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Fine art principles and practices are the essential forces guiding the mission of the Program in Experimental Animation—a course of study designed for independent and adventurous artists who are interested in personal expression and who regard animation as a highly dynamic, ever-evolving art form. This program offers a framework in which students explore, develop and refine intellectually demanding, aesthetically progressive concepts and professional practices in their personal cinematic artmaking.

The curriculum begins by building a foundation understanding of a variety of animation techniques and concepts. Courses in 2-D drawn and direct animation, stop-motion, and 2-D and 3-D computer animation blend practical knowledge with creative stimulation, while animation history courses provide a detailed examination of all forms of animation art—with a special emphasis on the history of experimental forms. Once foundation studies are completed, students work closely with their mentors and other members of the program’s accomplished faculty as they experiment with and extend their own unique artistic visions. At the advanced levels of the curriculum, students chart a more individualized course of study in consultation with their mentors, who help to custom-tailor coursework according to each student’s particular interests.

The Program in Experimental Animation enjoys a long-standing international reputation for excellence in innovative animation production. Its faculty, students and alumni have consistently won top awards at film festivals in the United States, Europe and Asia, and are widely credited with helping to define the art of animation as we know it today.

“Animation” is derived from the verb “to animate” — to bring to life.
Unlike a documentary film, which simply reflects the physical world, an animation is a completely constructed reality. In this new world, all kinds of characters, situations and space can be created simply from imagination.
KSU’s Animation course will provide the opportunity for students to dedicate themselves to serious study in this field. Faculty members include experienced animation experts whose work helped Japanese anime to gain world-wide recognition. Our objective is to foster the next generation of leaders creating animations that will bring dreams and inspiration to the world.

Department profile (May 2007):
Undergrad students (first intake 2006): 129
(M: 49; F: 80)
Overseas undergrad students: 8

Curriculum
1st year: Practical training and lectures forming the basis of the four-year course. Students will learn to see animation from the artist’s point of view, gaining knowledge of various processes.
Principles of animation 1 & 2, practical animation 1 & 2, CG animation 1 & 2, animation modeling (basic practice) 1 & 2, theory of animation media, theory of animation industry, history of Japanese animation, history of world animation, research on animation works and artists 1 & 2, history of media
2nd year: Contents of courses will be expanded, with more practical study of techniques, and improvement of skills by pursuing the real nature of animation.
Theory of animation direction 1 & 2, analysis of animation 1 & 2, CG animation 3 & 4, animation modeling expression 1 & 2, stop motion animation 1 & 2, modeling practice 1 & 2, theory of cinema 1 & 2
3rd year: Preparation period for major production (in 4th year)
Animation creation 1 & 2, sound effect practice 1 & 2, CG practical animation 1 & 2, practical animation modeling 1 & 2, theory of scenarios 1 & 2, theory of CG 1 & 2, animation production 1 & 2
4th year: Students express what they have learned in 4 years in their major graduation works.

Course overview

This cutting edge course is taught by award-winning staff with a reputation for high standards within the industry. You will have the chance to excel in different areas of animation, from drawn pieces to puppet or digital moving images.

You will use industry-standard studio facilities, equipped with the latest digital applications, to put together professional creative portfolios. You will learn and experiment with different techniques, including squash and stretch, moving holds and timing. Your creative progression will be monitored through a blend of studio projects and workshops, as well as group and individual case studies and assignments.

Underpinned by sound animation principles, you will explore themes like scriptwriting and acting for animation, sounds and dialogue, and storyboarding. In Year 3 you will make your own film, which will be publicly screened at Southampton’s Harbour Lights Picturehouse.
Course content

Year 1
Animation Principles
Drawing 1
Animation History
Animation Principles 2
Scriptwriting and Acting for Animation
CGI in Animation.

Year 2
Sounds and Dialogue
Computer Animation**
Drawing 2
Layout and Storyboard for Animation
From Script to Screen
Critical Discourse 1.

**Options in: 2D Animation; 3D Computer Animation; Stop Motion Animation

Year 3
Critical Discourse 2
Final Film Pilot
Final Script
Final Film.
Assessment

Assessment includes studio projects, workshop and media outcomes, group and individual case studies and written assignments.
Entry level

160 points from 6-unit or 12-unit awards.

You will normally be invited to a portfolio viewing and briefing and maybe to a formal interview.
Career opportunities

Careers include animators and character designers in 2D or 3D model making, or computer generated animation for film, TV and the games industry.
Special features

Our students have won Royal Television Society JVC Best Student Animation awards for three years running, and many other national and international contests in student and professional categories.

To receive your free Animation DVD, featuring short films by our Animation students, please send an e-mail to fmas@solent.ac.uk stating that you would like an Animation DVD posted to you with your name and address listed on the e-mail.

This course is also available with an Art, Design and Media Foundation year (Level 0) which is delivered full-time in one academic year at Southampton City College. There are different UCAS codes for the main degree and the degree with a Foundation Year. Please make sure the correct UCAS code, as listed below, is entered on your UCAS application form.