The School of Computing is home to one of the largest academic centres of animation in Europe.
Animation courses at the school have developed from research activity in the field of computer graphics in the early 1980's. Over the years the demand for courses concentrating in distinct disciplines has grown to the point where we now have specific focussed routes delivering skillsets required for careers in computer animation, character animation, post-production and technical direction.
As you might expect, these courses focus on particular roles associated with members of a production team, but carry common themes such as drawing, 2D and 3D animation, character animation, sound, film theory, the production process and studio practice.
In order to deliver this kind of curriculum the school has maintained a high level of hardware and software including many industry standard packages and environments such as Softimage|XSI, Alias Maya, 3D Studio Max and Toon Boom USAnimation.
In addition, the school hosts Animex, a major international animation and computer games festival, on the University Campus on an annual basis. Animex is one of the largest animation festivals in the UK and is run by school staff with support from many regional organisations and student volunteers.
Since its inception the festival has hosted presentations by companies like Pixar Animation Studios, WETA Digital, Industrial Light + Magic, Dreamworks, Klasky Csupo, Aardman Animations, Framestore CFC, The Moving Picture Company, CORE Digital Pictures and many others. Individuals who have visited include Nancy Cartwright, Ray Harryhausen, Michael Dudok De Wit, Bob Godfrey and Paul Dreissen. The event hosts a major animation screening programme as well as professional workshops and events that give students an opportunity to meet and talk to some of the key players in the animation world.
Graduates from the school have gone on to work at some of the major studios around the world including Industrial Light + Magic, Dreamworks, ESC Entertainment, Framestore CFC, The Mill and Aardman Animations. Other graduates have taken the opportunity to set up their own studios via the University's Digital City Project, which assists graduates who wish to forge their own careers in and around the Tees Valley. Students can also apply to the Digital City Fellowship Scheme, which annually allows successful candidates to develop ideas for the creation of digital media content.