Seeing the big picture
WHEN you watch movies, do you ever wonder how the production crew pulled out what is seemingly an impossible act to a particular scene which involved, for example, a mermaid or a talking fish? That is what visual effects is and if you watch closely enough, you would notice that visual effects is, in fact, in almost every movies that hit the cinemas nowadays.
More interestingly, did you know that you can learn how to specialise in visual effects and pursue it as a career?
The One Academy, one of the world’s best art and design creative tertiary institutions, is offering Diploma in Film Visual Effects where even an amateur in the creative industry who has enough determination can graduate as a world class professional.
The Diploma in Visual Effects at The One Academy is a result of a partnership between the college and John Hughes Institute ( previously known as the award- winning Rhythm & Hues), whose works include Ang Lee’s multiple- award winning Life of Pi, the Academy Award winner for VFX The Golden Compass, Incredible Hulk, VFX Academy- award nominated Snow White and the Huntsmen and Night at the Museum.
With such vast experience in the actual production of award- winning animated movies, John Hughes Institute engineered a course that provides intensive training to students to master vital areas in visual effects by creating an environment in which students are able to produce projects in actual practice and comply with current industry standards.
Working hand in hand with industry mentors, the three- year course teaches students to create organic modelling for live action feature film, conduct creative animation, simulate fur or hair, execute rigging for human, creatures and animals, learn lighting principles and techniques of digital set lighting, implement compositing for production which leads to a final project – a portfolio and more. These terms which, at the moment, sound extremely technical, will be familiar after the students undergo this course.
The aim of the activities planned for this diploma course is to allow students to:
– Experience different roles and specialisations across the whole visual effects industry.
– Develop their own specific areas of expertise. – Develop the ability to work as a team. – Work with industry- standard software and hardware.
– Meet industry professionals and learn their craft, work on industry briefs
– Develop working experience with clients and take part in live projects.
Students are of course in safe hands as the lecturers have been in the visual effects industry for at least a decade. For example, Aditya Kolli who was Production TD at Artlord Studio, Taiwan, and formerly employed by Rhythm & Hues ( R& H) Studios.
Her works include Life of Pi and Snow White and the Huntsmen. They also have Ruth Daly, a veteran in both traditional and CG animation, whose works include The Iron Giant; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe; Night at the Museum and The Golden Compass.
Although this is the first time The One Academy officially worked with John Hughes Institute, behind the scenes, the creative education institute has already worked with its former company Rhythm & Hues since 2009 and employed many of its students like Benjamin Cheong, who is remembered as an outstanding artist at Rhythm and Hues.
He currently works as an animator at Framstore London and has had the chance to develop visual effects for many Hollywood blockbusters such as Harry Potter, Guardians of the Galaxy, Sherlock Holmes and Paddington.
You too have the chance to land a dream job like Cheong. For those who don’t already know, those who pursue this diploma would have gained all the essential professional, creative and technical skills needed to be a visual effects specialist, creative animator, digital matte painter, fur/ hair similar, character simulator, compositor, lighting artist and rigging artist.
Should you want to find out more on how you can begin your journey as a visual effects expert, come over to The One Academy at its Bandar Sunway campus for its professional counsellors to assist you.
For further enquiries, you can also call The One Academy at 03- 5637 5510, e- mail enquiry@ toa. edu. my or visit www. toa. edu. my. The diploma programme will commence in May.