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Visual Effects (VFX) at the College of Art and Design

Gallery: Launch your career in VFX. : As a Lesley Art and Design student, you'll have access to top-of-the-line VFX technology and facilities, unmatched by any other art and design school in New England.
students in the orange animation hallway
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student trying out the motion capture suit in the green room with two faculty
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Prepare tp use state-of-the-art studio facilities with new technologies.
student trying out vfx motion capture suit
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Student tries out the motion capture suit using real-time data capturing technology.
students show off their work in the fabrication studio
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Students create wearable work in the fabrication lab
blue laser cut shapes
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Student work created using the laser cutter
shapes being cut in the laser cutter
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Student work using the laser cutter
teacher giving a lecture in a computer lab
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Animation faculty Curvin Huber teaches a VFX class in the new computer lab
instructor giving a lecture pointing at screen using 3d animation software
students in the orange animation hallway
student trying out the motion capture suit in the green room with two faculty
student trying out vfx motion capture suit
students show off their work in the fabrication studio
blue laser cut shapes
shapes being cut in the laser cutter
teacher giving a lecture in a computer lab

Gallery: Launch your career in VFX.

As a Lesley Art and Design student, you'll have access to top-of-the-line VFX technology and facilities, unmatched by any other art and design school in New England.

Launch Gallery

Facilities at the Forefront of the Field

We've expanded our animation program to include state-of-the-art visual effects (VFX) training—the highest paying industry in the field. As a student in our animation, digital filmmaking, graphic design, and illustration programs, you'll gain access to facilities unlike any other art and design school in New England. Outfitted with VFX and motion capture technology, our new facilities will prepare you with the hands-on experience needed to break into a range of fields where VFX skills are in high demand.

In addition to a 130-seat screening room, our new digital spaces include:

  • Senior Animation Studio with Digital Stop-Motion & Motion Capture Technologies
  • Dedicated Animation Render Farm
  • Multi-Core CPU and High-End GPU equipped Computer Classrooms
  • Visual Effects Studio/Classroom
  • 3D Fabrication Studio
  • Drawing Studio
  • Interdisciplinary Studio for Construction and Fabrication
  • Downshooter Canon 70D Cameras
  • Dragonframe Stop-Motion Interface
Training
Top Skills for VFX Artists
VFX artists combine traditional animation and fine art techniques with cutting-edge technologies, including motion capture, digital fabrication, and computer rendering.
  • Photography
  • Illustration
  • Sound
  • Chroma Keying (using green screens)
  • Stop Motion Animation
  • 2D & 3D Motion Capture Animation
  • 2D & 3D Animation
  • Compositing
  • Modeling/Sculpting
  • Rigging
  • Character Animation
  • Environment/Physical Effects (explosions, fog, smoke, set extensions, destruction)
  • Rotoscoping (tracing over motion picture footage)
  • Tracking
  • Camera Matching
Careers
Where VFX Artists Are In-Demand
VFX career pathways span a range of industries, including:
  • Film
  • Broadcast
  • Animation
  • Gaming
  • Advertising
  • Entertainment
  • Healthcare
  • Journalism
  • Retail
  • Education

Meeting the Growing Demand for VFX Skills

VFX refers to digital effects that enhance animation and film shots or stills. VFX artists often combine live action techniques with computer-generated graphics (CGI) to create characters, environments, or elements that would be difficult or impossible to capture in real life. VFX differs from special effects (SFX) in that SFX are non-digital effects designed in the real world.

VFX has a long history in the film and animation industries. And more recently, VFX has begun to play a big role in video game industry. As the game industry continues to grow, production budgets are expanding, too. Current figures and projections place game industry revenues at $91 billion for 2016, and breaking the $100 billion mark for 2017. These figures, combined with annual film revenues topping $38 billion and broadcast revenues hovering around $55 billion, point to an increasing demand for VFX.

$95,358
Average salary for VFX professionals
$91 Billion
Game industry revenue for 2016 topped $90 billion, making this an exciting time to enter the VFX industry.
Top 10
Boston is ranked #9 among the top 25 most creative cities in the U.S. based on data analyzed from the United States Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
lunder arts center

Lunder Arts Center

Learn more about the Lunder Arts Center.
Art & Design
Put VFX skills into action in our BFA programs
Animation
Film
Graphic Design
Illustration
News

Lesley will open Digital Animation Center

Cambridge Day
An almost $7 million gift allows Lesley to establish a Digital Animation Center in University Hall.
Read more about Lesley will open Digital Animation Center

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