Course summary

Tricking our minds into believing the unreal often relies on a hint of the real – genuine models and props provide anchors that help audiences suspend disbelief. Our Special Effects Modelmaking for Film and Television with foundation year course offers industry-experienced staff and fantastic facilities, ready for you to learn specialist model and prop-making skills and techniques. From alien spaceships to samurai swords, and body parts to ancient statues, special and visual effects use physical artefacts to inject reality into computer-generated action, as well as provide a sense of place, time and atmosphere for actors and audiences. Our BSc (Hons) Special Effects Modelmaking for Film and Television with foundation year course is designed to train the talented artists and craftspeople this highly creative industry needs. The foundation year allows you to experience the various specialisms offered by the Centre for Film FX at the University of Bolton. It aims to build your academic and creative skills and confidence so that you can make the leap to degree-level study smoothly. We’ll guide you as you explore a wide range of technical and creative areas drawn from across the spectrum of special and visual effects, helping you make an informed decision about your future career direction. At the end of the year, you’ll be able to choose between progressing with our BSc (Hons) Special Effects Modelmaking for Film and Television or transferring to one of our other fantastic Film FX courses. With this preparation, you’ll be ready to begin our intensely practical education in special effects modelmaking. We’ll encourage you to experiment with materials and tools, and practice contemporary and long-established modelmaking techniques. We’ll support you as you learn the principles of scale representation and how to create bigatures. We’ll lead you in an exploration of how models and props can combine with 3D computer graphics to create spectacular on-screen environments.