How to Become a Special Effects Designer?

One of the major pursued job profiles nowadays is special effects designer. Gone are those days when effects designing was considered a rarely pursued profession. Special effects design is considered one of the best professions by students across the globe majorly because special effects designers make an average of $34.3 (INR 2795.98) per hour and approximately more than $71523 (INR 58.3 Lakhs) per year. Further, this profession is likely to grow by 4% with more than 3000 job opportunities. If you want to know more about Special Effects Designers, how to become a special effects designer, and much more, then keep reading!

Name of the Degree	Special Effects Designing
Level	Undergraduate  Postgraduate
Duration	2-4 years as per level
Average Salary	$71523 (INR 58.3 Lakhs)
Eligibility	UG – High school certificate with at least 65% marks from a recognised institution PG – UG degree from a recognised institution

What Does a Special Effects Designer Do?

There is an array of skill sets that special effects designers require to accomplish their roles and responsibilities. Some of the most critical skills needed by special effects designers are artistic talent, time management, and creativity skills. 

How to Become a Special Effects Designer?

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a special effects designer, then you must follow the following steps. 

Step 1 

The initial stage of becoming a special effects designer starts by deciding to pursue a career ahead as a special effects designer. 

Step 2 

After decision-making, the next step is to complete the required education to become a special effects designer. This may include the necessary education of 10+2 class followed by a bachelor’s degree and masters in the relevant field. You can also pursue a diploma in special effects design or related expertise. 

Step 3 

Even though a large population of special effects designers have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree, it is possible to pursue a career as a special effects designer with only a GED or a high school degree. 

Top Universities for Special Effects Designing 

Numerous universities across the globe offer degrees in special effects design with excellence in education and teaching. Some of the best universities that offer special effects design degrees are as follows;  

Name of the University	Average Tuition Fees	INR Conversions
University of Pennsylvania	$55,584	45.3 Lakhs
Northeastern University	$51,522	41.99 Lakhs
Harvard University	$50,420	41.1 Lakhs
New York University	$51,828	42.24 Lakhs
Carnegie Mellon University	$55,465	45.21 Lakhs
University of Southern California	$56,225	45.83 Lakhs
University of Texas at Austin	$10,610	8.64 Lakhs
Stanford University	$51,354	41.86 Lakhs
Northwestern University	$54,568	44.48 Lakhs
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	$15,262	12.44 Lakhs

Also Read: How to Become a Special Effects Make-up Artist

Syllabus

One of the major aspects that must be considered is the curriculum of a particular course as it provides with a deep understanding of the course.

Year 1 

Animation History	Keying
Concepts of Set Extension, CG Integration	Rotoscopy
Portfolio Developments	3D Designing

Year 2

Video Editing & Compositing	3D Compositing
Digital Methodologies: Sound & Audio	Colour Correction
Render Layer	Frame Size & Composition
Day-to-Night Conversion	Cloth FX, pyrotechnics

Eligibility Criteria

There are a few eligibility requirements that you are required to fulfil in order to pursue a degree in special effects design. Some of the basic eligibility requirements are 

• If you want to pursue an undergraduate degree in special effects designing then you are required to have passed a high school with a minimum of 65% marks from an officially recognised institution.
• However, if you want to pursue a postgraduate degree in special effects designing then you are required to have completed an undergraduate degree in special effects designing or any other relevant discipline from an officially recognised institution. 

Also Read: How to Become a VFX Artist?

English Language Requirements 

When your first language is not English then you are required to qualify for the language proficiency test as a part of the application process.

Language Proficiency Tests	Score Required
IELTS	6.5 bands
PTE	62
TOEFL	90

Documents Required 

A list of documents must be submitted as part of the application process. Some of these essential documents include:

• Academic Transcripts 
• Degree certificates 
• VISA 
• SOP
• LOR
• Resume 
• Additional documents 

Admission Process

The admission process for most universities is usually the same, and all you are required to do is check your preferred university’s official website for the latest notifications and updates. Then you are required to fill out the application form available on the official website of your preferred university accurately after paying the application fees. There are a few documents that you are required to submit as a part of the application process. If you find this process difficult, you may also enlist assistance from Leverage Edu experts for a hassle-free admission process.

Career Prospects 

When you are a special effects designer, you are more likely to take up more responsibilities as it is a leadership role. Special Effects designers can pursue numerous job opportunities in this field. You can also take up job opportunities as animators, designers, automotive designers and much more. Further, you can also pursue a master’s or a PhD in any of the related disciplines if you wish to pursue higher education.  

Salaries Offered to Special Effects Designer 

Special Effects Designers across the globe make an average salary of approximately $71,523 (INR 58.3 Lakhs) per year or $34 (INR 2771.53) per hour, whereas the top 10% of the special effects designers across the globe make over $125,000 (INR 1.01 Cr) per year. California has the highest average salaries offered to special effects designers at about $91905 (INR 74.91 Lakhs) per annum. 

FAQs 

Special effects designers are one of the growing and demanded professions across the globe. You can pursue a career as a special effects designer by following two to three simple steps, including getting a bachelor’s degree or a diploma in a related field. If you wish to pursue a career as special effects designer, then you require more than good grades to get into your dream university. You can achieve this with valuable assistance from Leverage Edu Experts; thus, contact us for a hassle-free application process.