Computer Animation and Visual Effects (Hons) University of Portsmouth

Overview

Using our spectacular facilities, software and equipment, you'll enhance your artistic and technical expertise and improve your research skills in the technology you'll work with, which is vital to your development as an all-round artist.

You can also specialise and develop your professional portfolio through placement opportunities, client projects and the modules you’ll choose from second year of the  Computer Animation and Visual Effects (Hons) degree course from University of Portsmouth .

Transform yourself into an exceptional VFX artist, producer, animator, and stagecrafter at Portsmouth – ready to take the creative and communication industries by storm.

Course highlights

• Maximise your creativity and learning by using world-class facilities like our Motion Capture Studio and Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality – housing the most advanced cinematic-standard equipment and virtual production suites of any university
• Familiarise yourself with professional software used in the industry, including NUKEX, Maya, 3DS Max, ZBrush, Houdini, Katana and Mari
• Learn from a team of experts who are industry leaders across various entertainment and communication sectors, including film, animation, advertising and computer games
• Collaborate with other students on other courses by getting involved in our annual University GameJam
• Gain valuable industry experience by taking an optional placement
• Take advantage of our strong industry links to build professional contacts, such as attending guest speaker lectures and the chance to win sponsored prizes for your final year project

• Improve your language skills by studying a foreign language as part of the Institute-Wide Language Programme (IWLP)

Careers and opportunities

The computer animation and VFX industry continues to grow as volume demand increases and increasingly complex effects require innovations in technologies and workflows. The sector’s unique fusion of art (in its traditional and modern forms and techniques) and science (via the advanced hardware and software used) offers fascinating career, research, and education enhancement opportunities for graduates.

London is home to six of the world's largest award-winning visual effects companies, many of whom we have strong industry connections with, and independent effects studios are emerging in the southeast of England. Our Master's degrees in Creative Technologies and Computer Animation are natural progressions for graduates who wish to research more into the science behind their skills.

Graduate roles

Many of our graduates have worked in roles such as:

• Serial riggers
• Animators
• Motion capture technicians
• Stagecrafter
• Freelance artists

Graduate destinations

Many of our graduates have worked at either the University of Portsmouth or multi-award-winning special effects companies behind some of the biggest film and television franchises in the world. These include:

• Industrial Light & Magic (The Mandalorian, The Irishman, Black Panther)
• Moving Picture Company (1917, The Lion King) 
• Double Negative (DNEG) (Tenet, Chernobyl, Blade Runner 2049, Black Mirror, Ex Machina)
• Milk VFX (Ex Machina, Doctor Who, Sherlock)

• Framestore (Blade Runner 2049, The Midnight Sky, Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Marvel)

Our in-faculty Creative Careers team has extensive recruitment experience and knows the creative sector well, making it easier for students to find placements within the creative industries.

They can guide you through every step of the application process, including:

• Searching for the ideal job through their database of vacancies
• Giving tips on how to write an interesting CV that will catch employers' attention, no matter the role
• Organising mock interviews, so you can hone your technique and familiarise yourself with the recruitment environment
• Writing your startup business proposal – if you're going down the self-employment route

The team will continue to give you support throughout your placement year.