Dan Eccleston

Wolverhampton School of Art / Student Case Studies / Dan Eccleston

Dan studied BA (Hons) Animation, graduating in 2014. Since graduation he has worked as a Digital Services Officer for West Midlands Police. We caught up with Dan to discuss what he is up to now, his favourite aspect of the course and his advice to current students.

I am a pretty laid back 35 year old with a love of all things Looney Tunes. I have lived in Wolverhampton all my life so was a no brainer attending this uni. I was a late bloomer becoming a student as I was well into my 20's when I started but it was the perfect move for me to get some motivation to enhance my hobbies and talents such as drawing and writing.

I thought the lecturers were fantastic, each one different but all friendly, it was clear that they were all experts in their fields. I didn't really have an experience in Animation, but I was soon clued up through helpful lectures that had the perfect balance of hands on work and Auditory learning.

I cannot put my finger on a favourite memory as I have too many - I really enjoyed the trip to Paris as well as the many events held by the university. I loved all of the lectures, even ones I didn't think I would and found a new love for Art History, as an avid fan of early animations such as Looney Tunes etc. I gained a new love for them through the history of the animators / characters.

Since completing my course, I started to use many aspects of my learning into my job at West Midlands Police. My drawing skills are known force wide and I am often asked to create images for use in presentations and most recently in e-Learning.

I feel that through the types of lectures and interactions with lecturers I have gained excellent interpersonal skills as well as the ability to speak in front of a crowd and properly manage a project from start to finish.

Learning about colours and different art styles has really helped me excel in web design as well as other graphic design areas. I must admit I don't draw as much as I would like to but I know the skills are there when needed.

If you have an interest in cartoons (new and old) and a have an interest in drawing and learning new styles of art then this course is for you. I was really surprised at how much knowledge in different areas I gained by the time I had completed the course such as

- SFX (recording / editing)
- Video Editing
- Filming
- Creative Writing
- Art History
- 3D Modelling / Clay Modelling / Stop Motion

…and that is just to name a few, this is a well balanced course with fantastic equipment from the get go. A great experience enhanced by knowledgeable lecturers and a well planned learning journey. Take your drawings and make them MOVE!