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Visual Effects Production Technology

Entry requirements


64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-Levels

Pass your Access course with 60 credits overall with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English grade C/4 or equivalent GCSE Maths grade C/4 or equivalent

64 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-Level or equivalent qualification

64 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level National Extended Certificate and two A-Levels or equivalent qualifications

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MPP

MPP from a BTEC Extended Diploma

We will consider T Levels for entry to this course, either as stand-alone qualifications or in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications, in accordance with the specified course tariff points.

UCAS Tariff

64

64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-Level or equivalent qualifications

About this course


Course option

2years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Computer animation and visual effects

VFX has become an integral part of the production process for film, television and advertising. On this course, you’ll explore the VFX industry for moving image products while developing the skills required of a VFX artist across a range of disciplines. Study this visual effects degree and you’ll explore the VFX industry for moving image products whilst developing the skills required of a VFX specialist. You’ll have the opportunity to explore the different areas through studio practice, as well as academic research and study. By the end of the course you’ll have developed a strong portfolio of VFX work, tailored to your own career aspirations.

On this course you’ll be working on industry-standard software, such as NUKE – which has been used throughout the development of award-winning movies like Star Wars and The Avengers.

On this course, you'll study in our brand new £9.1 million digital media hub - Confetti HQ - and have access to:

Industry Spec Workstation PCs
Industry-standard digital film cameras and lights
Bookable Green Screen studio space
Professional Studio facilities
Specialist Software including:

Autodesk Suite (Maya, Motion Builder &Mudbox),
Nuke, Mari and Modo
Adobe Creative Suite,
Zbrush, Quixel 2,
Wacom Cintiq 13HD Touch Tablet

Modules

Year 1

Asset Production for VFX Sequences (20 Credit Points)

Learn about the range of assets available in VFX production; in particular you’ll develop an understanding of the relationship between principal photography and the visual effects professional.

Creating 3D Content for VFX (40 Credit Points)

You’ll be given an introduction to the main principles behind creating 3D content and how it integrates with other aspects of visual effects. The module also introduces the notion of the virtual camera and how the 3D software camera needs to match and replicate cameras used on set.

Foundation in VFX Compositing and Matte Production (40 Credit Points)

You’ll develop a strong foundation in VFX Compositing and Matte Production. You’ll also develop your skills in 2D graphics manipulation whilst learning the basics of layering, masking, keying, depth, notions of colour space, project set-ups and flexible, reusable templates.

Matte Painting and Environment (20 Credit Points)

3D computer-generated imagery (CGI) has changed the matte painters’ job. This module will explore matte-painting and the role of the ‘environment’ technical team. You’ll also spend time exploring the history of compositing and its roots in early cinema.

Year 2

3D Matchmoving and Rig Removal (20 Credit Points)

You’ll explore the application of camera movement within an image and the difference between object-tracking and camera-tracking. You’ll develop skills in the creation of realistic and professional VFX sequences and learn the important process of rig-removal.

Rigging, Digital Sculpture and Creature Effects (40 Credit Points)

Explore the role of the rigger and the working relationship and interactions with animators and modellers. You’ll learn to create, test and maintain various character, vehicle and cloth set-ups, working with animators and modellers to meet the technical needs of a project.

Effects Animation (40 Credit Points)

During this part of the course you’ll work in our industry-standard Foley Suite learning how particle systems, structures, cloth, fluids and crowds move under the forces of physics. You’ll develop your understanding of how VFX software is used to simulate complex behaviours and phenomena, such as fires, breaking glass and fluids.

Industry Practice (20 Credit Points)

During this module you'll undertake appropriate self-directed projects, working collaboratively on creative work, allowing you to directly apply the knowledge and skills learnt throughout the programme in the context of the workplace. This module aims to develop your overall professionalism and provide you with the knowledge and resources to begin a career in the creative industries.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,150
per year
International
£17,150
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Confetti - Nottingham

Department:

School of Confetti

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

66%
Computer animation and visual effects

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer games and animation

Teaching and learning

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
95%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

85%
Library resources
66%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
75%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
77%
Male students
23%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer games and animation

What are graduates doing after six months?

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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

64%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
6%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
6%
Information technology technicians

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 games and animation

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

£24k

£27k

£27k

£36k

£36k

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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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here