Animation Industry HND

Study Level 4 & 5 at our XTEND Digital Campus - our specialist hub delivering industry‑focused digital, cyber and technology courses designed to prepare students for real careers in the digital sector.

Animation Industry HND

Creative Industries

Develop proposals based on animation research and analysis.
Hone existing and new contemporary animation practical skills.
Provide awareness of and simulate contemporary professional practice.

What will I study?

Step into two years of hands-on creative exploration, where each and every project will push your confidence, creativity to become an industry-ready member of the animation industry. Throughout the HND you will get to grips with animation workflows, harnessing and sharpening the practical skills that studios are looking for whilst developing a keen analytical mindset that will ensure that you stay abreast of the breakthroughs within a fast-moving industry.

Theories will be broken down and put into focus giving you the power to tell compelling visual narratives. Experimentation with concept art from an animation point of view will be splashed across your portfolios to show the animation world that you have what it takes to develop your ideas practically. Alongside the Games and Visual Effects courses you’ll build a shared foundation of creative and technical knowledge – mirroring the collaborative environments found in modern studios.

With the support of your tutors, you will explore your specialism, share your unique ideas and artistic voice and create animations and visuals that will set the stage for your bright futures. This is an opportunity to grow your skills, expand your creative toolkit and start shaping the kind of animator that you want to become.

Modules

Level 4 – Module A Process & Practice.

Concept & Development.
Principles of Animation.
Concept Art.
Drawing Workshops.
Visual Storytelling.
Storyboarding.
Animation Workflows.
2D & 3D Animation Workshops i.e. cycles, freeform, body mechanics.
Creative Project.
Advanced 2D & 3D Animation Workshops.
2D & 3D Rigging.
Rendering.
Quality assurance (The Sweatbox).

Level 5 – Module B Professional Creative Practice.

Personal Professional Development.
Personal based Project.
Experimentation through mini briefs.
Sound design & SFX.
Developing you as a creative.
Professional Project.
Industry based assignment with Industry specialist.
Roles within Industry i.e. creative, production and management.
Ethics.
Presenting Work and Best Practices.
Messaging and Impact.

How will the student be taught and assessed?

Practical Workshops.
Theory based Workshops.
Coursework.
Presentations.

Entry requirements

96 UCAS Points from A-levels (preferably with a creative course) or a BTEC Level 3 programme in Animation or Creative Media.
GCSE English and Maths at Grade 4 or above.

Why should I choose USP College?

Learn from working industry professionals. Your course draws on contributors and guest speakers with serious industry credits, including Frazer McLean (VFX artist on Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Stuart Messinger (tutor at Aardman), Hayley Adams (former modelling artist for ILM and Jellyfish), and Andy Wyatt (via Toon Boom).

Compete and exhibit beyond the classroom. Students take part in industry competitions and events including The Rookies, the 11 Second Club, and the London International Animation Festival, with studio visits to Scale Model Studios and the Design Museum.

Taught by a working animator. Programme Lead Lawrence Bignell has over 13 years' teaching experience alongside a freelance career in animation and illustration, and holds a BA (Hons) in Animation from Norwich University of the Arts, a PGCE, and an MA from the University of Hertfordshire.