Masters Degrees in Visual & Audio Effects

The MA Postproduction course equips you with creative and technical skills required to work within a range of postproduction sectors such as offline editing, sound design, grading and visual effects. During your studies you’ll do a unique industry project that will give you real-life experience with external clients.

- Practical. Master the key postproduction software such Avid Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, Audition, Prelude & After Effects and gain access to our high-end grading, sound mixing and recording facilities

- Industry-standard. Receive Protools audio platform training, essential for any sound postproduction career in film and TV

- Real-life. Put your knowledge into practice by completing a project for an industry client and receiving professional feedback

- Creative. Learn from award-winning tutors and guest speakers with Oscars, Emmys and BAFTAs, including legendary directors, cinematographers, editors, producers and other creative screen specialists

Based at London campus in Ealing Studios.

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The MA in Editing and Post-Production (EPP) offers the opportunity to study part-time in the evenings and several weekends using our purpose built, outstanding media facilities within Elephant Studios at LSBU.

The teaching is delivered by industry professionals and it emphasises professional collaborative workflows and the roles of all personnel in the Editing Department in the context of digital film production. Subjects covered include: working with digital cinema camera recording formats (e.g. Arri’s Log C format), colour grading, audio post production and delivery platforms.

The course offers deep exposure to the skills, knowledge and creativity required to get a secure foothold in the competitive world of Editing and Post Production (EPP). We aim to produce job-ready postgraduates who have the know-how and insight required to embark on careers in the challenging context of the creative industries, delivering professional practice skills around freelance work, enterprise, and new economic models for the creative industries.

The MA is designed for students who wish to further their skills, enhance their experience and establish new contacts while developing their professional career in the industry.

Modules

The art of editing (40 Credits)
Visual effects and compositing (20 Credits)
Role of the editor (40 Credits)
Colour grading and finishing (20 credits)
Editing and post production: Major project (60 Credits)

Teaching and learning

You'll be taught by experienced lecturers and visiting tutors, who combine their teaching with work in the EPP industry.

Classes are taught in edit suites, studios and labs in the Elephant Studios facility at LSBU. There are project rooms for independent and collaborative work.

Individual and group tutorials support our students on every module and we use Moodle as our Virtual learning Environment (VLE).

Students can work on projects with VFX in the Division of Creative Technologies and SFX in the School of Engineering.

Placements

Gaining work experience through work placements and internships is important and we have strong links with industry. The course provides opportunities to engage in collaboration with industry partners. Students have recently completed placements at Scoop Films, TRAAC Films, ITV and more.

Professional links

Visiting Industry professionals will work with students on this course.

We offer membership of the Guild of British Film & Television Editors to students, offering them mentoring, workshop and networking experience.

Employability

We aim to produce job-ready graduates who have the know-how and insight required to embark on careers in the challenging context of the creative industries, delivering professional practice skills around freelance work, enterprise, and new economic models for the creative industries.

The MA is designed for students who wish to further their skills, enhance their experience and establish new contacts while developing their professional career in the industry.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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Are you interested in exploring new ways of communicating through visual storytelling? Do you want to extend your creative skills in the digital domain?

The MSc Animation & VFX at DJCAD is an exciting Masters course which allows a much broader interpretation of traditional animation. Digital animation techniques have allowed us to visualise the world around us from the farthest reaches of space to the darkest depths of the oceans.

Why study Animation and Visualisation at Dundee?

Digital animation techniques have allowed us to visualise the world around us from the farthest reaches of space to the darkest depths of the oceans. With the increasing appetite for fantastic stories and images there has never been a better opportunity for animators, artists and designers to develop new ways of communicating different stories. Using 2D and 3D computer animation, practitioners are shaping our knowledge and understanding in areas as diverse as digital visual effects, medical imaging, architecture, environmental design, product design and film making.

What's great about Animation and Visualisation at Dundee?

This course represents an opportunity for animators, artists, designers and those with associated experience to extend their skills and discourse within both animation and visualisation. We offer dedicated 2D, 3D and visual effects facilities providing you with a unique opportunity to develop your own visual practice. Our new Visual FX studio is one of only two within a UK university.

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) has been rated as the top institution in Scotland for research in art and design, and one of the best in the whole of the UK (RAE 2008).

What you will study

The Masters is a one-year programme, taught over three semesters. Core modules and optional modules provide a balanced curriculum. Masters students are required to attain 180 credits which comprise seven modules, as follows.

Semester 1 (20 credit modules):
Exploring Practice - enhances understanding of the process and skills associated with 2D and 3D animation production, problem solving and creative practice.
Context & Review - contextualises conceptual and theoretical skills in relation to contemporary and emerging technologies and cultures.
Research Skills & Methods - refine your personal programme of research and development, to inform the planning and execution of your personal project.

One week at the beginning of the first semester is dedicated to induction and diagnostic testing to establish where support is required, especially for international students.

DJCAD operates a Reading Week during week 6 of the first semester. Reading Week is designated as five days where there are no timetabled taught classes. However, all students are expected to carry out either assigned work or self-directed work during this period. All University facilities are open during Reading Week with students expected to attend the University as usual.

Semester 2 (20 credit modules):
Advanced Production - extend your existing skills in 2D and 3D digital computer animation. This module will help you to apply these skills to your personal project.
Reflection on Practice - guided independent learning in which you will focus on a project report.
Going Live - you will work on a live industry initiated project called Going Live. This experience will replicate the studio experience with a professional brief set by an external production studio. Industry partners have included The Mill and Axis Animation.

