UK animation courses

[Meowster]

Hey dudes!

Just wondering if any of you guys from the UK might know of some good animation courses AND Art Foundation courses over there? Preferably I don't want to be too far from Brighton since I'll be spending weekends there, but I guess it doesn't matter TOO much.

I want to study Traditional animation mostly, but I don't mind if the course has a mixture of 3D and traditional. Are any of you guys in good art unis at the moment?

Did anybody take the Art Foundation in Brighton? It's held in the City College of Brighton and Hove. Any good?

[veryweirdguy]

I'm researching the very same thing at the moment. From what I've seen, Dundee University seems to be one of the best in the country - doing a general art course for the first year, "traditional" animation for the next year, before moving onto 3D stuff later on:

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/prospectus/undergrad/courses/tvi.htm (Scroll down to the animation section obviously)

I've also heard Dundee as being referred to as "the animation capital of Britain" - but that was in a documentary ABOUT the city, so take that as you will...

But I've mainly been researching Scottish unis in general, so there might be an English one more suitable for you.

[scotch]

As I may have mentioned, I'm also looking at taking an art foundation course next year, with a view to doing animation.  Apparently the university right next to me is very good in this area, so I haven't looked any further afield, but if anyone knows of anywhere particularly great it'd be good to hear about it.

[Pumaman]

I'm researching the very same thing at the moment. From what I've seen, Dundee University seems to be one of the best in the country

Couldn't be closer to Brighton!!

[veryweirdguy]

Er. I guess I skipped that part. I do apologise.

[Pumaman]

Apology not accepted -- I want you to do 20 laps of the sports field, then write a 1500 word essay on the relative locations of UK cities.

[Meowster]

Let's do university together, Scotch!

And actually it doesn't really have to be close to Brighton I guess.

[scotch]

OK!

[Mr Jake]

Can I come?

[Disco]

I am from the USA and am looking to study 2D, 3D, WhateverD animation in the UK  :o I performed reconnaissance work this summer (Okay, I only ogled Wolverhampton) but it was
one of the least happy days of my trip and I didn't get much of a feel for the school/area.
...
Okay so I really have nothing to say on this, but I am interested in following more leads since I seek congruent information. Anywhere UKish would be okay, just get me out of here!

C'mon Yufster and scotch, let's get classes together so we can make paper airplanes and pass notes to each other and post pictures of tuna beard on the blackboard 

[shbaz]

Why would you ever be concerned about being close to Brighton?

Couln't you just date on the internet like you've been doing? 

[magintz]

My friend is studying animation at Ravensborne which is an art college or university or something in Kent. Apparently they are very well known and respected in animation type courses.

[veryweirdguy]

You know it's only 406 miles from Dundee to Brighton (if you were to travel in a straight line....)?

Why, that's only:
8.1 hours by car,
5.8 hours by helicopter
0.71 hours by plane
162.68 hours by lawnmower
or 0.002 seconds by light-wave!

Why, at that distance, you might as well walk it on a sunny day! Stick THAT in your 1500 word essay & smoke it, sir!

[Eggie]

UK animation courses are hard to find...
This I know...

[Meowster]

See, if the best option is somewhere like Dundee, I might as well just go to Uni in Ireland, where we have the best Animation courses in europe and they're FREE. We have no fees! At all! You just go to university and come out learned!

Scotch, Disco, have you considered Ballyfermot or Dun Laghoaire in Dublin, Ireland? Ballyfermot is supposedly one of the top three animation universitys in europe or something, it's really EXCELLENT. And no, there are no tuition fees or anything. I was talking to somebody from a UK uni, and they were saying a lot of people from the UK transfer to the irish uni's because they're so superior, and based a lot more on actual work instead of theory, and things like that.

I don't like Ireland so much because I'm bored of it. But if you guys all came with me, I might as well stay here. And not have a billion pounds of student loans to pay back in a few years. It's pretty much the same distance from Dublin - Brighton as it is from Dundee - Brighton...

Check out Dun Laghaoire (pronounced 'Dun Leery') Institute of Art & Design, and Ballyfermot College of Art & Design, and let me know what you think.

edit by andail: censored language...what's with the f-word usage, lassie?

[Kweepa]

Dun Laghoaire

Dun Laghaoire

Now you're just making words up!
(I'm kidding, I've used the ferry port there. What a beautiful part of Ireland!)

[Meowster]

Okay, here's the craic.

It seems that, to get into any art or design or animation course, you will need a foundation art course.

You pay a lot of money in the UK for these, and apparently you're not entitled to a grant while studying.

Plus, I really don't want to take an Art & Design foundation course, since I have already studied a wide range of artistic THINGS, and it would gall me to pay to study them again.

So! Here's my plan. Or, two of them.

UK plan!!

Portsmouth University has a degree course in Animation, which does require a Foundation. However, it also has a degree course in COMPUTER Animation which does NOT require a foundation, but from which you can transfer to the Animation course after the first year. So, one option is to take the Computer Animation course and then transfer to the Classical Animation course. And have a billion pounds of student debts when I leave *sigh*

Ireland Plan!

Take the Animation Drawing Studies foundation (I don't mind taking a specifically Animation foundation), followed by a higher national diploma in Classical/3D animation, followed by Advanced Dip in Animation.


Everybody else? What are your plans?

[Privateer Puddin']

Slightly off topic (As far as it's not animation based..) I'm currently doing UCAS stuff for more technical computer/computer game stuff.. Portsmouth is one of them (and also where i live )

[scotch]

There really are no fees for non Irish (but EU) people, wow. Ã, Not that I'd have to pay any here.
I'd certainly consider going over there, (having cool people to go with would be a little more important than the quality of courses to me).

UK would probably be slightly less hassle, but it's not hard to get to Dublin from here by air or sea.

I too would have to do a foundation course to get into degree courses I've looked at, which sucks slightly... you can get into some without that? I wonder if I can...  Computer animation is still animation, I'm sure the techniques you learn are basically the same, I'd be fine with that, and if I end up in a job where I'm actually animating the chances are it's not going to be traditional.

I have no real plans as of yet.

[Matt Goble]

Wow,  didn't know you know had to pay for Foundation courses, but I guess it comes under further / higher education these days.

I was always under the impression that foundation courses were intended to improve your skills to a level 'acceptable' for degree education - Yutzster, can't you even apply for the degree courses?  I thought it was down to the quality of your portfolio?  Afterall, mature students haven't all done art foundations...

The one thing I would say about the Portsmouth plan is to make sure that the two courses are compatible, and that doing the computer course does not put you at a disadvantage for the classical animation course, especially in terms of core skills taught in the first year.

Best of luck either way!

my 2p worth.