New Zealand Diploma in Screen Production (Game Design) (Level 5)

at Southern Institute of Technology

BSA503 Cross-Disciplinary Workshops

Students will participate in cross-disciplinary workshops to gain an understanding of real-world creative industry practice and communication. Students will be introduced to industry-specific techniques, gaining knowledge and skills required to participate as part of a team. Students will develop research skills to identify and demonstrate historical and theoretical practice. Students will document and analyse the progression of their projects.
 

BSA542 Studio Digital 1 

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of design within the current creative industries. Students will complete projects that meet the requirements of a design brief, implementing various software solutions to develop an understanding of how to read and use imagery. Students will also explore and create digital artworks which apply the fundamentals of design principles. Students will investigate and a diversity of historic and contemporary digital design practices.
 

BSA 528 Game Design 1

Students will develop the skills to design and produce a 2D game which is user experience driven. Students will gain the skills in the latest technology in 2D game development to design a story and character driven game with responsive gameplay and mechanics. Students will be able to demonstrate their abilities to design experiences which combine elements such as animation, physics, sound design, and coding to create immersion. Students will develop their communications and creative thinking skills to deliver a diverse project in a time driven environment.
 

BSA 529 Storyboarding

Students will be introduced to the process of drafting and planning story driven short form screen arts projects. Students will learn basic screenwriting skills for short form narratives and how to design for a target audience. Students will gain an understanding of the creative process and apply visual language and film grammar to produce a completed storyboard and animatic project for the creative industries.
 

BSA 526 Principles of Animation

Students will be introduced to the principles of animation and apply them to a contemporary pipeline. Students will create a visually appealing character with a unique biography and storytelling poses and expressions. Students will use industry standard software to bring their character to life through paperless 2D animation techniques. Students will discuss relevant existing practices, and reflectively document their project progress.
 

BSA527 2D Animation

Students will combine visual storytelling skills and the principles of animation to produce a short 2D animated project with a proposed purpose, narrative, and target audience. Students will apply a range of 2D animation techniques and implement a 2D animation production pipeline. Students will discuss relevant existing and practices, and reflectively document their project progress.
 

BSA515 Studio Drawing 1

Students will develop fundamental skills in drawing, both digitally and physically. Students will participate in a variety of different drawing methods such as life drawing, mural design, and prompt illustrations. Students will develop visual storytelling skills through producing a narrative-driven short, illustrated project. Students will discuss relevant existing and emerging practices, and reflectively document their project’s progress.

School Leavers
 

University Entrance - NCEA Level 3. Three subjects – at Level 3, made up of 14 credits each, in three NZQA University Entrance approved subjects, and
 

• Literacy – 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up o five credits in reading, five credits in writing, and
• Numeracy – 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of specified achievement standards through a range of subjects, or package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 – all three required)
   

Mature Applicants
 

Be at least 20 years of age when the programme begins and provide evidence of aptitude or appropriate work or other experience. Preference will be given to those mature aged applicants who can demonstrate evidence of successful completion of a programme of study to NZQA Level 3 or higher.
 

Additional Criteria - Portfolio Requirements
 

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of their work with their application as follows:

•  A paragraph introducing yourself and your interests in your chosen field. 
•  A link or digital samples of your creative work, for example:
   

a. 5-10 pieces of digital or traditional artwork.

b. or

c. a short film, or animation,  or game you have worked on.

d. or

e. Photographs of a small garment collection or design spec sheets.
 

•  You may be asked to do a short interview with the programme manager or appropriate staff member.
• A paragraph introducing yourself and your interests in your chosen field.
• A link or digital samples of your creative work, for example:
  
  a. 5-10 pieces of digital or traditional artwork, or 
  b. a short film, or animation,  or game you have worked on, or
  c. Photographs of a small garment collection or design spec sheets.
   
• You may be asked to do a short interview with the programme manager or appropriate staff member.

English Language Requirements
 

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:
 

• NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
• an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or
• Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL); or
• Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in  either New Zealand, Australia­, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
• Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
• Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be  from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or
• Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment.
   

Diploma at Level 5
 

• IELTS test - Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5
• TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score of 5 TWE)
• TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 46 (with a writing score of 14)
• Cambridge English Examination – B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 162.  No less than 154 in each skill
• OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
• NZCEL - a) Expiring Level   b) Current:
• Level 4 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 4 (General) or (Employment)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 42 with no band score lower than 36
• Language Cert - B2 Communicator International ESOL Written (LRW) HIGH PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
• Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than merit in any band

Diplomas   NZ$16,500    Per academic year

When you complete the programme you will have the broad range of skills necessary for an industry that increasingly asks for people with a multidisciplinary approach. Depending on the specialisation chosen, you will be able to look for work in numerous roles within the Game Development and Design industries. These roles could include 2D artist, designer, animator, UI artist or Designer. The real strength of the programme is that graduates will have had some experience in many of these areas, a quality that will become increasingly important as technologies converge.