Visual Magic – VFX Artist for Games and Film is a state-of-the-art polytechnic higher vocational training education* that provides excellence in digital visual special effects (VFX). This role is in high demand by the industry and our management team therefore includes representatives from, among others, Important Looking Pirates, Edisen and Goodbye Kansas, who control the content of the training. 

During 2.5 years, of which half a year is an internship, you will learn the absolute latest in Virtual Production, Motion Capture, spatial computing/XR and Real-time graphics. 

You will master the most common software (Houdini, Maya, Blender, Nuke, Z-brush, Motion Builder, Marvelous Designer, etc.) and you will have access to your own powerful desktop computer throughout the course of your studies. We actively collaborate with industry companies throughout the course, so that you as a student can learn by participating in real projects.

The campus is just a short walk from the city centre. Skellefteå as a city is characterised by a strong game & film culture and here are the majority of companies and training courses in the area. In other words, finding like-minded people is not a problem. Thanks to this, in project form you will get to collaborate with related professional roles such as producers, animators, filmmakers etc.) to gain a deeper understanding of workflows around VFX.

Special effects are used more and more outside the classic industries such as games and film – for example in advertising and architecture. This training may focus on the former, but you are the one who sets the limits of what you will work with as a VFX artist. What do you dream of creating?

*with the possibility to, via extra courses and crediting of professional experience, also take a Bachelor of Arts and Culture degree in collaboration with Novia University (Novia University of Applied Science) – or a Bachelor degree in collaboration with Luleå technical university.

We want to give everyone the opportunity to apply and therefore choose not to use grades in our application process. We also process all applications anonymously to ensure that age, gender, ethnic origin, etc. does not affect the selection. 

What is assessed instead are knowledge and skills – in combination with your motivation and your desire to attend this training. We look at the whole picture, that is, if you are good at drawing/painting by hand, it compensates for a lack of experience in 3D programs – and vice versa.

To give you the best possible conditions to get your dream job after graduation, the training will be quite hard and demanding, expect to put in at least 40 hours a week. However, committed teachers and fellow students will support and help you along the way. We do this together!

The information below applies to admission in 2024 (dates may, however, be slightly adjusted).

• February 01 – Application* for 2024 opens (be sure to register ASAP).
  Nordic students: https://apply.yh-antagning.se/to/skelleftea/ht2024/8
  International students: (stay tuned, info will be up soon)
• June 06 – Application* for 2024 closes.
• June 16 – Last day for submission of grades and work tests/submission tasks (completion open only for those who already applied).
• June 20 – Admission notice and possibility to book an apartment.
• August 19 – Introduction week.
• August 26 – Start of education.

*Your application must be supplemented with final grades from upper secondary school (gymnasieskola) which are uploaded on the web. If you haven’t received your final grade yet, you can send it in later (no later than June 20), via the application page.

NOTE: If you lack a complete upper secondary school certificate (Swedish ”gymnasieexamen” – or similar), there is instead an opportunity to be assessed according to something called “reell kompetens” (a validation of your present knowledge and experience). If so, please contact us on the matter.

The selection takes place in two stages:

• Applicants must submit their diploma/final grade from high school/upper secondary school (Swedish gymnasie or equivalent).
  NOTE: For those who do not have a complete upper secondary school certificate, there is instead a chance to be assessed according to real competence.
• If the above grade does not include ”English 6” (alt. if that grade is failed), it is required that the ability to understand English is shown through a written justification in English on the topic: “why you want to attend the education”, max. 1 piece of A4, attached to the application or emailed separately.

We want to give everyone the opportunity to apply and have therefore chosen not to base our admission on grades. We also make sure to process all applications anonymously to ensure that age, gender, ethnicity, etc. will not affect the selection. What is assessed is knowledge and skills – in combination with your commitment to attend this education. We try to look at the whole picture, that is, if you are good at drawing/painting by hand, it can compensate for the lack of experience in 3D programs – and vice versa.

Thus, everyone who applies for the education needs to send in assignments that show practical skills. This year there are three assignments worth up to 40 points each, for a maximum total of 120 points. Instructions for these are listed below, click on the plus signs…).

• Assignment 1. A hand-drawn pencil drawing, see specification below.
• Assignment 2. A colourful illustration or animated sequence created with a computer, see specification below.
• Assignment 3. Sample of previous work, see specification below.

Note: The application pressure is high (in previous years there were way over 100 applicants) so the assignments are very important. Make sure to send in all three – and follow the instructions (including naming conventions) to the letter.

Listed below are the 2024 admission assignments that will be judged completely anonymously by a group of professional experts. The work samples must be submitted no later than June 16 – but preferably significantly earlier so that we have time to react if something is wrong (corrupt files or similar).
Good luck!