Why study Animation at UDIT
The animation industry is experiencing exponential growth within the audiovisual entertainment market. Its presence in multiple segments of the sector generates a high demand for specialised professionals. As a result, it attracts the interest of numerous young creatives seeking solid training with which to develop and enhance their talent.
With them in mind, UDIT, University of Design, Innovation and Technology, launched the Degree in Animation twelve years ago. A comprehensive training that enables students to develop a film from scratch, covering disciplines such as 2D and 3D Animation, Cut-Out, Motion Capture, Scriptwriting, Concept Art, Production, Post-production and VFX.
360° Study Plan
True to its vocation as a University specialising in Design, Innovation and Technology, UDIT offers up-to-date, cutting-edge training in the field of animation. Its Syllabus comprehensively covers the whole of the industry, from the essential fundamentals to the most advanced techniques and tools, the mastery of which provides a clear differential value to students.
In the first year, students who start the degree programme learn subjects such as Artistic Drawing, Digital Image Processing, Colour Theory, Introduction to Narrative: Scriptwriting, History of Cinema and Animation and Character Design. A challenging and motivating start that provides them with the essential knowledge to begin to take steps in this world.
In the following courses, students are trained in 2D Layout, 3D Animation, Digital Techniques, 3D-Zbrush Organic Modelling, Stop-Motion, Riggin and Setup, Cut-Out, Advanced 3D, Motion Capture-Fig or Rendering Technologies. These are just a few examples of the wide and rich training programme at UDIT, which also includes professional internships and the production of a short animation film as a Final Degree Project.
First-class resources and environment
The Design and Creative Industries Campus has more than 13,000 square metres of facilities equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Students have at their disposal classrooms with graphic tablets, Media Lab, Fab Lab, auditorium and multiple spaces designed for learning and creation as well as for meeting and leisure, forming an environment that favours academic and personal development.
In addition, students of UDIT's Bachelor's Degree in Animation have free access to Harmony Premium and Storyboard Pro licenses, both from the University's facilities and from their own devices. Likewise, during their training, they learn to use professional tools such as the Adobe package, Marmoset, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Subastance Painter, Trelby, Construct 3, Maya or Toon Boom Animation. In fact, the University is a Toon Boom Centre of Excellence, a qualification that recognises the quality of the teaching provided, as well as the qualifications of its teachers.
Training connected to the industry
The teaching staff of the Degree in Animation at UDIT is made up of internationally renowned professionals in the animation industry, 90% of whom are currently working, thus providing an up-to-date vision connected to the reality of the sector, in a commitment to training that is complemented by numerous practical workshops and master classes that take place throughout the academic year.
A recent example of this approach is the interesting workshop on Pinscreen Animation, given at the beginning of April by Alexandre Noyer. During the session, Noyer taught students how to apply this technique using a tool he built himself, a replica of the original, of which there are only a few left in the world.
This type of activity allows students to broaden their knowledge, explore new techniques and approaches in the field of animation and establish direct contact with professionals in the sector. In this way, they begin to build their own network of contacts from the earliest stages of their training, preparing them for their future entry into the job market.
At the end of each academic year, the university organises ANIMAFEST-UDIT, the animation festival and competition, which aims to become a professional springboard for students' work, as well as a meeting point for the industry in Madrid. In addition to recognising and rewarding emerging talent in the field of animation at university, pre-university and international level, attendees can enjoy a full day dedicated to animation, with masterclasses and networking spaces.
Practical vocation
UDIT structures its training programmes around the learning by doing methodology, a clearly practice-oriented approach. Thanks to this, students have the opportunity to directly apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to real contexts.
Thus, they have the opportunity to work on all kinds of projects and challenges, often posed by the companies themselves, so that they not only develop their own proposals based on real briefings, but also face situations that they will face later on, when they start their professional career.
Students on this degree programme begin to create their first short films in the second year, so that throughout their time on the degree they have the possibility of building up an extensive portfolio, something on which the teaching staff pay special attention and focus.
As an essential part of the syllabus, students of the Bachelor's Degree in Animation must complete a period of professional internships in companies. To this end, UDIT offers a network of more than 2,600 agreements signed with companies of recognised prestige.
International recognition
The work of UDIT's Bachelor's Degree in Animation students has been recognised in numerous national and international competitions and festivals. To date, they have accumulated more than 40 awards at prestigious events such as the Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA), Cannes Indie Shorts Awards, Athens Film Festival, Palm Springs Animation & Festival, the Lanzarote International Film Festival and the Girona Film Festival.
All this shows, once again, the high quality of UDIT's educational offer and the level of excellence of the projects developed by its students, who achieve international recognition even before completing their studies.
An experience without borders
UDIT has a marked international character, which can be felt in the very corridors of the university. In the third year, students of the Bachelor's Degree in Animation have the possibility of enjoying Erasmus experiences in some of the best universities in the world, such as Pratt Institute, in New York, or Nord University, in Norway.
The university also receives numerous international students every year, both students who move to Madrid to live their Erasmus experience at UDIT and many others who decide to complete their studies at the institution. A convergence of culture and knowledge that enriches the experience of the entire university community, from students to faculty.
All this is complemented by the different international activities organised by the teaching staff. From trips to prestigious festivals to participation in competitions and meetings, which allow students to acquire new perspectives on animation, experience different ways of working and enjoy unique experiences that will shape their identity, both professionally and personally.