Animation

Animation is a creative discipline with deep roots and an expanding present. From hand-drawn cel animation and stop motion to 3D computer-generated imagery and motion graphics, the field encompasses a remarkable range of techniques and styles, each with its own aesthetic possibilities and technical demands. Animators tell stories, create characters, visualise ideas and bring worlds into existence, and the appetite for animated content across film, television, games, advertising, digital media and interactive platforms has never been greater.

At Manchester Metropolitan University this three-year programme develops your creative and technical skills across the main forms of animation practice, giving you a solid foundation from which to specialise as your interests and strengths emerge. You will study character design, storytelling, timing and movement alongside the software and production skills that professional animation requires, working on projects that develop both individual craft and the collaborative discipline that industry demands. A sandwich year and work placements are built into the programme, providing opportunities to gain professional experience in studios, production companies or agencies before you graduate.

The industry connections that Manchester Metropolitan maintains in the creative sector support meaningful and career-relevant placements.

Graduates work in animation studios, games companies, broadcast and streaming production, advertising agencies and independent production. Roles include character animator, 3D modeller, rigging artist, motion graphics designer and visual effects artist, among many others. The skills developed in animation also transfer to related creative technology fields including interactive media, user experience design and virtual production.

Some graduates establish their own studios or develop independent short film and personal project practices alongside commercial work. Postgraduate study in animation, visual effects or related specialisms is also an option for those who want to develop a particular area of practice further.