Welcome to your CGI and Visual Effects course

Welcome to the CGI and Visual Effects award at Staffordshire University! 

I am truly delighted that you have decided to join our community – and very much look forward to the opportunity of working alongside you during your three-year programme of study. 

Visual Effects is a vibrant, exciting and fast evolving industry – and we foster a collaborative community where our students can thrive to be creative and professional, but most importantly of all – themselves. It is a course with character! 

It is important to remember that we have selected you because we believe you have real potential - and over the course of the next three years and beyond we aim to support and help you realise your creative potential and ambitions in your chosen area of expertise. 

Also remember; we’re all in this together so don’t be afraid to ask questions, no matter how basic they may appear, don’t assume that other students know more than you. We are here to help each other no matter what the problem is.

Your staff team

We want to make sure you know some of our team before you arrive. Hopefully this will help you recognise us and ensure you know who you can contact if you need any additional help and guidance.

Jarrad Gittos

Senior Lecturer

Jarrad is an Australian born Lecturer who loves working in 3D, Games, VFX and emergent technologies. His main area of interest currently is working with Game Engines and Electronics, Photogrammetry, Virtual Production and custom Game Controllers.

Jarrad's profile

Course delivery

Typically, your lectures will be three-hour sessions – designed to develop and enhance your CGI and Visual Effects experience and skills through a series of lectures, demonstrations and practical workshops. You will often be given take-away tasks that are designed to push what you learnt further in your independent study time.

Semester one activities

In the first few weeks of university, you will be engaging with a broad range of techniques, ideas and media. You might be doing photography, learning to model in 3d or getting stuck into research and discussion.

Industry guest speakers also help to enhance the course.

Before you start

A few good channels to look at:

Corridor Crew

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSpFnDQr88xCZ80N-X7t0nQ

Flipped Normals

https://www.youtube.com/c/FlippedNormals

And magazines such as;

VFXWorld Magazine | Animation World Network (awn.com)

Equipment and software

For your first day you won’t need anything apart from an open mind!

You will be fully inducted during Welcome Week – and given all the information you need to get you started on your Visual Effects adventure.

As a Visual Effects student you will have great studio resources available to you, and even though all the software and hardware is available to you on campus, you may choose to invest in certain pieces of kit at some stage in your student career.

However, we suggest that you hold-off making any decisions about further investments until you are settled into the course and know what is available to you and where your future pathway may lead.

Once enrolled, you will have access to to download a range of software free of charge from the University.

Download software

Trips and activities

Students will participate in a film shoot in Level 4 , as part of the Production Skills for Visual Effects Module, producing raw footage and plates to be used throughout the module.

Trips to Industry shows will also be available.

Clubs and societies

There are loads of Student clubs and societies for you to join whilst studying at Staffs, and you might also find the following interesting

www.staffsunion.com/getinvolved/clubsandsocieties/ to give you an idea of what else is on offer!

Academic skills

Whether you're joining us from school or college, or you're returning to education after some time away, everyone can benefit from the Academic Study Skills resources provided by the University library.

The Academic Skills team is here to support you throughout your academic journey and to help you gain the skills you need to reach your full potential. They can assist with academic reading and writing skills, give advice on how best to plan assignments, and help improve your time management.

The library's Academic Skills Guides offer the key information to make studying easier and give a comprehensive guide to the learning resources and services we offer.

Staffs CampusConnect

Staffs CampusConnect is our student-led community app for new students. Connect with other people from your course, hometown or country, and even those with similar interests.

To register, please ensure you use your Applicant ID (Student Number) that you received in your offer letter, and the email address you used in your application to us.

Register for CampusConnect

Welcome website

Our welcome website will provide you the link to your new student life. It's all about how you find your place at university, including everything from how to meet friends, feel confident in doing your academic work, being a member of your Student Union and getting involved in Union Societies, Academic Societies, Sports, Volunteering or representing your peers in your School.

Part of this Welcome Week - we have an exciting program of University and course level activities planned for you for your first week in September. We are also building an extended program for you to join a series of events throughout the first half of the autumn term. Further details will be shared with you via the Welcome website and Students' Union pages over the coming weeks.

Welcome website

Campus map

Use our campus map to familiarise yourself with our campus before you arrive.

Campus map (PDF)

Check your email

Please make sure you check your personal email account regularly over the next few weeks. We will be sending you lots of information about Welcome Week.

We look forward to welcoming you to the campus in September.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the team.

Kind regards,

CGI and VFX Course Team