MA Character & Creature Creation

COURSE OVERVIEW

Design, create and bring life to your own characters and creatures.

Over the course of this programme, you will learn how to design, model, texture, rig and animate your own characters. The first 18 weeks of the course are common with our Advanced Character & Creature Creation course. You’ll learn hands-on character and creature design skills before applying them to two major projects based on industry briefs. One of those projects will be collaborative, so you get used to working as a group just like in a studio, the other will be individual to allow you to create and finesse more pieces for your portfolio.

At the end of the course, you’ll have earned a postgraduate qualification, have a showreel of character and creature creation work and a thorough understanding of the animation and VFX industry. Led by our industry-trained tutors who’ve worked on credits including The Lion King, Godzilla and Doctor Strange, and with help from our Talent Development Team, Aftercare programme and industry guest speakers, you’ll build the skills and connections to kick-start your creative career.

If you are serious about building a career in character and creature design, this course will give you the qualification, confidence, skills and connections to start applying for roles in the industry.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE

Industry feedback - you’ll receive industry-standard critique from an expert in their field. Previous studio partners for our character and creature creation course have included VFX and games studios like Framestore, Rocksteady and Improbable

Industry briefs - you'll work on industry-standard briefs and experience real-life scenarios, just like in a professional studio

Professional input - our advisory board of experts, from the likes of DNEG (Fantastic Beasts and Stranger Things), Framestore (His Dark Materials, Thor: Love and Thunder), Rocksteady (Archam) and MPC (The Lion King, Pinocchio) help develop and keep this degree relevant

Successful alumni - you'll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work as Character Technical Directors at some of the world’s top studios including Framestore, MPC and Blacklist Creative.

Aftercare package - we'll help you polish your showreel and find the right job, with access to our studios and showreel clinics for 12 months

Industry-standard facilities - you'll work in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as Maya, Zbrush and Unreal Engine

Flexibility - choose to study live online if you can’t travel or need a visa to study in the UK. The final 24 weeks are project based and can be organised around a part-time job or personal schedule

Recognised degree - graduate with a postgraduate MA qualification from the University of Kent which will boost your employability around the world.

Career opportunities

“Animation in the UK has a strong track record in character development and storytelling. It also leverages the UK’s global leadership in the artistic and technical aspects of the visual product.” (source Animation UK)

You’ll graduate with a postgraduate qualification and a killer portfolio put together with advice from tutors and industry professionals.

An undergraduate honours degree in a related discipline with a significant component in the field of art and design (e.g. Computer Graphics, Fine Art, Graphic Design, etc). Applicants without a degree who have significant industry experience in character and creature creation or related creative subjects will be considered. Suitable applicants will be asked to submit a creative portfolio.