What are visual effects? According to one definition, it is “Alterations to the images of a film during post-production”. Visual effects are basically a subcategory of special effects where images are manipulated to get an enhanced effect for movies or videos. It includes the fusion of live action recording and CGI to produce an environment that seems real. This effect can be very dangerous or expensive, or simply too difficult to capture in real time. The demand for enhanced effects has skyrocketed, especially with big-budget movies. Since there is a lot of money at stake, filmmakers are looking for professionals with experience in this field who can create amazing visual effects that are unusual but interesting and will keep audiences glued to the screen.
This theory, in turn, justifies a great demand for schools that can train and offer courses to people. Visual effects schools offer a variety of training programs in media such as animation, audio recording, broadcasting, digital film and video production, etc. One of the best schools in the world in this area is Austin Visual Effects Schools. Austin is the capital of the state of Texas and also the fourth largest city. It is home to some of the best fashion design and photography schools, as well as art colleges, offering comprehensive courses with the help of modern software. The courses are more than just hands-on software training.
Some of the photography faculties are:
o The Art Institute: Offers a program in commercial photography, digital photography, photography, photography and design, and Visual Arts. It offers bachelor’s and diploma degrees in this field.
o Westwood College: Offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication.
o The University of Texas at Austin: Radio Television Film (RTF) Department offers fantastic summer media camps for youth in grades 7-12. These camps are run held on the University campus and campers may use equipment provided by the RTF. Students have the opportunity to see various aspects involved in film making. Generally a camp lasts 5 days and the cost per session is $475.
Visual effects can be divided into 4 broad categories:
1. Models, in which miniature games are used.
2. Digital and/or traditional paintings: These are necessary to attend to the background elements.
3. Live action: Here the main characters act. Performances are coded via blue screen or green screen.
4. Digital Animation – This involves computer graphics, texturing, animation, 3D character generation, etc.
These schools also offer graphic design courses that include the study of design, animated typography, logo creation, Photoshop and website image manipulation, etc., along with hands-on training of the software that is used in the industry.
Once you graduate from these schools, you can get employment in the entry-level positions of advertising designers, computer artists, video editing, motion graphics, and visual effects supervisor, etc.
