Animation with Foundation Year

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information

Course summary

• Explore the unique capabilities of 2D, stop-motion and 3D animation.

• Supercharge your skillset using industry-standard tools and techniques.

• Share your story, perfect character performance and interpret motion.

• Adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of animation-related practice.

• Study career routes, plan for festival submission and craft your online portfolio.

Through our industry-focused learning and connections, you’ll learn to embrace innovation and challenge expectations. You’ll develop and showcase your skills in ways that are individual to your creative identity.

How you learn
On this course you’ll be based in our bespoke studios, workshops and digital spaces, joining a dynamic and collaborative learning community. With their support you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities and challenge conventions.

Through our teaching, we’ll unfold your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to industry, culture, society and life systems. The course covers a wide range of topics related to 2D, stop motion and 3D animation – from storyboarding and animatics to concept art, writing, direction, character animation and performance. You’ll explore model making, set building, art direction, rigging and professional distribution methods – as well as sustainable and ethical animation practices.

You learn through:

• studio practice

• workshops

• technical demonstrations

• group and individual tutorials

• reviews

• lectures

• guest lectures

• external visits and field trips

• film screenings

Key themes
Your first year introduces you to the world of professional animation practice. You’ll explore the skills required to develop your own original animated projects and respond to live client briefs.

The second year builds on this learning, focusing on professional portfolio development and the curation of your industry presence – through practice, research, industry interaction and cross-discipline projects.

You can then choose to enter the industry during an optional placement year, working in studios and agencies, or setting up a business of your own.

In your final year you’ll lead industry-focused animated projects, focusing on sustainable production practices and the importance of getting your work seen in festivals and exhibition spaces.

Applied learning
We’ve designed the course to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful. You’ll develop your expertise in collaboration with various industry, commercial and creative practitioners, clients and organisations.

Work Placements
Through a series of work experience opportunities, you’ll gain knowledge, skills and professional behaviours to help you reflect on your goals, and future career paths. You’ll become more confident, resilient and practised in professional interactions, preparing you to succeed when you graduate.

You’re encouraged and supported to undertake a full-time work placement between your second and third year of the course. Sandwich placements give you valuable additional work experience to help prepare you for your future career. They can have a transformative impact on your personal and professional development, which you can enhance further by completing Sheffield Hallam’s Applied Professional Diploma.

Previous students have gained work experience at local animation studios and thrived as freelance artists – both alongside their studies and through the dedicated placement year. Work experience and placements particularly enhance your final-year student experience, underpinning independent practice with real-world experience.

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice
Foundation Skills & Methods

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Directing Story: Engaging Audiences
Doing Moving: Animation Principles In Motion

Year 3

Compulsory modules

Animator Elevator: Careers In Animation
Future Now: Collaboration In Action
Re-Animator: Character In Motion

Elective module

Study Abroad - Creative Industries

Year 4

Optional modules

Placement Year

Final year

Compulsory modules

Beyond Imagination: Professional Animation Production
Pure Imagination: Professional Concept Development