Best VFX Courses in Mumbai in 2023

Want to control the weather on-screen, make dragons fly through the sky, or create a magical land like Hogwarts? So, here is the chance for you to build the proverbial “castles in the air” by joining various VFX courses in Mumbai.

Mumbai- the financial capital of India, located in the state of Maharashtra, is also known as the Bollywood Hub. Mumbai is known to be the heart of Indian Cinema. It is a vibrant city with beautiful locations and excellent weather throughout the year that enables comfortable shooting of all movies. Mumbai has captivating energy that invigorates the creative energy.

Due to all these reasons, Mumbai has seen a major rise in the VFX industry in the past few years. More and more jobs are emerging in this industry. To fulfill this ever-increasing demand, a number of institutes are coming up to provide VFX courses in Mumbai.

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Understanding VFX

VFX stands for visual effects. It refers to an image or visual created, manipulated, altered, or enhanced for any film, television, web series, or any other moving media for a cinematic experience that cannot occur during live shooting.

Visual effects and special effects are two different concepts. VFX requires a computer and is added in after shooting. It involves a fusion of actual footage and altered images to develop realistic-looking environments that are too dangerous to actually shoot; for example- dragons flying in the sky, or bullets going in slow motion, etc. On the other hand, SFX (special effects) are practical effects done on camera while shooting. For example- fake gunshot wounds, controlled explosions, firing blanks, etc.

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Types of VFX

Though there are many aspects to the VFX process, they can be broadly classified into three main types.

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)

CGI is a popular type of visual effect. It is a blanket term used for all visual effects. CGI refers to images (particularly 3D images) made completely within computers to create something that doesn’t exist, like a dragon or a monster. It is mainly used in television programs, movies, animation, commercials, and print media. This technique was first used in the 1986 film Flight of the Navigator.

Compositing

This method is also known as “chroma keying”. In this technique, VFX artists combine visual elements from separate origins to create an illusion as though they are in the same place. The most prevalent and popular compositing technique is shooting with a green screen or blue screen, which compositors later replace with another element using compositing software.

Motion Capture

Popularly known as ‘mocap’,  motion capture combines the power of CGI and the authenticity of live-action. It digitally records an actor’s movements, then transfers those to a 3-D model. Though this technology has been in use for a number of years, the capabilities seem to increase every year. This is the future of VFX movies.

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Skills Required

Skills can be acquired or developed, and one needs to be realistic about their skills. Knowing where to improve, and expanding the skills from time to time is the key to success. The following skillset is needed to become a successful VFX artist:

Adaptability

AQ (adaptability quotient) is the new buzzword in the corporate world. It is defined as a person’s attitude in changing at the same speed as technologies, workplaces, and world events. Since the VFX industry is completely based on technology, this skill is a must.

Communication

No matter how good you are at your job, if you cannot communicate successfully with your peers, it’s of no use. You need to collaborate with the designers, producers, and other engineers to deliver outstanding content.

Creativity

The VFX industry demands you to be creative. It requires talent and skills to create art in various forms like painting, sculpting, sketching, drawing, etc. A wild mind and a disciplined eye are what you need to become a successful VFX artist.

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Patience

One of the many things to remember in this career is that you need a lot of patience. You won’t be successful in a short amount of time.

Eye for detail

Watch plenty of movies with visual effects and try to notice things that most people tend to miss out on.

A good sense of music and direction

Knowing what kind of music suits the scene, and how to stack scenes, dialogues, etc. is quintessential for a VFX artist.

Sound mixing

Sounds can magnify your work. It is really important that you know and identify sounds, and can arrange them as accurately as possible as things are happening in your scene.

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Enthusiasm to learn

When you work in a creative field like this, it becomes all the more important that you be updated with new and emerging technologies and have a will to learn about every new concept.

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Scope of VFX

This is an extremely demanding career. It is the future of filmmaking in India and all over the world. As everyone knows, VFX artists are usually utilized in movies, TV shows, video games, but their skills aren’t limited only to the entertainment industry.

They can also work in real estate, advertising, medical, architecture, product design, defense, education, virtual and augmented reality, and nowadays, even in religious and political propaganda. Basically, they can work in any field where the visual representation of something, that is otherwise challenging to recreate, is required. As per the latest statistics, the VFX and post-production industry in India has doubled between 2016 to 2019 and is estimated to touch a massive figure of $147 billion by the year 2024.

Job Profile and Responsibilities

VFX artists work primarily in the film and video game industry. They use software to create animations and special effects and add them to movies, television shows, or video games. This job is full-time or part-time, depending on the requirements.

Since it is a post-production job and VFX artists use computer software, they work in an office environment. But sometimes, they are required at filming locations to help in shooting the scenes and may have to travel frequently for the job. They work mainly with engineering and designing teams. They are required to:

• Create motion graphics and animation
• Operate camera, lights, and microphone
• Collaborate with the engineers and designers and
• Ensure that the projects stay within budget.