Semester 3 (60 credits)

A&V - Realisation, final 60 credit semester will result in you creating a substantial body of work and taking part in a public exposition.
You can choose to leave with a postgraduate diploma with 120 credits, or a postgraduate certificate with 60 credits.

How you will be assessed

Students are assessed by course work, including team project work, exploratory and finalised practical work, and written work

Careers

Prospects for graduates exist in research and within the vfx, 3D and 2D animation and visualisation industries. Specific roles include 3D Vfx Artists, Compositor, Character Designer, Technical Director, Environments Designer, Character Animator, Self-employment and entrepreneurship will also offer potential career opportunities. Academia careers including Research Assistant on funded projects and PhD study.

"I was given freedom to develop my potential. DJCAD also provided an amazing teacher team and advanced facilities that gave me a great study environment." - Huaijin Cao from China graduated in 2011 and is now employed at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe as a Motion Graphic Designer.

"The reason I choose to study the MSc Animation & Visualisation was to explore various vfx techniques in my work and gain ties with industry professionals. I had a great experience during my time at DJCAD and found the programme to be an ideal springboard into the vfx industry." - Graeme Turnbull works for The Mill London as a 3D artist, he graduated in 2009.

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Visual Communication is an integral part of our increasing visual culture. Graphic designers, illustrators and advertisers play key roles in how the world around us is explained, dressed and garnished.

Course Overview

MA Visual Communication within the Contemporary Dialogues portfolio offers an exciting and innovative re-thinking of Postgraduate provision that reflects the strategic thinking of Swansea College of Art. The portfolio facilitates migration between diverse thematic disciplines, exploring new ideas and conceptual approaches to allow young artists and designers to confront the issues that face society today and into the future.

The portfolio’s ethos of collaborative dialogues through material practices provides an innovative model of design, fine and applied arts education. This development allows students from all pathways to experience and share creative practices and innovative mind-sets through inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary dialogues. This ethos is enhanced within each programme to stimulate ‘collaborative’ practices and experimentation across a broader spectrum of specialist fields, developing graduates with the contextual awareness, creative thinking and technical skills to operate at the forefront of their discipline.

During the course of your studies you will be supported by specialist staff, leading professionals and practicing artists through lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. We have exceptional traditional and digital facilities, housed in spacious purpose-build workshops. Through these, we encourage creative freedom within all of our students and support you in challenging conventional thinking and established practices and facilitate new technological advances across a broad range of disciplines. We have found that through collaborative experimentation and innovative design thinking our students are able to produce work that meets the challenges and respond to the demands of the 21st century.

Facilities include:
-Firing kilns for glass and ceramics
-Printmaking, Screen Printing and Digital Textile Technologies
-Traditional and Digital Stitch
-Wood, Metal, Clay
-Cutting Etching and Engraving Technologies - Waterjet, Laser, Plotter
-3D Printing and CNC
-Chemical and Digital Darkrooms
-Specialist computer facilities with commercial standard software

Modules

-Collaborative Dialogues (20 credits)
-Co-Existent Perspectives (20 credits)
-The Thought Experiment (20 credits)
-Explorative Research Praxis (60 credits)
-Confirmative Praxis (60 credits)

Key Features

The range of avenues available to the visual communicator is both vast and diverse and ranges from countless variations of print to the ever-expanding digital outputs. Almost everything that you interact with, consume, and see will communicate with you on some level. We help to get the message across and for you to understand it.

MA Visual Communication enables its students to explore two distinct spectrums of work. Firstly, there is the broadening process that is at the very heart of the contemporary dialogues portfolio of study. Students will be encouraged to develop their theoretical understanding as well as how they would normally approach a practical response to a user centered visual design problem. The process of expansive creative thinking and problem solving allows for the inclusion of a variety of experiences for the student to reflect upon in their work. The second spectrum gives the student the ability to develop a portfolio of practice led research that will build to an extensive major body of work within their specialist field of study which may span a diverse range of outputs across the fields of illustration, graphic, advertising and brand design.

Assessment

The main modes of assessment used on this programme are; studio projects, written assignments and seminar presentations.

Assessment at postgraduate level is reflected by your ability to reformulate and use relevant methodologies and approaches to address problematic situations that involve many interacting factors. It includes taking responsibility for planning and developing courses of action that initiate or underpin substantial change or development, as well as exercising broad autonomy and judgement. It should also reflect an understanding of the relevant theoretical and methodological perspectives and how they affect your area of study or work.

Career Opportunities

Visual Communication is such a vast area that there are many different skill sets that can be covered by the term. Our graduates have ample skills to be able to gain employment in most of the areas associated with the creative industries. Examples of employment opportunities where graduates have been successful are as follows:

Sky Creative, SapientNitro, Nike, Adidas, Lego, Apple, Stag & Hare, Waters Creative, Icon, Blue Stag Studio, Tigerprint, Oxford University Press, Enigma Creative Solutions, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Dirty Little Serifs, W12 Studios, Dr. Organic, Barclays Bank, Swansea City FC…and so many more

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Focus on your profession with skills in 2D graphics and compositing that are immediately relevant in industry.

Overview

This course is ideal if you want a solid grounding in the latest postproduction systems and techniques as well as a rich understanding of digital visual effects creation for feature film and broadcast television.

