Illustration Animation BA (Hons)

30 credits

Studio: Introductory Principles introduces the nature of studio practice for Illustration Animation at Level 4. It continues in Studio: Practice and Purpose upon progression to Level 5. Studio practice for Illustration Animation has come to not only describe a practice of creative making but also one of cognition, thinking and reasoning. The illustrator animator's knowledge is not only contained in the hands or in the manipulation of materials, it is present in their perceptive, questioning and empathetic approach to subject matter. Practices are now expansive, as illustrator animators extend and shift their works to assume new roles and responsibilities.

30 credits

Process: Materials and Methods introduces the tools, processes and technologies used within illustration animation practice at Level 4. It continues in Process: Technologies and Application upon progression to Level 5. Whilst contemporary illustration animation practice is conceptualised, constructed and used within an expanding set of conditions, as a discipline, it continues to be, informed by technological advancements; printing, digital publishing, screen-based platforms, virtual realities, etc. These modules address how the illustrator animator interrogates subject matter through the process of creative making, and investigates how to apply tools, processes and technologies through active engagement. Visual experimentation, prototyping, testing through making and questioning of the properties and possibilities of materials are familiar examples of this practice in action.

30 credits

This module introduces the importance of forming and nurturing relationships as part of a creative practice. It continues in Presentation: Audience and Context upon progression to Level 5. In asking how we live and work together, these modules address ways that the illustrator animator can be active in the world. The process of connecting things and establishing relationships, be this with issues, people or contexts, is presented as central to illustration animation practice. Through independent thinking, collaboration and interdisciplinarity students develop an understanding of audience and begin to establish a critical and cultural position within the expansive global creative industries. 

30 credits

Image & Text introduces how we think critically about the history of illustration animation, and how the knowledge produced can inform practice. This module addresses the categories and concepts, frameworks and tools used to understand illustration animation, how it has evolved, and how its histories interweave with those of film, graphic design, fine art and other disciplines. As part of this, we ask fundamental questions about how history is told and taught and what kinds of knowledge are valued and centred.

The first part of the module examines the dominant ways histories of illustration animation have been constructed, and how we might challenge Euro/Western-centric perspectives. The second part considers how we can look at the diverse themes, platforms, and media of illustration animation through different theoretical frames that speak to different ways of knowing.

30 credits

Process: Technologies and Application develops and supports an individual approach to the tools, processes and technologies used within illustration animation practice at Level 5. It follows Process: Materials and Methods at Level 4. Whilst contemporary illustration animation practice is conceptualised, constructed and used within an expanding set of conditions. Its emergence as a discipline has, and will continue to be, informed by technological advancements; printing, digital publishing, screen-based platforms, virtual realities, etc. These modules address how the illustrator animator interrogates subject matter through the process of creative making, and investigates how to apply tools, processes and technologies through active engagement. Visual experimentation, prototyping, testing through making and questioning of the properties and possibilities of materials are familiar examples of this practice in action.

30 credits

Presentation: Audience and Context develops and supports individual approaches to the forming and nurturing relationships as part of a creative practice. It follows Presentation: Collaboration and Communication at Level 4 and continues in Presentation: Professional Practice upon progression to Level 6. In asking how we live and work together, these modules address ways that the illustrator animator can be active in the world. The process of connecting things and establishing relationships, be this with issues, people or contexts, is presented as central to illustration animation practice. Through independent thinking, collaboration and interdisciplinarity students develop an understanding of audience and establish a critical and cultural position within the expansive and global creative industries.

30 credits

Studio: Practice and Purpose develops and supports individual approaches to studio practice for Illustration Animation at Level 5. It follows Studio: Introductory Principles at Level 4 and continues in Studio: Practice and Realisation upon progression to Level 6. Studio practice for Illustration Animation has come to not only describe a practice of creative making but also one of cognition, thinking and reasoning. The illustrator animator's knowledge is not only contained in the hands or in the manipulation of materials, it is also present in their perception, questioning and empathetic approach to subject matter. Practices are now expansive, as illustrator animators extend and shift their works to assume new roles and responsibilities.

30 credits

Building on the historical and thematic content introduced at Level 4, this module focuses on the theorisation of discipline-specific issues arising in the contemporary practices of animation and illustration. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, screenings and relevant fieldwork visits, you will deepen your knowledge of your discipline. At the same time you will develop your own emerging research interests and independent visual and academic research skills common to historical and theoretical studies and design practice.

With a focus on the development and intertextuality of visual narrative forms in the structuring of meaning, the module applies this understanding to contemporary case studies. Lectures and seminars will deepen critical and theoretical engagement with current issues through appropriate case studies and bodies of interpretative material. Workshop tasks and assessments are carefully designed to foreground projects that support your understanding of your own discipline within the wider context of design practice. Appropriate research methods are introduced through practical activities that reflect on issues arising in the module's contemporary content and that are developed through your independent research into an area of your own choosing.

60 credits

Studio: Practice and Realisation nurtures autonomous studio practice for Illustration Animation at Level 6. It follows Studio: Practice and Purpose at Level 5. Studio practice for Illustration Animation has come to not only describe a practice of creative making but also one of cognition, thinking and reasoning. The illustrator animator's knowledge is not only contained in the hands or in the manipulation of materials, it is also present in their perception, questioning and empathetic approach to subject matter. Practices are now expansive, as illustrator animators extend and shift their works to assume new roles and responsibilities.

30 credits

Presentation: Professional Practice supports self-reliance in forming and nurturing relationships as part of a creative practice. It follows Presentation: Audience and Context at Level 5. In asking how we live and work together, these modules address ways that the illustrator animator can be active in the world. The process of connecting things and establishing relationships, be this with issues, people or contexts, is presented as central to illustration animation practice. Through independent thinking, collaboration and interdisciplinarity students develop an understanding of audience and establish a critical and cultural position within the expansive and global creative industries.

30 credits

Building on the links between research and practice embedded at Level 5, the Independent Research Project in Critical and Historical Studies module focuses on in-depth research, critical enquiry and reflection on questions and critical issues emerging in students' own practice, and pertinent to the practice of their own discipline.

Over the module, you will initiate and develop an individual research topic; identify and evaluate appropriate archives, bodies of critical literature, visual/material sources and research methods; manage your study time; engage with and respond to tutorial dialogue and peer feedback, and apply critical and analytical skills to produce an output of 5-6,000 word (or equivalent) representing the culmination of your research project. You will be supported by a series of lectures, seminars, and tutorials.