Animation - Course Outline

Level 1

Students can enter Animation after successfully completing our General Foundation in Art and Design (apply for course WW12) or on successful completion of a recognised Foundation Course or equivalent (apply for course W280).

Please see General Foundation in Art and Design course for further information on Level 1.

Level 2

Idea Generation & Communication  (40 credits)

At the end of this module students will be able to

• generate content in response to briefs both from personal observation and interpretation of visual research
• apply visual techniques such as drawing and sketchbook work as part of a research and development process
• create outcomes which demonstrate the practical ability to organise visual and/or textual material showing an understanding of the principles of good visual design
• use appropriate strategies, methods (e.g. software packages) to organise and structure visual material

Communication Design Contexts 1 (20 credits)

This module will provide a broad knowledge in terms of history, context and theory, fostering an understanding of core concepts pertinent to the subject of Communication Design. It will cover the basics of animation history and an introduction to the key cognitive and philosophical theories including Narrative& Storytelling, Seeing and Reading, Aesthetics and Design and Semiotics.

OR

Co-Design in Action (20 credits) Christine Kingsley

Co-design has developed over recent years in order to address the complex nature of many of the 21st Century design problems. It is at the heart of interdisciplinary practice. The module will rpovide students with the opportunity to experience co-design with peers and co-participants outside the university. In particular, students will be introduced to the different context and stakeholders in which professional work e.g. the designer and client, the designer and industry, designer and the environment.

Structure & Narrative (40 credits)

 At the end of this module students should be able to

• engage with narrative structures and interpret them appropriately in various cultural contexts
• critically analyse and reflect upon research material
• understand the principles of structuring sequences of narrative driven visual information
• have a basic understanding of authorship and thier own authorial voice both in individual and group contexts

Communication Design Contexts 2 (20 credits)

This module will highlight and reflext the current professional context of communication design, focussing on interdisciplinary trents and critical issues.

OR

Playful Practices (20 credits) Fraser Bruce

This module will

• introduce you to the role and value of prototypinc to current and future creative practice
• help you to understand the relationships between critical thinking and the physical artefact
• demonstrate how play reinforces creative work
• review how creative practitioners and research scholars are experimenting with prototypes and prototyping methods to drive forward innovation and ingenuity

Level 3

Communication Design Practices (30 credits)

This module addresses

• developing a critial awareness of contemporary practice in a cultural context
• introducing professsional practice, standards and procedures
• developing appropriate strategies, methods and skills to progress ideas generation and creative problem-solving
• advancing progressive skills in a variety of material processes and craft practice to inform pertinent outcomes
• learning how to work in, and contribue to, collaborative and group situations

Expansive Learning (30 credits)

Select one option from the following:

• Principles of Visual Effects
• Comic Art & Graphic Novels
• Design Values, Issues & Ethics
• Web Design for Creative Practitioners

Applied Communication Design (30 credits)

At the end of this module you will have gained

• an understanding of the relevant research and development methodologies that allow you to analyse, synthesise, and evaluate problems and solutions in relation to various audience needs
• an understanding of contemporary professional practices and production techniques gained through experience of practice-based collaboration and team-working on industry driven and/or research related projects
• an understanding of the role of narrative storytelling in various forms relevant to pathway specialisms

Alternative Futures 1 (30 credits)

Select one option from the following:

• Research & Creative Practice 1
• Design & the Market 1
• Design in China 1

 

Level 4

Alternative Futures 2 (30 credits)

Select one option from the following:

• Research & Creative Practice 2
• Design & the Market 2
• Design in China 2

Personal Projects & Professional Standards (90 credits)

Level 4 is devoted to your own personal programme of study which will involve both personal development and practice in a number of production team roles. We will encourage you to develop your intellectual and creative skills and to function as an animator within a production team at a professional level. At the end of the year you will have completed an animated project that demonstrates high standards of creativity, technical skill, commercial viability and professionalism. You will exhibit your work at the DJCAD Degree Show.