You can choose to focus on production-orientated work and apply for this MA degree. Alternatively you can focus on formal research into the technologies behind postproduction systems and apply for the MSc Postproduction with Visual Effects. We run this course in parallel with our masters in Postproduction with Sound Design which will allow you to work with others as you learn, giving you a well-rounded understanding of the postproduction process.

Through the course you'll build up a rich understanding of postproduction. You'll receive scientific and technical training combined with hands-on experience of visual effects systems, program creation and artistic decision-making. Many of our graduates work in the industry, from film to television companies, and some of our graduates have gone on to research in industry or academia.

Course content

This course aims to help you develop a knowledge of the theories and technologies that are central to professional production and postproduction of visual effects in film and television. You'll be able to develop the practical skills that a professional in the film or television industry needs. This course is also ideal if you want to prepare for further research in postproduction systems.

Your understanding of professional production values and aesthetics will be enhanced through technical analysis and critical evaluation. You'll also work on creative and technical collaborative projects with others studying related courses. This will allow you to develop a range of skills, such as time management, working to objectives and team work which you will find useful in the film and television industries as well as elsewhere.

Most of our students study full-time for one year, but you can also study this course part-time over two years.

You'll study a total of 180 credits. 80 of these will be through taught modules in the first two terms. You'll then go on to take a further 100 credits as part of an extended research project in the third term.

Term 1
1. Digital Production and Postproduction Workflows (20 credits)
2. Languages of Film and Television (10 credits)

Term 2
1. Group Projects (20 credits)
2. Visual Effects Design Lab (10 credits)
3. Conform and Finish (10 credits)
4. The Business of Production and Postproduction (10 credits)

The final term is dedicated to the design and development of individual project work.

Careers

The film and television industry is highly competitive and there is a constant demand for visual effects artists with a solid knowledge of current software and postproduction techniques. There's also demand for artists who possess a firm grasp of story and how technology can enhance the viewing experience.

There's an increasing demand for researchers, in both industry and academia, who have a firm understanding of postproduction tools and how they can be applied to create the next generation of postproduction technologies.

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Explore the potential of performance design with this wide-ranging programme.

You’ll develop an awareness of the performance events and experiences that can be created with the aid of lighting, projection, settings and objects, puppetry, props, costume, sound as well as newer technologies such as digital and pervasive media. You’ll have space to experiment and come up with innovative and creative ideas for performance, while learning more about the theories and concepts that are shaping emergent forms of theatre, art and performance practice.

As you build up your MA portfolio you’ll engage with contemporary performance and arts practices – including immersive and participatory forms of performance, as well as those outside of the theatre – while considering the role they play in their wider social, cultural and economic landscape. This is the only research-orientated programme in the UK tailored towards academic and practical engagement with performance design.

You’ll be based in our purpose-built landmark building [email protected], with two professional-standard and publicly licensed theatres that regularly host works by students and visiting theatre companies. One of these is a technically advanced research facility, and both are fully equipped with the latest technology. A dance studio, dressing rooms and box office are also in the building, and our School includes rehearsal rooms, two black-box studios, costume construction and wardrobe stores, a design studio and scenic workshop, video editing and sound recording suits as well as computer aided design.

But our biggest strength is our links with external organisations, which give you the chance to get outside the theatre and explore performance in different environments. Our partners include Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, the National Media Museum, Leeds City Council, Red Ladder Theatre Company, Limehouse Productions, Phoenix Dance Theatre, the National Coal Mining Museum for England, HMP New Hall, Blah BlahBlah Theatre Company, the BBC and HMP Wetherby.

Course content

Throughout the programme, you’ll develop an awareness of research methods and approaches in performance and the cultural industries. In Semester One, you’ll also take a core module which introduces you to key concepts, theories and ideas in performance design, exploring ideas such as visuality and the theatre, spectacle, audience experience and multi-sensorial performance.

This foundation will inform the rest of your studies, including your practice. In Semester One you’ll also work with a range of scenographic materials to develop your own creative practice, spending time in practical workshops alongside lectures where you’ll consider current issues and debates in performance design and the role of practice-led research.

In Semester Two you’ll apply all the knowledge and skills you’ve gained to an independent research project, which could be practice-led or a written dissertation on a topic of your choice. You’ll also be able to spend more time on your practice – you’ll have the chance to complete an individual project, or to collaborate with fellow students from across the School, or work on another small-scale research project based on a two-week placement in an external organisation. Alternatively you could choose from optional modules on topics such as audience engagement or debates on culture and place.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Research Project 60 credits
• Performance Design Praxis 30 credits
• Critical Concepts in Performance Design 30 credits
• Research Perspectives (Performance Design) 30 credits

Optional modules

• Individual Project 30 credits
• Creative Work 30 credits
• Performance and Collaborative Enterprise 30 credits
• Critical Debates in Culture and Place 30 credits
• Enterprise and Consultancy Practice 30 credits
• Audience Engagement and Impact 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Performance Design MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Performance Design MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

We use different teaching and learning methods to help you develop your skills and make the most of our tutors’ expertise, including, practicals, seminars, tutorials, lectures and group learning. Independent study is also integral to the programme, since it helps you to form your own ideas and build skills in research and analysis.

Assessment

The assessment methods you experience will vary depending on the module. However, to allow you to develop skills in a range of areas they will include essays, performances, visual documentation, verbal presentations, critical evaluations and reports.

