Course Resources Archive

This module aims to historically contextualise and theoretically investigate the key issues that arise in the increasingly popular form of animation, and also to broaden student knowledge of animation, looking across national boundaries, as well as a range from mainstream productions to abstract and fringe animation.

Animation is rapidly entering different media platforms as a fundamental part of the creative industries. Not only does it pay a crucial role in film production, from credits through to CGI, it has entered prime time television and plays a significant role in graphic design, illustration, advertising and interactive media. It has also recently commanded huge budgets and has taken the place of previous forms of special effects. Animation, then, is no longer considered a fringe aspect to media production. With this in mind, this module seeks to illuminate the historical and theoretical world of animation. Broadly speaking, the four key areas discussed will include history, form and style, technology, and culture. More specific topics will include: animation form such as narrative styles, realism, abstraction and the avant-garde; a cultural and historical overview; representations of violence, race, gender and ethnicity; and issues of audience response and spectatorship.

i. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the module students should be able to:
a) Understand and analyse the various meanings that animated representations circulate
b) Conceptualise various animated forms in terms of their cultural content and production context
c) Understand and apply key terms, such as 'realism', 'genre', 'signification' and 'narrative'.
d) Understand and analyse how the form of animation shapes its meaning.
e) Effectively analyse representation, form, and production and reception contexts to unpack the layers of vision, text, culture and the individual.

ii. Skills
a) Students will have the opportunity to further develop their analytical and research skills.
b) Students working independently will gain considerable experience of selecting, synthesising and illustrating critical material.
c) Communication skills will be further developed, including communicating research information to others through group discussion
d) Students will demonstrate a development in writing skills by communicating both discursively and in report format

Staff/student contact: approx 20%
Independent Study: approx 80%

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.