VFX Masters students form industry connections
Published On Thu 27 Aug 2015 by Grant Hill
While the Masters Show 2015 has been wowing visitors to the University of Dundee, one group of exhibiting students have been touring some of the UK’s top visual effects (VFX) studios to plan the next step in their careers.
Fourteen students from the MSc Animation & Visualisation programme, whose work features in the Masters Show, have been paying a visit to big-name VFX studios in London including Framestore, Double Negative, Jellyfish Pictures, MPC and Industrial Light and Magic.
This has enabled the students to hear first-hand what the studios expect from an applicant and what they look for in submitted showreels. The visitors are also given the chance to learn the process each studio uses to produce this type of work, with leading animators giving presentations about feature film production.
One of the presenters the students heard from was University alumnus Matt Cameron, who graduated from the MSc Animation & Visualisation course two years ago and now works for Industrial Light & Magic, the studio that produced the VFX work for Star Wars and other major feature films.
Course Director Phillip Vaughan said, “It was great for the students to hear from Matt about his experience in this field and what he has achieved in a relatively short space of time.
“Our alumni network is growing every year, and we now have people in most of the big studios, here and around the world. I want this network to continue to grow, and visits like this really help put the students’ names on the map. I thank all the studios for welcoming us and being very accommodating with their time.
“The students have really benefitted from this experience. This visit is a great opportunity for them to get a foot in the door of production facilities where the very best film and television VFX projects are worked on. This first-hand knowledge they have gained is vital for students looking to embark on a career in animation and visual effects.”
Work from the Transformative design and visually stunning art from five of the UK’s most innovative and exciting postgraduate courses – MSc Animation & Visualisation, MFA Art & Humanities, MFA Art Society & Publics. MSC Forensic Art, MSC Medical Art – is being exhibited at the Masters Show, which runs until Saturday August 29th in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, part of the University.
Professor Paul Harris, Dean of Duncan of Jordanstone, said, “Our Masters students are challenged to carry out intelligent and comprehensive research to complement their creativity in order to produce stimulating work.
“The Masters Show displays just how well they have met that challenge, with some truly stunning exhibits that range from the highly artistic to the deeply practical. The show is a testament to the staff and students who once again have demonstrated that Duncan of Jordanstone is a world-class, 21st Century school of art and design.”
For more information see www.dundee.ac.uk/mastersshow.
A screening of the MSc films from this year’s Masters Show will take place at Dundee Contemporary Arts at 3pm on Saturday, 29th August. The event is free but ticketed.
More information is available at http://www.dca.org.uk/whats-on/event/djcad-masters-in-animation-showcase.
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