Animation MA

This unit launches your master’s study experience at Norwich, immersing you in leading practices and emerging research within animation to enhance your understanding and knowledge in animation methodologies. You’ll develop skills in visual communication, personal approaches to narrative and storytelling, and using animation to convey complex ideas and messages. The unit covers narrative environments, animatics, character development, film language, motion graphics, emerging technologies (AR/VR), and time-based media. You’ll deepen your understanding of established and innovative techniques through research-led projects, promoting iterative experimentation and critical reflection. This process will strengthen your working methods and knowledge, situating your practice within broader conceptual and ethical frameworks.

This unit focuses on the advanced technical skills essential for idea generation, problem-solving and practical development in animation practice. You will experiment with various media and processes (2D and 3D), enhancing your narrative and storytelling skills. Both individual projects and group collaborations will be explored, emphasising the importance of technical expertise and conceptual alignment. A research-led approach will introduce you to both established and emerging techniques. Through project work and briefs, you’ll explore innovative technical processes to enhance problem-solving capabilities and create advanced creative solutions. Content covers narrative development, character realisation, storyboarding, motion capture, and emerging technologies (AR/VR/AI). Through continuous technical experimentation and critical reflection, you will enhance your skills and working methods, incorporating social, political, and cultural perspectives to embrace animation as an experimental visual practice.

This unit is designed to encourage your exploration of leading practices and emerging research within animation through reflective analysis and interactive discussions. You will develop a critical understanding of your discipline within socio-economic, political, ethical, and cultural contexts, exploring the critical frameworks that underpin visual design practices. Key research themes include design history and theory, identity and representation, visual language, semiotics, aesthetics, and media theory. You will be supported in developing diverse research approaches, utilising discursive interaction to inform your inquiry methods, prompting you to interrogate the boundaries between animation and other communication disciplines.

This unit encourages your exploration with a range of professional-level technical skills essential for idea generation, problem-solving, and practical development in animation practice. You will experiment across a range of media, building on the skills and techniques covered in the ‘advanced technical skills’ unit. Through individual and group projects, you’ll refine technical processes and explore innovative solutions to enhance your creative capabilities. Unit briefs may include tasks focused on specific projects or collaborative work, emphasising the importance of technical expertise in supporting the theoretical and conceptual aspects of animation. Indicative content includes narrative development, character design, storyboarding, motion capture, 2D & 3D animation, sound design, and emerging technologies (AR/VR/AI). Individual and group projects will help you to use established and contemporary techniques to extend and explore your chosen area of expertise.

This unit deepens your understanding of leading practices and emerging research within and around animation. By developing effective research and reflective strategies, you will enhance your critical understanding of key methodologies and gain insights into creative communication within socio-economic, political, ethical, and cultural contexts. Engaging in rigorous analysis and interaction will strengthen your grasp of critical frameworks underpinning your discipline. Building on the ‘dialogue, debate, and domain knowledge’ unit, you will explore themes such as animation history, identity and representation, visual language, design psychology, semiotics, aesthetics, globalisation, and media theory. Research-led projects will help you to develop your overall creative persona and assist in developing strategies for conceptual and practical problem-solving, positioning yourself as a critically engaged and reflective practitioner.

This unit represents the culmination of your master’s study, where you will design, develop, and execute an individual or collaborative major project in animation. This process will consolidate your specialist knowledge and advanced communication skills, allowing you to plan and organise activities, time, and resources, while exploring innovative concepts with feedback from tutors and industry professionals. You will identify a research question and create a viable project to test your hypotheses, aiming for original outcomes. You will deepen your understanding of historical, theoretical, cultural, technical, and economic contexts, addressing social and environmental sustainability challenges. Identifying relevant industries, audiences, and stakeholders, you will situate your practice within regional, national, and international contexts. This project enables you to showcase your voice, demonstrate creativity, and develop technical skills that reflect your chosen pathway and express an original, personal and professional identity.