VFX & Animation
You have DEFINITELY seen VFX and animation in action. However, you may not always be aware that’s what you’re seeing.
VFX and animation are the industries that make the impossible not only possible but often look like reality in the film, TV, gaming and advertising worlds. From CGI, to computerised images to visual effects, to cartoons, to stop motion… these are all different forms of VFX or animation. And sometimes they’re so well-crafted and realistic, that you aren’t even aware that you’re watching something that isn’t real.
The UK is particularly good at these industries too. We have the third largest VFX & animation industries in the world and it’s growing at a phenomenally fast rate. Why? Because the faster and more powerful computers get, the cheaper it becomes to use these techniques to make moving images. And the UK is getting a huge amount of business because we have such a good reputation already.
So, if you’re creatively-minded but into technology too, this is a great sector to explore future-proof, well-paying career options in…
-
VFX (short for ‘visual effects’) is the process of combining computer generated-imagery (CGI) with live-action footage to create scenes that can’t be filmed in real life.
Have you seen a youtube video of people in weird green suits with bobbles on them jumping around in front of a green screen? That’s VFX!
Popular feature films that use VFX include titles like Avengers: End Game, Jurassic Park, Interstellar and Star Wars.
-
Animation is the process of displaying still images in a rapid process so there is the illusion of movement.
This includes computer-generated, stop-motion and hand-drawn work. Popular animated films feature titles like Encanto, Despicable Me, Moana and Frozen.
-
📈 It’s growing quickly: The growth in spending of the whole UK VFX sector was 24% over the years 2016 to 2019.
🇬🇧 The UK is a big competitor: The most important VFX hubs in the world are in London, Vancouver, Montreal & Los Angeles.
🏘 It employs a lot of people: The VFX industry supports 27,430 jobs.
💰 From 2008 to 2016 the animation sector spent a recorded 400% more on production.
📈 Figures released from the BFI show that 2017 was the largest year on record for international spending in the U.K., with film leaping by 23% from 2016 to $2.4 billion.
⚡️ To cope with the amount of work, Framestore opened bigger offices in 2018 in London, adding another 100 artists to bring its total U.K. staff above 1,000.
⬆️ Demand for VFX heightened thanks to Brexit. A 25% drop in the pound against the U.S. dollar since the June 2016 EU Referendum has made production much cheaper for U.S. majors.
-
💀The VFX and Animation industry are making breathing life back into the dead, a respected and growing process. There have been multiple films that have already used a digital recreation of dead stars and celebrities, such as when Paul Walker died during the filming of Furious 7.
☠️ Deceased musicians will lead this trend because it’s simpler and cheaper to fake an audio than, for example, a commercial film.
👽 Looking to the next 30 years, Peter Nagle States that 'VFX improvement is on a “fairly clear trajectory” and will get sharper and clearer.
-
Like the sound of VFX & Animation?
Learn more on the ERIC app through our industry guides. When you’re ready to explore further, you can start browsing the VFX & Animation section for opportunities, internships, events, courses and more!