Study at one of the world’s top Creative Media and Entertainment Schools and Colleges*
Flinders and CDW Studios’ Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design) is ranked as one of the best in the world, taught by industry professionals who have worked across major film and game projects including The Avengers, World of Warcraft, Disney and the Lego Movie, to name just a few.
With the film and games industries growing at an unprecedented rate, CDW and Flinders are ramping up to ensure you have the best opportunity to access the most sought-after degree in this field, the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design).
If you live in New South Wales or Victoria, and are wanting to pursue a dream career in Visual Effects, Animation, 2D and 3D art, this is your opportunity.
From 2023, we are opening hybrid-learning offerings in New South Wales and Victoria. This means, you can study this award-winning, top-ranked Visual Effects and Entertainment Design degree from your own state. You’ll have access to all of the same classes and world-renowned instructors that students in SA do, through innovative learning both online and in person. Simply apply through SATAC to begin your journey.
3D art and VFX is everywhere, from movies, TV and games to digital avatars in AR and immersive worlds in VR. Building skills in visual effects and entertainment design will help you stay ahead of the game and future-proof your career.
*The Rookies Awards 2022
Connect with industry leaders
You will benefit from our strong connections to industry leaders that will provide you with practical, real-world industry experience through placements.
You’ll have the opportunity to make valuable industry connections, build practical skills and be ready to step into your career in the creative industries.
Our placement partners include Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Film Festival, Australian Dance Theatre, OzAsia Festival, State Theatre Company SA, Art Gallery of South Australia and Adelaide Festival Centre.
Learn from the experts
Our incredible teaching and research staff within the digital media, games and visual effects sector are experts in their professions and well-connected to industry.
Flinders University’s Katie Cavanagh lectures in 'hands-on' digital media topics, where she happily frolics and explores the convergence and combination of text, design, image and meaning.
Katie has a wealth of practical experience to offer students, having worked as a graphic designer, web monkey, and project manager for TechWorks and TMP Worldwide. Her skills have enhanced Flinders’ world-class visual effects credentials, highlighted by back-to-back wins in the prestigious Rookies Awards.
“Winning the Rookies, School of the Year: Digital Illustration in 2017 was amazing; holding the title for the second year against such strong competition underscores the rigour of our world-class degree. Of particular note, Flinders students were ranked among the most industry-ready participants in the international competition.”
The Rookies global rankings (2017 and 2018) place Flinders University in collaboration with CDW Studios as the world's No. 1 Digital Illustration School. The relaunched Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design) provides students with industry focused skills and knowledge that Katie is confident will see them graduate job ready.
“We changed the name to Visual Effects and Entertainment Design to help clarify both for the students and for prospective employers what the students have studied. The future in the VFX space is looking bright. South Australia has always been a creative state but now there is more work for artists here.”
“Most of my artistic time is spent off the computer and as a sculptor/model maker at heart I love to stick bits of junk together to make something cool...or weird...or weirdly cool. I like to play in the fringes where the digital and traditional art worlds meet. As a Lecturer in Digital Media at Flinders University my day to day job involves teaching others to let their creative brain loose.”
Born in the year that we first walked on the moon, Flinders Lecturer in Digital Media, Shane Bevin spent most of his school lunch money on Time Pilot, Moon Patrol and Xevious...the dawn of the video game era. His first computer was a ZX81 with 1 KB of ram, a 3.5 MHz processor and any colour on screen you liked (as long as it was black or white). As an art tool, it was somewhat limited, but digital art slowly took over Shane’s life.
Co-founder of Adelaide animation studio Monkeystack, Shane has experience in animation project management, render wrangling, 3d production, Virtual Reality production and software management.
He has been awarded multiple times for his work as director, art director and technical director, and his many years of teaching and production experience brings an exciting, energetic industry focus to the delivery of curriculum.
Simon Scales
Simon is the Founder and Director of CDW Studios, and is also an Instructor across a range of subjects in the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design).
He has been working in the industry for over 15 years across a number of areas, from illustration, environment design, to matte painting. His clients have ranged from THQ, EA Games, LEGO, Mighty Kingdom, Animal Logic, Warner Bros, and TT Games, to name a few.
Since opening CDW Studios’ doors in 2011, Simon’s focus has been to create a world class education facility based in Australia. He has facilitated many masterclasses with some of the absolute best artists in the world coming out to Australia to share their wealth of knowledge with students in the Bachelor degree.
Get inspired
Straight out of uni into a Hollywood Blockbuster
It was the biggest screen production ever made in South Australia, but for Flinders’ graduate Anthony Robinson, Mortal Kombat represented something even bigger - an opportunity to step straight out of university and into a major Hollywood blockbuster.
Amy Nguyen's journey in Visual Effects & Entertainment Design
Hear from Visual Effects & Entertainment Design student Amy Nguyen.
Study Interactive Design
Hear from Dan Thorsland, Business Development Manager, about the many opportunities within the industry.
Study a short course in digital media
Wanting to set the foundation for your art career? Looking to upskill for work?
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South Australia 5042
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