The visual effects process is all about blending the perfect mix of ingredients to create a spectacular outcome. For students desperate to learn how to create exciting visual effects, the mix of theory and practical experience needs to be just right for them achieve the ultimate outcome – work in the industry.
For two aspiring young visual effects artists, UniSA’s Graduate Certificate in Visual Effects at Rising Sun Pictures has provided exceptional experiential learning opportunities and crucially, their first jobs in industry. Landing a first job was a hurdle that UniSA lecturer in CGI for the Bachelor of Media Arts Dr Josh McCarthy was sure members of the first group of Grad Cert in Visual Effects students would jump over considering the industry’s almost insatiable need for fresh talent.
“The opportunity for our students to work with some of the leading visual effects artists in the country at Rising Sun Pictures is exceptional,” Dr McCarthy says. “At UniSA we are committed to embedding the latest visual effects software in our teaching as well as providing important collaborative industry partnerships with companies such as Rising Sun Pictures so students can learn how industry-standard tools are used to their maximum potential in the workplace.
“The experiential learning opportunities Joseph Roberts and Tim Fagan experienced with Rising Sun Pictures were of the highest level and clearly fired up their creativity and provided the opportunity to step into professional contract and internship roles.”
The comprehensive 12-week visual effects training program with Rising Sun Pictures allows students to work consistently with shots from actual movies and requires they perform up to industry standards.
Tim Fagan will complete his study this week and is confident about heading straight to Sydney for a three month internship at Animal Logic. “The course has been very practical, often teaching us new techniques or approaches on a particular topic and then allowing us to apply those techniques immediately to a shot,” Tim says. “Delivering work and receiving feedback from industry professionals, you quickly learn the standards that are required.
“We work through shots in a very similar way to how they work on the studio floor, using Shotgun to submit work and by delivering quality final pieces we and potential employers can have confidence in our ability.”
Joseph Roberts has always enjoyed creating things and with highly developed digital art skills he has thrived in the graduate certificate working with the type of assets and shots that go into digital creations. “The course is focused on practical skills and so delivers a more creative and visual learning environment,” Joseph says. “Creating shots exactly how they do them on the floor is the best way to show people you have what it takes to work in the industry and with the rate at which the industry is evolving the best training is working in a VFX house.
“This course puts you in the same building as currently practicing VFX artists which means you can simply walk over and start talking to anyone on the floor and start making real connections.”
Program details
Rising Sun Pictures [“RSP”] is internationally renowned for providing stunning visual effects for live-action feature films. Since 1995, the company’s studio has worked on over 100 feature films including X-Men: Apocalypse, Pan, Tarzan, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Gravity, The Wolverine, The Great Gatsby, Prometheus, The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter series, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Terminator Salvation and many more.
The 12-week intensive program offers rising visual effects artists the opportunity to work on real world visual effects [“vfx”] challenges in a simulated production environment at the Adelaide studios of Rising Sun Pictures. Combining the use of industry tools such as Nuke, 3DEqualizer, Maya and Shotgun, students are able to up-skill existing technical and creative skills to achieve tangible industry outcomes.
The UniSA/Rising Sun Pictures program has another two intakes for 2016 with a maximum of 10 students admitted each round. These intakes commence in April and September.
Applications for this postgraduate qualification are made through the University of South Australia’s direct entry system, Apply Online. Applicants must hold a relevant Advanced Diploma or Bachelor qualification and must submit a showreel (demonstrating their vfx work to date) as well as a current CV with their application. Application details can be found at unisa.edu.au/rsp-admissions-requirements
Applications for 2016 are now open – click here for Program details
