Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) offers a range of courses in Film, Animation, Multimedia and TV production.

For the aspiring animator BCFE provides a course focusing solely on animated computer generated images. The Higher National Diploma in Classical and Computer Animation is firmly rooted in the skills of classical drawing and the course applies these skills to development of images in modern imaging packages including 3DSMAX and Photoshop. The course lasts 2 years and has no part-time option.

Mark Byrne, who teaches on the course, emphasizes that the art skills, particularly life-drawing, are integral in the philosophy and subject matter of the course which was built with games development in mind. Students learn to incorporate these traditional art skills in 3-D images through production practices including the scripting and storyboarding stages. The course has healthy industry links with a lot of production companies in the U.K. Graduates have been hired by Rare, Lionhead and Codemasters the latter of these hired 20 new employees in 2001, 12 of whom were BCFE graduates. However, the course is not to be confused with a game development course – there is no programming content nor theory of game development covered.

Pre-requisites for the course include a portfolio presentation and some art qualification; a higher C3 in Leaving Certificate Art or FETAC level 2 award (obtainable through BCFE’s Animation Studies course) will suffice. Mature students are welcome to apply and details of application procedure, fees etc. are all available from the college website. There are 36 places on the HND course every year. The course holds an open day in May each year which those interested in applying should attend.

Essentials:
Location: Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Ballyfermot Road, Dublin 10.

Course: Higher National Diploma (HND) in 3-D Computer Modeling and Animation.

Duration: 2 Years

Course Strengths: 3DSMAX, Life Drawing Skills, Photoshop – the course produces fully qualified computer animators.

Course Weaknesses:
There is no programming or game development theory covered.

More info: http://216.240.136.7/bcfe/courseinfo.php?course=23

Contact: Main Office 01 626 9421 or info@bcfe.cdvec.ie