VFX Masterclass in Unreal Engine

Take your VFX skills to the next level with the Art Director at Intrepid Studios, James Sanders

DATE:

5 FEBRUARY 2025

DURATION:

2 HOURS LONG

8 AM - 10 AM PST (Pacific Time - Los Angeles)

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LIVE ONLINE MASTERCLASS WITH AN INDUSTRY EXPERT

DATE:

5 FEBRUARY 2025

DURATION:

2 HOURS LONG

8 AM - 10 AM PST (Pacific Time - Los Angeles)

Learn from the Art Director at Intrepid Studios, James Sanders. Get a hands-on demonstration of Niagara in Unreal Engine. Level up your real-time VFX skills. 

Whether you’re newer to VFX or looking to sharpen your expertise, this masterclass provides invaluable tools, techniques, and guidance for anyone passionate about creating extraordinary visual effects in Unreal Engine. 

DURING THE MASTERCLASS YOU WILL GET A

Hands-On Demonstration of Niagara in Unreal Engine

Dive into the powerful particle tool Niagara with James Sanders, as he provides an expert-led demonstration tailored to help you achieve AAA-quality visual effects.

  • Best Practices for Success: Learn essential workflows and high-level requirements for creating game-ready effects with precision and clarity.
  • From Scratch to Stunning: While crafting particle effects is a detailed process, this masterclass gives you a focused overview of the critical steps needed to start designing impactful effects for game projects.
  • Built for Accessibility: James will work with assets included in the free version of Unreal Engine, ensuring that every student can follow along and reference the tools and resources he uses.

This session is designed to give you practical insights and a strong foundation in Niagara, helping you elevate your skills and create professional-quality effects with confidence.

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WHAT YOU WILL

Gain from the masterclass

Confidence to create


Gain hands-on experience with industry-proven workflows and techniques that give you the tools to design and execute VFX with clarity, precision, and impact.

Techniques that set you apart


Discover how to use Unreal Engine to craft effects that elevate your projects, making your visuals as dynamic and cinematic as the world’s most iconic games and films.

A step toward mastery


Whether you’re enhancing your skills or diving into VFX for the first time, this class offers actionable insights to create work that stands out in your portfolio, your projects, and your career.

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WHO THIS MASTERCLASS IS GOOD FOR
  • Aspiring VFX Artists looking to break into the gaming or film industry by mastering Unreal Engine and developing professional-level skills.
  • Experienced Creators eager to refine their techniques, explore advanced workflows, and gain insider insights from an industry leader.
  • Game Developers and Cinematic Artists interested in creating breathtaking visual effects that elevate storytelling and captivate audiences.
  • 3D Artists Transitioning to VFX seeking to specialize in crafting high-quality effects for interactive or cinematic productions.

PREREQUESITES

This masterclass is designed for students with:

  • General PC literacy and familiarity with basic game terminology.
  • Ideally, exposure to Unreal Engine, Photoshop, and a 3D authoring tool such as 3DS Max, Blender, Maya, or Houdini.

Whether you’re newer to VFX or looking to sharpen your expertise, this masterclass provides invaluable tools, techniques, and guidance for anyone passionate about creating extraordinary visual effects in Unreal Engine.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT JAMES...

Nicholas-WilsonLinkedInLogoNicholas Wilson

Jim Sanders is easily one of the best FX artists in the games industry. He possesses the all-too-rare skill to make killer real-time visual effects that will actually ship.

While at Gearbox, Jim was responsible for training a vast majority of the Art, FX, and Tech Art teams on how to use the Unreal Engine both for creating killer content as well as optimizing for consoles.

All the while, he was making tons of iconic FX for all of Gearbox's major releases, including the critically acclaimed Borderlands series, of which he was Lead FX Artist for each.

He is both a solid artist and passionate game developer, and his combination of skill set and experience is hard to find in an FX candidate.

Jim has seen everything and he has done everything, you will be hard pressed to find someone as comfortable making content in the Unreal toolset or leading a large team of artists. 

MarkForsythLinkedInLogoMark Forsyth

Jim is a world-class real-time visual effects artist as well as an excellent lead and mentor.

During the many years I worked under Jim I not only learned a lot from him about the creation of visual effects but he also pushed me to become a better VFX artist.

Additionally, Jim has an incredible amount of passion for the craft of visual effects as well as game development as a whole.

Steven-Strobel

LinkedInLogoSteven Strobel

Jim is one of the best mentors that I ever had the opportunity of having.

He's the kind of lead that has seen a lot of craziness in game development and has found the way to turn those stories into parables with a lesson to learn from so many of them.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone with his experience and the equal ability to imbue that experience onto others.

He helped me not only find a position at Gearbox Interactive, but worked with me to create a position that left me more fulfilled and used my skills better than what I had originally been hired to do.

He is both a solid artist and passionate game developer, and his combination of skill set and experience is hard to find in an FX candidate.

Jim has seen everything and he has done everything, you will be hard pressed to find someone as comfortable making content in the Unreal toolset or leading a large team of artists.

Ryan-Smithl

LinkedInLogoRyan Smith

I was under Jim as a Technical Artist at Gearbox for around three and a half years. I regard him as the best lead I've ever had.

He is an amazing mentor and FX artist. He fostered an extremely creative environment and inspired me to constantly strive for self improvement.

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About Your Instructor

Vertex School Industry Expert Crystal Bretz

James Sanders

ART DIRECTOR AT INTREPID STUDIOS

James Sanders is an industry veteran and the Art Director at Intrepid Studios, where he helps shape the vision of groundbreaking projects.

His impressive career has spanned top studios like Sony Interactive, Bend Studio, and Gearbox Software. During this time, he has honed his craft across AAA games and iconic franchises.

His mastery of visual storytelling and world-building has made him a sought-after expert in the field. In this VFX Masterclass, James will use his wealth of experience and creative insight to help aspiring artists elevate their skills to a professional level.

Ready to create stunning visual effects?

Sign up today and get ready to take your VFX skills to the next level!

One time payment 

$129 $59

Limited time offer

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More details

2 HOURS OF CONTENT

Get two hours of learning from VFX pro James Sanders. During the masterclass, you will be able to interact with James and ask him questions. 

100% VIRTUAL

Join from anywhere! The masterclass will be hosted on Zoom allowing participants to easily join from anywhere in the world.

KEEP THE RECORDINGS

Can't make it to the lives? No problem! The masterclass will be recorded and available to those who enrolled.

 What are you waiting for?

START CREATING VISUAL EFFECTS THAT AMAZE!
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