Throughout this course you will acquire an understanding of & practical expertise in Special Effects Design (SFX). You will be able to combine your artistic & technical skills to produce animatronics, action props, models & SFX as featured in Films, Television & Theatre.

Whilst focusing on the development of your technical & creative abilities, you will also learn how special effects are integrated into films, through a structured series of lectures and workshops, covering the theory & practice of working in different genres. The course is run in close partnership with leading SFX companies.

First Year
You'll gain a strong grounding in craft practices, workshop skills and the design process. Projects are designed to introduce you to a broad range of disciplines, encouraging problem solving, versatility and innovation. You will be introduced to a range of new materials & technologies, while learning valuable practical skills, including welding.

Second Year
Eight exciting one week projects, taught by industry professionals are integrated throughout the year, to help you become proficient in moulding & casting techniques, animatronic design, Computer Aided Design, advanced workshop skills & 'hands on' experience of SFX equipment used to produce, rain, fire, smoke, wind & snow. You will also learn about the safe use of pyrotechnics and participate in demonstrations of this. Working on two longer projects, you will be encouraged to explore and experiment with ideas acquired from regular workshops ranging from mechanical design, to painting and finishing techniques. You will be working in our comprehensively equipped workshops & studio facilities where you will learn to use both traditional and emerging technologies.

A series of lectures will introduce relevant concepts of film making so that you will gain an understanding of the experience of working 'on set' & how to use filming techniques to best advantage. This is particularly appropriate if you opt to spend up to four months on a professional work placement. In 2008/9 our students were actively involved in major movies including The Quantum of Solace, Fantastic Mr Fox and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Final Year
Your study will be more independent, enabling you to develop the experience gained in the second year into a fully realised SFX artefact. You'll write an in-depth essay on your research & analysis of issues related to your particular interests & design studies. A second major project provides the opportunity to demonstrate your professional ability. This may involve working with students studying on related degrees to make the experience as close to real-world practices as possible.

The year is also geared towards preparing you for your future career and you'll produce a professional portfolio and mount an exhibition of your work at the end of the year.