Career opportunities

This programme will give you the knowledge and skills to become an articulate and creative performance design practitioner. This could include; working as a designer or director in theatre, live performance, festivals or the events industry (either within a company or freelance), creating your own performance events or performance company, or working in community arts.

You’ll also gain a range of transferable skills in research, analysis, interpretation and communication, as well as imagination, independence and cultural awareness. This will equip you to work for a variety of roles across the cultural and creative industries, for example, in administration, marketing and management.

Because of the emphasis on research, it’s also good preparation for PhD-level study and teaching.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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MA Moving Image and Sound has an emphasis on the development of independent audiovisual projects - you will be encouraged to push and challenge your emerging practice as you refine your technical and conceptual skills.

One of the most valuable aspects of MA Moving Image and Sound is being part of a community of practitioners and researchers with diverse specialisms. Depending on your specialism you may engage with a range of audiovisual methods including: animation (including 2D digital, CGI and stop motion); film and moving image production; motion graphics; scripting and narrative; pre-production and post-production skills and techniques; and sound design. Taught components will enhance your knowledge and understanding of both moving image and sound and you will be encouraged to explore wider historical and cultural contexts for your work.

You will be expected to demonstrate breadth, depth and originality in your experimentation with concepts, issues and materials relating to moving image and/or sound design. Through intensive study and comprehensive technical workshops you will refine the practical and conceptual skills necessary to create original and innovative work, to a high professional standard.

This Creative Skillset accredited programme accelerates individual practices within an inspirational and supportive industry-standard environment.

Creative thinking and innovation are at the core of the MA philosophy and you will engage with students from across the postgraduate community to share opportunities and debate contemporary issues.

We encourage our students to engage in critical discourse through course specific seminars, lectures and critiques; larger NUA symposia such as Dialogues (Fine Art) and Cowbird (Design); and attendance at national and international exhibitions and conferences.

Facilities

Sound Studio

Sound production/ edit rooms and recording studio equipped with Logic studio software.

Media Lab 1

For digital 3D production. Software includes the ZBrush, Silo, Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite, Corel Painter and Adobe Creative Suite.

Media Labs 2 and 4

For video capture, edit, production and 2D animation: Adobe Premiere Pro, Maya and Adobe Creative Suite.

General Technical Sessions

Optional software inductions available to all students introduce you to a wide range of creative possibilities and output options.

Media Resource Centre

For digital cameras, tripods, 35mm DSLRs, 35mm film cameras and lighting equipment.

NUA Library

The largest specialist are, design and media collection in the East of England including 32,000 books, 1,300 journal subscriptions and 3,000 DVDs.

Applications

The offer of entry onto a Masters Degree (MA) is based on an expectation that you have the potential to fulfil the aims of the course of study and achieve the standard required to successfully complete the award. Entrants should normally have achieved a BA (Hons)/BSc Degree of 2:1 or above (or its equivalent), in a subject related to your proposed course of study.

Applicants who hold a Degree from another discipline may also be considered for entry, subject to the submission of a satisfactory portfolio of art, design or media-related work in support of their application.

The majority of applicants to courses at NUA will be invited to attend an interview. This provides an invaluable chance to meet face-to-face and is the major factor in determining the success of your submission. The interview is an opportunity to assess your work and the suitability of your application and also provides you with a chance to assess NUA’s staff, campus and facilities and ask questions. The key focus of your application process is on your portfolio. Some courses may require additional entry requirements or passes in specific subjects.

• Complete the application form, including a well-prepared and considered 500 word statement indicating your intentions for MA study. The form should be word-processed not hand-written.
• Detach the Reference Form and forward to your chosen referee with a request to complete and return to NUA at the address indicated.
• Email the completed form to: [email protected] or post to Admissions, Norwich University of the Arts, Francis House, 3 – 7 Redwell St, Norwich, NR2 4SN
• We will endeavour to contact you within two weeks of receiving your application and reference from your nominated referee. If your application is acceptable we will arrange a date for interview.

For further information on this course, please visit our website - MA Moving Image and Sound.

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On this course you will experience a broad range of skills and techniques relating to a range of different areas within the animation and digital effects industries before choosing a specific area to specialise in. You then develop your skills and knowledge in that chosen area to become a multi-talented animation and digital effects artist.

You are supported in the production of creatively driven work to a professional standard and encouraged to challenge boundaries and think in original ways. You develop intellectual and critical approaches to creative tasks and production processes in animation and digital effects. The course provides an environment where you are enabled to work flexibly and independently within the diverse media industries.

We have up-to-date industry standard animation and digital compositing software and facilities allowing you to build your professional skill set throughout the course. You develop practical and conceptual skills in animation production through real world scenarios. You make and complete animations and digital effects to a high professional standard and develop a portfolio of work that showcases your skills to future employers.

Course structure

Postgraduate certificate modules

• 3D fundamentals
• Acquisition and digital effects 1
• Observational drawing
• Character animation

Postgraduate diploma CORE modules

• Advanced animation techniques
• Acquisition and digital effects 2
• Communicating research

Postgraduate diploma OPTION modules

• Concept art
• Asset creation

Masters modules

• Masters animation project

Assessment

• Coursework
• Dissertation

Employability

Careers exist in filmmaking professions, where everything from set designing to cinematography now involves or is entirely completed by computer-generated images, animation and digital compositing – all techniques you can develop on this course.

