The BA Video Game Art undergraduate degree course responds to the growing demand for skilled, team-orientated, reflexive graduate professionals ready to succeed.
Interactive entertainment and video games development are key sectors for contemporary culture, economic growth and employment locally in the Midlands, nationally and globally.
This accelerated two-year course offers a studio simulation in our on-campus lab, which will take place over the summer term of the course. The workplace simulation approach of our School of Games, Film and Animation has been championed by the influential 2009 Livingstone Next Gen Report, which cited us as a national best practice example for developing new talent for the games industry.
WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS COURSE?
The course covers both core and technical art skills. It starts with helping you develop your art production skills, so expect to be using a variety of software packages from Blender to Photoshop. Once we’ve covered the fundamentals we’ll move onto supporting you develop your technical and digital art skills. You will focus on 2D and 3D graphics covering, texturing, user interface design, environment art, character art, and art pipelines for interactive products.
Your first position in the video game industry
Building upon your core and technical art skills, in the first year you will be tasked with a specific role within our simulated game development studio over the summer term. This experience gives you the opportunity to apply the knowledge and professional practices you’ve learnt on the course in a safe and supportive environment. Typically for these projects you’ll be using industry-standard game development tools such as Unity and Unreal. These summer projects have in the past been mentored and supported by external partners such as Rare, Rockstar, Playground Games and Codemasters. The work you’ll produce during these summer modules can act as excellent portfolio pieces, demonstrating your ability as both a professional artist and effective team member.
Putting you in control of your final project
Throughout the two years of your course, you will be provided with a structured programme of learning, which will encourage you to choose your specialism that will steer your career in the Video Game Industry. The course culminates with a project you define yourself which targets your chosen specialism, such as character art, vehicle art, environment art or user interface (among others). You will be encouraged to collaborate or propose your own solo project to create another video game project for your portfolio.
Teaching takes place in a modern campus based in Birmingham City Centre where you’ll be provided with studio space to complete projects and access to the software you’ll need for the duration of the course.
You will be taught by staff with significant experience in the video game development industry, having worked with game developers including, Free Radical Design, Codemasters, Freestyle Games, Sega and EA Games.
Real experience
So, by the time you graduate, a whole year before most students, you’ll have two years of tangible, games development studio experience under your belt and have acquired the foundations to begin your career in the video game industry.
