Animation Welcome Guide : Preparing for your course

We're delighted that you've chosen to join our creative community at Arts University Bournemouth. We can't wait to see what you'll create.

Welcome to BA (Hons) Animation Production

This welcome pack is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during the first weeks of your course. Please take the time to read it carefully and take particular note of the pre-course preparation. We hope that you'll enjoy a happy and productive time with us, and we look forward to meeting you in October.

A message from your team

Congratulations on joining the BA (Hons) Animation Production course at Arts University Bournemouth. You have an exciting time ahead of you.

The staff and students look forward to welcoming you onto the course. You'll find all the information in this pack that will allow you to prepare for the course.

We hope you enjoy the summer holiday period and that you'll be feeling refreshed and ready to start.

– BA (Hons) Animation Production team

Before you join us

The Library at AUB is extremely well resourced and includes all key texts that you'll need. The list below indicates the key texts that will be useful throughout your studies, all of these are available from the Library at AUB. You might want to borrow a copy from your local library to look at before you arrive. A comprehensive reading list will be provided in your Course Handbook and at the start of each unit. Further reading will be recommended according to the specific requirements on units throughout the course.

Blair, P. (1994) Cartoon Animation. Laguna Hills, C.A. Walter Foster Publishing.
Johnson, O. and Thomas, F. (1981) Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. New York: Hyperion.
Whitaker, H. and Halas, J, (2002) Timing for Animation. London: Focal Press.
Williams, R. (2001) The Animator’s Survival Kit. London: Faber and Faber.
Levy, David B. (2006) Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive. New York: Allworth Press and School of Visual Arts.
Furniss, M. (2007) Art in Motion. Eastleigh, UK: John Libbey.

There is no summer project for this course.

Current student work

Have a look through some of the work our current students are producing to get an idea of the type of work you may be making on our course.

Animation still of a woman in a cafe looking at a sleeping ginger cat.

Animation still of a character in front of a bull in a forest, red clothing.

Animation still of a ginger cat carrying teacups on trays.

Animation still of a character in a dressing room looking up at drawn paper.

Animation still of school kids around a table in a canteen.

Animation still of two character silhouettes in front of a blurred purple circus at night.

Animation still of a character on a train wearing headphones, with two looking in from the window above.

Animation still of a warrior character posed for battle against a red sky.

Illustration of a man in the street looking into a circular mirror, surrounded by flowers.

Animation still of a girl with a ghost girl on swings.

Animation still of two characters kissing in a field at sunset.

Illustration of a human female and an alien female embracing each other surrounded by a pink mist.

Illustration of carnations and tea – a scene from 'The Man Who Loved Flowers'.

An illustration of an Indian family at a wedding – a scene from 'The Man Who Loved Flowers'.

Animated characters, two women and an alien, in dresses dancing.

A series of seven images showing a cartoon cat swimming underwater.

10 Stargazer Police Officers Character Sheet

A row of four animated characters. One carrying a box with a bag over their shoulder. Second one holding up a toy giraffe in their hand. Third one has hair that hides their eyes and is pulling a pose. Fourth one is holding some pages and reading.

Course equipment

We suggest that you bring the following items with you:

Notepad and pens/pencils.
External hard drive for backing up work.
An A3-size LED Portable Light Pad – these are available to buy online for around £40.

We'll provide you with the basic drawing materials needed for the first weeks of the course. However, if you have your own materials please bring them along too. Further lists will be provided according to the demands of each unit and you'll be advised at the start of each unit.

What to bring on your first day

On your first day bring along:

A notepad and something to write with
Your ID and documents for face-to-face registration (see the "Next Steps" tab for more details)
Your Registration Passport enclosed with your Welcome notebook

Digital capability

This course uses both Apple and Windows computers.

Personal laptops and PCs aren't required for the first year of the course. In second and third year, you’ll be working with a robust suite of software – Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Substance Painter, Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Storyboard Pro, and DragonFrame – spanning 2D animation, 3D modelling, video editing, and stop-motion.

The course uses PCs, but you can use a Mac alternative. Course software demands a blend of CPU power, GPU performance, RAM, and storage. These recommendations are based on the minimum system requirements:

CPU: Multi-core processors (Intel i5/i7, AMD Ryzen 5/7, or Apple M-series). Minimum: 4 cores.
RAM: 32 GB minimum.
GPU: Integrated GPUs (e.g., Intel Iris Xe, AMD Radeon, Apple M-series) suffice for lighter tasks; dedicated GPUs (NVIDIA, 4 GB+ VRAM) are essential for Maya, Substance Painter, and After Effects.
Storage: 512 GB SSD minimum; 1 TB+ recommended.
Display: Full HD (1920 x 1080) minimum.