Visual Effects and Motion Graphics BA (Hons)
Program start date | Application deadline |
2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Visual Effects and Motion Graphics BA (Hons)
Overview
Combine your technical and creative skills to produce live-action and digital 2D and 3D content into sequences for film and TV.
Course Details
Full-time and Part-time
I706 BA/VEMG
Animation, Concept Art & Visual Effects
Course routes:
- Degree: 3 years (or 4 with a work placement)
- Plus foundation year: 4 years (or 5 with a work placement)
Top Reasons to Study Visual Effects and Motion Graphics at Teesside
- £2,000 Accommodation Award: you may be eligible for £2,000 towards your accommodation fees if you live outside the TS postcode and are in your first year of study on a games or animation course.
- International acclaim: ranked 19th in the world in the Animation Career Review International Animation School Rankings 2024.
- SideFX recognition: this course has been officially certified by SideFX and the school is a member of the SideFX Certified Partner Programme.
- ScreenSkills recognition: this course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark.
Course Structure
Year 1 Core Modules
- Animation Principles
- Fundamentals of 2D animation
- Fundamentals of 3D animation
- Animation in context
- CG Essentials
- Asset creation
- 3D texturing
- CG lighting
- Rendering
- Technical Animation
- Character and prop rigging
- Motion capture
- Visual effects
- Visual Development for the Moving Image
- Cinematography and film language
- Character and storyboard development
- Digital compositing
Year 2 Core Modules
- 3D and VFX Techniques
- Performance capture
- Mocap production pipeline
- Visual effects and compositing pipeline
- Animated Effects
- Character and creature animation
- Effects animation
- Motion graphics and motion design
- Moviola
- Team project to produce an animation or visual effects sequence
- Professional Research and Development
- Experiment in a specialist area of your choice
- Develop your independent learning skills
Optional Work Placement Year
- Work placement
- Spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills
- Gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters
Final-year Core Modules
- AVFX Project
- Large-scale piece of individual work relating to your chosen specialism and career aims
- Creative Industry Briefs
- Choose from a selection of briefs which reflect specialist industry roles
- Kino
- Team project to produce a short film or visual effects sequence
How You Learn
- Variety of learning and teaching methods
- Active learning using authentic approaches
- Team working and external guest speakers
How You Are Assessed
- Practical projects
- Teamwork and industry input
- Final-year project based on your skills, interests, and career aspirations
Entry Requirements
- 96-112 points plus a portfolio if your Level 3 qualifications do not include a creative subject
- UCAS tariff calculator
- International applicants: find out what qualifications you need by visiting Your Country
Employability
- Career opportunities in studios around the world
- Graduates have gone on to work in a range of areas including previs, modelling, rigging, production, effects animation, matte painting, tracking and matchmove, lighting, look development, and compositing
Information for International Applicants
- Qualifications: find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country
- Useful information: visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants
Other Course Routes
- Foundation year: study this course with a foundation year if you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1
- Work placement: study this course with an optional work placement year, at no extra cost
Full-time
- Entry to academic year: September
- Fee for UK applicants: £9,535 a year
- Fee for international applicants: £17,000 a year
- Length: 3 years (4 with work placement)
- UCAS code: I706 BA/VEMG
Part-time
- Entry: September
- Fee for UK applicants: £4,635 (120 credits)
- Length: Up to 6 years
- Attendance: Daytime
Choose Teesside
- iPad, keyboard, and up to £300 credit for learning resources
- Affordable accommodation right on-campus
- Study in our town-centre campus with £280m of recent investment
- Europe's first Adobe Creative Campus
News and Events
- Emmy success for Teesside University graduate
- New scholarship will help break down barriers to the animation and games industries
- Global ranking for animation at Teesside
Student and Graduate Profiles
- Rebecca Pearce: BA (Hons) Visual Effects
More Information
- Animation, Concept Art & Visual Effects
- ExpoTees Creative
Get in Touch
- UK students: email and telephone
- International students: email and telephone
Open Days and Events
- Undergraduate open day: September
Part-time DiscoverUni Data
- View the part-time DiscoverUni data
- How to understand the DiscoverUni data
- What is DiscoverUni?