When deadlines are to be met, they may have to work late nights or on weekends. The different job profiles available for a VFX artist are the following:

• Graphic designer
• 3-D modeler
• Lecturer
• Web designer
• Multimedia programmer
• Video editor
• 2D/ 3D animator.

Salary

The salary of the individuals working in this industry depends on many factors, like- Job profile, experience, qualifications, professional profile, location, etc. For freshers, with absolutely no experience, the salary is within 2 lakhs per annum. However, with 4 to 5 years of experience, one can earn anywhere between 5 to 10 lakhs per annum.

Top Recruiters

The top recruiters in the VFX industry are:

• Maya Entertainment
• Heart Entertainment
• Jadoo Works
• Future Thought Production
• Tata Elxsi Limited
• Crest Communications
• Prana Studios PVT. Ltd.
• Reliance Mediaworks
• Prime Focus
• Red Chillies
• MPC Bangalore
• Makuta VFX
• Dreamworks Animation
• Pixion

Best VFX movies and series of all time

Some of the best VFX movies and series that one must watch are:

• Inception
• Gravity
• Star Wars
• Interstellar
• Avatar
• Baahubali
• Jumanji
• Life of Pie
• Harry Potter
• Jurassic Park
• The Matrix
• The Lord of the Rings
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Don of the Planet of Apes
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 2012
• Avengers
• Game of Thrones
• Aliens
• Hugo
• Gladiator
• King Kong
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• War of The Worlds

There are various VFX courses in Mumbai one can join to pursue their passion for filmmaking and give the phrase “movie magic” the ring of truth.

Types of VFX courses in Mumbai

VFX courses in Mumbai are offered as certification courses, diploma courses, bachelor’s courses, and master’s courses. There can be regular weekday batches, weekend batches, full-time or part-time batches. Most of the institutes offer 100% placement assistance after completion of the course and provide internships with leading firms.

Apart from the above-mentioned courses, some institutes also offer specialized VFX courses.

1)Diploma Courses:

There are several colleges that offer various diploma VFX courses in Mumbai, for example, Diploma in VFX course, Diploma in 3D Animation and VFX course, Professional Diploma in 3D Animation and VFX course, Diploma in Visual Effects course, Advanced Diploma in Visual Effects and Film Making which is an advanced diploma course, Diploma in Animation and Visual Effects course, etc.

Duration:

Duration of diploma courses of VFX is 1 to 2 years depending upon the college.

Eligibility criteria:

Students who wish to join diploma in VFX should have cleared 12th standard or equivalent with at least 50% marks or similar grades. Some colleges conduct entrance exams for candidates who want to pursue a diploma in VFX.

Fees:

Fees for the diploma courses depend on the college of your choice and is approximately 3.35 lakhs. Fees are less in government colleges.

Course Content:

Diploma courses in VFX cover many concepts such as basics of design and computer graphics, fundamentals of digital filmmaking, introduction to MAYA and dynamics, Hair and Fur modules, camera mapping, compositing (basic and advanced), tracking and match moving, fluids and dynamics simulation, Rotoscoping, motion morphing techniques, 3D VFX, use of multimedia, concepts of video editing and other state-of-art themes.

Institutes offering Diploma VFX Courses in Mumbai:

OXL School of Multimedia (16 months’ duration), Whistling Woods International School of Animation, Reliance AIMS (now Reliance Education), Zee Institute of Creative Art, Fx School, Pearl Academy (4 years’ duration), St. Angelo’s Professional Education Courses (28 months’ duration), Arena Animation, etc.

Softwares Readiness:

Students will be trained in Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, After Effects, Eyeon Fusion, ZBrush, Nuke, Substance Painter, etc.

2)Bachelor’s Courses:

A number of reputed colleges provide Bachelor’s VFX courses in Mumbai. Students can avail themselves of the course catering to their needs. B.Sc in Animation and Visual Effects course, B.Sc in Digital Filmmaking, B.Sc Visual Media and Animation, BSc in Visual Effects Filmmaking, BSc Visual Communication course, BSc in Animation, and VFX course, are some of the courses one can join.

Duration:

Graduate courses generally have a duration of 3 years.

Eligibility criteria:

Candidates who have passed the 12th class or equivalent examination with 50% marks are eligible to join this course. Some of the colleges require the candidates to clear an entrance exam to join the Bachelor’s course.

Fees:

Fees for the bachelor’s in VFX course in Mumbai starts anywhere from 5 lakhs in private institutions and can be 10 lakhs or more depending upon the institute and the number of specializations offered, however, fees in the government institutes are approximately 2 lakhs.

