vanarts game art and design

Visual Effects for Film & TV

Learn how to make visual effects for movies, television and web series in VanArts' HOUDINI-Certified one-year intensive program, and receive a FREE commercial license of Houdini valued at $2,000 from SideFX Software after graduating. Our instructors have worked on many of the industry's biggest productions and will mentor you all of the way through the program.

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Student Success

VanArts VFX Graduates on Your Silver Screen

The shows you enjoy in cinemas, and on Disney+, Amazon Prime, NetFlix, and other streaming services on your big-screen TV all feature hard work by graduates of VanArts.

The industry is booming, studios are hiring, and demand is sky-high for visual effects artists. This is the time to start training.

More upcoming shows that VanArts VFX grads are working on:

2021: Fast & Furious 9, Suicide Squad, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Jungle Cruise, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, No Time to Die, Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Matrix Resurrections, Eternals

2022: The Batman, Doctor Strange 2, Morbius, Jurassic World: Dominion, Foundation, Top Gun: Maverick, Sandman

Meet Imaobong Udofa

Soon after graduating in fall 2020, VFX graduate Imaobong Udofa was hired at Sony Pictures Imageworks in Vancouver, as a matte painting/environment artist on Hotel Transylvania 4.

Listen to his story of how VanArts gave him the tools for success.

Meet Vikas Ganer

VanArts welcomes dozens of visual effects students each year from India. Since graduating, Vikas Ganer's career has given him credits on over 50 productions, and taken him into studios such as Method, MPC, Scanline, Double Negative (DNeg) , Gener8, Atmosphere and Zoic.

Hear his own story here:

A Message from our Department Head

Wade Howie is a VFX industry pioneer with over 30 years of experience at Industrial Light & Magic, Electronic Arts, and award-winning work in features, games, and commercials.

Watch this important message from Wade explaining how our classes are running in a blended delivery method for local students during the pandemic, and how students outside Vancouver can opt to take the entire program online.

Curriculum

Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4

Term 1

VanArts' Visual Effects program is designed to familiarize you with the fundamentals of visual effects production. In the first 3-month term you will learn the basics of 3D Modeling, Animation & Rendering, 2D Image Manipulation & Compositing, and the history of visual effects techniques. The goal for Term 1 is to build a strong understanding of the building blocks of FX production as it applies to feature films, TV series or video games & cinematics.

3D Fundamentals Art Foundation Compositing 1 Photoshop 1 VFX History VFX Production 1

Term 2

During the second term you will begin to master the concepts and tools learned in Term 1, plus introductions to industry-standard software HOUDINI for dynamic visual effects. Intermediate FX topics such as Dynamic Simulations and Character Rigging will be studied with an emphasis on how and why things work the way they do. The goal for Term 2 is for you to understand the process of VFX production on an abstract level.

Compositing 2 Concept Development Houdini 1 Maya for VFX 1 Photoshop 2 VFX Production 2

Term 3

In Term 3, you begin "colouring outside the lines" as you are required to apply your skills in inventive and innovative ways to solve a variety of production requirements. Advanced topics such as Procedural Modeling and Destruction will emphasize creative solutions to complex production problems. You will also begin specializing in areas of particular interest for your final demo reel, and be introduced to Matte Painting. The goal for Term 3 is for you to demonstrate innovative and analytical thinking as well as artistic and technical expertise.

Intro to Python Scripting Compositing 3 Houdini 2 Matte Painting 1 Maya for VFX 2 Pre-production Shading for VFX 1 VFX Production 3 VFX Workshop

Term 4

The final term at VanArts is dedicated to the production of an industry grade demo reel for showing to potential employers. Working under the guidance of industry-pro faculty, you will create a showcase for your particular skills and talent and polish it using industry-standard softwares. Weeklies and tech support ensure the final quality of your reel, the most important asset and foundation for your entry into the industry. Visit us on YouTube to view samples of student demo reels in VFX!

Compositing 4 Houdini 3 Matte Painting 2 Maya for VFX 3 Shading for VFX 2 VFX Production 4 VFX Weeklies

Faculty

Wade Howie

Head of Visual Effects and Head of Game Art & Design

Esdras Prudente

Instructor

Johnson Chuang

Instructor

Martin Bastian

Instructor - Maya

Michael Pilling

Instructor

Weverton Alves

Instructor

Overview

Program Duration

12 Months

Next Start Dates

March 14, 2022 September 6, 2022 March 13, 2023 September 5, 2023

VanArts' diploma program in Visual Effects for Film & Television is the leading destination for training in a rapidly growing and booming work force.

We have been recognized by SideFX Software as a certified Houdini Training Partner. In addition to HOUDINI, our Visual Effects program instructs students in other leading industry tools, such as MAYA and NUKE.

As a certified Houdini training program, all Visual Effects students receive a free commercial license of Houdini from SideFX Software ($2,000 value) upon graduation.

Your journey as a visual effects artist at VanArts is simple: master the tools, specialize in achieving visual and technical quality, and produce a professional demo reel based on what studio supervisors and recruiters want to see.

PTIB Approved

This program has been approved by the Registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

Degree Pathways

VanArts has articulation agreements in place with several well established universities/colleges in Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. These degree pathways allow you to complete your bachelor's degree in as little as one year after your studies at VanArts. This gives you the advantage of two credentials; a professional diploma and an undergraduate degree. These partnerships may not only save you money in tuition cost, but allows you to transition easily from VanArts to the partner institution while continuing your educational pathway in your chosen field of study. For international students, completing your BA degree in as little as two years of additional study with our local university partners provides you with the option to apply for a Canadian work permit, which may lead to permanent residency or Canadian citizenship. This list represents the pathways, universities and specific degrees available for graduates of Visual Effects at VanArts:

Tuition Costs

International

$38,750.00 CAD

Additional Information

Payment Schedule

10% deposit upon acceptance to hold your seat
40% six weeks prior to start date
50% by end of Term 1 (3 months into studies)

Supplies and Equipment

In addition to tuition, most programs have some costs related to supplies and equipment.

Pencils
Art Eraser
Large Sketchbook (16×20 or larger)
Hardcover Sketchbook (8-1/2×11)
Notebook for taking notes during lectures
3-Ring Binder (for handouts and notes) (the best habit is to get several binders, each in a different color, one for each class)
Wacom Tablet Intuos Pro 8×10
External Hard Drive (1TB minimum to back up files)
Graph Paper
course related textbooks

Estimated cost: $630* *These are estimates only and assume that no required supplies or equipment are currently owned.