Computer Animation and Visual Effects

Computer animation and visual effects is a discipline that creates the computer-generated imagery at the heart of contemporary film, television, games and digital media, using sophisticated software and technical artistry to produce characters, environments, effects and sequences that range from photo-realistic to fantastical. It demands practitioners who are both technically skilled and creatively imaginative, capable of working within professional production pipelines while also contributing to the visual storytelling that makes audiences believe in the worlds they see on screen. The industry that employs these skills is growing rapidly, driven by streaming content, blockbuster film production and the expansion of games and immersive media.

At Manchester Metropolitan University this three-year, full-time BSc (Hons) programme develops the skills you need to launch a career in this exciting industry, teaching you to create computer-generated content across the full range of animation and visual effects disciplines. You will work with industry-standard software and production tools, developing skills in 3D modelling, rigging, character animation, visual effects, rendering, compositing and the production management approaches that govern professional studio work. The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you direct experience in a professional animation or visual effects studio before graduation and the industry contacts that can support your career.

Manchester's creative and digital media sector provides an excellent professional context.

Graduates work as 3D animators, character animators, visual effects artists, compositors, rendering and lighting specialists, technical directors, VFX supervisors and motion graphics designers across film and television production, games studios, advertising, broadcast media and the growing field of virtual and augmented reality. The combination of technical capability and creative skill the degree develops is also applicable in architectural visualisation, educational media and the simulation and training industries. Some graduates continue to postgraduate study in animation, visual effects or computer science.