2-D animation continues to be an expanding and popular medium.

If you select the two-dimensional major you’ll use traditional drawing skills to create perspective and character, with the computer playing a secondary production role. You’ll develop your technical skills through life drawing, composition, and perspective courses — studying proportion, line of action, structure, and basic anatomy.

Then you’ll move on to skills specific to animation – areas such as character design, clean-up, doping, modeling, slugging, and storyboarding.
Core 2-D Animation Classes: 54 credits
History of International Animation 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Animation 3 Credits
Creative Visualization 3 Credits
Experimental Animation 3 Credits
Tools + Techniques of Contemporary Animation 3 Credits
Drawing + Acting for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Sound Design + Video Production 3 Credits
Animation Sophomore/ Junior Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Animation Media Delivery Techniques 3 Credits
Character Animation + Motion Studies 3 Credits
2-D Computer Animation 3 Credits
2-D Animation Thesis 1 3 Credits
Stop Motion Animation 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Animation Thesis 2 3 Credits
Animation Senior Portfolio Review Credits
Animation Layout + Production Design 3 Credits
Business, Ethics + Copyright for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Collective 1 3 Credits
Experimental Computer Animation 3 Credits
Animation Collective 2 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Advanced Compositing 3 Credits
Animation Electives: 6 credits

We recommend any two of the following:
Scriptwriting for Animation 3 Credits
Design + Animation for Games 3 Credits
Advanced Scripting 3 Credits
Foundation Studies: 21 credits
Digital Image Making 3 Credits
Visual Design 1 3 Credits
Drawing 1 3 Credits
Drawing 2 3 Credits
Life Drawing 1 3 Credits
Life Drawing 2 3 Credits
Freshman Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Visual Design 2 3 Credits
Communication and Critical Thought: 6 credits
Written + Oral Communication 3 Credits
Written + Oral Communication Lab 0 Credits
Philosophy of Art + Design 3 Credits
History of Art + Design: 12 credits
Art + Design History 1: Ancient to Medieval 3 Credits
Art + Design History 2: Renaissance to Contemporary 3 Credits
History of Art + Design in the Nonwestern World 3 Credits
Advanced Studies in the History of Art + Design 3 Credits
Humanities + Contemporary Thought: 9 credits
Seminar 1, Seminar 2 and one other course.

Humanities Seminar 1 3 Credits
Humanities Seminar 2 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: History and Theory of the Body 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Theatre Studies 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Identity and Power 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: The Cultural Politics of Consumption 3 Credits
Mathematics: 3 credits

Choose one of the following:
Basic Mathematics 3 Credits
Applied Mathematics 3 Credits
Financial Principles + Practices 3 Credits
Physical + Natural Science: 3 credits

Choose any one of the following:
Climate Change 3 Credits
Earth Science 3 Credits
Life Science 3 Credits
Human Ecology 3 Credits
Social + Behavioral Sciences: 6 credits

Choose two of the following:
Anthropology 3 Credits
Social Psychology 3 Credits
World Belief Systems 3 Credits
Biological Anthropology 3 Credits

Critical Reading & Writing 1 & 2 3 3
Perspectives in World Art & Design 1 & 2
3
3
Total 16 19
Sophomore Year F S
Studio & Light 1 & 2 3 3
View Camera 3 -
Design 3: Capture to Print 3 -
Studio Elective - 3
Photo Topics - 3
Design 4: Pixel to Cyberspace - 3
Sophomore Seminar 3 3
History of Photography 3 -
Intro to Visual Culture 3 -
University Lecture Elective - 3
Total 18 18

Junior Year F S
Junior Seminar 3 3
Imagery & Design 3 -
Studio Electives 6 6
Internship or Elective - 3
Global Issues in Design & Visuality: 21st Century 3 -
Art History/Design Studies Elective - 3
Liberal Arts Elective 3 -
University Lecture Elective - 3
Total 18 18
Senior Year F S
Senior Seminar 3 3
Senior Seminar Lab 2 2
Senior Thesis Tutorial 1 1
Studio Electives 3 3
Senior Seminar (Art & Design Studies) 3 -
Advanced Art History/Design Studies Elective - 3
Liberal Arts Elective 3 -
Total 15 12

TOTAL CREDITS 134

Electives
Advanced Color Printing, Advanced Light: Style and Magic, Adventures in Location Production, The Artistic Career: Editing, Curating, & Application, Artists’ Books, Conceptual Processes, Contemporary Strategies, Copyright and Contract Negotiation, The Digital Studio: The Art of Lighting and Work Flow, Documenting Community 1 & 2, Experiments: Pixel to Paper, Exploring the Narrative in Video, Fashion Photography 1 & 2, Independent Study, Instinct & Metaphor, Intimate Portrait, The Personal Essay, Portraiture, Postmodern Currents, Professional Internship, Sexuality, Nudity & Beauty in Photography, Transitioning to the Professional World, The Urban Landscape

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.