University Education For A Creative Career

What Uni? Student Choice Awards 2020

BA (Hons) Visual Effects

BA (Hons) Visual Effects

VISUAL EFFECTS

Visual Effects is for anyone interested in creating the stunning visual effects seen each day from the latest Hollywood and televisual epics to the creative innovation of high impact TV adverts. The United Kingdom is renowned for its skilled film makers and now boasts some of the biggest visual effects houses in the world.

Using the finest innovations in technology, this course covers the seamless integration of photo real computer-generated creatures, environments, assets and people. Your studies will cover the key areas of visual effects; from Rotoscoping and Keying to Tracking, Match moving and colour correction. Further in-depth studies such as digital set creation and destruction, matte painting, digital character creation, fluid, cloth and particle dynamics will refine your skills, will support you in becoming an accomplished visual effects artist.

Extensive 3D studies, combined with the development of the visual effect skills mean that this course is the ideal platform to learn how to become a 3D modeller, texture and lighting artist, compositor or rendering technician. This is made possible through excellent tutor support, small class sizes which allow personalised support and the optimum in learning environments. Through this our institution strives to provide an environment which fosters creativity and open discourse.

In your first year you will develop the foundations of your programme of study, in terms of skills and knowledge. In the second year of your course, you will explore your own creative development and visual style, looking at possible career paths prior to your final year. In the final year of study, you will be completing a professional portfolio of work and will be focussing on the areas of personal and professional specialism in the field of visual effects.

 

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THIS PROGRAMME?

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?

 

FUTURE 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.

 

AWARDING BODY

The final qualification for this programme is awarded by the University of Central Lancashire.

Admissions

START DATES

All of our courses start in September and are full time, 3 year courses. More information on relevant dates can be found on the Term Dates page.

 

FEES

Tuition fees for UK and Home students who do not require a Student Visa are £9250 per year.

Tuition fees for International students who do require a Student Visa are £17000 per year. Please see International students for full details.

You may be eligible to apply for a student loan from Student Finance. Please see our Tuition Fees page for more information. You may find it beneficial to invest in additional equipment and/or study resources to support your learning. Additionally, there may be the option of attending events outside of Futureworks which would further enhance your studies. We recommend that you budget in the region of £300 to £600 over the duration of the course to cover these expenses.

 

ENTRY CRITERIA

To be considered for this course, you will require 104-120 UCAS points.

This could be gained via a number of qualifications, for example:

If you’re unsure how many points you have you can use the UCAS tariff calculator.

Remember that qualifications such as Graded Examinations in Music Performance and Arts Award (Gold) can also count towards your UCAS points – check the tariff calculator!

All applicants are expected to have at least a Level 4 or grade ‘C’ in GCSEs Maths and English Language or equivalent. Non-UK applicants will need to have an English Language qualification at International Level B2 or higher, such as an IELTS of 6.0 or better (with no component below 5.5). Students with equivalent qualifications will also be accepted. 

Entry criteria for International students will vary. Please see International Students for full details.

Futureworks is able to accept any applications from applicants who require a Student Visa (formerly called Tier 4 Visa) to study in the UK. Please see International Students  for full details.

 

HOW TO APPLY

You can apply for this course by submitting an application via the UCAS system. The UCAS codes for this course are as follows:-

UCAS Code: W614

Institution Code: F98

For information about applying in July and August, please see our Clearing page. Futureworks is currently unable to accept any applications from anyone who requires a Student Visa (formerly called Tier 4 Visa) to study in the UK.

If you have any questions about applying for a degree course please call us on 0161 214 4602, email [email protected] or look at our Admissions FAQs.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

If your application is successful, you will be invited to an interview where you will have the opportunity to talk about your work, influences and interests. A guide will be sent with your interview details to help you prepare for your interview. Ideal applicants will have a keen interest in film, television, and visual effects. You are welcome to bring any relevant examples of work with you, if you have them. This is optional and a portfolio is not required for applications to be considered for this course.

Structure

AWARD:         Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree

DURATION:   3 Years (Full Time)

AWARDED BY: University of Central Lancashire

 

MODULES:

HE LEVEL 4 (YEAR 1)

 

HE LEVEL 5 (YEAR 2)

 

HE LEVEL 6 (YEAR 3)

 

WHAT ARE CREDITS?

As a guide, 20 credits typically represents around 52 hours of tutor contact time (e.g. lectures/workshops/feedback) and 148 hours of self-study time (usually over the course of a semester). These numbers may increase or decrease depending on the nature, length and level of the module, especially towards the end of the course.