How to become a VFX Artist

For beginners, knowing where to look and which information to gather when you’re getting started in visual effects (VFX) can be daunting. However, it’s a great time to be getting on to a VFX career path. The UK is home to world-leading VFX studios, some of which are partnered with Escape Studios, including DNEG, Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore. Innovation in the way that films have been made over the last several decades has also meant VFX is one of the fastest growing industries worth £1.68bn in the UK alone, in UK Screen Alliance’s latest report. 

Here, we delve into the steps you can take to get started in VFX as a career.  

VFX FOR BEGINNERS 

Before you get started on your journey, it’s important to understand the skills you need to become a VFX Artist. In the beginning, technical skills and mastery of different software programmes aren’t as important as core soft skills that give you the platform for a successful career. These include: 

• Creativity - think outside the box to bring your vision to life. Without thinking creatively, you won’t be able to use your technical skills to build an engaging product for your projects. 

• Teamwork and collaboration - being able to communicate effectively and work together as a team on a project is an essential skill when learning to become a VFX Artist. You’ll need to work in tandem with multiple departments on a common vision to bring it to life, each bringing your own unique set of skills and expertise.  

• Attention to detail - VFX has a huge role to play in projects and without a keen eye for detail, effects will seem clunky and take the audience out of their viewing experience. 

• Problem solving - this is a career that will challenge you, and the ability to rise to challenges and solve problems that projects and software present is key to being successful on the VFX career path. 

• Time management - it can get busy when projects pile up, and it’s important you’re able to manage your time across multiple different priorities.  

THE NEXT STEPS: HOW TO GET STARTED IN VFX 

Once you’ve practiced the soft skills, you’ll need as a VFX Artist, you can turn to the technical skills required to deliver convincing visual effects. To do this, it’s important you receive the right guidance and teaching - and choosing the right course is essential to your VFX career path. 

You can greatly benefit from learning in a studio environment that mimics the real deal. At Escape Studios, our VFX courses give you just that. You’ll be working with industry standard software including Maya, Nuke, and Houdini. Learning with the right tools gives you the know-how to take steps forward once you complete your course. 

Location is also a key factor. In fact, it is one of the reasons we chose our base in London, where many UK VFX studios are based. While some major studios operate from other UK cities including Bournemouth, Cambridge and Bristol, when you’re finding your first role it helps to be at the heart of the action – somewhere there’s an industry you can be a part of. Thinking about a career in VFX? Escape Studios gives you the opportunity to explore a wide range of specialist courses, which have been curated with expert input from industry leaders. We want to help you to gain the technical know-how, practical experience and creative skills needed to become studio ready. Explore our VFX courses and take your first step into this exciting career.