BSc (Hons) Visual Effects (VFX)

Program Overview

The Visual Effects program at UWL equips students with the skills and knowledge to create realistic digital effects for various industries. Through hands-on workshops, industry collaborations, and state-of-the-art facilities, students learn advanced software, professional equipment, and techniques used in the field. Graduates are prepared for careers in roles such as compositors, animators, modelers, and visualizers, working in industries including film, television, gaming, and augmented reality. The program is designed in collaboration with industry experts and provides students with a strong foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of visual effects.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Visual Effects (VFX) is the process of creating digital effects for films, advertisements, television, games and augmented reality (AR). As an industry, it is worth over £71bn to the UK economy alone and demand for skilled graduates is only increasing. This course will create dramatic Hollywood blockbuster effects as well as the subtler changes used in AR and 3D architectural visualisation. Students will learn to use advanced software, professional equipment, and develop the techniques needed to build believable worlds. The course is a member of UK Screen Alliance.

Outline:

• Level 4
• Compulsory modules:
• Principles of VFX:
Establishes the historical context of VFX, exploring the development of the methodology and understanding the nature and demands of film. It covers the current terminology in VFX and its origins.
• VFX Toolbox: Develops the Digital Toolbox module.
It takes the models and assets developed in Digital Toolbox and starts to blend them with live backplates and interactive environments. This module is a chance for you to apply the compositing skills that are theoretically explored in CGI Foundations and generate real visual effects shots. The emphasis is on understanding workflow, pipeline and generating visually stunning work. This is a chance to bring all the theoretical and practical skills learnt in Level 4 together and generate a portfolio-ready piece of work.
• Digital Toolbox: Through a series of connected hands-on tasks, you will explore the techniques and approaches to creating realistic digital artefacts.
In a workshop environment, you will gain new skills, from image manipulation in industry standard Photoshop to modelling, texturing and lighting 3D environments with Maya.
• CGI Foundations: CGI Foundations is designed to provide a theoretical underpinning of the creation and manipulation of Computer Graphics.
This module focuses on the technical ideas and concepts behind the processes we undertake in common applications like Maya, Nuke, Unreal, or Unity. The technical concepts will be presented independently of any individual software package, and as such will be highly transferable. Having completed the module you will be better able to navigate the many divergent software tools available to the computer artist, as you will be able to draw upon a broad technical understanding of the underlying concepts upon which graphics software is designed. It will also encourage you to think independently of any one software package therefore potentially facilitating the creation of more innovative and original ideas.
• Digital Sculpture: Beginning with an exploration of abstraction models of facial design, and progressing through observational drawing and clay modelling, you will develop your understanding of proportion and human anatomical features.
You will go on to use the industry standard software Zbrush to model a character, exploring various problems and the tools to overcome them.
• Visual Narrative: Visual Narratives will give you an overview of the key creative principles underpinning cinematic pre-production and planning.
It covers narrative structures commonly used in film and animation. You will develop storyboards and take these into pre-visualisation. You will explore structure in cinematography including composition, camera angles, camera moves and editing rules. This module culminates in a collection of animatics, previz and stop motion work.
• Level 5
• Compulsory modules:
• The Composite:
In the Composite module you will learn the complex nodal compositing tool and bedrock of the VFX industry Nuke. The concepts of compositing explored in previous modules are applied using the professional workflow. This module will prepare you for entry level positions in effects houses, or to take on an internship in the summer break.
• Character Animation: You will gain first-hand experience of building an animation in stages, from layout to blocking through to animation and refinement.
At the end of the module you will have created and documented the development of a piece of character animation that will show your ability to generate a considered and emotional performance.
• Current Trends of VFX: This module will introduce you to later and more recent developments in computer graphics and related digital art / media theory.
You will be introduced to a variety of theoretical lenses such as Manovich's writings on software and the advent of digital, Gunning's photographic truth claim and the notion of indexicality, Baudrillard's simulacra and the 3D digital model, Cassetti's writing on Sutured Reality in the cinema and other recent texts on CGI in digital cinema.
• VFX Animation: By the end of this module, you should have a solid foundation in visual effects animation and be able to create compelling and realistic VFX sequences using industry-standard software and pipelines.
You will gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software, enabling you to produce high-quality VFX that meet industry standards.
• Rigging and Creature FX: Rigging & Creature FX explores the role of the rigger, and you will gain an understanding of the process of rigging.
You will explore the tools that are available to the rigger, and how these tools can be used to create realism and dynamism in the animation of a 3D model.
• 3D Matchmoving: The 3D Matchmoving module concentrates on the process of achieving an accurate camera solve, and matching object geometry and motion from film plates.
You will work with professional cameras and lens’ in the studio to develop your understanding of the problems of acquisition, learning that fixing problems in post can be avoided if good procedure, preparation and care is taken at this stage. It is in the matchmoving and 3D compositing stages that the many diverse elements of a VFX shot can finally come together in context. Matchmoving is a vital role in the VFX pipeline and enables much of the ‘magic’ we accept as de-rigueur effects today. Emphasis is placed on how 3D matchmoving as a cornerstone of career progression and accurate 3D matchmoving is crucial to produce believable CGI shot.
• Level 6
• Compulsory modules:
• Environmental Effects:
This module is an exploration of dynamic parameter driven simulations. These are the advanced skills that bring final touches to creative scenes.
• Professional and Industry Practice: The Professional and Industry Practice module enables you to use creative, digital marketing techniques to promote yourself as a Visual Effects artist.
It explores tools for promoting professional identity and enabling networking opportunities across multiple domains. You will build professional showreels demonstrating appropriate labelling of roles and breakdowns.
• Live Brief: You will have the opportunity to apply all skills acquired over the course.
Briefs will be set by industry professionals replicating an industry scenario. You will be required to analyse the problem, build a structured response to the visual effects task, then plan, execute and present a visual effects shot.
• Investigative Study: Investigative Study is the final exploration of the theoretical underpinning of VFX and is the basis of the Major Project in semester 2.
It a systematic understanding of key aspects of the field of study, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, informed by, the forefront of lens and CGI developments in visual effects.
• Project: In the final year of your degree course, you will create your own project with a high degree of independence.
You will be allocated a supervisor and then given the freedom to create a piece of work, which you feel really represents you as a student. You will be guided and supported, but this is your vision and your chance to show the world what you have achieved while you’ve been at UWL.

