1. General Information Award Programme Title Duration Mode of Study MA (RCA) Animation 2 Years Full-time Awarding Institution Royal College of Art Teaching Institution Royal College of Art Professional Accreditation N/A Qualifications Framework Level 7 Credit Value 240 UK credits Date of most recent validation 1/2 March 2010 Programme Specification Date 2014/15 2. Philosophy of the Programme What makes us distinctive? The Animation programme is committed to broadening and deepening the study of animation in all its forms. The aim of the RCA Animation programme is to develop students ability to produce work that is distinctive in character and design, with particular emphasis on developing the content, through research, and writing, as well as on structure, sound and editing. We aim to develop new directors who will influence the future of the subject. The programme focuses on frame-by-frame, and real time production methods that blur the boundaries between traditional and digital animation and other forms of filmmaking, such as live-action, documentary, and other art forms such as architecture, illustration, graphic design, and fine art. 1/11
3. Educational Aims of the Programme The MA Animation Programme aims to: develop students distinctive voices as animation directors and designers, and encourage an individual response to the challenges of practical animated filmmaking and study. develop the professional and intellectual skills of students provide a centre of excellence for students to become skilled animation directors who improve their knowledge of direction, writing, animation, design, sound-design and editing. broaden and deepen the study of animation through research by students who extend the boundaries of the discipline. encourage new solutions to the creative challenges of animation to extend and inform the practice and to keep the art and industry vital. improve students confidence and oral communication skills through team work and regular presentations to a variety of informed and knowledgeable groups. 2/11
4. Intended Learning Outcomes of the Programme A. Intellectual Engagement Master s degrees are awarded to students who are able to: A1. Initiate and develop innovative moving image projects, specifying the creative and technical challenges involved. A2. Demonstrate originality in the application of new knowledge and techniques to a creative problem. A3. Integrate primary and secondary research in the development of his or her written or film projects. A4. Place his or own work within a wider field of contemporary and historical debate. A5 Demonstrate a sensitivity to the responsibility of the filmmaker to his or her audience and to the subject being represented. B. Technical Skills Master s degrees are awarded to students who are able to: B1. Produce work at an advanced level that integrates thought, creativity and technique. B2. Experiment in the use of materials, processes and environments in order to translate ideas into moving image practice. B3. Identify and acquire the specialist skills required in the production, display and documentation of a moving image project. B4 Take responsibility for his or her own media and archive in preparation for screening and exhibition to a pre-professional standard. C. Professionalism Master s degrees are awarded to students who are able to: C1. Work responsibly and effectively with performers, and other contributors to his or her project. C2. Engage in constructive discussion with tutors and peers on his or her own work, and contribute to the wider debates in animation, film and related fields. 3/11
C. Professionalism Master s degrees are awarded to students who are able to: C3. Reflect on, articulate and document his or her progress throughout the programme. C4. Demonstrate the self-motivation, initiative and discipline necessary to deliver creative projects within budget and schedule. 4/11
5. Programme Structure and Curriculum First Year The Animation programme is in the School of Communications. The first year is divided into three main areas of focus. The first term comprises of across- School Electives and a series of Animation-specific workshops. Students choose one Elective from the School of Communications and participate in all of the animation workshops, which are designed to develop new ways of working. Additionally the workshops serve to introduce students to the programme and College facilities, to enable independent future use of the facilities, and to introduce a broad range of academic and technical staff. The second term is spent producing the First Year Project. Students attend short script workshops to provide insights into writing-skills, research and the norms of scripting. Story boarding, time management and budgeting are discussed in one-to-one and group tutorials with the programme staff. Students may work individually or in collaboration. Students must prepare a Statement of Intent outlining their aims and objectives for the project. In the third term, first years each assist a Second Year student with their graduation project for approximately two weeks. Students then go on to undertake research and initial writing of a dissertation (see Critical & Historical Studies, below) and the development of their graduation projects. Specific workshops aimed to support your graduation project development also take place and include scriptwriting, story and improvisation and animation techniques. Visits to professional animation artists and production studios are also arranged in this term. There are many parallel activities throughout the year, including stimulating lectures and screenings from a range of eminent filmmakers and artists. Critical & Historical Studies The RCA provides a unique environment for postgraduate art and design students to reflect upon their own practice, and to engage with students from their own and other disciplines. The role of Critical & Historical Studies (CHS) is to support the studio programmes in enabling these critical engagements to take place. The courses offered by CHS to first year studio-based MA students propose an intellectual framework within which they can begin to establish a coherent relationship between theory and practice. In the autumn and spring terms there are a series of College-wide seminars and lectures. The autumn term series will relate to your particular discipline (though it is possible to elect to join a series being offered to students on other programmes) whereas the spring 5/11
