The Animation and Visual Effects unit aims to introduce you to some of the main principles and skills underlying what is actually a very broad subject indeed. It is roughly divided into an Animation block in the Autumn term and a VFX block in the Spring term. We will cover classical animation principles (like Disney) as well as more recent approaches to graphical film making (like South Park) as well as the use of animation in documentary and for illustration. The visual effects block will concentrate on 2D effects like compositing, masking and tracking.

We will be in room CA003 in the old Computer Annex building unless told otherwise (such as for a studio shoot). Classes will usually be a combination of screenings, discussions, demonstrations and practical learning. We will mainly be working with software such as After Effects and Photoshop but there will be some camera based shooting such as for visual effects plates or to generally gather assets.

Animation and visual effects are both creatively demanding and very hard work but can also be extremely rewarding. They occupy a unique position between traditional artforms and the technical systems of media production and have always been a site of intense innovation and experimentation. So practice hard, learn everything you can and remember to have fun!

Any problems contact me, Richard Wright at richard.wright@rhul.ac.uk. My office is AG12 in the Arts Building, extension 3832.