Master in Stop-Motion Animation
Master the techniques of Stop Motion animation by creating memorable messages and developing projects capable of capturing the attention of the viewer through this expressive, direct, material and transversal language.
Description of the curriculum
- Edition: 11st
- Teaching period: from October 2025 to June 2026. Final master's project presentation: June 2026
- Schedule: from Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. From April to June: 4h/week to be determined
- Modality: on-site
- Language: English
- Price: 10.210 €
- Qualification: Master's Degree in Stop Motion Animation awarded by the UVic-UCC
- Credits: 60 ECTS
Presentation
As a university course, the Master’s Degree in Stop Motion Animation provides unique training at the national and international level, delivered by a team of highly qualified multidisciplinary professionals that includes internationally renowned auteurs/animators with extensive experience in both the professional and educational fields.
Through a pedagogical approach, the objective of the programme is to prepare stop-motion animation professionals in both the authorial and technical sides of the discipline, so they can learn to create and articulate a narrative discourse, animate, experiment with the immense plastic possibilities, and construct conceptual and aesthetic proposals.
Animators of the future will develop the ability to move the audience through the eminently expressive, direct, three-dimensional and cross-disciplinary language of stop-motion animation, and to exploit all the available resources, both narrative and technical, thereby preparing them to become artists and versatile professionals in the audiovisual sector.
The programme is structured in three highly practical modules that cover the phases of stop-motion audiovisual production and culminate in a final project consisting of a short film.
This Master’s degree is targeted at professionals from the design, communication and animation sectors or general creatives who lack specific qualifications but wish to redirect their professional career towards stop-motion animation. A technique that is increasing its following day by day and provides clear career opportunities in fields such as advertising, film, video clip creation, video art and auteur animation.
Syllabus
Module 1 – Directing and producing animation
Practical analysis of the direction, pre-production and production processes specific to stop-motion animation, based on the comprehensive study of their cultural references.
The necessary knowledge will be provided to enable entry into a professional audiovisual environment that requires proficiency in stop-motion animation.
A stop-motion project will be developed and managed, covering all the production phases and the implications for the budget, with the aim of solving basic technical problems.
- Direction and production.
- Screenplay. Audiovisual narrative.
- Production, methodology and budget.
- Story board/animatic.
- Direction of photography.
- Soundtracks for animation.
- Character design.
Module 2 – Specialisation in stop motion
Theoretical-practical workshops will be carried out, including viewings and analyses of outstanding examples of each technique. During these workshops, students must experiment with the principles of animation and apply them to the various stop-motion techniques by completing exercises and guided practice in each technique and sub-technique.
Fundamentals
- Theory of animation.
- ‘Dragonframe’ (stop-motion software).
Character construction
- Structure/skeletons/rigs.
- Modelling.
- Wardrobe.
Staging construction
- Basic fundamentals of construction.
Animation techniques
- Animation of characters (watch video).
- Cut-out animation.
- Animation with sand (watch video).
- Animation in pixilation.
- Experimental animation.
- Paint-on-glass animation (watch video).
- Animation with light.
- Animation with rotoscoping.
Module 3 – Master’s Degree Final Project
Production of a final project (in groups of 3 to 4) which will require students to demonstrate all the skills they have acquired as well as their autonomy. This project must be presented and justified before a panel of expert professionals.
- Screenplay: proposals and the development of the definitive proposal.
- Production plan.
- Directing/producing the project.
- Monitoring of project animation.
- Final project editing.
- Preparation of the report on the project.
The syllabus includes a series of workshops with national and foreign guests who are experts in some of the programme’s topics.
Projects
Momma doesn't notice shit by Sonya Nikitina, Juliette Gangl, Vitaly Ushakov
Aria in Vanitas by Valentina Catanho, Mélanie Fernandez, Francisco Máximo, Maria Sierra
Teachers
Coordinator
Frank María
PhD. Graduate in Fine Arts. Audiovisual Design itinerary Coordinator of the Bachelor Degree in Design. Master in Stop-Motion Animation coordinator.
Anna Isaichkina
Costume designer for performing arts
Pau Pericas
Master's Degree in Cinema and Audiovisual contemporary studies
Irene Iborra
Stop Motion Animator
Eduard Puertas
Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design
Fernando Pomares
A specialist in Direction and Editing
Adriana Vila
Filmmaker and anthropologist
Visiting professors
These were some of the professors invited to participate in the Master's in previous editions:
Abi Feijó
Stop motion animator. Renowned international animator who has experimented with a multitude of stop motion animation techniques (cut-out, sand, ...etc ). Throughout his professional career he has received more than 40 international awards for his artistic work as an animator. Director of the Casa Museu de Vilar - La Imagen en Movimiento and producer at Ciclope Filmes.
Antoni Pinent
Experimental animator, filmmaker and curator of contemporary art. His work has been screened in different cinematheques, cultural centres and international museums, such as the MoMA in San Francisco (2012). With retrospectives of his work in several countries such as Argentina (BIM, 2012), Brazil (DOBRA, 2015) or Spain (Xcèntric, MUSAC, etc. 2014). He has received the II Biennial Award of the ‘Museum of Contemporary Cinema’ (MoCC. New York / Paris) in 2008. As well as other awards in his filmography and distinctions. He is currently part of the curatorial group of the Los Angeles Film Forum since 2014, working on the project ‘Ismo Ismo Ismo Ismo. Experimental Cinema in Latin America'.
Barry Purves
Director of stop motion animation (Oscar and BAFTA nominated), as well as theatre director and writer of animation reference books.
Jordi Grangel
Character designer and sculptor for animated feature films. Co-director of a company specialising in the development of styles and creation of characters for animated films. His work includes the work offered for the stop motion production of Tim Burton's ‘The Corpse Bride’ by Warner Bros., the assistance in the creation of characters for the animated feature films ‘Kung-FuPanda’, ‘Madagascar’, ‘How to train your dragon’ by DreamWorks. He has also collaborated in the productions of Pirates and Hotel Transylvania for Aarmand and Sony Pictures.
Carreer opportunities
- Direction, production and animation of stop-motion audiovisual content for short films, advertising pieces, bumpers, video clips, television series, advertising agencies, communication agencies, production companies and new media.
- Generating original animation projects, disseminating through festivals and seeking funding to create opportunities for self-employed work.
Admission and enrolment
Pre-enrolment and Admission
To apply for a master’s or postgraduate program at BAU, you must request your admission through the pre-enrolment process. Each application is evaluated by the program’s academic coordination team to balance the group composition and provide high-quality training.
BAU's master's and postgraduate programs have limited spots. The pre-enrolment process remains open until all available spots are completed. Therefore, we recommend applying early to ensure your place in the program.
For detailed information on the required documents and the steps to follow, please check the enrolment process for a master’s or postgraduate program.
Enrolment
Once the admission is confirmed, you will receive an email with the result and the instructions to complete your enrolment and confirm your place.
Two payment options are offered:
- Single payment (5% early bird discount until 12/31/2024, inclusive. 2% discount from 01/01/2025).
- Payment in 3 installments, with no additional charges.
Check here for full details on payment options and for scholarships and grants.
BAU students and alumni who have completed at least 50% of the credits for the Bachelor's Degree, Higher Degree in Design, or Graphic Design Diploma, or 100% of the credits for a Master’s or Postgraduate program, will receive a 10% discount.
Academic regulations for Masters and Postgraduate Degrees of BAU.
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