COURSEWORK weighted at 100%. Split equally between the semesters.
Semester 1
The coursework for the module takes the form of an individual body of work comprising of:
Practical. Assessing learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4
Written work demonstrating the development work, research, analysis and reflection on the completed work. This will assess learning outcomes 3 and 4.
Time Compositing challenge. Assessing learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4
Semester 2
Team Practical. Assessing learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4
Individual written work demonstrating the development work, research, analysis and reflection on the completed work. This will assess learning outcomes 2,3 and 4.
Presentation accessing learning outcome 3

Semester 1
Problem based learning tasks take up the majority of the module centred around visual effects. The module is designed to operate like a visual effects studio where the tutors act as the visual effects supervisors. Students are given work to complete each week and they are tasked with individual research and learning to achieve the weekly goals. This is written up as biweekly entries on the digital academy blog providing evidence of research, application, analysis, problem solving and reflection.

The first part of the module sees students being taught about cutting edge camera formats (including Raw, ProsRes etc) and film style lighting techniques green screen production techniques and will take part in a timed 3 hour compositing challenge. The challenge is to composite themselves into a shot from a feature film of their choice.

They will be taught advanced rotoscoping and keying methods which will be utilised later when the students undertake a large team driven visual effect challenge where the class work on solving a series of visual effects shots as a class. This will demand skills in rotoscoping, 2D and 3D Tracking, lighting and rendering, texturing, colour grading, digital effects production and keying with the end goal of a short visual effects film being created.

Semester 2
The students form a single team to work on a new visual effects based short film which will be between 1 and 2 minutes long. The project is sourced from an external live brief from either a fictional or real industry based practitioner.

The film will require the implementation of the complete visual effects pipeline such as animation, motion capture, matchmoving, composite, 2D and 3D asset generation, lighting and rendering, rigging, concepting, creative development, digital effects, video editing, visual effect producing and directing, HDR photography, and camera projection.

The module will be delivered using a combination of lectures, demonstrations and supervised tutorials in a 3-hour period per week. The majority of the work will be of a practical nature and students are expected to use their independent study time to consolidate this work.

1 x 3 Hour Workshop per week over 12 weeks.
This will include a collection of short lectures and large group tutorials where problem based tasks are given out and worked through.
Self-directed study for reading, researching, preparing, designing and implementing will take up to 126 hours.

Digital Academy Forum
Blackboard
Microsoft Office
Autodesk Suite
Nuke
Adobe Suite
Green Screen Studio
Sony F55, Canon C300, Blackmagic Production Camera.
Filmmaking equipment
PF Track
PT Gui
Quixel Plugins

Ganbar, R., 2014. Nuke 101: Professional Compositing and Visual Effects, 2 edition. ed. Peachpit Press, San Francisco.
Gress, J., 2014. [Digital] Visual Effects and Compositing, 1 edition. ed. New Riders, San Francisco, California.
Lanier, L., 2012. Digital Compositing with Nuke, Pap/Dvdr. ed. Focal Press.
Meyer, T., Meyer, C., 2013. The After effects apprentice: real-world skills for the aspiring motion graphics artist.
Perkins, C., 2013. The After effects illusionist: [all the effects in one complete guide].
Van Hurkman, A., 2013. Color correction look book: creative grading techniques for film and video. Peachpit Press, [S.l.].
Zwerman, S., Okun, J.A. (Eds.), 2014. The VES Handbook of Visual Effects: Industry Standard VFX Practices and Procedures, 2 edition. ed. Focal Press, Burlington, MA.
Grage, P (2014), Inside VFX: An Insides View into the Visual Effects and Film Business, Look Inside

1. IDENTIFY, BREAKDOWN AND SOLVE COMPLEX VISUAL EFFECTS RELATED PROBLEMS
[Problem Solving]

2. NEGOTIATE AND COMMUNICATE THE REQUIREMENTS OF A VISUAL EFFECTS PROJECT AND THE INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE CREATION OF AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF EFFECTS PRODUCTION
[Communication;Reflection]

3. INVESTIGATE, ANALYSE AND APPLY A SUITABLE VFX PIPELINE TO ALLOW EFFICIENT AND RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL EFFECTS SHOTS
[Analysis; Enquiry; Learning]

4. CREATE AN ADVANCED VISUAL EFFECTS PROJECT THAT IMPLEMENTS A RANGE OF SKILLS WITHIN THE VISUAL EFFECTS PIPELINE TO A PROFESSIONAL STANDARD
[Application]