Animation and Special Effects – (M.Sc.)

Contents

Postgraduate certificate modules

Observational drawing

Observational drawing is one of the fundamentals in developing high quality content for communicating creative concepts. In this module you build on your existing artistic skills to form a strong foundation, enabling you to produce high quality digital creative solutions.

3D animation

This module enables you to become proficient in animation software such as 3D Studio Max and Maya, so you can produce 3D graphical models. You also develop your conceptual skills surrounding animation, allowing you to make informed decisions about the design of animated objects and environments.

Digital compositing

This module develops your operational skills and application techniques in the appropriate digital compositing software. You also develop your conceptual visual effects skills, enabling you to make judgements and decisions about the design of visual effects environments against project brief criteria and workflows.

Cinematography production workshops

You develop knowledge about cinematography, including practical theory and the theories and debates surrounding the history of cinematic practice. We introduce you to a range of genres and styles of cinematographic practice, and encourage you to experiment and innovate to develop a personalised approach.

Postgraduate diploma core modules

Realistic animation

The ability to develop realistic game environments is crucial in modern games. This module provides you with the knowledge and skills to model and animate a range of real world items, using graphical tools to simulate and present them to a high standard. Topics covered may include modelling gravity, powered flight, vehicle dynamics, architecture and buildings, planetary motion, collisions, cloth and soft body dynamics.

Integrated development project

This module improves your critical skills by applying the advanced concepts and techniques you have gained so far. You typically work in a group to research, design and implement a significant, original and tangible product, aimed at a specific area of the games industry. This may take various forms including a working game, a tool, a prototype demonstrating a novel or interesting technique or a set of assets.

Postgraduate diploma options

Choose one from

Concept art

To develop visually stunning games and interactive software, it is essential that you have the skills to express your creative talents and ideas. In this module, you develop a series of visual products that portray concepts given in a design brief. For example, a series of still images or story boards that show ideas, themes and initial designs for characters, environments, sequences, animations or other artefacts.

Sound design

Multilayered sound production is an integral part of new media production. It is used to stimulate, provide credence and support the visual representation a user interacts with. This module provides you with the technical skills to create sound for film using sound recording (including principally, location recording, re-recording, foley and adr) postproduction sound and musical and non-musical composition.

Masters modules

Research methods

In the final stage of your masters, you complete a substantial piece of research and develop a product based on this. This module gives you experience of the research tools, techniques and methods used, and builds your communication and planning skills to prepare you for your research project.

Research-based product development

You carry out an independent research and development project, and apply the methods and skills developed in other modules. This represents the culmination of the course, and enables you to demonstrate your skills and abilities by completing a substantial piece of work. It provides a significant contribution to your portfolio of work, which you can then use to show prospective employers.

Seminar programme

In this module you present your research project to your peer group and teaching staff. It plays a key role in developing masters level cognitive skills. You have to evaluate and synthesise complex information and concepts from a range of specialist topics, and prepare and deliver a professional quality presentation.