Final Pixel Academy and the University of Greenwich have partnered to offer a Virtual Production (VP) Skills Course to third-year film and TV students to help address a skills gap in the sector.

The course will deliver hands-on training in the latest technologies and virtual production skills that are sought after in the media and production industry. The collaboration aims to train and upskill the next generation of virtual production artists, technicians, producers and directors.

Greenwhich Uni set

The set at Greenwhich University

“The demand for virtual production services is growing day by day. We rely on graduates from film schools, universities and apprentice programmes to fill a variety of roles from producers to VFX artists to specialists in our virtual art department,” said Michael McKenna, CEO and Co-Founder of Final Pixel. “Working with education institutions like the University of Greenwich ensures we can share our knowledge of real-world shoots and shape the curriculum to teach skills that the production industry is demanding.”

The technology-focused course, called New and Emerging Technology, will cover skills in creative development, production design and on-stage production. Students will also gain experience in end-to-end virtual production workflows, VFX skills, studio management and camera tracking.

Greenwich Uni Final Pixel Academy

Final Pixel Academy offering expertise to Greenwich University students

Dr Jodi Nelson-Tabor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich who developed the course with Final Pixel, said: “As visual effects start to embrace the film industry via virtual production amid a landscape shaped by high demands for content, the industry’s talent pool is also expanding and overlapping with other industries. This course helps ensure our graduates are more employable in today’s media industry.”

The course aims to prepare participants for virtual production employment opportunities, a market that is estimated to be worth $2.4 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $5.4 billion by 2026.