Continuing expansion of this area offers exciting and challenging career opportunities in • film and television production • game development • motion graphics • web content creation.

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The Digital Visual Effects MSc equips you with advanced skills, knowledge and understanding of high definition digital effects to help you become a highly skilled technical director (TD) in the visual effects industry.

This programme is entirely oriented towards current industrial needs, technology and practice and provides a direct route into the highly desirable creative industry. Our successful former students are working in London and for international companies in areas ranging from television graphics to architectural visualisation.

It covers 3D model building, texturing, lighting, rendering, procedural animation (cloth, hair, fur, dynamics), advanced compositing and high-definition digital effects. Although the thrust of the programme is towards high end film special effects and animation, the standards and techniques you learn will allow you to work in numerous other areas of digital effects.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/250/digital-visual-effects

About the School of Engineering and Digital Arts

The School successfully combines modern engineering and technology with the exciting field of digital media. Established over 40 years ago, the School has developed a top-quality teaching and research base, receiving excellent ratings in both research and teaching assessments.

We undertake high-quality research that has had significant national and international impact, and our spread of expertise allows us to respond rapidly to new developments. Our 30 academic staff and over 130 postgraduate students and research staff provide an ideal focus to effectively support a high level of research activity. There is a thriving student population studying for postgraduate degrees in a friendly and supportive teaching and research environment.

We have research funding from the Research Councils UK, European research programmes, a number of industrial and commercial companies and government agencies including the Ministry of Defence. Our Electronic Systems Design Centre and Digital Media Hub provide training and consultancy for a wide range of companies. Many of our research projects are collaborative, and we have well-developed links with institutions worldwide.

Course structure

The course is designed to train digital effects artists to work in industry. Our successful former students are working in London and for international companies in areas ranging from television graphics to architectural visualisation. Although the thrust of the course is towards high end film special effects and animation, the standards and techniques you learn allow you to work in numerous other areas of digital effects.

The primary industry jobs the course is oriented towards include: technical directors in assistant, creature development, lighting effects, look development roles, compositors in compositing, digital paint and roto roles, modellers and trackers/matchmovers. For a smaller project or company roles would include that of a 3D generalist, 3D artist, effects artist or compositor. These are not easy to achieve, as global competition is fierce and success depends on much better than average concentration and constant practise to grasp the essence and modern techniques of digital visual effects.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

EL831 - Digital Visual Art set-up (15 credits)
EL837 - Professional Group Work (15 credits)
EL839 - Effects Animation (15 credits)
EL863 - Advanced 3D Modelling (15 credits)
EL864 - Pre-Visualisation (15 credits)
EL867 - Technical Direction (15 credits)
EL868 - High Definition Compositing (15 credits)
EL869 - Film and Video Production (15 credits)
EL870 - Visual Effects Project (60 credits)

Assessment

Each module is assessed by practical assignments. The project work is assessed on the outcome of the project itself.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- enable you to develop your knowledge and understanding within the field of digital visual effects, which will equip you to become a professional in the animation and visual effects Industry

- train you in the requirements and skills needed for work in high definition

- produce professionally-trained technical directors who are highly skilled in using state of the art 3D modelling and visual effects software

- provide you with proper academic guidance and welfare support

- create an atmosphere of co-operation and partnership between staff and students, and offer you an environment where you can develop your potential.

Careers

We have developed the programme with a number of industrial organisations, which means that successful students will be in a strong position to build long-term careers in this important discipline.

The School of Engineering and Digital Arts (http://www.eda.kent.ac.uk/) has an excellent record of student employability (http://www.eda.kent.ac.uk/school/employability.aspx). We are committed to enhancing the employability of all our students, to equip you with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a competitive, fast-moving, knowledge-based economy.

Graduates who can show that they have developed transferable skills and valuable experience are better prepared to start their careers and are more attractive to potential employers. Within the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, you can develop the skills and capabilities that employers seek. These include problem solving, independent thought, report-writing, time management, leadership skills, team-working and good communication.

Building on Kent’s success as the region’s leading institution for student employability, we offer many opportunities for you to gain worthwhile experience and develop the specific skills and aptitudes that employers value.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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The landscape of visual effects is changing at a lightning speed. The technological advances over the last decade have brought us fast communication links that are enabling global, cloud-based and remote workflow, opening the possibilities of a looser, more flexible network of artists based in different countries creatively collaborating on visual effects projects. This, combined with the ever increasing demand for both film and video content means that there is a growing need not just for VFX artists but also VFX producers, post-production coordinators and project managers that have a deep understanding of the whole workflow in the creation of visual effects and the post-production in general.

Ravensbourne’s course reflects these changes and follows Skillset guidance on the entry skills required to meet VFX industry’s needs that encompass not only specialised industry skills but also soft skills required for a successful career in the VFX and post-production industry be it in the creative or project management spectrum.

In addition six modules in the form of group tutorials are given on the whole process in the creation of VFX including pre-production meetings, VFX acquisition, scheduling, budgeting, organisation and shoot supervision. These modules also place VFX in the wider context of post-production and give an overview of the post-production workflow from brief to delivery that includes transcoding, editing and deliverables.

Ravensbourne gives students access to all the necessary equipment, including cameras, the use of green screen studios with complete lighting rigs and the relevant software.

