Animation and Visual Effects BA (Hons)

This unit will introduce you to the fundamentals that underpin all areas of animation and visual effects. You’ll work in 2D drawn animation, 3D computer animation, and visual effects. Through hands-on projects, you will cover a range of key production areas, including the principles of animation, ideation and concept development, drawing fundamentals and image manipulation. You’ll attend sessions on character design, film language and storytelling, the principles of animation, and an introduction to digital imaging and compositing software.

40 credits

In this unit you will explore and experiment with techniques, materials and media. You’ll build your knowledge of the animation pipeline and explore underpinning skills in drawing, design and techniques of film language, narrative structures and visual storytelling. You’ll consider the practical, conceptual, and theoretical pathways open to you as an animator or VFX artist and learn to use industry-standard software to support all areas of your work.

You will bring animated characters and scenes to life, working from initial concept to final outcome, exploring skills in 2D, CG and stop motion character animation, CG modelling and digital compositing.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This unit will enable you to expand your specialist knowledge and skills, taking you to the next level in your creative development. This unit explores storytelling through a typical animation and VFX production workflow. There will be a focus on narrative elements to help construct a short piece or sequence. You’ll explore materials and processes, including 3D cinematography and lighting, pre-vis and rapid iteration, CGI compositing, and sustainable approaches in the industry. This unit aims to challenge students to develop problem-solving strategies resulting in believable and engaging outputs. You’ll also be encouraged to consider various contexts and audiences for your work, with sessions on industry pipelines, branding, and marketing strategies.

80 credits

This unit focuses on how you work with your peers and take ideas from concept to presentation through stages of an industry-styled production pipeline. This collaborative experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking. You’ll explore studio roles, teamwork dynamics, and the importance of working toward a common goal. You will build your knowledge through sessions on project planning, the responsibilities of different studio roles, conflict resolution, and creative decision-making. This is an opportunity to build a portfolio of work that reflects your interests and identify your long-term plans.

40 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This is the shorter of the two units that make up your final year of undergraduate study. Through taught sessions and independent experimentation, you will advance your skills and prepare for the creative and professional challenges of bringing a conceptual idea to life. Sessions focus on advancing your creative practice, including 3D animation and VFX skills covering simulations, lighting, compositing, performance animation, and narrative storytelling. You will produce a research report that expands on the research ideas you developed in your second year. You’ll apply various research methods and approaches, informed by your creative practice and future career aspirations.

40 credits

Your final unit allows you to research, conceptualise and create a self-determined final-year project(s), building on the skills, knowledge and understanding you have gathered throughout the programme. You’ll consider your creative route, receive expert guidance towards completing your chosen project(s), and have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other disciplines across the University. The project will allow you to demonstrate your acquired creative and technical knowledge in a meaningful self-determined outcome. You’ll consider your future goals and aspirations with a focus on building a unique industry-facing portfolio that reflects the skills you have to offer, setting you up for a successful career in the industry.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.