FDA Art of Games Design, The
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Location Carlisle - Brampton Road
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Duration 2, 4 year/s
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Mode of study Full-time, Part-time
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Start date September 2012, 2013
Why study with us?
This course enables you to develop your skills in a wide range of disciplines ranging from 3D modelling, texturing, lighting, concept art, drawing and the core specialisation of your choice. We’re keen to share our expertise with you so if you aspire to be an art director, designer, concept artist, modeller or animator, apply now.
The class sizes are kept small and the course has been structured and designed with input from industry to ensure that the right skill sets are being taught. Assignments range from technical briefs to develop your core skills to briefs from industry that allow you to try real world tasks, to creative briefs where the only limit is your imagination. The ultimate goal being, if you can imagine something, you can build it.
Each year our students never fail to amaze us with what they produce.
What can this course lead to?
Successful completion gives you the opportunity to either continue for an extra year on the BA (Hons) Digital Arts top-up course to complete a full BA with honours or stop your studies and make the transition to industry.
Graduates from our courses have gone on to win major awards including eight regional and national Royal Television Society Awards, and to work on major projects all over the world in many different subject areas.
Graduates were part of the teams that made video games including Fable III, Killzone 2, and Crackdown 2, graduates were also part of the post productions teams involved in making movies including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Happy Feet, Quantum of Solace and the Chronicles of Narnia.
Peter Roe now works for Pixar and is currently working on The Bear. Ian Wharton now is a creative partner in
Zolmo who developed the Jamie Oliver Cooking Application for the iPhone. Michael Malinowski works for
Lionhead Studios. Uisdean Ross is at
TT Games and spends his time working with Digital Legos.
Course Summary
You develop the skills relevant to games design. You study a broad range of modules to equip you for a job market where you must be able to master changing skills over the course of your career.
In the first year you learn the basics of concept art, drawing, design, modelling, animation and narrative structure. You also follow a personal development module to help equip you for an ever changing workplace. In the second year you are introduced to more advanced concepts in games design and you work on projects in more depth.
These projects help you learn team-based skills and get you used to production pipelines, both features of the commercial world. Critical to success in games design are two complementary attributes. The technical parameters are important, but the artistic and creative aspects are even more so—you should be able to come up with ideas, visualise and develop them, and take them through to production.
All modules are supported by continuous assessment, peer review, in-class feedback and critiques. You are taught by staff with many years of experience in industry and education. Your learning is supported by up-to-date equipment, with software that reflects current industry practice.
Case Studies
I'm now working as a Technical Director at Pixar Animation Studios in San Francisco. I've wanted to work at Pixar since I was 15 and actually getting to work alongside all the big-names here like John Lasseter, Ed Catmul, Pete Doctor, Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird is pretty surreal!
Peter Roe, Games Design
Project briefs are fun and interesting. You design and make characters, in addition to building video game levels and websites. The course is versatile in that you can cover any subject you want to. It really prepares you for the computer games industry.
Nicola Carr, FdA The Art of Games Design
Resources and facilities
You will work with and become adept in the most up-to-date versions of industry-standard software which include: 3ds Max, Maya, XSI and 2Brush.
Students have primary access to three computer labs to work on their projects and attend classes. These are all equipped with the relevant hardware to enable them to produce high quality work in a timely manner .
Students also have access to other dedicated resources including Waccom Tablets, Nikon D80s, HD Video cameras and all current major video game consoles.
News
Award winning graduate demonstrates his 'app'titude
Ian Wharton, a globally-successful University of Cumbria graduate, visited Brampton Road campus and proved to be an inspiration to current students on multimedia design courses.
Entry requirements
100 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum C in a related subject.
Four GCSEs at minimum grade C to include English Language.
Find out more about qualification options from the UCAS tariff table.
Please check selection criteria for any additional entry requirements.
Selection criteria
Potential students are asked for interview and to bring a portfolio of work. This can include examples of your course work, sketchbooks and projects you have worked on in your spare time. Occasionally applicants do not have any work to show and that's fine - it's why you are coming to study here. What we really want to see is work you are passionate about, what interests you and what challenges you.
The actual interview is quite informal. You'll be asked a few questions to help us get to know you and your portfolio will be reviewed. You'll also have the opportunity to ask us questions, view student work and tour our welcoming campus. Feel free to bring family and friends, they are welcome and can give you extra support if you are a little stressed by the process.
To see much more of what we do please visit our website:
http://digitalarts.cumbria.ac.uk
Maxwell Robertson
Senior Lecturer/ Programme Leader
Tel: 01228 400354
E-mail:
maxwell.robertson@cumbria.ac.uk
UCAS Link
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