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Animation for Beginners

  • Level(s) of Study: Short course
  • Course Fee:

    £495

  • Start Date(s): 12 August 2024
  • Duration: Monday - Friday, 10 am - 4 pm, one week.
  • Study Mode(s): Short course
  • Campus: City Campus
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information

Introduction:

Embark on a journey into the world of animation!

Starting with hand-drawn projects such as creating flipbooks and zoetropes (the fundamentals of making moving images and tricking the eye), the course quickly moves on to more complex methods of hand drawing and digital animation using industry standard software such as TV Paint and Adobe After Effects.

Through practical projects, you’ll develop your skills in hand-drawn and digital software using a range of tools and techniques to create animations and express your artistic vision.

From aspiring and established artists and designers to image-makers and content creators, and from enthusiastic amateurs to creative students and educators, this course will enhance your drawing, storytelling, design and technical skills.

If you’re a looking to expand your skillset and explore new creative avenues, whatever your background, you’ll be very welcome; you can have no previous knowledge and limited drawing skills and still achieve great results.

  • You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas.
  • With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your skills at home or work.
  • Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices.
  • On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance.

Here’s what our previous attendees said:

'I loved using Adobe Animate to animate my characters, and making new characters'

'I enjoyed learning new software programmes'

'All of my animation questions were answered and I benefited from one-to-one time with the tutor'

What you’ll study

During the course you will:

  • dive into the essence of animation, mastering crucial elements like timing, spacing and the twelve principles of animation techniques
  • understand the basics of hand-drawn animation and tween animation
  • create mesmerising optical illusion toys and bring flip books to life with the turn of every page
  • study the movement of balloons and other objects, unravelling the motion into sequences
  • harness the power of IA image generation to creative captivating character inspiration to support your imagination and vision
  • take the fundamental principles you’ve acquired and seamlessly integrate them to create a cohesive character, exploring the intricacies of character turnarounds
  • animate to a piece of music, blending visual and audio together effectively
  • use Adobe Animate CC and Wacom Cintiq tablets.
  • Session One: Creating character inspiration using AI image generation
  • Session Two: Using industry-standard software such as TV Paint and Adobe After Effects to create animation
  • Session Three: Learning the fundamentals using the twelve principles of animation
  • Session Four: Understanding the basics of hand-drawn animation and tween animation
  • Session Five: Creating a cohesive character putting the fundamentals into practice.

Further information on what you'll study

By the end of the course, you’ll have a good understanding of basic animation techniques and knowledge of Adobe software and its capabilities.

You’ll have produced a series of short projects that demonstrate your new skills in animation and making animated characters that can be used for a show reel and portfolio.

A certificate of attendance will be awarded upon completion of the course.

How you’re taught

This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University city campus.

You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.

Tutor Profile:

Ben Arrowsuch is an Animator and Illustrator with a passion for visual storytelling, a proficiency in industry-standard software and a curious, creative professional.

After graduating from Cambridge School of Art Ben became a guest lecturer, inspiring other artists with his unique insights in the field, before beginning to work in the industry.

Ben's versatile skill set shines through his extensive industry experience, having worked for various clients both in-house and as a freelancer on a range of projects; from social media content and advertisements to campaign videos, Ben is able to effectively communicate ideas into a captivating visual experience.

Ben has created character animations and motion graphics for clients such as the Animal Justice Project, Mozilla, King Gaming, Edinburgh TV awards, and Tasetmade and has brought his artistry and digital design skills to life through engaging advertisements and content for renowned mobile games titles including Candy Crush.

Beyond the digital screen, Ben has showcased his work in a variety of esteemed exhibitions and events as part of the Thoughtcast collective and Circuit.

You can see Ben’s show reel and portfolio of work here.

Careers and employability

The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the art and design industry; students who have taken this course have come from a wide variety of industries including animation and film, advertising and marketing, gaming, and multimedia companies.

On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.

After the course, you will be able to progress onto the 3D Animation and Character Creation course.

Campus and facilities

You will be based in the Nottingham School of Art and Design on the City Campus.

You’ll find collaborative working spaces where you develop your sketches and concepts, and Mac suites equipped with industry standard software and hardware including Adobe Animate, Wacom Cintiq Touch Tablets and Pro Creative Pens.

You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Entry requirements

Level: Beginner

Entry requirement: Whilst no software experience is required, you should be confident in saving files and basic computer functions.

You should have an interest in animation and a love of animated films, and an eagerness to explore new ways of working and sharing your ideas

You must be over the age of 18 to attend this course.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

Level: Beginner

Entry requirement: Whilst no software experience is required, you should be confident in saving files and basic computer functions.

You should have an interest in animation and a love of animated films, and an eagerness to explore new ways of working and sharing your ideas

You must be over the age of 18 to attend this course.

Fees and funding

The fee for this course is £495.

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.

You will also need to bring with you:

  • a notepad and pen,
  • sketchbook and coloured pencils
  • a memory stick to save your work.

Ideally you will bring to the course any images or material you are working on, or which inspire you to experiment with, so that you get the most out of the practical projects.

You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.

Need accommodation for a week long summer course?

We offer single rooms in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.

Bookings are taken on a seven-night basis, from Saturday to Saturday.

The rooms are single occupancy, with a private bathroom.

Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation

The fee for this course is £495.

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.

You will also need to bring with you:

  • a notepad and pen,
  • sketchbook and coloured pencils
  • a memory stick to save your work.

Ideally you will bring to the course any images or material you are working on, or which inspire you to experiment with, so that you get the most out of the practical projects.

You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.

Need accommodation for a week long summer course?

We offer single rooms in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.

Bookings are taken on a seven-night basis, from Saturday to Saturday.

The rooms are single occupancy, with a private bathroom.

Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation

How to apply

You can book your place via the NTU online store:

Weekday course (12 - 16 August 2024)

Browse all Design and Digital Arts courses here

You can book your place via the NTU online store:

Weekday course (12 - 16 August 2024)

Browse all Design and Digital Arts courses here