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Course summary

BA (Hons) Visual Effects & Model Making is the magical part of our screen and stage facility. The practical skills you will learn on this course are relevant to a wide range of careers, including film and television prop making, puppet and character development for stop frame animation, animatronics and automata for exhibition, concept models for the games industry, model making and design for theatre, architectural model making, prototyping for industrial designers, interactive exhibition models and photographic props for advertising. Furthermore, digital model making utilising CGI software such as 3ds Max, is often used in animation, Illustration and graphic design. You will learn not only traditional technical skills, such as sculpting, mould making and model making but also digital skills, including digital scanning and 3D printing with industry-standard software and equipment. Working alongside complementary programmes, you pick-up where others have left off, enhancing productions through your creativity, for example making a miniature-model establishing shot, digital set extension or augmenting a practical prop with some visual flourishes. By the end of the three-year course, you will have produced a showreel and portfolio of models composited into VFX sequences and settings. INDUSTRY LINKS Our model-making team have worked with a range of clients and are professional freelancers, maintaining strong industry links, including: Aardman Animation Industrial Light & Magic Alpha Star Productions Eighties Doubt Productions Sea and Sky Pictures Tees Valley Screen Social Northern Film & Media, (BFI ScreenSkills) Candle and Bell

Modules

In your first year (Level Four,) you will explore:

  • Research Studies
  • Drawing for Creative Development
  • Workshop Practice
  • Visual Development
  • Traditional Creative Development
  • Digital Creative Development
In your second year (Level Five), you will develop:
  • Digital Development
  • Action Props
  • Transformative Techniques
  • Professional Practice
  • Professional Consolidation
In your third year (Level Six), you will produce:
  • Project Research and Preparation
  • Dissertation/Report
  • Final Major Project
- Final Show and Portfolio

Assessment method

In course assessment. Each module is assessed upon completion and given a percentage mark.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
W614
Institution code:
C71
Campus name:
The Northern School of Art
Campus code:
H

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

International applicants

We do not currently accept students from outside of the UK. However, we can accept applications from those have evidence of pre-settled status to live, work and study in the UK. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Your potential is our main focus when assessing your suitability for the programme you have applied to. Because of this, we take into account all aspects of your application and not just your academic profile. If you are a mature applicant (i.e. 21+ years), we will place more emphasis on your portfolio and the skills and experience you can demonstrate at interview. Your portfolio, which you bring to interview, is an integral part of the assessment. It should demonstrate your current skills, interests and knowledge where appropriate. It is also expected that you will bring evidence of written work to interview and/or have a Level 2 qualification in English/Literacy.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://northernart.ac.uk/study-with-us/hartlepool-campus/supporting-you/how-to-apply/

Additional entry requirements

Interview

https://northernart.ac.uk/study-with-us/hartlepool-campus/supporting-you/how-to-apply/

Portfolio

https://northernart.ac.uk/study-with-us/hartlepool-campus/supporting-you/how-to-apply/


Unistats information

Operated by the Office for Students
93%
Student satisfaction
75%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The student satisfaction data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1

Additional fee information

As with most creative programmes delivered at higher education, this programme will have additional costs such as material and basic tools and contribution towards educational visits to ensure successful completion of the programme. The School offers financial support packages to help with this, whether this be through means-tested bursaries and/or grants. In addition, the School offers subsidised resale of course materials, free use of studios etc. More detailed information is provided at the interview stage; however, if you require this sooner please contact [email protected]
Model Making & Visual FX at The Northern School of Art - UCAS