term series will be more broad-based and cross-disciplinary in nature. In the spring and summer terms, a CHS tutor will give you individual tutorials to support the development of a dissertation which is submitted at the start of the second year. The dissertation should be between 6,000 10,000 words in length this is a major piece of work and you will be not be able to submit for the Final Examination until you have passed this assessment. Second Year The second year begins with students presenting their work to the incoming students, and handing in their completed dissertation. During the year, students are primarily involved in developing and producing one or more self set projects. Preparation and initial stages of production of the MA project/s occurs during the first term of the second year. This includes: scripts, storyboards, budget, schedule, equipment and room bookings. Contact with musicians, composers, actors and scriptwriters is encouraged. Workshops in script writing, editing and direction usually take place during this term and build on those undertaken in the previous term. A read-through and improvisation on written ideas can be arranged this term to assist with dramatization, characterization and casting. The Spring term is spent in production creating the content, working with composers and dealing with other elements of the soundtrack for the final degree project/s. Preparations for the Summer Show also take place in this term. All image and principal sound should be completed by the end of this term, with the final term focusing on postproduction preparation and plans for installations and exhibition for the Summer Show. Second Year students have priority over equipment in the final term. Rough edits should be completed in good time for the Pre-Assessments (see below). Final Examinations follow in mid-term. In the interval, between Pre-Assessments and Final Examinations, final editing and mixing of the soundtrack takes place. Immediately after Final Examination, showprints and a DVD showreel are made to be ready for the Summer Show. 6. Learning and Teaching Methods General The programme aims to support creative and innovative practice. Students projects are more directed in the first year, in that they respond to a set brief, and are self-initiated in the second year. Support is offered through a range of individual and group tutorials, and a number of workshops that have been devised to equip students with new skills and 6/11
independent working methods. Additionally, screenings, lectures and seminars from visitors and College staff are offered, and trips to studios and festivals, work placements, competitions, and screenings of students work externally and internally are all teaching and learning opportunities. Students experience a number of opportunities to present their work to their peer group and other informed audiences, which helps, build up oral communication skills and confidence in discussing work. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to make contacts with other programmes, both within the College and outside. This has led to fruitful collaborations, particularly in the areas of sound design, music and cinematography. An introductory visit to a college specializing in sound design or music for screen is an opportunity to make contact with talented composers and to begin a dialogue. Workshops Creative writing workshops and tutorials assist students in developing their confidence in writing, and tease out the relationship between visual and textual aspects of their work. Special techniques workshops introduce students to other ways of working. Camera and lighting workshops or tutorials enable students to achieve convincing atmosphere and composition in their work. Directing workshops encourage animation students to gain understanding of movement and motivation for actors. Casting Actors workshops give students confidence to work with professional actors and therefore work towards a professional end result. Sound workshops encourage the creative design of soundtracks and teach skills in achieving those ideas. Tutorials There are a number of different types of tutorials and feedback opportunities. Individual Tutorials are scheduled with the Personal Tutor, and there are also opportunities for one-to-one tutorials with other Animation tutors, Visiting Lecturers and editing/sound professionals. It is also possible to arrange tutorials with staff from other RCA Programmes. Tutorial Groups are timetabled at key points throughout the year, encouraging peer review in a small group setting with the student s Personal Tutor. Year Group Tutorials involve students presenting work in progress to their peers. Following the presentations, other students from the group lead the feedback discussion. Reflection Tutorials require students to present a mini-retrospective of their work towards the end of their first year. Students and staff contribute to a discussion of the student s individual trajectory, strengths and weaknesses, and potential development. 7/11
Workshop crits enable workshop tutors to offer critical feedback during and at the end of each workshop. A Professional Feedback Session, following a screening of completed work to a group of professionals from a range of backgrounds, is an opportunity for students to get very specific feedback and careers advice. 7. Assessment General Regulations for assessment and progression can be found in the College Regulations, sections 2.7 2.10 Interim Examination The Interim Examination usually takes place near the end of the second term of the first year. Progression to the second year depends on the result of the examination. Each student is seen individually and students prepare a10-15 minutes presentation, which includes the screening of the work. Additional requirements include: A written Statement of Outcome containing (in approximately 400 words): Development of ideas/subject Evidence and examples of creative problem solving New knowledge gained, both taught and self-learnt Particular successes with the process Suggested ideal context for exhibition, anticipated audience and why The Statement of Outcome should refer back to the Statement of Intent and assess the final result, to chart the development of the student s work. The aspects of the work examined are: Key attributes: the quality of the set project, the technical competence of the execution, as well as the success in communicating the idea Intellectual engagement with the subject Technical skills Postgraduate studentship Professional orientation Pre-Assessment To help students prepare for the examination, a Pre-Assessment is arranged as a rehearsal and a valuable feedback session. Staff, Second Year students and representatives from outside the course respond to the almost complete work. This is particularly useful just 8/11
