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Study Details: MA 2 years full-time
MA Character Animation at Central Saint Martins is a practical course that also encourages research and contextual thinking. We will teach you how to make your characters do much more than move – we will teach you to make them perform. You will learn timing, software, storytelling, character design, film language and take life drawing lessons. Alongside this, you will also explore historical and critical approaches to animation.
Animation is used extensively across a wide variety of fields. Increasingly, animation gives voice to disparate and often overlooked cultural experiences and social contexts and thereby empowers communication. At the same, there is an expanding range of media and platforms that are opening up fresh areas of ethical challenge for animators who need to engage with cultural and critical thinking.
The technologies used to create animation are evolving at a rapid rate – programmes dominate the market one year and then are obsolete the next. Rather than encouraging dependency on specific software, MA Character Animation fosters universal techniques and adaptable, practice-based knowledge. You will learn skills which can be applied to different software packages, technical processes, creative approaches and distribution technologies in the future.
Animation is a universal medium. It can communicate concepts and narratives without the use of spoken language. Reflecting multi-cultural visual and storytelling traditions, MA Character Animation attracts applicants from a wide range of practices and cultural backgrounds. Studying on the course offers an exciting opportunity for you to learn about other cultures and develop international networks. You will be encouraged to investigate, experiment and apply a range of different visual and performance approaches to your own work.
MA Character Animation enjoys close links with the industry. Teaching includes lectures by working professionals as well as opportunities for live projects with external agencies. The course is committed to ensuring it remains commercially and artistically relevant in a fluctuating field. The staff team consists of experienced professionals, who continue to work as consultants and freelancers in the animation and creative industries. The course also encourages a networking community by maintaining links with graduates, many of whom are now in high profile employment.
We are committed to developing ethical character animation practices. To achieve this, we are working to embed UAL's Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
AP(E)L – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
For fees and funding information, please see website
Based in London near the animation and post-production facilities of Soho, MA Character Animation has close links with the industry. Live projects with external agencies have included Cartoon Network, the National Theatre Archive, The National Gallery, Children’s Society and The English National Opera House.
Through lectures, demonstrations and workshops by working professionals, MA Character Animation maintains and values its links with the animation industry. We are committed to ensuring it remains commercially and artistically relevant in a volatile and fast-moving field.
MA Character Animation works closely with industry to ensure our graduates have the creativity, professionalism and specialist technical skills required for employment.
Short films created by MA Character Animation students have been nominated for prizes at:
Unit 1: Character and Movement Analysis
Unit 1 will provide you with a set of practical tools for critical and creative exploration. You will be able to orientate your direction and your work within the field of animation. We will cover life drawing, character design and development, anatomy, locomotion, motion analysis and performative approaches to animation.
Unit 2: Character Performance Studies
Unit 2 encourages you to become a self-sufficient, critical practitioner, confident to pursue your own goals. The unit focuses on two in-depth performance-driven pieces. These are designed to consolidate and expand your individual and collaborative animation practice.
Unit 3: Character Animation
In Unit 3, you will devise your own character animation portfolio. You will develop a proposal for either a self-directed short film or an animated character portfolio, which you can complete as an individual or in a team.
Important note concerning academic progression through your course: If you are required to retake a unit you will need to cease further study on the course until you have passed the unit concerned. Once you have successfully passed this unit, you will be able to proceed onto the next unit. Retaking a unit might require you to take time out of study, which could affect other things such as student loans or the visa status for international students.
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