Advanced 3D for Visual Effects (18 weeks)
Advanced 3D for Visual Effects (18 weeks)
Course details
Location
London campus or live online
Start date
2nd October 2023
Duration
12 weeks
Mode of study
Full time
Fees
London campus (UK residents): £15,950
Live online: £12,760
Course overview
Dive into the detail and take your VFX knowledge to the next level!
You'll gain core 3D skills through hands-on learning, to give you a thorough technical understanding of software and principles, before moving on to more complex techniques of particle movement, hair, fur and more.
This course is perfect for you whether you’re a 3D Artist looking to develop a career in VFX, a 2D VFX Artist wanting to move into 3D or a VFX graduate preparing for the competitive job market. This course will also suit students from a creative or technical background, keen to change career and get into VFX.
Our tutors are top industry professionals, having worked on the likes of Fantastic Beasts, Gladiator, Kingsman and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2., so you’ll be taught by some of the best in the business.
See also MA Visual Effects Production (3D) or 3D for Visual Effects (12 weeks)
Why choose this course
Ranked 2nd in the UK - and 10th in the world for Visual Effects Excellence by The Rookies
Based in London - home to some of the best post-production studios in the world
Industry feedback - receive industry-standard critique from an expert in their field. Previous studio partners for our 3D VFX course have included Framestore, DNEG, Rise and BlueBolt
Professional input - our advisory board of experts, from the likes of DNEG (Avengers: Endgame and Oscar-winning Dune) and MPC (The Lion King and 1917), help keep this course relevant
Successful alumni - join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios. 47 Escapees worked on Avengers: Endgame, 36 on No Time to Die and 16 on Stranger Things
Aftercare package - we'll help you polish your showreel and find the right job, with access to our studios and showreel clinics for 12 months
Industry-standard facilities - study in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as Maya, Nuke and Arnold
Fast-track advanced learning - our advanced short courses allow you to go deeper into technical and software skills for a quick springboard into your next creative career step
Strong portfolio - along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, you'll leave with strong creative and technical skills and great pieces for your portfolio
Small class sizes - a convivial environment allows students to assist and inspire one another and benefit from personalised feedback from tutors.
Course modules
These modules are common with our 12-week 3D for Visual Effects course and the first 12 weeks of our MA Visual Effects Production (3D).
Introduction to Maya
The user interface
Introduction to modelling
Introduction to textures
Introduction to lighting, shading and rendering
Modelling
NURBS curves and surfaces
NURBS surfaces to polygons
Polygonal modelling
Topological rules
Modelling continued
Polygonal modelling continued
Organic modelling
Non-linear modelling
UV mapping techniques (organic and hard surface)
Colour and lighting
Lighting, traditional cinematographic and photographic techniques
Colour theory, three-point lighting
Natural lighting
Indirect lighting techniques
Image-based lighting
Matching lighting
Advanced lighting
Basic texturing
Hypershade
Texturing masterclass
Image manipulation with Photoshop
Texture distressing with Photoshop
Non-destructive texturing workflows
Camera projection mapping
Shading and rendering
Displacement mapping
Maya nodes
Ray tracing (reflections, refractions and shadows)
Shaders
Material properties and case studies (MIA shaders)
Tracking and integration
Introduction to cameras
Camera tracking with 3DEqualizer
Manual tracking techniques
Advanced matchmoving techniques
Lens distortion
Camera lineup
Digital sculpting and 3D painting
Texturing
Sculpting and detailing
Import and export workflow
Advanced shading and lighting
Ai standard surface material
Advanced Arnold nodes
Advanced lighting theory
Lighting effects
Render layers and compositing
Render layers and passes
Introduction to compositing
Compositing with Nuke (CG layers)
Rotoscoping and keying with Nuke
Animation and rigging
Keyframe animation
Path animation
Constraints and rigging
Project week
Presentation
Particles and expressions
Maya rigid bodies
Constraints
Introduction to particles
Rendering particles
Emitters
Emission properties
Fields
Bullet dynamics
Expressions and particle expressions
Basic MEL scripting
Houdini fundamentals
Introduction
Procedural modelling
Digital assets
Mantra
Dynamics
Shading
Fur and hair
Fur basics, grooming, lighting and rendering
Hair basics, simulation and styling
Different uses of hair
Dynamic fur
Fluids
2D and 3D containers
Fluid contents and simulations
Texturing and rendering fluids
Fluid caches
Bifröst
Cloth
Overview of Nucleus
Introduction to NCloth
NCloth solving and collisions
NParticle overview
Constraints
Caching Nucleus solvers
Project week
Presentation
More information
Maya
Photoshop
3D Equalizer
Nuke
Arnold
Call our Admissions Advisors on +44 (0)203 441 1303
Email us at courses@escapestudios.ac.uk
Reach us on chat Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm
Be over 18
Have a good understanding of written and spoken English
Feel comfortable using a computer.
Gov.uk - Check if you need a visa
Gov.uk - Standard visitor visa
Gov.uk - Caseworker guidance
UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) - Information for visitors
A strong internet connection
An external hard drive (minimum 2TB) to back up your work during the course
A three-button mouse (or optionally graphics tablet)
A computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)
Note-taking materials
Runner
Modeller
Matchmove Artist
Previs Artist
Texture Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Assistant Technical Director
FX / CFX Artist
Production Assistant
Production Coordinator
To apply for this course, or if you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, get in touch!
As part of the application process, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions for your place on the course to be secured.
Minimum requirements
We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
To study this short course, you must:
If you’d like to discuss your circumstances before applying, contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0) 203 441 1303.
Non-UK students
We accept international students for our short courses, with no difference in course fees or administration costs.
The Standard Visitor visa allows students to come to the UK to study for a course of up to six months at an accredited institution. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a standard visitor visa prior to departure from your home country. For more information visit:
Contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 for any questions.
We can provide remote access to our workstations during teaching time. Due to availability restrictions, we highly advise you to have your own set up at home to study in your own time.
More things you’ll need:
If you have any questions about learning online or if you need help with what to buy, get in touch at courses@escapestudios.ac.uk.
Fees
London campus: £15,950
Live online: £12,760
Payment plans
We offer a range of payment plan options for all courses. Following an initial deposit at registration stage, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining fees into up to six equal instalments, to be paid over the course length.
Contact our Admissions Team on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 or visit our admissions page for any questions about fees, funding and payment plans.
“Consumers who are increasingly looking for high-definition (HD) VFX experiences will have huge business opportunities in the VFX market in the next few years.” (source Expert Market Research)
Along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, you'll leave with strong creative and technical skills and great pieces for your portfolio, which you can then finesse with help from our Aftercare programme. Ready to apply to start your career in the industry!
Some of the opportunities you can consider once you’ve finished your studies include:
3D Artists often start out in junior roles to then rise to mid-level and senior roles such as 3D Generalists and Technical Directors, opening the path to becoming a VFX Supervisor.
Our students have gone to work as both specialist and generalist artists in creative studios, across TV shows, films and commercials, at companies including Framestore, DNEG, MPC and Jellyfish Pictures. Read some of our VFX Escapee success stories.
Check out our Careers Guide for more information about career opportunities and progression routes.
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Meet our industry-experienced tutors
Dan Shutt is the lead tutor on this master’s programme. He’s worked in film, TV and games for clients including BBC and Sega. Our tutors work together to develop our courses. They all have industry experience, at studios such as DNEG, Framestore and Industrial Light & Magic, and are experts in their fields, including certified trainers for Autodesk and Houdini.
Student showcase
Escape Studios always produces some of the finest VFX graduates in the country. Their training, both technical and soft skills, stands them in great stead in the industry.