Animation
Animation is a discipline that uses movement to tell stories, create worlds, and give characters life, spanning a remarkable range of traditions and techniques from classical hand-drawn animation and stop-motion through to three-dimensional computer-generated imagery and experimental digital forms. It is a craft that rewards both technical precision and creative imagination, and a degree in the subject builds both in parallel, developing animators who can work thoughtfully and competently across different media and contexts.
At Leeds Arts University this three-year programme gives you a broad foundation in traditional and digital animation media before you begin to specialise in a chosen area. Starting from a solid grounding in animation principles, techniques and related theories and concepts, you will develop the informed creative voice and technical fluency needed to make original work. Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts institution whose entire focus is on creative education, giving you an environment in which animation is taken seriously as both a craft and an art form and where you are surrounded by people with the same depth of commitment.
Graduates of animation work in film and television, games, advertising, interactive media, visual effects, motion graphics, e-learning, and the growing world of virtual and augmented reality. The industry is broad, spanning major production studios and independent creative businesses, advertising agencies, games developers, broadcasters, and organisations producing animated content for digital platforms. Roles include character animator, background artist, rigging artist, motion graphics designer, storyboard artist, and creative director.
Some graduates build freelance careers across multiple clients and platforms, while others move into animation education, sharing their expertise with the next generation of practitioners. Postgraduate study in animation, visual effects, or character design is an option for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.