Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects

Register your interest to stay up-to-date on future offerings, application or enrolment dates, and more information on this course.

Fast-track your career in visual effects

AFTRS has partnered with world-leading visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to offer world-class training for Australians in the rapidly expanding screen speciality of visual effects. The Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects brings together the vision, craft and technical skills and expertise of ILM, and the educational expertise and creative excellence of AFTRS.

The course prototypes an innovative model of integrated training that combines the best of on-the-job training with formal education: blending real-world learning driven by leading industry experts, with the critical thinking and adaptive creative skillsets vital to thrive in today’s digital world.

Students will explore the processes by which images are created, manipulated, and finished in a digital environment, and learn the skills required to create high-quality virtual worlds and enhance stories with visual effects, with a focus on the concepts and principles of the VFX pipeline.

The Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects runs full-time over one year, through on-campus classes, coupled with feedback, mentoring, industry guest lectures, project-based learning, and structured around an immersive series of practical classes and workshops.

This course will commence in 2024.

download brochure

Is the Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects right for you?

This is a hands-on program designed to upskill emerging and early career practitioners and digital artists with technical and creative skills to building a career in Visual Effects and become production-ready visual effects artists in the Australian screen sector.

In this program, students will gain core knowledge and skills required to work in the visual effects industry, understand screen language and conventions, and work on fast-paced projects.

Upon completing this course, students will be able to apply a deep understanding of cinematic storytelling to the art of visual effects, evaluate technical and aesthetic elements of visual effects, problem solve and innovate on professional projects in a group environment, and collaborate effectively and ethically across diverse creative projects.

This course is best suited to a candidate that has previous qualifications or has equivalent professional experience.

Career opportunities

The AFTRS x ILM Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects is designed to meet the needs of the growing visual effects industry through practice-based study. This course is structured around visual effects design and development, storytelling principles and professional practice.

Potential employers in Australia and New Zealand include Industrial Light & Magic, Animal Logic, Rising Sun Pictures, Luma Pictures, Weta, Flying Bark Animation, ALT VFX and a growing number of games design studios in Australian and worldwide.

Potential careers:

Compositor
Pipeline Technical Director
Concept Artist/Matte Painter
3D Generalist
Layout
Texturing
Surfacing/Look Development
Rigging/Technical Assistant
Modelling (props, etc.)
Data Capture (motion/facial capture)
Environment Assistant
Assistant Technical Director
Stagecraft (virtual production)
Pipeline/Engineering
Render Wrangler

Meet Your Lecturers

Alexander Hoetzer

Alexander Hoetzer is an experienced visual effects artist with almost 20 years’ experience in a range of screen industries, across…

Learn More

Conny Sepulveda-Fauser

With a strong passion for filmmaking and almost 30 years of experience working in the industry, lead compositor at Industrial…

Learn More

What you will learn

This course is designed by industry professionals to prepare students for production roles within the ever-growing visual effects industry. Focused on contemporary best-practice, and using industry standard tools and techniques, the Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects will equip students with the ability to engage both craft and industry at a high level with a view towards establishing career-long learning and skills development practices.

Through professional-led tutoring and guidance, this course will equip you to be able to:

Apply a deep understanding of creative and cinematic storytelling to the craft of visual effects
To create audience-engaging visual effects through the application of high-level craft-skills
Evaluate technical, aesthetic, and creative elements of visual effects
Apply an adaptable skill set to problem-solve and innovate on professional projects in a group environment
Collaborate effectively and ethically across diverse creative projects

Over the program of teaching, focused productions, bespoke mentorships and sophisticated interaction with the professional visual effects crews, graduates will emerge with the high-level artistic and technical skills required to engage in the booming screen industry at both a local and international level. With modules drawn from professional productions and techniques, this course is designed to allow students to reach their maximum potential by specialising in a craft area informed by their own interests and ambitions.

Course outcomes include:

High-quality 3D modelling and asset production
Professional 3D lighting and CGI rendering
3D Layout and scene setup
Photoreal compositing for visual effects
On-set visual effects protocols and practices
Contemporary visual effects and hybrid production practices
Production management and team building
Professional practice and ethical conduct

Upon completion of the course, students will amass a network of industry contacts and achieve a portfolio of works demonstrating professional skills, proficiencies and attitudes.

Get Answers

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for the 2024 intake will open in 2023.

To apply you will need to:

1. Answer all mandatory questions marked with an asterisk (*).

2. Upload supporting documentation, which includes certified copies of your:

a) Proof of citizenship/residency
b) Highest educational qualification

3. Upload specific application tasks relevant to the course for which you are applying.

4. Agree to the terms and conditions at the end of the application.

You do not have to complete your application in one sitting. Save your application and log back in at any time prior to the closing date to pick up where you left off.

When uploading application tasks that are media/video files, please be patient as this can take some time.

If you require assistance, please contact info@aftrs.edu.au.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

1. PREREQUISITES

Applicants to postgraduate programs are required to hold a relevant undergraduate degree at bachelor level, or to have completed equivalent work experience and/or training.

Applicants without a relevant undergraduate degree at bachelor level are required to demonstrate how they have completed equivalent relevant work experience and/or training by submitting a Degree Equivalence Form.

For more information, please contact the Admissions team at applications@aftrs.edu.au.

2. SELECTION CRITERIA

A demonstrated knowledge of 3D concepts and design
Previous qualification in:

Fine Arts
Production
Media
Games Design
Graphic Design
Computer Science
Built Environment

Or equivalent professional experience in the creative industries. (See ‘1. Prerequisites’ for more information)

Please refer to the Application Rubric for more information.

3. RESUME AND EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Provide a one-page list of your achievements, educational qualifications and work experience. You must also provide a certified copy of your highest education level.

4. PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP/RESIDENCY

Ensure you submit a certified copy of your birth certificate or passport.

APPLICATION TASKS

1. PERSONAL STATEMENT (DOCUMENTS IN PDF FORMAT ONLY, VIDEO IN H264 FORMAL ONLY)

Submit a one-page document or a short spoken piece to camera, outlining your relevant experience and aspirations for working in the Visual Effects industry.

Your statement should also speak to your capacity and willingness to study full-time, and your ability to collaborate (please include specific examples where you can).

2. A COPY OF YOUR CURRENT CV (PDF Format only)

3. REEL or DIGITAL PORTFOLIO OF WORK

Please submit a reel (preferred), or digital portfolio of work, demonstrating your proficiency in Visual effects and Design. Your reel should include your best recent work and include shot breakdowns.

If you choose to submit the digital portfolio of work, please note that it should include a minimum of 3 pieces of work.

Videos need to be submitted as h264 file format. Images should be submitted as jpg only.

3. INTERVIEW (FOR SHORT-LISTED APPLICANTS ONLY)

Applicants will be shortlisted based on their application task and resume. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

FEES AND SCHOLARSHIPS

TUITION FEES – $32,496

The tuition fee shown above is the indicative course tuition fee for 2024, expressed as both a total course cost and per annum cost. It is reviewed each year and you are liable for the additional tuition costs if the tuition fees rise during the program of your enrolment.

FEE-HELP

This course is FEE-HELP approved. Refer to the Study Assist website for details.

SCHOLARSHIPS

To ensure we reflect Australian society and Australian stories, AFTRS wants to work with students from a diverse range of backgrounds. To support this, the School has a range of scholarships available to assist degree program students with the costs associated with higher education.

International students

Unfortunately, AFTRS does not currently accept applications from international students into this course.