Animation – an Introduction

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn
Length: 10 weeks

Overview

Learn how to create amazing visual animated content with this exciting introductory course, designed for anyone with an interest in animation who wishes to gain a deep insight into this creative specialism and understand how to develop characters, character design, storylines, and transform 2D creations into engaging 3D animated productions.

To book your place today, simply click Book Now to be taken to AUB's secure online store, where you can complete your booking. You can also sign up to our newsletter for short course updates.

About this course

Aimed at the complete novice, this highly practical and immersive course focuses on storytelling through stop motion animation. You'll have the opportunity to explore innovative and original ways of creating and constructing character and narrative. You'll be introduced to industry-standard animation equipment, software, and stop motion techniques.

This course focuses on the importance of movement and sound in particular; challenging you to reinterpret and invent your own short animated film. There'll be numerous elements of collaborative group exercises, as well as time to explore animation independently, and to reflect on the many roles involved in the stop animation process in industry.

The course draws upon the vast working knowledge and experience of your tutor, George Bompetsis, who has practised and taught animation for many years and has developed this course especially for students who are interested in taking the initial steps into building a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and practical stop motion animation techniques and processes.

Supported with presentations and demonstrations from your tutor, you'll be guided through each stage in an easy-to-understand fashion, where you'll quickly gain the confidence to express your ideas to generate your own animated film.

On completion of this course, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and skills to produce your own animations and independently explore the possibilities of stop motion.

History and types of stop motion animation
12 principles of animation
Idea generation and creating a storyboard – working in groups
2D Character design, turn around poses 360°
Induction to scanners, printers, cameras, tripods, rostrums, lights and sound kits
Introduction to Adobe Premier Pro for video/animation editing
Stop motion techniques
Working in 2D domains and transforming work to 3D format
Building 3D characters and sets
Poster making in Photoshop (optional)
Close team working and group exercises

At the end of the course you'll:

Obtain historical insight into the world of animation, including its various types, styles, and methods.
Enhanced creative thought making processes in developing characters and storyboarding.
Had hands-on experience generating both 2D and 3D animated productions.
Have developed your stop motion capture techniques.
Developed and experienced conducting video editing and incorporating sound.
Your progress and outcomes with be reviewed and feedback provided throughout the entirety of the course, with industry focused advice and guidance.
Group share of work produced at the end of each session with the intention to support, inspire and encourage each other’s learning.
Final screening of animations to jointly celebrate the work produced.

Students can request a certificate of attendance if 100% attendance has been achieved by the end of the course. To request a certificate, please email academy@aub.ac.uk with student name and course completed.

Will I be assessed?

No, there's no formal assessment. You’ll group share your work at the end of each session with the intention to support, inspire and encourage each other’s learning. 

As the course progresses, your tutor will measure your overall performance and offer essential guidance and feedback so you know how you're getting on.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2026

Wednesday 7 October – 9 December (10 Wednesdays, 18.00–21.00)
Saturdays 31 October and 28 November (09.00–16.00)

Age

Suitable for adults aged 18+.

Level

Beginners or anyone with some experience who want to refresh or develop their skills further.

Experience or qualifications required

None – this is an introductory course. We have no formal academic entry requirements for our short courses.

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: academy@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£395

Any additional costs

You’ll need to provide your own USB flash drive. This will incur an additional cost if you need to purchase one for the course. See the 'What to bring to class' section below for full details.

Course materials included in the price

Any additional materials and resources not listed below will be provided by AUB.

USB flash drive
Notebook and pens/pencils to take notes

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Suggested Suppliers

Information about resourcing specialist materials/consumables that you may need to bring these with you

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AUB Academy FAQs – Evening and Weekend and Saturday Art School

If you have any questions about our Evening and Saturday Short Courses, you may find the answers in here.

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AUB Academy booking T&Cs

Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully before booking onto our Evening and Weekend courses.

Book your place today

Book now

Animation gallery

Student working on a stop motion animation.

Beyond the course

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could further your 3D design skills with another short course or look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.