BSc Computer Animation and Visual Effects
About this course
Computer animation and visual effects sits at the intersection of artistic creativity and technical expertise, producing the visual content that defines blockbuster film, television drama, video games, and advertising. The skills involved include 3D modelling, rigging, animation, digital compositing, rendering, motion capture, and the specialised software pipelines through which these elements are combined into finished sequences. It is an industry that demands both artistic sensibility and rigorous technical knowledge, and one in which the UK has built a global reputation, particularly in visual effects for film and television. At the University of Portsmouth, this three-year full-time programme prepares you for a career in an industry where talent and technical competence are both essential. You will develop skills across the animation and VFX pipeline, from concept and pre-visualisation through modelling, rigging, and animation to compositing and finishing. Portsmouth's location on the South Coast places you in proximity to a thriving indie animation and VFX sector alongside the major studios and facilities that characterise the UK's world-class production industry. The course includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement, giving you direct professional experience and international exposure in an industry where portfolio quality and professional contacts are genuinely decisive. Graduates from computer animation and visual effects programmes go on to work in film and television production, games development, advertising, architectural visualisation, virtual reality, and a range of digital content sectors. Roles include 3D artist, VFX artist, rigger, animator, compositor, and technical director. Further study at postgraduate level in animation, VFX, or digital arts is available for those who wish to develop specialist expertise or move into research and innovation.
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