Students will have the opportunity to visit a major post-production facility through Ravensbourne’s many industry partnerships. Entrants are likely to have previously studied arts, media, public relations, marketing, editing, post-production, motion graphics or 3D animation at undergraduate level.

Course structure

1. Technology Issues – Within the Technology Issues unit, students will engage with 3 5-week project cycles that will allow them to explore CG, compositing and finishing. These units are structured to encourage students to engage collaboratively with fellow students.

2. Business and Innovation – Taught during the term prior to the Major Project Unit this unit helps students develop and understanding of business and innovative practices in the creative industries. It supports visual effects students in turning their ideas and skills into viable market propositions and long term business plans.

3. Research Process – This unit provides the grounding for research and development skills needed for students’ individual projects.

4. Concept and Prototyping – allows students to further develop their skills, to identify a specialist area related to visual effects and to pursue a single line of inquiry, idea or theory embedded in visual effects and research and develop (investigate, challenge and test) the concept.

5. Major project - The Major Project represents the culmination of students’ investigation and the final stage of the research strategy. This is a substantial piece of self-managed work that is underpinned by advanced practice-based methodologies and processes.

Programme Aims

All postgraduate courses at Ravensbourne provide students with the opportunity to develop advanced skills in the conceptualisation and practical realisation of innovative creative projects in their discipline area and provide them with the entrepreneurial skills to realise their commercial potential. These courses share the following common aims:

- to develop advanced creative practitioners with the potential to originate, innovate or influence practice in their discipline area;

- to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the core principles and technology underpinning their creative project and the theoretical frameworks within which to locate it;

- to underpin students’ creative practice with the entrepreneurial skills and business awareness necessary to turn concepts into commercially viable realities;

- to develop students’ skills in independent learning, self-reflection and research skills necessary to sustain advanced creative practice and scholarship;

- to offer a stimulating environment for postgraduate students which is both supportive and flexible in relation to their learning needs and a creative space in which to incubate their ideas.

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Master of Digital Media Program in Vancouver

The MDM is Canada's first professional graduate program in digital media focusing on the creation of digital media solutions for real world problems. Students come from a variety of backgrounds including filmmaking, engineering, game design, business analysis, architecture, software engineers, artists, primatology, biology, and advertising to name a few.

Housed at the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver BC, this intensive 12-month program engages students through coursework and projects to develop essential communication, collaboration & leadership skills. The unique curriculum meets the needs of the new and expanding digital media markets across all business verticals including but not limited to healthcare, education, business and the entertainment industry.

Guided by top-level faculty and industry mentors, students work closely with clients and peers on team-based, industry supported digital media projects.This experience allows graduates the know-how and confidence to work at the highest level across all sectors as creators, producers, innovators or entrepreneurs.

Graduates gain the skills and knowledge that help them to:

Collaborate and communicate effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
Create comprehensive business strategies and manage development projects.
Design and deliver innovative, high-grade products to clients on time and on budget.

The program also helps develop six core competencies valued in the digital media industry:

Self-Awareness
Articulation
Design process
Time management
Information literacy
Teamwork

Scholarship Opportunities

The Master of Digital Media program has a strong scholarship support. In the September 2014 intake, +58% of students received scholarships or other funding assistance.

Where Alumni Work

Students graduate from the MDM program with the skills to work in the top jobs in the digital media industry as creators, producers, designers, managers, art directors and entrepreneurs.

What is Digital Media

Digital Media blends many media forms and requires working in multi-skilled teams. The MDM program teaches people from different backgrounds and with different skill sets to understand each other, work together and execute a digital media project with a cohesive vision.

Master of Digital Media students come from all over the world and from all professional and educational backgrounds, such as engineering, fine arts, design, architecture, film, history and business.

Alumni

"My two years at the MDM have shaped me in more ways than ever imagined. It gave me a reason to step outside my creative comfort zone and surround myself with new ideas, technologies and most importantly with a group of wonderful and immensely talented people."
Karin Schmidlin, Manager Virtual Incubation Program, CONRAD Business Centre, University of Waterloo

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Screening / Staging Europe at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

If you have an interest or wish to develop expertise in drama and /or cinema with a European focus, the Screening / Staging Europe programme could be the degree for you. We have expertise in Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, German Expressionism and French Surrealism, as well as the key auteurs of European cinema. We offer joint supervision with American Studies, Creative Writing, English Literature or Welsh as appropriate and are particularly interested in projects which explore cultural transfer from the European Continent to Wales in particular and the British Isles more broadly. Your project in Screening / Staging Europe may focus on drama or cinema or a combination of the two.

Key Features

An MA by Research in Screening / Staging Europe gives you the chance to pursue a project based around your own passions and interests, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia (typically in the private sector, the Civil Service, or education).

Features are:

- Dual supervision by experts with matching specialist knowledge of two distinct areas.

- Opportunity to acquire and apply language skills.

- Projects with a focus in the Romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish) and drama / cinema associated with them may qualify for a full-fee Maney Bursary.

All research students in Screening / Staging Europe are required to attend skills and training courses at College and Institutional level. They give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and the annual departmental postgraduate symposium in June and the College of Arts and Humanities conference in October. Advanced research students may have opportunities to teach undergraduate tutorials and seminars. You have a budget (currently £200 per year) to attend conferences outside Swansea.

MA by Research in Screening / Staging degree typically lasts from one year (full-time study) to two years (part-time study).

