Our Visual Effects degree is a practical skills-based course tailored directly to the needs of the Visual effects, games and other digital media industries. All our staff are active within the industry and teach students the skills they’ll need to gain employment after graduating. The course utilises a mix of lectures, hands-on workshops, tutorial classes, studio sessions and practical exercises such as 3D Modelling, Digital sculping, 2D & 3D Composting, Matte Painting, Motion Performance, Motion Graphics, FX & Simulation, onset VFX supervision and Virtual Production with the use of Epic’s Unreal game engine.
The course fuses cutting-edge industry-standard software skills with lessons learned from over a hundred years of filmmaking and visual effects. We teach everything from the ground up, in short you do not have to have any prior knowledge or tradition artistic skill before joining the course. Our highly skilled team will support you in developing the knowledge and skills you need to thrive in industry.
- Visual Effects
- 3D Studies and Modelling
- Texture and Lighting
- Composition
- Rendering
- Excellent Tutor Support
- Small Class Sizes
- Personalised Support
- Industry Contacts
- Real-World Projects
- Industry Guest Lecturers
- Industry-Standard Studios
- Broad Career Opportunities
- Year 1
You will develop the foundations of your programme of study, in terms of skills and knowledge. - Year 2
You will explore your own creative development and visual style, looking at possible career paths prior to your final year. - Year 3
You will complete a professional portfolio of work and will focus on the areas of personal and professional specialism in the field of visual effects.
Why Choose The Visual Effects Degree at Futureworks?
If there’s one thing that sets our course apart from others, it’s the outstanding industry contacts we utilise to your benefit. Most of our students take the opportunity to work on real world projects while they are still a student with us. Many students leave here with not just their qualification, but also their first film credits.
We have these great contacts because our tutors have come from the industry and we work hard to maintain partnerships with leading visual effects companies.
In addition, our tutor team is augmented by a variety of industry guest lecturers. This helps make sure that we stay in tune with current trends in the VFX world and helps you start to build your network of contacts.
It’s not just current trends – it’s current software too. We always use the same software that you will be expected to use in your future career. We constantly monitor the industry and review our software to make sure that you will be working on the relevant versions. The same goes for our workstations – industry standard hardware. And our new studio facility based in Mediacity is simply amazing.
Finally, there’s the small, highly-focused class sizes – it means we can give every student the individual guidance and help they need.
Why should you choose this course? Well, why wouldn’t you?
This course is validated by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
Your Visual Effects Career Opportunities
A Futureworks visual effects degree leads to a whole range of different careers – not just film and TV, but also roles in advertising, architecture and product design. There are many industries that now require visual effects professionals.
It’s worth noting that the biggest VFX companies are now based in the UK and the scope for careers is really positive. There are lots of opportunities in this growing and exciting industry for the right people, with the right education and the right experience. And that’s what Futureworks gives you.
The complete list of potential job roles for our students is too wide to list here, but it includes compositors, 3d modellers, R&D, lighting, visual effects operator… and you may end up as a skilled freelancer, working in an agencies or in a film production house – it’s such a wide and growing industry.
But film is where many of our students aim for. And they’ve aimed successfully! Our past students have worked on films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Paddington, Robocop and Ronin to name just a few.
Location & Teaching
Your primary location of study will be at our Riverside Campus, which is located on New Bailey Street in Manchester. As part of your course, some of your lessons will take place at our Futureworks Studios facility located in MediaCityUK, a few miles from the city centre.
Futureworks recognises that the skills, competencies and contribution of its staff are vital to the delivery of high quality Higher Education. All programmes are managed by a dedicated Programme Leader and team of experienced tutors, and our excellent links with industry employers mean you’ll have access to exciting guest lectures and fantastic opportunities to gain experience on real-world projects.
“Studying at Futureworks was a great experience, not only I learned a lot but I was encouraged to do my own research and reach out to other people which helped me get out of my comfort zone and make connections along the way. I was also lucky to win an award and get a job after I finished the course!”
Futureworks Visual Effects BA (Hons) Student
“Futureworks ignited my journey into the visual effects industry, fostering my growth across the entire VFX pipeline, granting me a robust foundation of generalist skills. Through Futureworks' invaluable industry connections, I secured my first role as a 3D generalist shortly after finishing my final assignment.”
Futureworks Visual Effects BA (Hons) Student
