Dive into Unreal and get oriented in editor. Learn how to set up your work environment, best practices, naming conventions, and how to author a basic particle system using only in editor content.

Learn how to use Niagara to do what you want it to do. We will cover key concepts every VFX artist must know such as locked sprites, fading by view angle, burst, loops, render types, subUV, naming conventions, best practices, folder structure, texture formats and more.

We will create a basic explosion that helps us learn key VFX concepts, tricks, and tips such as timing, color theory, and self art direction.

This week we will focus on creating better source textures and mesh using Embergen, Photoshop, and 3DS Max.

A dive into the Unreal material editor. We will cover refraction, UV manipulation, material functions, and push the material editor in ways that we can leverage in Niagara using parameters.

Building off of week 5, we will drive material parameters in Niagara, then trigger these as animation notifies and play it all back with a basic sequencer setup.

We will cover 2 ways to approach destruction in games. Pre-baked RBD destruction using 3DS max and Chaos in Unreal Engine and how both approaches can be leveraged.

This is the foundation you need to craft an amazing demo reel. This week will take everything we have authored so far and put it all together in a way that can be endlessly tweaked, tuned and made into an original work of art.

Each student will decide to either build on what was already created or start anew and work on their first portfolio piece.

Feedback and paintovers will be offered for each student. Industry tips, secrets, and hints will be offered throughout to help improve the work.

Feedback and paintovers will be offered for each student. Industry tips, secrets, and hints will be offered throughout to help improve the work.

Final feedback and paintovers. Preparing for job interviews.