Program Overview
Prosthetic Effects MA
Launch your career in prosthetic effects with this unique course.
Key Details
- Location: Falmouth Campus
- Course duration: 1 year
- Attendance: Full-time
Course Overview
Working hand in hand with world-class partners Gorton Studio and Millennium FX, you’ll be at the cutting edge of prosthetics, pushing boundaries and gaining industry experience from day one.
You’ll learn by doing as you grow and refine your skills in techniques such as mouldmaking, sculpture, lifecasting and 3D design, modelling and printing, along with special effects make-up and prosthetics, while building a creative portfolio and a network of contacts. You’ll develop your own direction and specialisms and graduate equipped for a range of career opportunities in the prosthetics and special effects industries.
Study at Falmouth
- Learn from industry experts, gaining a grounding in both practice and theory through seminars, workshops and masterclasses
- Have access to professional-standard studios and resources, mastering traditional skills and processes and learning how to design and build in a virtual space
- Collaborate with staff and students from Falmouth’s renowned School of Film & Television
- Develop a varied and critically considered portfolio to help launch your career, along with a professional network. Our industry connections reach beyond the UK to some of the best prosthetic effects studios worldwide
Course Details
Throughout this one-year course, you’ll tackle a truly multi-disciplinary syllabus, designed to meet the needs of today’s highly competitive prosthetics and special effects industries.
You’ll be in charge of your own learning, developing your own direction and specialisms, while also gaining a working knowledge of industry practice.
Course Content
You’ll expand your knowledge of key programs and fabrication techniques, experience studio-based working in academic and professional contexts, and develop a critically considered portfolio. Alongside this, you’ll be introduced to contemporary debates informing the prosthetic effects industry. Workshops in design, drawing, making, presentation and industry awareness underpin your learning in this practical and vocationally focused postgraduate course.
Modules
- Contextual Studies: Extending your theoretical knowledge of key contextual concepts.
- Building Blocks: Your grounding the fundamental skills and processes in Prosthetics Effects production.
- Industrial Context: You will develop your professional portfolio and gain exposure to real life working studios.
- Breaking the Mould: Experiment with your designs and fabrication techniques to test the limits of Prosthetic Effects.
- PFX Production: Focus your studies on the production and creation of an industry quality body of work.
Facilities
The multi-million-pound, industry-standard School of Film & Television offers professional facilities including:
- Dedicated studio space with your own workstation
- Motion capture/immersive studio
- Workshops with rapid prototyping, 3D printing, casting, milling, welding and other fabrication facilities
- Twenty-seat computer suite with key software including Z-Brush, Maya, Adobe CC, and Substance Painter, amongst others
- Access to Gorton Studio
- Access to Millennium FX Studio
- Cinema with Christie M-Series HD projection and 7.2 surround sound
How You'll Learn
This is a practice-based course, so much of your journey will involve learning by doing, working with the state-of-the-art facilities offered by our partners Gorton Studio and Millennium FX. You’ll also gain a grounding in context, theory, programmes and pipelines through lectures, seminars, workshops and masterclasses.
How You'll Be Assessed
100% of your assessment will be coursework.
Assessment Methods
- Portfolios of practical work
- Research presentations
- Verbal reports
- Major practice project
Staff
Working in television and film production, prosthetics, design and fabrication, the teams from both Gorton Studio and Falmouth University have extensive industry experience. We pride ourselves on our industry connections, which reach beyond the UK to some of the best prosthetics effects studios around the world. This connectivity provides essential networking opportunities for our students and graduates and helps inform and shape our curriculum.
Meet Prosthetic Effects Lecturer Neill Gorton
Neill Gorton is founder and co-director of Millennium FX, one of Europe's largest and most prolific prosthetics and creature fx companies. In a career spanning 35 years Neill has won numerous industry accolades including several BAFTA and Royal Television Society awards and has also been a jury member for both RTS and BAFTA awards.
Dr Anna Misiak
Associate Professor in Film & Visual Culture
Anna Misiak is the MA Prosthetic Effects Course Leader and MA Film & Television Course Lead...
Bradley Greenwood
Lecturer, Prosthetic Effects MA
Brad has contributed to many film and television projects as a designer, make-up effects artist, con...
Gorton Studio
Directed by internationally acclaimed prosthetics designer and teacher Neill Gorton, Gorton Studio is regarded as THE place to learn the craft.
Millennium FX
Sister company of Gorton Studio, Millennium FX is Europe’s leading supplier of prosthetics, animatronics and special make-up FX.
Careers
Graduates have worked for leading prosthetic effects companies, including BGFX, Coulier Creatures, Creatures Inc., and Millennium FX, on major international feature film and television productions such as The Last of Us , The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , Doctor Who , Gladiator 2 , , and House of the Dragon. They have also contributed to theatre and live entertainment in London’s West End on shows such as Stranger Things: The First Shadow , at the Madame Tussauds wax museum, for the medical simulation company Simbodies, and in education as technicians and lecturers at Bolton and Solent Universities.
