What's the single most important thing that animation graduates need to do when applying for work? Of course, the main thing a professional animator needs is a great demo reel, which is why we spend so much time at BNU focusing on helping our students to prepare a great demo reel. But that reel is no good unless a future employer can find it quickly. To make sure the person doing the hiring can find your work easily, make sure to embed your demo reel at the top of your CV or resume. And, it goes without saying, check that the embedded link actually works.
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Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Monday, 29 September 2025
Happy Birthday Blue Zoo!
Blue Zoo 25th Anniversary Party |
The event celebrated a quarter-century of award-winning creativity, from groundbreaking children’s TV shows to acclaimed commercials.
Sunday, 28 September 2025
The Best Books To Learn Animation
What are the key books that animation students should buy to learn the craft of animation?
Books may be a bit old school these days, but a good book is still a great place to start learning about and exploring the world of character animation.
The best books will teach you, immerse you - and inspire you to do your very best work. So, what are the top five books?
Books may be a bit old school these days, but a good book is still a great place to start learning about and exploring the world of character animation.
The best books will teach you, immerse you - and inspire you to do your very best work. So, what are the top five books?
Friday, 26 September 2025
Why Animators Like Assymetry
Mickey Mouse from "The Illusion of Life" |
Perfectly mirrored limbs, identical angles, and evenly balanced weight all scream “mannequin,” not “living being.” Real life — and good animation — is full of asymmetry.
Monday, 22 September 2025
Why Animators Need to Hold Poses Longer
One of the common mistakes made by junior animators is the “default face.” A character smiles, frowns, gasps — and then, almost instantly, snaps back to a bland neutral expression. It’s as if the performance forgets itself.
This also happens in lipsync; where the character will make a vowel or consonant; then snap back into a default mouth shape much too quickly. Much better to hold the vowel or consonant longer, and really get the most out of the pose.
Sunday, 21 September 2025
ScreenSkills Animation Trainee Finder 2025
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Apply at Screen Skills' official site |
"Animation Trainee Finder" places trainees on animation productions and aims to ensure a steady supply of talent for the UK animation industry.
Thursday, 18 September 2025
COM7025 (Professional Prep) Starts 6 Oct 2025
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Animation by BNU graduate Robin Herrmann |
The theoretical Assignment (Animation Industry Report) is due on Friday 12th December 2025, before 2pm. Demo Reel & Portfolio is due on Friday 9th January 2026, before 2pm.
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Letters of Recommendation for BNU Graduates
For animation graduates, a Letter of Recommendation is often requested when applying for jobs, internships, or postgraduate opportunities. Here at BNU we write such letters on a regular basis.
Employers and studios want to know what you’re like to work with, and a letter from a trusted tutor or mentor can help convey that. Are you a team player? Do you show up on time? These are the "soft skills" that employers look for.
Here are some tips to make the process of getting a reference or letter or recommendation as smooth as possible:
Thursday, 24 July 2025
A Guide to Taxes for Freelance Animators
Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Eight Rules for Success with a New Client
Above is a short video setting out what we believe to be the eight rules for success when dealing with your first client. For our students at BNU studying on the MA in 3D Animation for Professionals, dealing with their first client is part of our academic program. During Module COM7028 "Client Brief" our students seek out a client (this could be a friend, a company, a charity, or a small business) that needs a short piece of animation. The video above explains how to make the experience of working with a new client as smooth as possible. You can also find out more by reading this blog post.
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Why Animation Grads Still Need a Website
Why do animation graduates need their own blog or website? Because it remains the case today that having your own blog or website is still the best way to own your own professional slice of the internet. Your blog or website is your showcase for your talent; you can style it and curate it any way you want, and show the world what you are capable of. The video above explains why our animation graduates still need their own online space to show their work.
Monday, 21 July 2025
Why Animation Graduates Still Need a CV
Do animators still need a cv or resume? We think so. Animators still need a cv because employers will need a brief summary of all the relevant detail about your skills, academic qualifications, citizenship (this matters for your right to work), job history and - crucially - all your contact details. Contact details should include your email address, your phone number - and also your physical address.
Sunday, 20 July 2025
Why BNU Animation Grads Still Need Linkedin
Animators need Linkedin because now more than ever Linkedin has become the default platform for animation graduates looking for work. Linkedin is a "one stop shop" for animation recruiters, who can find fresh talent, see their job history, watch their demo reel and - crucially - forward the link to their clients. The video above explains why our animation graduates need Linkedin, and how to take advantage of its features.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
MA Animation Now Recruiting for Sept 2025
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Animation by BNU graduate Neil Whitman |
The online MA in animation at BNU was launched in 2015 and was the very first of its kind - the first online MA in animation which could be undertaken by students anywhere in the world.
Our MA 3D Animation for Professionals continues to partner with the online animation school www.animationapprentice.org, ensuring that all our MA Students graduate with industry-level skills. Teaching starts in September 2025.
Thursday, 10 July 2025
COM7024 Animals & Creatures Starts 7 July 25
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COM7024 Animals & Creatures Starts 7 July 2025 |
COM7024 focuses on animal and creature animation, with an emphasis on the kind of photo-realistic animation in which London VFX houses specialise. COM7024 PR1 is due on Friday 12th September 2025 at 2pm.
Monday, 24 March 2025
COM7023 Performance Starts 7 April 2025
COM7023, the third animation module on our online masters' degree in 3D animation, starts on Monday 7 April 2025.
The module is titled COM7023 - Character Performance, and builds up to an entry into the Eleven Second Club competition.
The module is titled COM7023 - Character Performance, and builds up to an entry into the Eleven Second Club competition.
In this module students learn how to tackle character performance, dialogue and lipsync. COM7023 PR1 is due on Friday 13th June 2025 at 2pm.
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
COM7028 "Client Brief" Starts 6 Jan 2025
Module COM7028 "Client Brief" started on 6 January 2025 (you can see a full list of academic deadlines here). In COM7028 students learn how to complete a short piece of animation for a client, and also contextualise the practical outcome with a written assignment of 1,500-2000 words.
The deadline for the Client Project is Friday 14th March 2025, before 2pm. The deadline for the Written Assignment is Friday 11th April 2025 before 2pm.
Monday, 6 January 2025
2025 Animation Masters' Demo Reel
We're proud to present the latest edit of the best work done by our animation masters' degree students (MA Animation for Professionals) at Buckinghamshire New University over the past year. Our 2025 Animation Masters' Demo Reel is a selection of the best work completed on our MA in 3D Animation for Professionals, delivered in partnership with the online school Animation Apprentice. Congratulations to all our students on their excellent work.
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