Event Summary

This webinar is hosted by Jon Cheek, the Founder and Director of UniTasterDays. Guidance is provided for students to help them make good choices when considering university. The guest speakers for this event are Rob Redman, the Lecturer in Creative Technology at the University of Bradford and Saint John Walker, the Deputy Dean of London’s Escape Studios, part of Pearson’s College London.

What to expect on a computer games, visual effects and animation university course
Rob talks about what a creative technology degree is and what you can expect to study at undergraduate level. One of the main concepts is the combination of creative media and futurology to drive technology forward in many areas such as games, augmentation, simulation, cinematic experiences and rapid prototyping.

The ways this is done is through research, explains Rob and is something you will experience on a creative technology undergraduate course. He goes on to speak about how tutors use a variety of resources to make content as fun as possible, whilst also being educational and informative.

On your course there are many experiences you will gain such as building your portfolio and being involved in extra-curricular activities to develop your skills. One of the main areas of concern for people interested in creative technology degrees is employability. Rob shares statistics on the number of students who go on to work in the industry as well as applicable areas such as entrepreneur programmes. Creative technology is always evolving and is interdisciplinary and requires you to have key skills to get started. Rob explains what it takes to make it in the industry and study this type of course as an undergraduate.

How you can find a career in the world of computer games, visual effects and animation
Saint talks about careers in the world of computer games, vfx and animation. He shares important information on where to do your research before finding a career in this industry.

Some of the resources he shares allow you to access a beginner’s guide to the industry, information on getting started in VFX and quizzes so you can see which career is right for you. Regardless of any media course you study, you may want to first become a runner, suggests Saint. He explains what your role as a runner would be, why it is a great entry level start and the skills you will gain through this experience. He goes on to talk about the VFX Festival to find out the different ways people have entered the industry and finally speaks about the games industry itself.

Watch the event recording (after the useful links below:)

Session summary from Rubaya Zaman, a final year English Literature student at the University of Birmingham.

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Useful links for your research after the session:

Here’s some resources to help you plan a future in VFX, Animation or Games!
https://www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/escape-studios/e_scape-hub.html

Unsure if it’s for you? Take our VFX/Animation/Games Careers Quiz!
https://www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/escape-studios/careers/quiz.html

Our Careers Guide tells you all about the jobs:
https://www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/escape-studios/careers/careers-guide.html

Want to try animation for free?
https://summerofanimation.com/

Info about Games companies and where they are:
https://gamesmap.uk/#/map

Come to our VFX Festival event to find out more about the people who make them
www.thevfxfestival.com

ScreenSkills Careers maps. What careers are available?
https://www.screenskills.com/careers/careers-resources/career-maps

Learn more about being a Runner
https://www.accessvfx.org/blog/getting-into-vfx-runners

VFX inspiration
https://www.accessvfx.org

Your First Steps To A Career in VFX, Animation and Games. A VFX Festival Virtual Panel Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_mvXaWYx08