How to Apply
Entry Requirements
We welcome applications from those with relevant equivalent Level 6 qualifications. Our typical applicants hold an undergraduate degree of 2:2 or above, or equivalent experience and a demonstrable interest in the subject.
We'll also welcome your application if you have formal or 'certified' learning (such as training courses not run by universities or colleges) and learning from work experience or self-study. This is called Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), and should have been gained within the last five years, and equivalent to the learning outcomes of our minimum entry qualifications.
Language Requirements
If English isn’t your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.
Fees, Costs & Funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.
- £11,200 per year – full-time UK (£250 acceptance fee payable. This is deducted from tuition fees)
- £21,000 per year – full-time EU/international (£500-£2,500 acceptance fee payable depending upon your status. This is deducted from tuition fees)
Materials Costs
- Study block one: up to £150 (provided by the University)
- Study block two: up to £250 (provided by the University)
In study block three (your final project), projects vary greatly between students. Materials will not be provided by the University - this project is student-funded. In previous years, typical materials costs have been up to £500.
Typical Course Costs
- A laptop will be an essential piece of equipment along with a reliable broadband connection
- £500 - £800 - Depending on the nature of your projects, you should be prepared to cover the costs of materials used to produce your artefacts as part of assessed practice
- £300 - £500 - optional study trip
Postgraduate Funding
There are loans, awards, graduate discounts and alternative funding sources for postgraduate studies. Read about them on our Postgraduate Funding page.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
- Course Name: MA Prosthetic Effects
- Location: Falmouth Campus
- Course Duration: 1 year
- Attendance: Full-time
- Key Partners: Gorton Studio and Millennium FX
- Program Goals:
- Equip students to launch careers in prosthetic effects.
- Provide cutting-edge industry experience.
- Situate creative work within an industrial and contextual background.
- Offer multi-disciplinary learning.
- Push boundaries and develop industry-relevant skills.
- Highlights:
- Access to professional-standard studios and resources.
- Development of a varied and critically considered portfolio.
- Collaboration with staff and students from the renowned School of Film & Television.
- Learn from industry experts.
- Master traditional skills and processes and learn about design and building in a virtual space.
Outline:
- Modules:
- Contextual Studies: Expanding theoretical knowledge of key contextual concepts.
- Building Blocks: Grounding students in the fundamental skills and processes of Prosthetics Effects production.
- Industrial Context: Developing professional portfolios and gaining exposure to real-life working studios.
- Breaking the Mould: Experimenting with designs and fabrication techniques to test the limits of Prosthetic Effects.
- PFX Production: Focusing studies on the production and creation of an industry-quality body of work.
- Structure:
- Practice-based course involving hands-on learning and studio work.
- Lectures, seminars, workshops, and masterclasses.
Assessment:
- Assessment Methods:
- Portfolios of practical work
- Presentations
- Verbal reports
- Major practice project
- Assessment Weighting: 100% coursework
Teaching:
- Methodology:
- Practice-based learning with state-of-the-art facilities.
- Lectures, seminars, workshops, and masterclasses for context, theory, and program/pipeline knowledge.
- Faculty:
- Experienced staff from both Gorton Studio and Falmouth University.
- Extensive industry connections.
- Examples:
- Neill Gorton (Founder of Millennium FX, multiple award winner, jury member)
- Bradley Greenwood (Lecturer, experience in design, make-up effects, and concept art)
Careers:
- Potential Career Paths:
- Leading special effects companies (e.g., BGFX)
- Theatre and live entertainment
- Wax museum (e.g., Madame Tussaud’s)
- Medical simulation companies (e.g., Simbodies)
- Graduate Outcomes:
- Industry-ready skills and knowledge.
- Established network of contacts.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Other:
- Facilities: Multi-million-pound, industry-standard School of Film & Television.
- Application Process: Online application through the "Apply now" button.
Fees and Funding:
- Tuition Fees:
- UK students: £11,200 per year (September 2024 entry)
- EU/International students: £21,000 per year (September 2024 entry)
- Fees for 2025 will be confirmed in summer 2024.
- Additional Costs: Course materials (£200-£300)
Entry Requirements:
- Undergraduate degree of 2:2 or above, or equivalent experience and demonstrable interest.
- Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) accepted.
- Language requirements: IELTS Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall (6.0 in each section) for non-native English speakers.
Application Process:
- Online application through the "Apply now" button.
Tuition fees 2024-25 £11,200 per year – full-time UK (£250 acceptance fee payable. This is deducted from tuition fees) £21,000 per year – full-time EU/international (£500-£2,500 acceptance fee payable depending upon your status. This is deducted from tuition fees) Tuition fees for September 2025 will be confirmed in summer 2024. Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs
