About BA (Honours) in Animation

Application:   CAO 

What is Animation?

One of the youngest art/design disciplines, animation continues to grow in popularity and importance across the entertainment, advertising, education and communication industries. Ireland has a worldwide reputation in animation. Our degree is the first undergraduate degree accredited in this country.

On this programme you will explore the production of animation projects and appreciate the full complexity of the animation process. You will develop the creative, theoretical and technical skills appropriate to gaining an animation degree. To that end, the programme has a balance of 80% practical and 20% academic work, ensuring that you learn from real experiences, whether it’s individually or as part of a group. 

Aims and Objectives

What modules will I study?

Year 1

Academic, Critical and Cultural Studies; Drawing and Animation; Drawing; Design; Animation Principles Experimental - 3D; Design for Film Production; Animation Principles - Drawing; Digital Skills; Personal Project 

Year 2

Academic, Critical and Cultural Studies - Film, Technology and the City; Academic, Critical and Cultural Studies - Film and Narrative; Animation Principles - Drawing I and Drawing II; Drawing; Design; Digital 3-D / 2 - D Flash; Personal Project 

In addition, you will be able to choose one module from the School of Creative Arts’ bank of electives. *

Year 3

Academic Critical Debates - History of Animation; Academic Advanced Research Methods and Thesis Preparation; Digital 3D - 2D; Group Industry Project; Media I and II; Drawing; Business Studies; Production Preparation 

Year 4

Standard or Extended Thesis; Pre-Production; Final Year Project; Portfolio and Show reel 

Overview of Programme Content and Key Skills

Year 1 introduces you to a range of processes and skills, and provides a foundation for the development of technical, conceptual, practical and academic  skills  delivered with an emphasis on  regular  assessment accompanied by formative feedback, followed by summative feedback at the end of each module, semester and end of year. This introduces you to a strategy whereby you can monitor your own learning and progress.

Year 2 allows you to integrate and test prior learning and to acquire and develop new skills in different areas, particularly in relation to research, critical thinking and concept development in your chosen specialism.

Year 3 focuses on deeper learning and inquiry and on the further development of skills appropriate to the professional practice of your chosen specialism. The year is structured around projects intended to build confidence in creative, critical  and technical problem solving. The modules  have relatively complex deliverables, emphasising professional standards of research, project management, production and presentation.

In Year 4, the emphasis is on independent/self directed/negotiated study and research supported by tutorials and group critiques.  Year four provides you the opportunity to integrate and test your cognitive learning and skill sets developed throughout the programme, and focuses them on the completion of a major self-determined and self-generated project.  Both practical and theoretical academic projects will prioritise learning outcomes in: research, critical thinking, creativity, judgement, technical mastery and cohesive/intuitive thinking.

Are there any costs for materials and/or field trips?

Approx. €1,000 per year, Graduate Exhibition cost in year 4   

What will I be able to do when I graduate?

By the time you graduate you will have developed a broad range of skills which will equip you for a career in the Animation Industry, typically in Animation Production Companies, Multimedia Companies, Production and Post-production houses for Animation, Film and Television, as well as freelance independent work. 

Other career paths include Animation Production, Computer Games, Architectural and Industrial Modelling, Film/Special Effects, Advertising, Multimedia, Teaching. 

Joining other graduates from previous years, a significant number of graduates from 2007 and 2008 found full-time employment in the following Animation/Production Companies: Brown Bag Films, Kavaleer, Jam Media, The Element, Kavaleer, Monster, Screen Scene, Abbey Theatre, Weta, Manandink, Flickerpix, Barley Films.  

What are the Entry Requirements?

Leaving Certificate Examination (or equivalent) with a minimum of Grade C3 in two Higher (or Common) Level papers, together with Grade D3 in four other subjects, to include English and Ordinary Level Mathematics or Higher level Mathematics. Foundation Level Mathematics is acceptable

A portfolio of relevant work

You may be called for interview if further clarification on your portfolio is required

Applicants with FETAC awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules

FETAC Links for this programme are:

• AACDX: Art, Craft, Design
  
• AAXXX : Art
  
• ACADX: Computer Aided Design
  
• ADESX: Design
  
• AGDXX: Graphic Design
  
• EMMPX: Multimedia Production
  
• EMPXX: Media Production           
  

CAO Points in 2009: 765 (Combination of Leaving Certificate and Portfolio assessment points)

We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO.  

What should my Portfolio include?

A portfolio is a sample collection of your best work, edited, easy to look through, and well presented in a tidy manner. 

Your portfolio should:

• Be selective: include and highlight only your best work, excluding early works unless there are some exceptional pieces. Do not “pack” it with any more than 30 pieces. (We appreciate quality, not quantity)
  
• Show evidence of hard work, commitment & quality
  
• Not include 3D work (only 2D documentation of 3D work)
  
• Clearly identify your role, if team work is included
  
• Include notebooks, cuttings, creative sketchbooks or visual diaries indicating your interest in the discipline
  
• Present your work to your best possible advantage
  
• Not be a copy from photographs. Do not include any artwork which is a copy of someone else’s work
  
• Include a CV (one per programme applied to) with details of hobbies, technical skills and involvement in activities related to the programme you are applying to. As information on age or educational background is not used for assessment purposes, this should not be included in your CV.
  

We would like to see a portfolio that demonstrates a high level of visual skill, creativity, self-motivation, inventiveness, experimentation, flexibility and stylistic variation.

For this programme, make sure you include:

• Observational drawings: include a variety of drawings such as life drawing, drawings of friends, family, animals, landscapes, objects, etc
  
• The best of your original artwork showing your interest in art and animation
  
• A minimum of two storyboards setting out ideas for short animated films/adverts etc, any subject or style
  
• Storyboards are like comic strips without the speech and thought bubbles, they outline key moments of the sequence (usually actions, events, and emotions) 
  
• 3D work (photographs or prints only)
  

* Second Year elective modules

During the second year, you will have an opportunity to choose one module from a bank of elective options.

The module you choose will allow you to work with students and staff from other programmes in the School and to explore combinations of materials, processes, creative strategies and critical thinking which will enhance and contextualise your understanding of your main area of study.

The electives have been designed to encourage collaboration and experimentation and to broaden and deepen your understanding of the creative arts. They range in content from theatre and performance to media and politics and include a wide range of learning experiences including overseas visits, practical workshops, lectures and seminars. 

The current bank of electives includes the following modules:

• Photography - Digital Imaging
  
• Performance in the Arts
  
• Animation Principles Experimental / 3D
  
• Theatre Workshop
  
• Drawing
  
• Introduction to Comics: Art and Culture
  
• Media and Politics in Ireland
  
• Introduction to Final Cut Pro
  
• Sonic Arts
  
• Creative Cities
  
• Puppetry
  

Recent Success stories

” Thanks a million for sending some extremely talented students (graduates) to us, the standards of the work shown are remarkable…” - Robert Cullen, Director of Boulder Animation Company 

“Two of your ex students are the animators of our next series…I think they are amongst the finest stop motion animators on the island” - Joel Simon, Director of Flickerpix 

“I am delighted to have the students on site, learning industry skills and bringing an extraordinary breadth of talent to this project. I certainly hope to hire a number of them when they graduate over the next few years! “- Andrew Kavanagh, Director of Kavaleer

Visit www.iadtprojects.com to see the project work of our 2009 graduates