Games Art BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- UCAS Code(s): P323
- Start Date(s): September
- Duration: Three years, full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: Confetti Nottingham
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
The global games industry is a rapidly expanding technology driven industry with a growing demand for graduates with industry specific creative software skills combined with the ability to be innovative, adaptable, self-directed and demonstrate problem solving abilities within an artistic workflow. This BA (Hons) Games Art degree responds to those needs by giving you the opportunity to focus your study on establishing a career in a practical, industry relevant environment.
The course content is focused on specific software applications vital to games art, which is enhanced by student-focused investigation into industry specialisms. This enables you to develop an understanding of the core areas of games art production including; pre-production visualisation, production concept art, asset production and project management, alongside personal investigation of key artistic technologies such as 2D, 3D, VR and AR.
The modules of this course will allow you to form a solid understanding of the role of the artist in the current global games industry.
This course is taught at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham for September 2023 entry. If you are looking to join us in September 2024, the course will be taught at Nottingham School of Art & Design.
Key features
- Be trained on the latest industry-standard software and hardware such as Autodesk suite, Adobe Creative Cloud and games engines such as Unreal and Unity.
- The course includes elements of project management and industry workflow that will enhance your career aspirations.
- Study in IT suites with industry standard software, designed to provide a professional games studio environment.
- Benefit from regular guest lectures and workshops from industry professionals working in both AAA and independent markets.
- Have access to Confetti’s annual Industry Week, where previous guests have included Rockstar and Playstation.
- Take part in enrichment activities including expo trips and game-jams.
What you’ll study
You'll enhance your academic and professional skills through the use of student-lead research and investigation. Development of your independent learning is essential to forming the qualities and attributes required to complete your studies. You'll learn how to apply your own creative, analytical and critical abilities to the creation of games art and assets for a global audience and to develop communication and problem solving skills to realise your intentions.
You'll research and investigate the global impact and economic value of a commercial games product. As such, you'll be encouraged to consider the importance of current and future legal and economic frameworks, ethical considerations, sustainability and moral choices required in the creation and distribution of games.
Designing a game world (20 credit points)
This module will allow you to learn and develop the skills required to imagine and visualise imaginary worlds and the characters and assets within them, representing them with verisimilitude. You will develop concept art skills in order to explore ideas and produce client ready speculative art.
Building a game world (20 Credit Points)
This module will teach you how to explore 2D and 3D solutions to environment design and apply technical knowledge to these tasks. You will develop your concept art skills in order to explore ideas and produce client ready speculative art. You will also enhance your 3D repertoire to develop your concept and ideas as fully realised 3D Levels. This module will also include written elements in the form of media reviews (prose and moving image) as well as artist reviews.
Industry Collaboration: Pre-Production (20 Credit Points)
This module challenges students to pre-produce your first AWLE Project. Taking a brief from client to final presentation encourages you to engage with an ambitious creative pipeline, creating and developing final designs for characters and assets for an existing IP.
Industry Collaboration: Production (20 Credit Points)
This module challenges you to produce your first AWLE Project. Taking a brief from client to final presentation encourages you to engage with an ambitious creative pipeline. Building on the work completed in the Pre-Production module, you will now use industry-standard software to finalise your designs to present to clients.
Games artist toolkit (20 Credit Points)
This module comprises two elements – Life Drawing and 3D Software. Together, they enhance and expand upon core skillsets fundamental to the origination and execution of engaging computer-generated imagery. Drawing introduces approaches to studies in drawing central to the enterprise of visual expression with an emphasis on life drawing.
Critical & contextual studies (20 Credit Points)
This module introduces you to theoretical frameworks through which to consider, contextualise and challenge your creative practice. Understanding the historical, cultural and theoretical context in which computer-generated imagery situates is crucial to broadening perspectives and enriching your abilities to discuss, develop and disseminate your ideas with confidence.
Building Alliances (40 Credit Points)
Experience of collaboration is a key expectation of students of Games Design. This unit challenges you to engage in teamwork in the pre-production, production and promotion of an Game Concept. You are required to identify your strengths as they align with specific studio roles; for example, concept artist, production designer, character designer, pre-visualiser, modeller, texture artist, sculptor etc.
Real Worlds (40 Credit Points)
This module challenges you to pre-produce and produce your second AWLE Project. Taking a brief from client to final presentation encourages you to engage with an ambitious creative pipeline.
Games Artist Toolkit (20 Credit Points)
This module comprises two elements – Character Design and 3D Software. Together, they enhance and expand upon core skillsets fundamental to the origination and execution of engaging computer-generated imagery.
Industry Practice (20 credit points)
During this module you will undertake an overarching, self-directed game development project, working both individually and collaboratively on creative work - allowing you to directly apply the research, knowledge and skills learnt throughout the programme in the context of the workplace.
This module aims to develop overall professionalism and provide the knowledge and resources to begin a career in the creative industries. This module aims to develop these skills and knowledge by challenging you to develop a range of self-directed projects along with analysis of the processes involved along the way.
Capstone Project (40 Credit Points)
This module requires you to demonstrate innovative, sophisticated and professional approaches to the production of ambitious games art imagery, supported by expert creative methodologies. Independent learning, reflective practice and pipelines commensurate with professional practice are now essential. This pathway will allow for development in either a 2D or 3D workflows or a combination of the two.
Emerging Technologies in the Games Industry (20 Credit Points)
This module will explore new and emerging technologies in the field of Games Art. This module aims to look at sustained and rigorous research in the field of games asset creation and how the work carried out is shaping the industry.
