University of Bolton, Deane Road, Bolton. BL3 5AB
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Help make movie magic and TV thrills! Our highly practical BDes (Hons) Special Effects for Film and TV with foundation year degree explores a wide range of specialist skills to create physical and digital effects for film and TV. With fantastic facilities and industry-experienced staff, we’re dedicated to preparing you for a career bringing imagination to life.
Award:
BDes (Hons)
Mode of Study:
Full-time
Duration:
4 years
Location:
University of Bolton
UCAS points:
48
UCAS code:
W624
Start date:
To be confirmed
Television shows, films, music videos, commercials and theatre productions all rely on the magic of special effects to enhance their storytelling. Our BDes (Hons) Special Effects for Film and TV with foundation year course is ideal if you wish to combine design creativity, physical model-making skills, special prosthetic make-up effects, and cutting-edge 2D and 3D computer modelling and prototyping in the creation of special effects for all these platforms.
This unique course begins with a foundation year that allows you to experience the various specialisms offered by the Centre for Film FX at the University of Bolton. Our foundation year aims to build your academic and creative skills and confidence so that you can make the leap to degree-level study smoothly. We’ll guide you as you explore a wide range of technical and creative areas drawn from across the spectrum of special and visual effects, helping you make an informed decision about your future career direction. At the end of the year, you’ll be able to choose between progressing with our BDes (Hons) Special Effects for Film and TV or transferring to one of our other fantastic Film FX courses.
Throughout this degree, you’ll explore and develop your design and problem-solving skills and apply them to the art of creating special effects for film and television. This pathway offers specialisation while still nurturing an understanding of the entire landscape of special effects.
Large scale film and TV productions use both physical and digital effects, so our intensely practical approach allows you to gain hands-on experience of a broad range of special effects disciplines and techniques.
Industry practitioners deliver several elements of the course. Our staff are very hands-on, skilled, friendly and enthusiastic, prioritising one-to-one support and industry-focused development.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
As a graduate of the BDes (Hons) Special Effects for Film and TV with foundation year, you’ll be able to demonstrate and combine creative skills with high levels of technical ability. The degree offers an exciting spectrum of opportunities, ranging from the highly accurate engineering approach of the product modeller to the imaginative and inventive solutions of a creature or character designer.
You’ll also possess a wide range of transferable skills, including teamwork, planning and organisation, working to briefs and deadlines, written and oral communication, presenting work and changes, critical analysis and logical thinking.
The most prominent employers of special effects artists are film and television companies where you might work on a film or television show in production or post-production. Some special effects professionals choose a speciality area, such as prop making, costume, special make-up effects or model-making.
After graduation, you’ll be well prepared for a business career in the areas of film, commercials and television special effects production. You may also find employment in special effects or one of the many creative and entertainment industries rapidly developing in the UK, such as animation, make-up, animatronics, prosthetics, model-making, and robotics.
As a graduate, you may find additional work opportunities creating displays or multimedia presentations for a museum or working for a company that makes and sells effects-based products, such as prosthetics, costumes or props. You may also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that postgraduate study and/or relevant work experience may be required. These include:
Home Fees | Year of study | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entry year | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | |
2023 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | - | £37,000 |
International | Year of study | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entry year | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | |
2023 | £10,350 | £13,550 | £13,550 | £13,550 | - | £51,000 |
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
For 2022-2023 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2022-2023 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.
This course is not currently accepting international online applications.
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods to help you achieve your potential. You can expect our blended style to include lectures, seminars, tutorials and critiques, self-directed learning, e-learning and laboratory/workshop sessions, as well as online learning.
Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail. Practical skills and techniques are gained through technical introduction and support, workshop sessions, demonstrations and activity-based assignments. Tutorials allow you to ask questions, ensuring you understand the topics covered in lectures and workshop sessions.
Guest lectures and visits give you opportunities to engage with and learn from respected professionals working in the special effects arena. Our highly practical and project-based approach promotes active learning, and our specialist facilities create realistic industry-like learning environments. Our project modules encourage you to interact and collaborate with students specialising in both your own and other areas of special and visual effects, helping to give you a taste of working on group and multidisciplinary projects.
Personal and independent study is essential. You should expect to devote a significant amount of time to activities such as project work, background reading, preparation for seminars and tutorials, research, design and creative thought.
In terms of assessment, you can expect assignments, projects, case studies, quizzes, interviews and presentations. As far as possible, we set project-based coursework that simulates professional situations. These pieces contribute to your final mark and allow you to demonstrate that you’ve met the learning outcomes.
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
Level | Assesment method |
---|---|
Level zero | Coursework 100% |
Level one | Coursework 100% |
Level two | Coursework 100% |
Level three | Coursework 100% |
Level | Learning activity |
---|---|
Level zero | Guided independent study 55%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 45% |
Level one | Guided independent study 65%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 35% |
Level two | Guided independent study 65%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 35% |
Level three | Guided independent study 65%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 35% |
Disclaimer
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
The academic staff detailed above teach across a range of courses in this subject area and may not teach on this course specifically.
R.Mcevoy-Crompton@bolton.ac.uk
+44 (0)1204 903064
enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
+44 (0)1204 903903
University of Bolton
University of Bolton
University of Bolton
University of Bolton