Digital Post Production - Micro-credential

This course is currently offered in collaboration with Creative Futures Academy (CFA). CFA is a ground-breaking partnership between: The National College of Art and Design, University College Dublin, and the Institute of Art, Design + Technology. Our tailored programmes and micro courses offer access to expertise and networks across the three leading creative institutions and our industry partners. Learn with us as we experiment, innovate and respond to change.



Digital compositing for post-production is a process that integrates various distinct visual elements to produce a cohesive and visually compelling narrative. It is also a specialised skill set within post-production, involving the addition of special effects, alteration of locations, and the creation of effective immersive and imaginative visual environments to contribute to effective visual storytelling.



The course will enable you to:



Understand digital compositing and VFX pipelines related to your own personal and professional context.



Gain a thorough knowledge of the skills, knowledge and competencies required to work to a professional standard at specified stages along Digital Post-Production compositing/virtual effects (VFX) pipelines in the film and media industries.



What is this course about?

This course is about learning how to use Unity, a powerful real-time engine, to create visual content that can be used both in video games and in film production. It explores the similarities and differences in content creation for these two industries and provides hands-on experience in adapting game development tools for film and animation projects. The primary focus is on the technical skills and creative techniques needed to efficiently transition game assets and scenes into visual narratives.

What will I study?

Introduction to Unity for Film and Games

Unity’s Interface and Core Tools: Deep dive into Unity’s editor, focusing on navigation, basic and advanced toolsets, and customization options for efficiency.



Workflow Analysis: Comparison of game and film production pipelines in Unity, examining stage-by-stage adaptations necessary to shift from game design to film production, including storyboard integration and scene setup.



Engine Capabilities Exploration: Detailed exploration of Unity’s graphic rendering capabilities, including real-time global illumination, shader options, and physics simulations to enhance realism in film projects.



Real-Time Cinematography

Advanced Camera Techniques: Use of Unity’s Cinemachine for dynamic camera control and advanced techniques to simulate traditional film equipment (e.g., cranes, dollies).



Professional Lighting Setups: Mastery of Unity’s lighting system with a focus on achieving cinematic quality through light types, shadow casting, and reflection techniques to enhance visual storytelling.



Post-Processing for Film: In-depth use of Unity’s post-processing stack to create film-grade visual effects, discussing color correction, film grain, vignettes, and more to enhance the final output.



Asset Integration and Management

High-Performance Asset Optimization: Techniques for optimizing high-polygon models and complex textures for seamless performance in Unity.



Efficient Asset Workflow: Developing a streamlined asset management system including tagging, layering, and using Unity’s Asset Bundles to handle large-scale film projects.



Scene Building and Management: Best practices in organizing scenes, hierarchies, and prefabs to manage complex setups typical in film productions.



Real-Time Rendering Techniques

Rendering Pipelines: Detailed exploration of Unity’s rendering pipelines (Standard, Universal Render Pipeline, and High Definition Render Pipeline) and their use cases in film production.



Visual Effects and Simulation: Creating sophisticated visual effects and environmental simulations using Unity’s VFX Graph and Shader Graph for realistic visual scenes.



Narrative and Interactive Storytelling

Scripting for Storytelling: Techniques for using Unity’s scripting to enhance narrative elements, including dialogue systems, narrative flow control, and dynamic scene changes.



Interactive Scene Elements: Creating scenes that respond to viewer input or change over time, adding an interactive layer to film-like experiences without full game mechanics.

Min Entry Requirements

This course is suitable for students who have an undergraduate qualification of 2nd Class Honours or higher at Honours Degree level. Experience of the media industries is an additional advantage.



Applicants without a Level 8 qualification may be considered provided they can demonstrate Honours Degree equivalence which can be verified through the RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) process.



Portfolio

No

Classes take place online on:

Monday, 20th January 2025 (7pm – 9.30pm)

Monday, 27th January (7pm – 9.30pm)

Tuesday, 4th February (7pm – 9.30pm)

Monday, 10th February (7pm – 9.30pm)

Monday, 17th February (7pm – 9pm)

Monday, 24th February (7pm – 9pm)

Monday, 3rd March (7pm – 9pm)



Classes take place on campus from 10am to 1pm on:

Saturday, 15th February

Saturday, 1st March

20th January 2025 - 3rd March 2025