Careers

VFX Artist

Visual Special Effects (VFX) means anything in a game that moves that isn’t a character or an object. That’s eye-catching motion such as flowing water, weather, magical effects and explosions.

The VFX Artist is a highly skilled role. You will be an experienced animator with a solid grasp of maths and physics. You’ll use your creativity and problem-solving skills to achieve some of the most spectacular effects in the game - without blowing the budget.

Art

Also referred to as:

FX artist, SFX artist, Special effects artist, Virtual Effects Artist, VFX Editor, Compositor

You’ll love this role if you’re into:

Coding
Drawing
Being Organised
Maths
Designing things

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YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY

Most people working as VFX Artists have a degree. Above all, you should be someone that loves animation, has an eye for detail and enjoys learning new artistic tools and techniques.

As a professional, you’ll be creating artwork and moving graphics by using a range of tools that may include Blender, Maya and ZBrush, as well as game design programs (engines) like Unity and Unreal. We recommend using our tool picker to help you choose the right ones for your current level and purpose.

Working in the games industry is highly competitive and you’ll need to make sure your portfolio (a collection of your best work) stands out to employers and course leaders.

As a VFX Artist, your work should showcase a range of 3D models you’ve created, textured, rendered and animated to present your range of skills. For more ideas, see our top tips page on building your portfolio.