Program Outline
Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, BA (Hons) at Teesside University
Degree Overview:
This program equips students with the technical and creative skills necessary for a career in the visual effects and motion graphics industry. It emphasizes hands-on learning, providing experience with the entire production pipeline, from pre-visualization to compositing and animation.
Key objectives:
- Develop expertise in 2D and 3D animation, compositing, and visual effects production.
- Foster creativity and technical proficiency for creating live-action and digital content for film, TV, and games.
- Gain understanding of industry-standard software and techniques.
- Prepare for a career as a visual effects artist, animator, motion graphics designer, and other related roles.
Outline:
Course structure:
- Three years full-time (four years with a work placement)
- Four years with a Foundation Year (five years with a work placement)
Year 1 core modules:
- Animation Principles
- CG Essentials
- Technical Animation
- Visual Development for the Moving Image
Year 2 core modules:
- 3D and VFX Techniques
- Animated Effects
- Moviola
- Professional Research and Development
Optional work placement year:
- Available to gain practical experience in the industry.
Final-year core modules:
- AVFX Project
- Creative Industry Briefs
- Kino
Assessment:
Assessment methods primarily rely on practical projects throughout the course, allowing students to demonstrate their learning and development. Final-year modules provide opportunities to showcase individual skills and interests.
Teaching:
- A variety of teaching methods are employed, including:
- Active learning
- Authentic projects
- Team working
- External guest speakers
- Seminars
- Research-based activities
Careers:
Graduates are well-equipped for careers in:
- Previsualization
- Modeling
- Rigging
- Production
- Effects animation
- Matte painting
- Tracking and matchmove
- Lighting
- Look development
- Compositing Notable employers include Industrial Light and Magic, Weta Digital, Double Negative, Moving Picture Company, Cinesite, The Third Floor, The Mill, Pixar, Digital Domain, and Framestore.
Other:
- The course is ranked 18th in the world in the Animation Career Review International Animation School Rankings 2023.
- Teesside University is the first Adobe Creative Campus in Europe.
- Students may be eligible for an iPad, keyboard, and learning resources credit.
Additional notes:
- The course description mentions that students gain experience in the production of live-action sequences. However, the modules listed seem to focus primarily on animation and VFX.
- The course description also states that students can choose a work placement year. However, the information provided about the work placement year is limited. I hope this detailed response is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Tuition Fees and Payment Information:
- Full-time
- Entry to 2024/25 academic year
- Fee for UK applicants: £9,250 a year
- Fee for international applicants: £17,000 a year
- Part-time
- 2024/25 entry
- Fee for UK applicants: £4,500 (120 credits)
Entry Requirements:
UK Applicants:
Points:
- You'll need 96-112 points from your qualifications.
Qualifications:
- Level 3 qualifications:
- A Level 3 qualification such as A-levels, BTECs, or other equivalent qualifications.
- If your Level 3 qualifications don't include a creative subject like art, design, drawing, animation, or games art/design, you'll need to submit a portfolio.
Portfolio:
- Your portfolio should showcase your fundamental drawing skills like life drawing and observational drawing, alongside your creativity.
- You can find tips and advice on how to prepare a portfolio here: [LINK]
- If you've already gained credits at Level 4 or higher in a related subject from previous studies, you might be able to get credit transfer towards your new course.
Points Calculator:
- You can use the UCAS tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth: [LINK]
- If your qualifications aren't listed, contact the admissions team for alternative options.
Additional Support:
- You may be able to fulfill the entry requirements through Summer and Winter University modules.
- For general information on entry requirements, see the overview here: [LINK]
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
- If you have gained considerable knowledge from work, volunteering, or life experiences, you may be able to get credit for this through RPL. This can be credited towards the course you want to study.
- Find out more about RPL here: [LINK]
International Applicants:
- You can find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country here: [LINK]
- For more information for international applicants, visit the international pages: [LINK]
Other Entry Routes:
- Foundation Year:
- If you need additional preparation or don't have enough grades to join Year 1, you can study this course with a foundation year.
- See the details here: [LINK]
- Work Placement:
- You can study this course with an optional work placement year at no extra cost.
Additional Notes:
- The entry requirements mentioned above are based on the information provided in the context.
- It's always recommended to check the official website of Teesside University for the most up-to-date admissions information.
- Be sure to get in touch with the university if you have any questions or need clarification on the entry requirements.