- Study Mode: Full time
- Location: High Wycombe / BNU based at Pinewood Studios
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2022
The course of planning out complicated sequences in 3D has now become a recognised step in the pipeline of almost all large-scale film making ventures. The demand for skilled artists in this field of work has increased greatly and our course can help you start your journey in the industry.
Based at our High Wycombe and Pinewood Studio Base, our MA in Visualization for Film and TV Production offers you the chance to gain specialised skills and knowledge in this very niche field of film making. You will learn the process of pre-visualising camera angles, and camera movement before anything is even filmed.
Application guide
For information on how you can boost your career-prospects and apply for our postgraduate courses, follow our application guide.
Postgraduate Open Days
Join us for a Postgraduate Open Day where you can discuss your options and chosen course with our course leaders.
Why study this subject?
The Creative Industries employ over 2 million people in the UK and were projected to create an additional one million jobs by 2050. In the last ten years, jobs in the UK’s Creative Industries have grown at three times the UK average. (https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/)
Previsualisation Artists have a very creative role, working out a story in its draft form. They will aid the director in planning both live action and CGI animated scenes films. These days most high budget productions will go through this process. Increased industry demand means employers need graduates with practical skills and hands-on experience.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
There are very few MA level courses available in the UK for students to study Previs and this course has been developed by leading industry practitioners to be current and on trend, introducing students to the latest technologies and working methodologies available today.
Our MA Visualization for Film and TV Production course at BNU is one of the only courses in the UK that has 3D Visualisation at its heart. It has been designed by industry professionals to be as current as possible and includes the most up-to-date virtual story telling techniques being used in the industry. So if you’re a graduate that has an interest in working as a previsualisation artist, this course is for you.
What facilities can I use?
Whilst being equipped with specialist skills, you will also have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment here at Buckinghamshire New University. For Visualization for Film and TV Production students, these include:
- animation Computer Labs
- specialist Software including Maya
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- VR Facilities
- Up-to-date camera equipment
- motion Capture facilities.
Whilst studying with us you will also use our AppsAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. AppsAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.
This video was our first experiment with our new Xsens motion capture suits. With the help of dancers from BNU’s BA Dance and Performance course, we motion captured a routine on the concourse running though the university and replaced one of the dancers with a version of the Lonely Robot and comped this back into the footage. We also have state of the art Faceware kits for face motion capture.
What will I study?
We cover a broad range of highly desirable skills in the niche field of 3D Visualisation to equip you for the industry. Storyboarding techniques, 3D layout, motion capture and character animation are all essential skills that you will learn as well as the fundamental principles of cinematography.
We ensure that our course covers the most up-to-date techniques. Over the year, you will develop into a skilled director and will understand the 5 C’s of composition, continuity, cutting, close ups and camera angles. We will also delve into cinematic lighting, lens choice and advanced 3D virtual camera animation.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Our lecturers, tutors and mentors offer an industry-experienced approach to the course and modules you will complete. Many of our staff have worked on major productions and have great track records at training the next generation of talent.
On this course a series of lectures will be taught on each module and then followed up with workshop style lessons for project work. You will be assessed through a mixture of written assessment, presentations and project submissions. There will also be opportunities where industry professionals working in the industry visit for enrichment days, masterclasses from current Visualisation Artists, and visits to studios.
Because exams are not very useful in assessing the artistic capability of a Visualisation Artist, we focus on portfolio-based coursework instead.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical applicant will hold a related bachelor’s degree or be an industry-based professional who can demonstrate accomplishments in this area and would like to develop their skills with a view to reaching production standards required within the Visualisation industry.
It would be expected that the students have a good basic understanding of 3D animation, modelling and texturing as well as experience using Maya before applying for this course.
Skills and knowledge of applicants will be assessed by the course team via interview, which will be mandatory for all applicants regardless of prior qualifications.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
Year 1 Modules
Fundamentals and Motion Capture
Storytelling and Emotion
Virtual Pre-visualisation
Post-visualisation
Production Project
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£10,000 per year
International
Overseas/International, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£14,800 per year
What are my career prospects?
As this course is very specific, you will be prepared to go directly into roles such as a Pre-Visualisation Artist, Post-Visualisation Artist or Virtual Production Artists. Our course takes reference from high profile films as the basis for learning and you will be prepared to find work in the industry on successful completion of the course.
In 2022 we held our first end of year show at the John Barry Theatre at Pinewood Studios. Professionals from the industry were invited to see students' work from their time on the MA Visualization for Film and TV Production course, providing exciting networking opportunities. These industry experts were very impressed with the quality of students' work.
Course leader
