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BU Centre Number One for Computer Animation

13 February 2007

Vivid animation by award winning BU Animation Graduate Lei Chen

The National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) at Bournemouth University has been rated as the number one centre for computer animation courses in the UK and Ireland by 3D World magazine.

The accolade is announced in the 3D World Training Guide accompanying the magazine’s March 2007 issue.

The honour was given by the Guide’s advisory team which includes representatives from many of the industry’s top-players, ranging from Dreamworks, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Aardman Animations to Codemasters, Double Negative, DreamWorks, Lionhead, The Mill and Pixar.

“We are delighted that our peers in the industry have voted us the number one institution in the UK for the study of Computer Animation,” says Professor Peter Comninos, Director of the NCCA.

“It is certainly a great honour and recognition of all the hard work and dedication of every creative and technical member of our team at the NCCA.”

Since its establishment in 1989 the NCCA has become the UK’s leading centre for computer animation research and study.

The Centre enjoys the University’s highest research rating and has pioneered both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in computer visualisation and animation.

Bournemouth graduates now dominate the industry and have had their skills featured on most, if not all, of the biggest films in recent years, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter series, King Kong and Happy Feet amongst others.

“What is particularly pleasing is that we set out to design and run academically-challenging and rigorous interdisciplinary courses that are relevant to our industry,” says Professor Comninos.

“Our undergraduate degree in Computer Animation is one of the toughest courses to get onto and has recently experienced a 24% upturn in applications, so I believe that our dual aim to excel in both the teaching and research of Computer Animation has paid off.

"We are currently in the process of expanding our courses into the Computer Games area, which we hope will be equally relevant to the Computer Games industry and equally successful."

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