2020-21 BNU Master's Animation Reel

We're proud to present the 2020 Buckinghamshire New University Animation Masters' Reel. All the work shown above was completed by our Masters' degree students, who study online at Animation Apprentice, which delivers the practical content for the master's degree at Bucks. Many congratulations to BNU students and graduates Michael Davies, Kente Sunde, Adam Sale, Kristis Bandzevicius, Lisa Springett, and Lee Caller on their excellent work.

DA703 Animals & Creatures Starts 19 April

Hermit crab animation by Joe Gamble

Module DA703 - Animals and Creatures - starts on 19 April 2021, and is the third module tackled by our students on our online MA in Animation.

DA703 focuses on animal and creature animation, with an emphasis on the kind of photo-realistic animation in which London VFX houses such as Framestore, MPC and DNeg specialise.  

DA703 PR1 is due on Friday 4th June at 2pm.

Video Introduction to DA702 PR1

Above is a short five minute introduction to DA702, the second module in our Online MA in 3D Animation. DA702 PR1 is the practical assignment in the module, with a 70% grade weighting, and involves entry into the monthly 11 Second Club animation competition. To see more about this module and how to get the best out of it, read this blog post. 

Apply Now for our Online MA 3D Animation

Transformer animation by BNU Masters' student Amedeo Beretta

We are now taking applications for our online MA in animation, recruiting for September 2021.

Our online MA in animation is a unique degree which can be undertaken by students anywhere in the world, leading to a formal qualification in the field.

Students learn how to animate to a professional industry standard using Autodesk Maya, the industry-standard software, and also learn to engage with the underpinning theory and structure behind the art form.

Webinar with Animation YouTube Entrepreneur Charlotte Gimbird on 26 January 2021

QC Animations at YouTube - the future of animation?

On Tuesday 26 January at 11.30am I'll be interviewing Charlotte Gimbird, one of my most entrepreneurial animation students. 

The webinar is hosted by Escape Studios, and features undergraduate animation student Charlotte Gimbird, creator of QC Animations.  QC Animations is a YouTube Channel with over 80,000 subscribers, and hundreds of thousands of views every month.  To see how Charlotte has created her own successful animation business out of thin air, sign up for the free webinar here. 

Second Marking with BNU Tutor Sydney Padua

Over the Christmas break I have been marking the MA work done by our Master's Degree students at Bucks and also ensuring that the students' animation has been second marked, in accordance with BNU Academic Regulations.

Second marking at Bucks is an important part of the marking process; it is  how we ensure that our academic standards are being rigorously applied. Was the marking fair? Was it reasonable? Were the correct criteria applied?

Looking at your students' work through the eyes of another lecturer is an important exercise; it is a reminder of how important it is to apply objective criteria. We don't always get it right first time, which is why 2nd marking - also known as moderation - is so important.

DA702 Character Performance Starts 5 Jan 2021

11 Second Club Entry by Victoria Bailey

Starting in the New Year our masters' students tackle DA702, the second animation module on our online masters' degree in 3D animation. Classes start on 5 January 2021.

The module is titled DA702 - Character Performance, and builds up to an entry into the March 11 Second Club competition.  

On March 1st 2021 the club's official line of dialogue will be released, and our students have until March 29 to submit their finished work.

How Feedback Works at Bucks New Uni

How do students get feedback at Bucks New University? Animation students on our online MA in 3D Animation receive a weekly bespoke feedback tutorial on their work, showing how to fix mistakes and how to improve.  In addition, we have an online classroom where students post their work, receive positive feedback, and give creative criticism to others.  Being able to take criticism ("notes" in the industry) is part of the process of creating great animation. When you first show your work to a client, they will have comments, and they won't always love your first efforts. Whether you're working at a studio, or doing private client work, or just working on your own personal work, animators need to learn to incorporate criticism in order to make your work the best it can be.

Meet Victoria Bailey's "Turtley In Love"

Many congratulations to BNU Animation Graduate Victoria Bailey, who has just published her new book: "Turtley In Love", a short animated story for children.

"Turtley In Love" was written and animated by Victoria through her new publishing venture Wonky Pictures.

Join Tommy the Turtle as he battles the elements and journeys through the unknown in his quest to find Celia, his one true turtle love.

How Do You Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle?

How do you fix a floaty walk cycle? Walk cycles tend to be floaty because junior animators often (make that usually) forget to add the "squash" or "down" position in which both feet are bearing the weight of the body. It's an easy mistake to make, especially if you are animating a walk "on the spot", on an imaginary treadmill, where the character's body stays still and the feet travel backwards.  In this ten minute video I show exactly what the problem is, and how to solve it. The solution is simple - but only when you know how to fix it. 

"Flame" Best Director at Prague Festival

"Best Director" - Super Short Film

Many congratulations to BNU animation graduate Amedeo Beretta  whose short film "Flame" has won Best Director - Super Short Film at the Prague Film Festival.

"Flame" has won multiple awards in recent months, including Best Animation at the LISFF, Best Editor at the "We Make Films Festival" in London and a Five-Star Award at the British International Amateur Film Festival.  Flame was executive produced by BNU graduate Amedeo Beretta.

Lee Caller Wins "Special Mention" at ANSFF

"Jelly Cars": Special Mention at ANSFF

Bucks New University is proud to congratulate animation MA Student Lee Caller whose short film Jelly Cars has won a "Special Mention" Award at the Arte Non Stop Film Festival in Argentina. 

This is the second award for Jelly Cars; earlier this year Lee's short won a "Five Stars" Award at the British International Amateur Film Festival. 

