If you love the idea of giving life to inanimate objects - whether they are hand-drawn pictures, a stop motion puppet, CGI model or found objects - our Stop-motion Animation and Puppet-making degree could be for you. Giving you the skills you need to join the vibrant and evolving global animation industry, the course will help you develop as a creative stop motion animator or articulated puppet maker. You'll join an exciting, professional and creative community and you'll get to specialise in modelling, animation and composite-based applications in the creation of stop motion character film-making. You'll focus on acting principles through the creation of professionally crafted animation using industry-recognized technologies. You'll create engaging, broadcast quality animated sequences, short films and stings. You'll learn about the art and craft of animation as well as the mechanics. Focusing on the many craft based skills of the stop-motion processes, you will be supported by a series of specialist lectures, demonstrations and seminars. You'll cover: Professional Stop-frame Techniques Character and Set Design Puppet Making Lighting and Editing Using both traditional methods and the new technologies of modern film making, you'll learn about the changing face of stop motion animation as it evolves for the 21st Century. You'll cover the art and craft of animation as well as the mechanics. This includes: Storytelling Character Performance Ideas Generation and Communication Development of Individual Style Regular visits from industry professionals will give you an insight into the level of proficiency expected during and after graduation. Recent industry visits have included Mackinnon and Saunders, Aardman Animations LeadAnimator - Will Becher, and creative directors from Sky ARTS.

During your time on the Animation courses you are encouraged to form industry contacts through working on collaborative projects, live client-based briefs, attending and participating at film and animation festivals and an active involvement with the Student Careers Centre. Recent projects have involved students collaborating on a short film for `Don't Do The Dodo' an environmental brand that supports conservation, a Pilot for a series-based broadcast project aimed at pre-school children, as well as a variety of stings and motion graphics idents for broadcast TV channels. Throughout the course Personal Development is an important focus. Students are encouraged to prepare themselves for entry into the design profession or postgraduate study and to develop an awareness of the range of career and postgraduate opportunities available. Whilst on the course you will be encouraged to produce work that is of a standard to be screened at international events allowing for exposure to the wider animation community and potential employers. The animation courses are well represented at annual film and animation festivals and competitions, both in the UK and overseas. Recent student and graduate work was shortlisted for the `2011 Red Bull: Canimation' competition, with graduate Paul Barlow winning the main Open / CGI prize. Students have also participated in the Stuttgart `48h Animation Jam' film challenge as well as winning numerous festival awards. Many of our recent graduates have gone onto be employed by international studios, notably: Aardman Feature Animation, Mackinnon and Saunders, Cosgrove Hall Films, Chapman Entertainment Studios, Ragdoll Productions, Oktober Animation, Cinesite, Double Negative, Rushes Post-production, ITV Studios and Cubic Motion. Others have gained work experience with Granada Studios, Barry Purves and other independent studios. Graduates have also gone onto to enjoy successes by forming their own independent animation companies. These include `Carse and Waterman and `Stars and Heroes , both based in the Stoke area and whom the Animation courses enjoy ongoing relationships with. Graduates have also gone on to develop their own short films, participating in `Artist in Residence schemes at the LightHouse Media Centre, Wolverhampton as well as internationally at summer school courses at Gobelins, l ecole de l image in Paris.