Professional Development Project (20 Credit Points)
This module will allow you to explore your own creative direction and development as you move towards a career in the creative arts. Through an appraisal system you will identify your strengths, working to implement skills that will develop these whilst mitigating any weaknesses. As part of this process, you will also develop a professional portfolio.
Creative Investigation (40 Credit Points)
The module provides an opportunity to develop a research-based portfolio of work, through self-initiated creative investigation. The emphasis of this module is to create a dissertation based on your interests and personal study which is negotiated through consultations with tutors.
Student Work
How you’re taught
At Confetti our classrooms are unique. As part of their course, our students get the chance to go out into industry and Do It For Real at locations across the UK!
The global games industry is continuously evolving to meet consumer needs. New technological advancements in hardware mean that students should be versatile, digitally literate and adaptable in their approach to hardware and software. As such, this course is primarily ran within a specialist Games Art IT lab. Practice based lectures and workshops give you the opportunity to develop specific software and technology skills and evaluate them in regards to your career goals.
The teaching and learning methods used on the course reflect the need for you to develop a wide range of professional skills alongside your academic knowledge. The range of modules gives you the chance to advance your creative skills using the latest industry standard packages.
Alongside the practical hardware and software skills you develop, you will be taught professional project management techniques and how that will influence your time management within your production
There is a key emphasis on self-directed study, with you being encouraged to investigate creative technology, its place within the games industry and how that in turn impacts your career progression.
Assessment
There are two different types of assessment on the course - ‘formative’ and ‘summative’. During all modules, you'll submit work at varying stages for your formative assessment. This will allow your tutors to make an accurate assessment of your artistic and academic development and provide you with feedback in order for you to plan for your final summative assessment deadlines and overall future development.
Your summative assessment deadline will take place at the conclusion of that module. Assessments will focus on your level of achievement against each of the module learning outcomes. Feedback for these assessment will primarily be in written form, but may also be verbally via digital recording and occurs at the end each module. Summative feedback provides you with an overarching review of your achievements set against the learning outcomes for a module.
You'll also receive significant amounts of informal feedback throughout the course. The feedback is to help you evaluate your progress as you work within sessions or independently. This type of feedback is typically verbal, through discussions with tutors or peer feedback but may also be as part of tutorials, seminars, lectures or workshops, and in response to project presentations.
To progress through the course you must achieve 120 credit points each year. Your final degree mark will be based 100% on your final year work.
Industry Week
As a game art degree student, you will take part in Confetti’s Industry Week – a unique event that brings over 100 top names from the music, games, TV and film industries to Confetti for workshops, masterclasses, lectures and seminars. From artists to games developers, Industry Week is your chance to be inspired, make contacts and learn from the pros.
Our students have had the opportunity to meet and receive advice from established names, such as Ian Livingstone, and professionals from Rockstar, Square Enix, Splash Damage and Playstation to name just a few.
Check out our talks OnDemand here
Degree Showcase
Every year we welcome family, friends and industry professionals to watch, listen, test and play the fantastic work of our degree students.
Careers and employability
Your time at Confetti doesn’t have to stop once you finish your undergraduate course. Choose to continue your studies on our postgraduate degrees that can help you further develop your skills and obtain the experience you need to get a head start in your career.
Students who complete the programme can progress to relevant employment, self-employment or to further study. Graduates of this course can apply their expertise in vocational areas such as:
- Concept artist
- 2D/3D artist
- Environment artist
- Weapon designer
- UI designer
- Technical artist
Connecting with industry
Industry professionals visit the course to guest lecture and share their experiences. You will also attend workshops from industry professionals working in art roles for both AAA and independent markets, giving you the opportunity to make contacts and build your portfolio and CV.
Work placement and internship opportunities
One of the features of this course is the strong opportunity for work-based learning that is embedded into the curriculum.
You will be provided with the opportunity to work in partnership with local, national and sometimes international games developers and related creative media industries. Current and on-going industry links via Confetti and module leaders will provide ample opportunities for a regular guest speaker programme from a variety of organisation within the games industry.
Campus and facilities
On this course you'll study in Confetti HQ and have access to:
- Industry Spec Workstation PC’s
- Specialist software including Unreal Engine 4, Autodesk Suite (3DS Max, Maya, Mudbox), Adobe Creative Suite, Zbrush, Quixel 2.0
- Wacom Cintiq 13HD Touch Tablets
- Wacom Cintiq Pro 16: Creative Pen Display
- Games Consoles
Entry requirements
Looking for a place in Clearing? We are accepting applications and would love to hear from you.
To discuss our entry requirements and see what we can offer you, call us now on +44 (0)115 848 6000 or apply online.
- We accept UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
- GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
Looking for a place in Clearing? We are accepting applications and would love to hear from you.
To discuss our entry requirements and see what we can offer you, call us now on +44 (0)115 848 6000 or apply online.
- We accept UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
- GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors. Find out more about advisors in your country.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Living costs
Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
How to apply
Application for this course is through the UCAS application form.
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Selection for this course takes place through UCAS application form.
Application deadline
This course starts in September and applications should be submitted by the UCAS deadline, 15 January.
Applications received after this date will only be considered if places are still available, after all applications received by the deadline have been assessed.
Mature students
We welcome applications from mature students (over the age of 21) for this course. We will assess applicants of this nature on an individual basis.
If you are a mature student, you will still need to apply to us by UCAS form, but you don't necessarily need to meet our minimum entry requirements.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades,
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It's your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You've got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you're applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up to date
After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page.
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
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