The MA by Research in Staging / Screening Europe is ideal for those who want:

- an MA qualification in niche areas where taught programmes are not offered;

- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD, while retaining the option to upgrade to MPhil or PhD.

As a student of the Screening / Staging research programme you attend a series of training courses and have regular supervisions while you are reading around your topic and / or collecting your data and materials. You will write a 5000-word introductory essay in the first term and have designed an outline and sketched a synopsis by this stage. You will agree a series of milestones and deadlines with your experienced supervisory team who will accompany you each step of the way on your research journey.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in Screening / Staging for which staff can provide supervision. It is advisable to email a member of academic staff in the appropriate area before applying.

For informal enquiries regarding the Screening / Staging programme please contact Professor Julian Preece ([email protected]).

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This MA will consolidate your audio skills as a film and television sound recordist and designer. You will develop your sound storytelling skills through targeted workshops and their subsequent application in the context of live filmmaking projects- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-filmmaking-sound-recording-design/

What we offer

This Masters, a pathway of the MA Filmmaking, is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the art teaching spaces including film and photography studios equipped with Arri lighting and Greenscreen, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Film Editing, Animation, Digital Special Effects, Pro Tools Audio Postproduction and Foley suites.

We have studio spaces, and extensive production facilities and informal rehearsal and meeting spaces where you can discuss and collaborate with producers and your shoot team.

You work on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition to your specialist area, you attend classes in related disciplines such as Film Directing and Editing and collaborate with students across specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

Sound and music collaborations

Goldsmiths also has an excellent with fully-equipped music recording studios and mixing facilities and students collaborate there on both acoustic and electronic composition. In addition, MA Filmmaking students collaborate with staff and students on the MA in Music Composition for the Screen at the Royal College of Music.

Notable composers who have mentored our students include Miguel Mera, Vasco Hexel and Michael McAvoy. Goldsmiths' new can also provide exciting opportunities for collaboration in installation and interactive work.

Our students say...

"The Goldsmiths MA in Filmmaking was a real eye-opener into the world of film production and I am very grateful to have had the chance to experience it."

"I very much enjoyed the workshops from visiting professionals; the sessions with Sound Designer David Heinemann were particularly inspiring."

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Media & Communications.

Modules & Structure

You work in depth on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. You will also lead and take part in a number of other sound-based and music-based projects in Screen Lab. This collaborative framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in sound recording and design.

For two terms you will spend a full day a week in specialised contact with your specific programme convenor, plus a further day in Screen Lab working with colleagues across the programme in a Talent Campus-style project-led learning structure with:

Masterclasses
Pitches
Role-plays
Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations
You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options.

The third term will be taken up with your final substantive project, and in writing up a process paper on your work and research over the year.

Screen Lab

You will also advance your collaborative skills by working in teams with fiction and documentary producers and directors, edit, cinematography and music students, on a variety of projects and at least three scheduled films across the year.

You will leave the programme with a diverse portfolio of performed work that may span a variety of formats – music video, web series drama, documentary, campaign/commercial, experimental art pieces and feature-scale short fiction films.

Screen School options

As well as your Sound Recording, Post-Production and Design specialism, you will undertake three short courses to enhance your other skills and critical approaches.

If you are passionate about fashioning an exciting career for yourself as a filmmaker in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this course is for you.

Skills & careers

On completing the programme, you will be equipped to enter the global job market, armed with an enhanced understanding of your practical, intellectual and creative capacities as a film sound recordist and sound designer.

Possibly the most important skill we furnish you with is the rigorous discipline of working collaboratively under pressure as part of a creative team on challenging projects.

In addition to your practical filmmaking skills, we enable you to develop a variety of transferable intellectual, organisational and communication skills to equip you for a broad range of employment opportunities across the arts and media landscape (film, television, online, the creative arts, advertising and related hybrid forms).

Our graduates

Our alumni are active in the film, media and cultural industries around the world as:

Fiction and Documentary Sound Designers
Dubbing Mixers
Sound Recordists

Other entry requirements

Please note that unless you are exempted (Please check your status with our Admissions Team: [email protected]) overseas students require an English language qualification of IELTS 7.0 in order to be considered for a place on the MA Filmmaking programme.

If you have not yet achieved IELTS 7.0, we advise you to sit your IELTS exam at the earliest opportunity and to submit your application immediately after receiving your result. The annual IELTS deadline for the programme is April 30th.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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This MA will merge your advanced narrative skills as a fiction and documentary film and television editor. You will develop your creative storytelling ability through workshops and subsequent application in the context of live filmmaking projects- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-filmmaking-editing/

This Masters is a pathway of MA Filmmaking, so that in addition to your specialised training you will collaborate with students across all specialisms on a variety of specialisations on film and television projects, both fact and fiction.

Experienced tutors and guests provide expert guidance designed to enhance the flow of your individual research, experimentation and artistic achievement. You will work on at least one group project per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree.

What we offer

The programme is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the art teaching spaces including film and photography studios equipped with Arri lighting and Greenscreen, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere edit suites.

You will work to professional standards using both Super-16mm film and high-end digital formats. You will also learn sophisticated postproduction workflow techniques and gain a wealth of experience in off-line editing, on-line editing, visual effects and picture grading.

You work on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition to your specialist area, you attend classes in related disciplines such as Film Directing and Editing and collaborate with students across specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

Our students say...