Teaching:

• The course is taught through lectures and hands-on workshops.
• Students will be introduced to regular industry practices by taking part in 'class crits' which gives them the chance to get used to the industry use of 'dailies'.
• Students will have access to excellent technical resources, including:
• Computer labs
• A Vicon Motion Capture system
• A fully equipped green screen studio
• Professional cameras
• Professional lighting
• LIDAR scanner
• Students will also have 24-hour access to a new library and learning resource centre.
• Learning opportunities outside of the classroom include:
• Trips to VFX facilities in Soho and around London
• Industry talks with artists and recruiters
• Visits to iconic locations such as Pinewood Studios

Careers:

• Once you graduate you could go on to be a:
• Roto artist
• Compositor
• Texture artist
• 3D generalist
• Animator
• Environment artist
• Matchmove artist
• Visualiser
• Matte painter
• Modeller
• Architectural visualiser
• Product visualiser
• Games artist
• Industrial Light and Magic
• Weta Digital
• Cinesite
• BlueBolt
• The Imaginarium Studios
• Goodbye Kansas Studios
• Smoke & Mirrors
• Jellyfish Pictures
• ENVY
• Automatik VFX
• GSR Productions
• Blockhead studios
• Clear Angle Studios
• Transistor Studio
• Lidar Lounge

Other:

• The course has been designed with input from some of the leading effects facilities, including DNeg, and developed with advice and guidelines from the professional body Creative Skillset.
• Students will learn how to make their work both imaginative and realistic, using professional software, equipment and tools, including:
• Maya
• Nuke
• Zbrush
• Substance Painter
• 3D Equalizer
• Students will get the opportunity to learn the range of skills needed to work in the industry, like animation, modelling and motion capture from people who work in the industry.
• There is a real sense of community, with some of the best facilities in London, and supportive staff.
• The course is based in London, the centre of the UK’s creative industries.
• UWL Visual Effects students recently visited Futures Festival at the iconic Pinewood Studios.
• In November 2023, a group of 19 Visual Effects (VFX) students and three staff members visited the London offices of animation and visual effects company Framestore for a careers presentation.
• UWL students watched a video presentation in the company’s top floor cinema, before taking part in a question-and-answer session with one of Framestore’s recruiters.

| Student Type | Fees per year | Additional Costs | | ------------------------ | ------------- | ----------------------------------- | | UK | £9,250 | optional study trips | | International | £16,250 | optional study trips |