get in?
The course is open to a maximum of 6 Stop Frame and 6 CG students, with the students working in either CG (using Maya) or Stop Frame (using Dragon-Frame). Students will be taught in small groups to enable maximum contact time with staff and other visiting tutors. The course will be taught in a series of weekly assignments, each focusing on a key aspect of animation performance. Students will be encouraged to repeat and finesse each assignment during the week. The course will be based on learning technical and practical skills, providing a foundation on which students can become technically proficient animators and thereby enable them to bring their characters to life. The course is structured to build from simpler exercises towards a short sequence demonstrating character-based performance, which will be animated within scheduled production deadlines.

To find out more, follow this link.

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days, take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK. Find out why we're giving free laptops to all our students, and why we give all our students free access to videos at Lynda.com. Also, see what financial assistance might be available to you. Learn which is better for animation, a PC or a Mac? Get hold of a copy of a map so you can find your way around campus, and learn aboutmotion capture at Bucks.