"Charlie & Yip" Nominated "Best Trailer" at Bucharest Film Festival

Bucks New Uni tutor Alex Williams' short film "Charlie and Yip" has won an award nomination for Best Trailer at the Bucharest Film Festival.   Charlie and Yip is a short film about a kid who takes his pet to school for Show and Tell, which turns out to be a bad idea.

The short is really a teaser/trailer for Alex's indie feature film project "My Haunted House", which is still in development.  Recently it won the "Scream Award" at the Berlin Flash Film Festival, Best Animation at the Flicks Film Festival in London,  Best Trailer at the Changing Face International's Film Festival (CFIFF) in Australia, "Best Trailer" at the Lisbon Monthly Film Festival, Best Trailer at the Halicarnassus Film Festival, and Best Film at the Film One Film Fest in July.

Animating Walks for DA701 PR1

"Monty" by Bucks graduate Neil Whitman

Our MA animation students' first assessed animation exercise, the assignment brief for DA701 PR1 (the first practical assignment for the first animation module), is to create a scene based on character walks. 

Character walks are one of the most important parts of the animator's toolkit. Using the online materials at Animation Apprentice, students learn how to take a basic walk cycle and, with just a few tweaks, completely change the character's mood and personality.

The students' first assessed brief is to take these character walks and turn it into an entertaining scene. 

Young Cartoonists of the Year Competition

The Young Cartoonists of the Year Competition is back. 

Hosted by the Cartoon Museum, which has at last re-opened after its long Covid-19-slumber, the annual competition seeks to reward rising cartoon talent. 

Judges include leading cartoonists such as Martin Rowson (The Guardian), Christian Adams (Evening Standard), Banx (FT), Peter Brookes (The Times), Nick Newman (Private Eye), and Matt from the Daily Telegraph. 

If you can think of a more eminent list of cartoonists, I'd like to see it. 

There are two categories: Under 18 and Under 30; the deadline is 23 November 2020, and entries should be mailed in (old school Royal Mail) to the Cartoon Museum.  

Webinar with Emmy-Award-Winning Animator Rich Jeffery on 26 October

Rich Jeffery

We're recommending our students sign up for this free animation webinar on Monday 26 October at 10am with Emmy-award-winning animator Rich Jeffery. 

Rich will be talking about his career in animation, what it has been like working on the Australian TV series "Bluey" , which won an International Emmy at the 8th International Emmy Kids Awards this year. 

Rich was animation director on "Bluey" Series One, and director on the Series Two. Rich will be sharing his insights into the animation industry, how we got where he is today, and what students and graduates need to do to succeed.

Why Animators Should Walk on a Treadmill

Our new MA Animation students are learning the art and craft of human locomotion in their first module, DA701, which teaches basic mechanics, including walks, runs and jumps. The module builds up to a character walk performance, which is due in mid-December.  Animating walk cycles can be tricky; it can be especially troublesome to get the character's feet moving backwards at a steady speed, without bumps or wobbles. This is especially true for animators animating a walk cycle "on the spot", where the body stays in place but the feet move backwards underneath the body. To help solve the problem, it makes a lot of sense to import a treadmill into the shot. The treadmill helps to clarify the mechanics of shot, and allows the animator to visualise what is going on when the feet travel backwards.

"Charlie & Yip" Best Trailer at CFIFF

"Charlie & Yip" - winner at CFIFF

Bucks New Uni animation tutor Alex Williams' short film "Charlie and Yip" has won an award for

Best Trailer at the Changing Face International's Film Festival (CFIFF) in Australia. 

Charlie and Yip is a short film about a kid who takes his pet to school for Show and Tell, which turns out to be a bad idea.

The short is really a teaser/trailer for Alex's indie feature film project "My Haunted House", which is still in development.  Recently the short won "Best Trailer" at the Lisbon Monthly Film Festival, Best Trailer at the Halicarnassus Film Festival, and Best Film at the Film One Film Fest in July.

Paul Amiras Lead Layout Artist at Brown Bag

Paul Amiras

Many congratulations to Bucks animation graduate Paul Amiras on his new position as a lead layout artist at Brown Bag Animation.  Brown Bag is one of the UK's leading animation studios, responsible for numerous well-loved TV series projects. 

Prior to working at Brown Bag, Paul worked as a Layout Artist TD at Double Negative, one of the Soho's leading animation and visual effects companies, and now a global brand, with offices in Vancouver, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Chennai, Montréal, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, and Goa.

3D Layout is one of the first interesting and challenging parts of the production process, working closely with the director to establish the cinematic look and feel of the project.

"Charlie and Yip" Best Trailer at Lisbon Film Fest

"Charlie & Yip" wins Best Super Short at the Lisbon Film Fest

I am pleased to announce that my short film "Charlie and Yip" has won "Best Trailer" at the Lisbon Monthly Film Festival.

Charlie and Yip is a short film about a kid who takes his pet to school for Show and Tell, which turns out to be a bad idea.

The short is really a teaser/trailer for my indie feature film project "My Haunted House", which is still in development.  Recently the short won Best Trailer at the Halicarnassus Film Festival, and Best Film at the Film One Film Fest in July.

Can You Do Our Online MA and Work Full-Time?

One of the most common questions I get asked about our Online MA in 3D Animation is this: Can I take the MA and also hold down a full-time job? The short answer is yes, though the MA is a rigorous degree and it does involve a fair amount of work. That said, the whole point of doing a part-time degree online is that it fits around life, work and families; when we set up the Online MA at Bucks five years ago in 2015, it was designed to be as flexible as possible. Watch the short video above to find out more.