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Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design)

Study Visual Effects and Entertainment Design at Flinders

Bring your art to life.

Game of Thrones fans, Fortnite addicts and Pixar lovers, turn your passion into a successful career in the exciting world of film, television, gaming, animation and digital design.

Flinders and CDW Studios combine forces to offer this hands-on degree; with a range of specialised streams, small class sizes and hands-on experience, you’ll emerge career-ready with a world-class portfolio under your arm.

With the same core instructors throughout your program of study and input from 15 industry professionals who have worked across major film and game projects including The Avengers, World of Warcraft, Disney and the Lego movie, you’ll acquire the skills, mindset and contacts needed to reach the top of your game in your dream career. You’ll also have access to regular masterclasses run by an international industry leader. And you’ll be invited to take part in ‘The Rookies’ an awards and mentor platform with competition from over 180 other design schools.

Note: this course was formerly known as Creative Arts (Digital Media)

Fast facts

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Why study Visual Effects and Entertainment Design at Flinders

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  • Ranked no. 1 digital illustration school in The Rookies, Best Creative Media and Entertainment Schools report 2017 and 2018
  • Practice-based courses linked directly to industry skills
  • Expert tutors with ongoing industry experience on major projects
  • Opportunity to take part in ‘The Rookies’ global competition
  • Growing demand internationally and locally  
  • Study 2D, 3D, Animation, VFX

Your career

Flinders graduates include 2D concept artist and 3D modellers, animators, matte painters, cinematographers, editors, illustrators, producers VFX artists. Your diverse range of skills and portfolio of creative achievements will make you attractive to a wide range of employers in the arts and communication industries internationally.

Potential occupations include:

  • concept artist
  • animator (2D or 3D)
  • digital designer
  • production artist
  • game developer
  • illustrator.

Potential employers include:

  • Film and television
  • Digital media and design companies
  • VFX companies
  • Video game developers
  • other media production companies including:
    • Monkeystack
    • Gameloft
    • Blizzard
    • Disney
    • Pixar
    • Technicolor
happy creative arts student

“I chose Flinders because it was connected to CDW Studios and I was very familiar with them from several classes I had taken with them. I started when I was 13 years old. I knew their high quality of teaching and that I was going to get a great education out of it.”

Bradley
Bachelor of Creative Arts

 

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Straight out of uni into a hollywood blockbuster, Flinders’ graduate Anthony Robinson stepped out into Mortal Kombat.

Learn more

What you will study

First year

 First year topics enable you to develop skills in 2D, 3D and production work in digital media with CDW Studios. Alongside developing skills in digital media, additional topics are available in areas such as screen and media culture, visual arts and IT. Academic skills are developed through the core first year topic in academic and professional communication.

Second year

 In second year, you are able to develop skills in a range of areas suitable to your interests and skills, such as 2D and 3D animation, game art, and entertainment design with CDW Studios. Elective topics contribute to a second area of specialisation in digital media production, screen production, screen and media culture, visual arts, information technology, or business studies.

Third year

 Third year includes a significant practicum or project in which you can put your skills and creative intelligence into industry practices and pipelines. A range of other electives exist, including opportunities to work with a number of our partners in game art, animation and visual effects.

View study program

International masterclasses

CDW Studios regularly hold master class events throughout the year. International master classes see us bring out some of the best name’s in the industry out to Australia, exclusively to teach the event. 

Each master class is a 3-day intensive workshop which is taught by an artist at the top of their industry.

 

Practical experience

The degree provides you with practical experience that prepares you for the workforce.

  • Gain hands-on practical experience and produce short films, animations, graphic novels and games for a professional portfolio.
  • Undertake a range of industry placements and learn directly from the best.

Study abroad

There are options for exchange topics at Butler University, Indianapolis.

Innovation and
enterprise topics

At Flinders University, we recognise that careers are evolving and the workplace of the future will look very different from today.

Whatever undergraduate course you are studying at Flinders you can add innovation and enterprise electives to your degree to gain new, adaptable and transferrable skills that will equip you for changes in the global job market.

These innovation and enterprise electives prepare you for the careers of tomorrow by developing what we like to call ‘personal enterprise skills’ – the innate ability to adapt to whatever life throws at you, professionally and personally.

CDW Studios

Working in conjunction with Flinders University, CDW Studios offers the most up-to-date and relevant information to gain a career in the VFX and entertainment design industry.  

Learn more

Artwork by Duncan Li

Ranked No.1 Digital Illustration School*

The Rookies is an international awards and mentor platform for young designers, creators, innovators and artists in film, animation, games, virtual reality and architecture visualisation.

The competition, which involves more than 600 schools and more than 3,000 entrants and thousands of their entries from 81 countries, rated Flinders University and its partner CDW Studios Adelaide as #1 in *Best Digital Illustration Schools in 2017 and 2018.

Flinders University and CDW Studios win World's number 1 Digital Illustration studio 2018

How to apply

1

Choose your preferred course.

 

2

Check the entry requirements and admission pathways available to you.

 

3

Choose other courses to include in your preferences.

 

4

Visit SATAC and submit your application online.

Applicants must also submit:

  • a supporting statement - responding to why they wish to study the course
  • a Curriculum Vitae - including details of publications, performance, work history, training or other experience they consider relevant to their application
  • a portfolio - examples of original work in film, video production, creative written work, photography, art work, graphic design and/or production management materials.

Students who have completed 18 units or more within the Bachelor of Information Technology (Digital Media) or Bachelor of Media Arts will not be required to submit a supporting statement, Curriculum Vitae or portfolio when applying for a transfer into this course.

Download additional application requirements

Applicants can apply for this course using Year 12 qualifications, previous Higher Education study, TAFE/VET qualifications, or through Adult Entry (STAT/Foundation Studies/tertiary preparation course).

For applicants using their SACE (Year 12) results (or equivalent), entry is subject to achieving a minimum selection rank of 60.

Explore our pathways

When choosing your preferences through SATAC, other Flinders degrees you might want to include in your list are:

How to apply

1

Select your course.

 

2

Check entry requirements.

 

3

Check your eligibility for credit.

 

5

Obtain certified documents.

 

6

Submit your application and documents.

View further details

Applicants must demonstrate their creative abilities through the submission of a portfolio, written statement, curriculum vitae and referee details.

View a video on how to build a creative arts portfolio.

Download additional application requirements

If you don’t meet our English language entry requirements and need to improve your English language proficiency, you can do so through our approved English Language Instruction Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) providers.

This means that you can attend the required English language tuition at approved ELICOS providers and gain direct entry into university without an IELTS or TOEFL test.

Find out more

If you don’t meet our academic entry requirements, you can still gain entry to Flinders University through academic pathways programs provided by the Flinders International Study Centre.

Find out more

Course enquiries

Want more information about studying at Flinders University? Contact us to find out more – we’d love to help you decide if Flinders University is the right choice for you.

Course enquiries

For all course enquiries phone or email us or complete the course enquiry form.

1300 354 633

askflinders@flinders.edu.au

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Last Updated: 02 Feb 2022
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