University degrees: Postgraduate
Course length: 2 years
This course gives students extensive, practical training on real sets, in a visual effects and animation studio and in cutting-edge digital post suites.
1 place left to start in Jan 2020 – send your CV and covering letter to info@nfts.co.uk to fast-track your application!
Digital effects (DFX) are everywhere – from Marvel blockbusters and immersive content, to commercials, television programmes, games and independent movies. This course gives students extensive, practical training on real sets, in a visual effects (VFX) and animation studio, and in cutting-edge grading and finishing suites.
DFX graduates have worked on major films and television series, including Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Lion King, Captain Marvel, Aladdin, Hobbs and Shaw, Yesterday, Horrible Hostories, Ready Player One, Early Man, Isle of Dogs, The Jungle Book, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and many more.
DFX students are taught essential 2D and 3D VFX and SFX techniques and will go on to specialise in either compositing, colour or CG 3D. They work with the latest available software and camera technology and are taught by current industry artists, technicians and supervisors.
DFX students will collaborate with those in other specialisms at the NFTS to make film, TV, Games and practical projects, putting into practice the skills they learn throughout the course – with all production costs met by the School.
All NFTS students can attend the School’s masterclasses programme, with recent guests including Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve), Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna, Diego Maradona), Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin), Louis Theroux, and M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Glass).
This course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries
During this extremely practical modular course, you will spend critical time learning techniques “on set”, as well as learning at a computer. Students work closely with other specialisms within the NFTS on a diverse range of NFTS film and television projects – many of which go on to become international award-winners.
You’ll control many of your own projects from start to finish. You learn by ‘doing’ as well as understanding theory, developing a variety of practical and creative skills from planning, through filming, emulation, CGI creation, VFX creation and finally post production, finishing and delivery.
Much of the first year is dedicated to shared modules teaching across the three major digital effects disciplines – compositing, colour and CG 3D – after which students can elect to specialise in one for the remainder of the course.
