Uxbridge College has become the first college in the country to incorporate industry-level training material from Escape Studios - developed by industry professionals from companies including Pixar, Sony, The Moving Picture Company and Cinesite. Escape is Europe's leading training institute for computer graphics (CG) and prepares people to work internationally in the computer and film industry.
Students on the BTEC National Diploma in Games Development and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Interactive Media will be taught modules incorporating Escape's Maya software, with the latter course also including VFX (visual effects) skills.
Students will be given access to Escape's virtual learning environment (VLE) - an online training resource - which includes access to Escape's training videos and tutors. The VLE provides an excellent opportunity for students to get hands-on experience of using the tools and strengthen the knowledge they get taught in the classroom.
Autodesk Maya is an award-winning software application for 3D modelling - a process used to create 3D models using computer graphics - animation, VFX and rendering. It is widely considered as the industry standard for computer graphics in entertainment, including computer games, film and television.
BTEC students will learn the complete fundamentals of Maya including an in-depth introduction to the concepts of 3D modelling, and will progress onto animation, texturing, lighting and rendering.
The VFX course taught on Uxbridge College's HND will provide students with the skills and knowledge to create advanced CG elements and combine them with live action to create photo-realistic final sequences. Students will be taught techniques appropriate to work in film, games development, and commercial or broadcast television visual effects.
Zulfiqar Choudhry, Course Team Leader in Games Development at Uxbridge College, said: "We're always looking to ensure our students are receiving the most innovative, high quality education and training. Partnering with Escape Studios allows us to tailor our courses to maximise the opportunities available to graduating students, and means that our courses are always up to date. We are working to close the gap between vocational training and the academic education system, and our partnership with Escape Studios is a fundamental step towards achieving this."
Mark Cass, Commercial Director at Escape Studios, said: "One of the key issues with vocational education is relevance and usability. Uxbridge College is completely committed to providing its students with the right skill set to enter their chosen industry, not just an education. That's what makes this partnership so attractive to both Escape Studios and Uxbridge College, that our two philosophies are so closely aligned when it comes to the goal of these courses. The end result is not graduation, or the completion of a module, it's when students take their skills and use them to secure future employment."
For more information on games development courses, please call 01895 853333.
For more information about Escape Studios, please visit www.escapestudios.com.