Welcome to Animation at Norwich

We are looking forward to welcoming you onto the course in September. This is your Welcome Page which tells you a little bit more about how to prepare and what to expect when you are here. We look forward to working with you!

Welcome Week starts on Monday 15th September, and this is when we will meet you on campus and introduce you to our buildings and facilities. You will meet the staff team and other students on your course and take part in some introductory activities designed to help you get to know each other and remain safe on campus.

You will be invited to a session to collect your ID card and you will also have the opportunity to watch some videos about the services and facilities the University offers. Above all, this week is about having fun and making connections. In conjunction with our fantastic Students’ Union team, we have a full and exciting timetable of social events and activities that you can take part in.

Course specific information

The Animation course staff are excited to meet you. Your main teaching days will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings (no teaching takes place on Wednesday afternoons at the university), and Fridays. Thursdays will generally be your independent study days, and you can continue to use campus facilities as usual, as well as work from home if needed.

You can expect a range of sessions that you will attend as a student, from technical workshops, group discussion seminars, lectures on theory, online digital talks and workshops, guest lecture visits and project development sessions.

Historically, animators and VFX artists are very good at time keeping, arriving at their studios early so they can be ready to start work on their projects with their teams, and we expect the same from our keen animation and VFX students.

A key aspect of the Animation and Visual Effects industries is research and experimentation, and this is something we reflect on the course with your projects. We are excited to see how your inspirations and your research will be reflected in your work.

Things to watch, read and do before you start

• Skwigly Animation magazine is an independent online magazine that focuses on animation news, interviews, podcasts and more.
• Pixar in a Box is a look into how Pixar artists do their jobs.
• Art of VFX is website with VFX breakdowns, interviews, audio, videos and articles.
• The Bézier Game is a light and fun introduction to bezier curves which builds transferable skills across multiple softwares for both design and animation.
• A great introduction to Animation Theory by talented animator Alex Grigg.