Course details
This course will use tools and design work created by students on our Computer Animation courses in Art & Design and Technical Arts to create visual effects work, just like it happens in the feature film visual effects industry. As such, the course doesn’t cover the technical aspects of mathematics and programming or the more creative aspects of character design and story generation.
On this course you will usually be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.
Contact hours and assessment
Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.
Year 1
Core units
Introduction to Production Tools: Employing the principles and practices of software tools, you will complete an effective, realistic, visual effects project.
History of Visual Effects: This unit will cover the development of SFX, including glass painting, model sets, rear projection, stop frame animation and motion control cameras, and will seek to describe its evolution into VFX following the transition from film/analogue into Digital.
Visual Storytelling & Pre-Visualisation: You will be provided with a good understanding of visual structure, form and design in order to effectively communicate the visual narrative. This knowledge and understanding of key concepts, principles and tools will enable you to pre-visualise and communicate ideas effectively for every visual production assignment you do as part of the degree, and, later in your career.
Asset Integration 1: This unit aims to further develop your understanding of the visual effects asset creation and integration pipeline. You will be exposed to more advanced asset creation techniques for modelling, UVing, texturing, lighting, shading, rendering, simulation, and compositing. You will also develop abilities to work to specific shot requirements and limitations, specifically with regards to the photo-real integration of assets.
Post Visualisation & Shot Development: You will gain the practice and experience of working with and handling large data files, keeping track of changes/versioning, adapting and responding to frequent changes requested by the client, and, generating a post-vis video sequence. You will learn best practices for backing up and keeping track of data, naming conventions, and, production pipeline organisation and workflow. This knowledge, practice and experience will be instrumental in enabling you to respond to the challenges of subsequent production-based projects that you encounter within the course and in your careers.
Visual Effects Photography & Acquisition: On completion of this unit you will have a thorough understanding of how to acquire high quality live actions elements for visual effects projects. You will have a sound understanding of the core principles and technical image requirements for visual effects and will have acquired a range of practical skills, including camera operation, lighting, tracking and set survey. You will also be familiar with the procedures and protocols for safely setting up and executing live action studio or location shoots.
Year 2
Core units
Image Processing for Visual Effects Production: This unit covers two main areas: Rotoscoping and prep work, which allows a visual effects artist to prepare acquisition footage and elements for digital compositing. Green screen matte extraction and compositing, which allows a visual effects artist to extract elements which are shot in front of a green screen for digital compositing in background plates.
Modelling & Texturing: You will learn more advanced creation techniques for hard surface and deformation modelling, UV unwrapping for multiple tile workflow and texturing. You will further develop abilities to work to specific asset requirements and limitations, specifically with regards to the creation of photo-real assets for use in the visual effects live action integration pipeline.
Group Project: You will work as part of a team to develop your creative and production skills through the completion of either a short visual sequence or an interactive project, demonstrating advanced CG techniques.
Asset Integration 2: You will continue to work towards more advanced asset creation techniques for modelling, UVing, texturing, lighting, shading, rendering, simulation, matchmove, 2D and 3D tracking and compositing. You will work to specific shot requirements and limitations, specifically with regards to the photo-real integration of assets.
Option units (choose 2)
Lighting & Rendering: This unit will further your knowledge of lighting and rendering for visual effects. Focusing on three main bodies of knowledge: The look development of the computer generated assets for material creation. The preparation of live action images for the purpose of relighting the computer generated assets and matching the lighting between the assets and the live action background. The rendering of the computer generated assets in preparation for compositing on the live action background plate.
Rigging & Animation for Visual Effects: You will learn techniques for rigging various different types of character and non-character assets as well as various different techniques and workflow practices for the animation of character based and non-character based assets.
Technical Effects: You will develop an understanding of technical effects such as rigid body dynamics, particle systems, fluid dynamic systems, fire and smoke simulation, and character effects systems like fur and cloth.
Personal Inquiry: You will be able to focus on developing a specialist area of practice, or a complementary skill or technique that will benefit your career aspirations.
Real Time Graphics Systems: Using state-of-the-art game engines, you will be introduced to the fundamental principles of real-time graphics engines.
Scripting for DCC: The purpose of this unit is to ensure you are equipped with the programming and scripting skills necessary to use modern Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools such as Maya, Houdini and Nuke. Using a “test driven design” (TDD) approach, you will learn core software engineering and programming skill to help understand and utilise the architecture of modern DCC tools in the development of pipeline tools and techniques.
Character Rigging: Providing you with the fundamental skills for rigging characters for animation. You will produce a short artefact in the form of a reusable rigging tool or rig.
Optional Placement Year
You will have the option of undertaking a short 8 week placement or minimum 30-week placement at the end of your second year. Visit the placement section below for more information.
Final Year
Core units
Final Major Project & Dissertation: This unit is the culmination of your studies. Working as either an individual or in a group, you must produce a significant body of work (typically a short animation or film, game or software artefact). This must be accompanied by a dissertation demonstrating your ability to communicate evidence of problem solving.
Master Class: You will be introduced to the professional world of a digital media production house through undertaking an industry set and supervised brief, in which you demonstrate your chosen area of specialism.
Asset Integration 3: Asset integration is a major part of the professional practice of any visual effects artist, and it is therefore essential that you constantly develop your knowledge and ability in the creation and integration of assets, and in working with live action plates. It will expand on the knowledge gained, and techniques covered, in the Asset Integration 1 and 2 units.
Option units (choose 1)
Digital Fabrication: This unit aims to provide hands on knowledge of 3D printing technology and its application in arts and design. You will learn about the specifics of modelling methods and tools as well as about the production specifics, including state of the art and advances in hardware.
CG and Animation for Cultural Heritage: This unit will investigate the different forms of cultural heritage (CH) that exist (tangible/intangible) and different manners in which computer graphics and animation techniques and methods can be applied in their interpretation and preservation
Digital Matte Painting: You will develop your 2D digital painting techniques and ability with regards to creating high quality photo-realistic digitally painted images.
