3D Animation Degree

Explore character personality and acting principles, including staging, timing, spacing, arcs, and performance, building on previous subject work in motion and physiology. You will analyze acting and human behavior references, creating a pantomime scene and a walk cycle that reflects mental and physiological character traits. You will also delve into animation storytelling techniques, including 'lip-syncing,' where characters are placed in dramatic monologue scenes with recorded dialogue.

Discover the ways stories are crafted through single, multiple, or moving images. Beginning with the origins of storytelling, you will examine the fundamental concepts and principles that underpin visual storytelling. Literary elements like story arcs, hero's journey, Aristotle's three-act structure, linear and non-linear plots, visual metaphors, motifs, and symbolism are explored, and you'll get to analyze plot structure and character development.

In Identifying and Solving Problems, you will tackle everyday challenges with a foundation in theoretically sound problem-solving. Delve into the principles of creative reasoning, encompassing argument presentation and addressing unconscious bias. You will also explore frameworks for analyzing and reviewing artistic works, along with identifying and resolving creative, technical, and ethical issues in creative projects.

Analyze theatre performances and showcase your skills in an animated comedy scene, highlighting comedic timing through physical movements that emphasize character motivation, realistic weight, and timing. Projects involve distinct animation phases, including setup, keying, storytelling poses, breakdowns, in-betweens, and final polish to help build efficient workflows. The subject concludes with a multi-character dialogue scene, integrating camera framing, cuts, and portraying contrasting character personalities and interactions.

Delve into two essential elements of compelling storytelling in film and games: cinematography and lighting. Cinematography and lighting are used to evoke specific moods or aesthetics; cinematography employs shot framing and camera angles, while lighting uses direction, quality, color, and environment. You will study the theoretical concepts and principles of lighting and cinematography, applying them to visual storytelling and photography in both real-world and digital contexts.

Realizing and delivering a film or game — on time and within budget — requires strategic thinking and strong organizational skills. Build your knowledge in complex management processes, asset pipelines, and project management systems that streamline the delivery of complex creative projects. You'll also study the processes and tools used to pass digital information through the pipeline, including how assets and shot sequences are managed.

Build an understanding of non-human physiology and shot composition to tackle complex animations. You will explore various rigs, each tailored to a specific animal's motion range, starting with a quadruped. From walking through to running, you will then study typical flight behaviors to create a flight animation that contrasts weightlessness and energy. Wrap up the subject by animating a two-character physical confrontation.

This subject delves into self-assessment, team dynamics, conflict management, performance optimization, and effective leadership. With a creative business emphasis, examine ethical, inclusive practices and their impact on the performance of a business. You will also analyze case studies, hypothetical scenarios, and leadership strengths and weaknesses, learning from others' experiences to define success for individuals and companies.

Gain valuable insights into the financial and legal obligations and responsibilities associated with running creative businesses and projects. Examine case studies and simulated scenarios representative of sole trading enterprises, partnerships, and large studios. You will also learn about budgeting and finance, taxation, superannuation, cashflows, profit and loss, bidding, IP, trademarking processes, and how to quantify your creative value.

Throughout your degree, you will have built a comprehensive body of theoretical, technical, creative, and cognitive disciplinary knowledge and skills pertaining to 3D animation. In Capstone Portfolio, you'll reflect critically on and review your catalog of work to plan, edit, and curate your best pieces into a cohesive portfolio/showreel that showcases your professional, artistic, and technical abilities and helps you confidently prepare to apply for animation roles in the industry.

Adaptability and openness to new technologies are crucial in the dynamic industry of film and games. In Stepping Into Industry, you will employ a PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental) analysis to explore current and future trends in the creative sector and identify potential career paths. You are encouraged to reflect on their strengths, values, and adaptability, helping shape your future career choices.

Learn essential marketing concepts and how to shape a personal brand that aligns with your beliefs and values in order to stand out in a global digital market, whether working as a freelancer or at a studio. Acquire an understanding of target markets, customer needs, integrated marketing, handling challenges, and exploring motivations for success. You will also gain insights into managing the diverse, cross-cultural landscape of film and games.