Escape Studios
UCAS Code: I702 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language at grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
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Present a portfolio
About this course
Visual Effects is one the fastest growing industries, with the UK’s sector generating an impressive £1.6bn in 2021 (source **BFI**). It’s an exciting time to join the industry, whether you want to apply VFX to big films, commercials or TV series.
On this degree, you’ll gain knowledge of 3D VFX and 2D compositing, providing you with the technical and creative skills that the industry is looking for. You’ll also start building your experience, industry network and graduate with a shiny showreel to open the path to a successful career.
You’ll be taught in our London studios by experienced tutors who’ve worked on the likes of **Thor: Love and Thunder**, and **Gladiator**.
**Why choose this course**
+ Ranked **3rd in the UK** and **10th in the world** for **Production Excellence in Visual Effects** by **The Rookies**
+ Based in London - home to some of the best post-production studios in the world
+ Work on industry-standard briefs and experience real-life scenarios, just like in a professional studio
+ Successful alumni - you’ll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios including **Rare, Rockstar, Ubisoft, DNEG** and **Framestore**. 47 Escapees worked on **Avengers: Endgame**, 26 on **The Mandalorian**, 23 on **Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3** and 16 on **Stranger Things**
+ Work in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as **Maya, Nuke** and **ZBrush**
+ Professional input - our advisory board of experts help develop and keep this degree up to date. You will also receive feedback on some of your work from industry professionals
+ Specialisms: 2D vs 3D - you’ll be introduced to both 2D compositing for VFX and 3D for VFX, so you can decide which you enjoy most and best lends itself to your skillset.
Modules
First year (Level 4 - 120 credits)
Students on our BA/MArt Animation, Games, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics degrees study common modules in their first year. This will give you the all-round skills needed to become a professional, and a chance to choose a different specialism if you change your mind before your second year (subject to availability).
Creative foundations - craft (30 credits)
Creative foundations - project (30 credits)
Computer animation - core (15 credits)
Video game art - core (15 credits)
Compositing for VFX - core (15 credits)
3D for VFX - core (15 credits)
Second year (Level 5 - 120 credits)
You’ll start to specialise in VFX and work in teams on industry-style projects and be introduced to both 2D compositing for VFX and 3D for VFX. You’ll have the opportunity to try each specialism in your first term, so you can decide which you enjoy most, and which best lends itself to your skillset. Our tutors and industry professionals will help guide your decision. In professional visual effects studios, collaboration between 2D Compositors and 3D Artists is essential. This is exactly how we run our projects, so you’ll work closely with those who’ve chosen a different pathway – a real taste of life in industry.
3D for VFX - Pro (30 credits)
Compositing for VFX - Pro (30 credits)
Specialism (15 credits) - Options include:
Modelling
Texturing
FX
Look development
Rotoscoping
Prep
Industry studio project (45 credits)
Third year (Level 6 - 120 credits)
You’ll be working in a team just like a fully functioning independent studio, alongside developing an in-depth knowledge of your chosen specialisation.
Advanced specialism (30 credits)
Professional practice (30 credits)
Professional studio project (60 credits)
Assessment methods
Formative assessment:
The majority of modules contain at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental and do not count towards your overall module mark.
Summative assessment breakdown:
For Level 4 and 5 modules, your assessment will be split into two parts:
75% Product - You will be required to create a product (short computer animation, rendered image of a 2D or 3D object composited shot, etc.) to a specified brief, then present it in front of a panel and demonstrate how you have met the learning outcomes in your work.
25% Retrospective - You will be required to write a reflective analysis and present this for moderation and assessment.
Level 6
One module will be assessed just like level 4 and 5 modules; for two other modules (Advanced Specialism, Professional Practice), 100% of the mark will be based on a self-evaluative portfolio.
In order to progress to the next stage (from first to second year, and from second to third year), you will have to achieve 120 credits at the end of the academic year.
For further information, please see the Student Handbook: https://www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/for-students/current-students/student-handbooks.html
Tuition fees
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What students say
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Computer games and animation
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After graduation
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Computer animation and visual effects
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This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. Over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years. But at the moment this looks to be a good degree if you want to work on the technical side of film and TV and this is the most common industry for new graduates.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Computer animation and visual effects
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£24k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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