Course Content:

Under the bachelor’s course of VFX, the students are trained in many diverse disciplines and specialties such as fundamentals of design, visualization, basics of animation, 2D animation, 3D animation, digital animation, specialization in lighting and rendering, texturing, rigging, compositing, etc. Apart from these, many institutes also upskill the students to make them job-ready like business communication, project management, production management, portfolio development, English, etc.

Institutes offering Bachelor’s VFX Courses in Mumbai:

Whistling Woods International School of Animation, Zee Institute of Creative Art, St. Angelo’s Computer Education, Garware Institute of Career Education and Development, Amity University, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, ITM Institute of Design and Media, Pearl Academy, Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment, Frameboxx 2.0, NMIMS Sunandan Divatia School of Science, and many more are the institutes that offer VFX courses in Mumbai.

Software Readiness:

Some of the software covered during BA are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash, Autodesk Maya, Sound Forge, Eyeon Fusion, Nuke, Motion Builder, Mocha, ZBrush, Digital Ink, and Painting, and other up-to-date relevant software.

3)Master’s Courses:

Some of the colleges offer Master’s courses in VFX in Mumbai. Some of the courses are Master in VFX and Compositing course, MVA in Animation and VFX course, and others.

Duration:

Generally, the duration of a Master’s course is 2 years.

Eligibility criteria:

Candidates pursuing a Master’s course in VFX should possess a Bachelor’s degree with 50% marks. Some of the colleges offering Masters in VFX conduct their entrance examination for admission to the course.

Fees:

In private institutions, the fees can start from 8 lakhs, in government institutions it can be approximately 1.5-2 lakhs.

Course content:

During the Master course, the students are given comprehensive knowledge of the topics like visual perception, fundamentals of cinematography, concepts of compositing and editing, Rotoscopy, painting, 3D camera mapping, keying, integration of live-action and 3D element compositing, camera mapping, 3D matte painting, and additional relevant subjects.

Institutes offering Masters VFX Courses in Mumbai:

Some of the institutes offering Masters in VFX are Pixel Dimension, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, WLCI College India, etc.

Software readiness:

The Master’s course in VFX comprises software like  After Effects, Mocha or PFTrack, Plugins, Eyeon Fusion, Adobe Photoshop, and other pertinent software.

4)Certification and other specialized courses:

There are a variety of short term VFX courses in Mumbai which one can avail of such as Certificate course in Effects Specialization, Certificate in Film Animation and Visual Effects, Certificate in Rotoscopy course, VFX Matchmoving Certificate course, Certificate in Filmmaking and Visual Effects, Certificate course in VFX Plus, Certificate course in Animation and VFX, VFX Filmmaking certificate course, VFX Plus Program, etc.

Duration:

The duration of the VFX certification courses ranges from 2 to 12 months.

Eligibility criteria:

Candidates who have passed 10th/12th are eligible to join this course.

Fees:

Fees for the short-term VFX courses in Mumbai vary from school to school. One can contact the institutes for details.

Course Content:

Certificate courses cover a range of topics that can differ from institute to institute. The basic syllabus taught in a certificate course is fundamentals of VFX, Colour theory, lighting, sound, basic info on Digital Media, basics of photography, the styling of layouts and backgrounds, knowledge of Matte painting and Digital painting, details of Colour correction, Rotoscoping, information on motion graphics, Text layer and Animation detailing, and many other relevant topics.

Institutes offering Certification VFX Courses in Mumbai:

Frameboxx Animation and Visual Effects (1-year full time, 10+2), Walk_in Computer Education Centre (AICTE accredited full time, 10+2), Mumbai Film Academy, Cinelanza Film and Modelling Academy, Reliance AIMS(now Reliance Education), Fx School, DICE Vancouver Film School of Entertainment Arts, NiDT Professionals, WLC College, Zee Institute of Creative Arts, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), ICE Balaji Telefilms-Institute of Creative Excellence, etc.

Specialized VFX Courses in Mumbai:

Arena Animation offers VFX Prime course, VFX Film Making course, and VFX Compositing and Editing course and Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) offer Program in Visual Effects course, Compositing and Editing Plus course, and Advanced Program in Visual Effects course in visual effects.

Softwares Readiness:

Students of certificate courses of VFX will be mastering software like Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Particles, Eyeon Fusion, Adobe After Effects, Nuke, etc.

So come, join any of these VFX courses and create your own Jurassic Park, or transport someone to the final frontiers of the Universe! And join the legacy of James Cameron and Peter Jackson.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Which is the best course in VFX?

• BA in Visual Effects, Diploma in VFX, Diploma in 3D animation, and VFX are some of the courses that are in high demand.

2. What is the qualification for VFX?

• The candidates must qualify for Higher Secondary or equivalent examinations with at least 50% marks and they have to appear for the entrance examination to pursue such courses.

3. Is VFX hard to learn?

• This is primarily a skill-based course and the learners need to have a lot of patience, knowledge, and experience.