"The degree was the first time that I studied and socialised with very like-minded students. The facilities were fantastic, and the teachers were highly skilled and had in-depth knowledge about the industry."
"It’s not just about planning sophisticated camera moves or complex editing; its about linking creative techniques to telling a powerful story in ways that people can experience for themselves and literally ‘feel’."

Expert guidance

We have close links with the industry and you will be tutored personally by industry editors such as Catherine Creed (Rogue Trader, CrushProof, Silent Witness) and David Gamble (Veronica Guerin, Shakespeare in Love). You will leave the course with a diverse portfolio of moving-image work that spans fiction and documentary as well as hybrid and experimental genres.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Media & Communications.

Modules & Structure

For two terms you will spend a full day a week in specialised contact with your specific programme convenor, plus a further day in Screen Lab working with colleagues across the programme in a Talent Campus-style project-led learning structure with:

Masterclasses
Pitches
Role-plays
Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations
You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options.

The third term will be taken up with your final substantive project, and in writing up a process paper on your work and research over the year.

Screen Lab

You will also advance your collaborative skills by working in teams with fiction and documentary producers and directors, cinematography and sound students, on a variety of projects and at least three scheduled films across the year.

You will leave the programme with a diverse portfolio of moving-image work that may span a variety of formats – music video, web series drama, documentary, campaign/commercial, experimental art pieces and short fiction films.

Screen School options

As well as your Editing specialism, you will undertake three short courses to enhance your other skills and critical approaches.

If you are passionate about fashioning an exciting career for yourself as an editor in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this course is for you.

Skills and careers

On completing the programme, you will be equipped to enter the global job market, armed with an enhanced understanding of your practical, intellectual and creative capacities as a film editor.

Possibly the most important skill we furnish you with is the rigorous discipline of working collaboratively under pressure as part of a creative team on challenging projects not only in film and television, but also in online, web, multi-media, animation, games and other hybrid forms.

In addition to your practical filmmaking skills, we enable you to develop a variety of transferable intellectual, organisational and communication skills to equip you for a broad range of employment opportunities across the arts and media landscape (film, television, online, the creative arts, advertising and related hybrid forms).

Our graduates

Our alumni are active in the film, media and cultural industries around the world as fiction and documentary editors.

Other entry requirements

Please note that unless you are exempted (Please check your status with our Admissions Team: [email protected]) overseas students require an English language qualification of IELTS 7.0 in order to be considered for a place on the MA Filmmaking programme.

If you have not yet achieved IELTS 7.0, we advise you to sit your IELTS exam at the earliest opportunity and to submit your application immediately after receiving your result. The annual IELTS deadline for the programme is April 30th.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Digital FX are everywhere – from low budget independent movies and online digital content, to commercials, television programmes, games and Hollywood blockbusters.

-Extensive, practical training on set, in a vfx and animation studio and in cutting-edge digital post suites.
-Work with the latest software applications and digital camera technology.
-Tutored by artists, technicians and supervisors currently working in the Industry.
-Shared modules during Year 1 across essential 2D and 3D vfx/sfx techniques.
-Specialise in Year 2 in either Compositing - Design and produce digital vfx for multiple projects or Colour - Online and colour grade multiple projects or CG 3D - Design and create 3D cg vfx for multiple projects.
-A unique bridge to the post production and vfx industries.
-A Creative Skillset-supported course.
-Unlike other schools, all production costs are met by the School.

We welcome EU/EEA Students. Those accepted onto courses starting in 2018 will have their fees guaranteed at the UK rate for both years of the course. Postgraduate students can apply for a loan to help with their studies via the Student Loans Company Loans. A £ 10,000 loan is available to contribute to course and living costs. The Post Graduate Loan is only open to EU/EEA and UK Students who normally live in England. It is not currently available to Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Students. Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/fees-funding/funding-guide

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course commences in January each year. During this extremely practical modular course, you will spend a lot of time learning techniques “on set”, in addition to learning in front of a computer. You will work closely with students from all the other NFTS MA disciplines, creating 2D/3D VFX, CG 3D FX or Colour Grading and Onlining the entire production, on a diverse range of NFTS film and television projects – many of which go on to become international award-winners.

This course shares a common first year, allowing you to specialise in the second year in one of three areas:

COLOUR: For those who aspire to be:
-Digital Film Colourists (Baselight/Nucoda/Scratch)
-Online Editors (AVID|DS/Symphony/Smoke)

COMPOSITING: For those who aspire to be:
-VFX Artists/ 2D/3D Compositors (Nuke/Flame/Adobe CS6)

CG: For those who aspire to be:
-CG 3D Artists
-CG TDs (Maya modelling/lighting/texturing/rendering)

Ultimately the course will provide the backbone for a career in 2D VFX or 3D VFX or Colour Grading/Online editing.

The NFTS holds a unique position within the film and television industries, whereby it can offer an invaluable “Bridge to Industry” that attempts to help graduates establish themselves in a new career. At the time of writing, all the previous Digital FX graduates are in employment from Soho to São Paulo. Some are 3D CG TDs at Framestore, Double Negative and MPC in London, others SFX producers at Millennium FX, others 2D/3D compositors at The Mill, Cinesite and The Senate, others working in software development and as product specialists at Filmlight, Image Systems, Assimilate and The Foundry, and others as freelance conform editors and colourists.

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