before the final drawing together of students projects ahead of their exam presentation. Each student should present: Rough picture cut of project with separate laid tracks/music (this should include all key sound elements including dialogue/voice over which are needed for the understanding of the project) Rough estimates of expenditure, and estimate to complete A written Statement of Intent for the completion of the project, with particular emphasis on sound and music Final Examination For the Final Examination viva, each student is seen individually. Students prepare a15-20 minutes presentation, which includes presentation of the finished project with a final mix of sound. The moving image work should be presented professionally in an appropriate setting to the Examination Board. Students are examined on the ability to produce work at an advanced level. i.e. which is at or near the forefront of the discipline and demonstrates a creative imaginative innovative and individual response to a self set brief. Additional requirements include: Key support work Other work completed in the second year A Statement of Outcome (500 words), including an evaluation of their work, its weaknesses and strengths; a reflection on how their work contributes to the development of the subject; and an evaluation of their readiness to enter the professional world. 8. Admissions Cross-College Requirements Refer to the College Prospectus for details of cross-college entrance and portfolio requirements for the MA Entrance Examination. Candidates for all MA courses are assessed on their existing qualities as demonstrated in their work and in their interview, as well as on their potential to benefit from the course and to achieve MA standards overall. The assessment will consider: creativity, imagination and innovation evident in the work; ability to articulate the intentions of the work; intellectual engagement in relevant areas; appropriate technical skills; overall interview performance, including oral use of English. 9/11
Programme-Specific Requirements The programme selects a challenging range of artists each year to facilitate crosspollination between different and engaging means of expression. Applicants are normally expected to have a degree in art and design or equivalent experience. Applicants must submit a showreel of moving image work, no longer than 15 minutes, demonstrating an aptitude for sequential thinking. Their particular role on any collaborative projects should be clearly indicated. A portfolio of support work demonstrating other aspects of ideas and skills, which may include 3D objects, drawings, photographs, scripts, storyboards etc., is helpful in the selection process, and this is ideally submitted in digital form. If applicants are invited for an interview, they may bring additional material and original artwork and/or models. In recent years, the profile of successful applicants to the programme has diversified to include those with a background in science and architecture as well as those from moving image, communications and fine art. Portfolio Applicants must present a showreel of animated/moving image work of up to 15 minutes duration. Applications without a showreel of moving-image work cannot be considered. A portfolio of support material should also be submitted, including relevant scripts, storyboards, sketchbooks, drawings, models and photographs or slides. Applicants must indicate clearly the exact role they played in work created in collaborations. Candidates who do not speak English as their first language are required to produce evidence that within the previous two years they have achieved at least 93 in the TOEFL internet test, with an additional writing test score of TWE 24, or an IELTS exam score of 6.5 with 6 in writing. 9. Quality Indicators Refer to the RCA Quality Handbook for more details of the College s quality and standards procedures. All academic programmes at the Royal College of Art are revalidated on a six-yearly cycle. Revalidations involve external subject experts and internal panel members appointed by the College s Academic Standards Committee (ASC). Programmes are required to submit an annual Review, the primary purpose of which is to evaluate the experience of students enrolled on the programme s MA and MPhil / PhD programmes. 10/11
External Examiners are appointed for a maximum of three years to ensure that: - the academic standard for each award is set and maintained at an appropriate level and that student performance is properly judged against this; - the standards of awards are comparable with those of other UK higher education institutions; - the process of assessment and examination is fair and has been fairly conducted. An Internal Moderator is appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of ASC to ensure that there are appropriate mechanisms in place for the objective assessment of student work and to ensure comparability of examination practices between programmes within the College. Students have the opportunity to provide feedback through regular programmeal meetings (at least one each year considers the delivery of the MA programme and the External Examiner report); and through an annual College-wide MA student survey. A Student Representative Council brings forward issues from Course Forums and programmeal meetings to the President and Vice-President of the Students Union who then, where appropriate, present these issues at College committees or to the Senior Management of the College. 11/11