The program will be accredited in the next few months, and the first 20 students will be able to enroll in June next year. Thus, this becomes the second four-year program in Serbia dedicated to the development of games, after the direction “Video Game Design” at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.
How is the program conceived? Which courses will be there?
In the first year, all students attend classes together, getting acquainted with the techniques and development of all three areas (visual effects, animation, and game art), as well as the basics of working in programs for two-dimensional and three-dimensional computer image generation.
In the second year, students, based on their affinities, focus and opt for the module Visual Effects, module Animation, or module Game Art, within which they have lectures closely related to each of these specialized areas, and in addition, there are subjects that are common and mandatory for all – like 3d modeling.
The third year represents the continuation of directed studies by modules, advanced techniques, and the most modern methods of creation in the selected field are taught, and professional practice in the study of choice is done.
In the fourth year, students realize a complex joint work with the mentorship of professors, which they choose based on the field in which they will create. During that last year, students also learn to function in a professional team, learn the organization of work, product placement as well as ethical principles of behavior in the profession.
During schooling, there are a large number of elective courses, so students will be able to improve and focus on a narrow professional field that interests them by nurturing their talents and affinities.
Who will be the lecturers in the program?
The lecturers in the program will be experts who have at least a decade of experience in practice. Professional courses and courses in the field of dramatic arts will be taught by professors from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, courses in the field of fine and applied arts will be taught by colleagues from the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Applied Arts at the University of Arts in Belgrade.
Lecturers from the ranks of the most eminent experts in the profession will also be hired for the new areas, which was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia. The project was also supported by the Epic Mega Grants fund, through which Epic Games companies are raising the capacity of educational ecosystems in the field of gaming.
In addition to professors, the classes will include professionals and industry experts who, in addition to classic lectures and masterclasses, will have mentoring work with students who choose their specialist fields.
What are some of the occupations that students can choose after the program?
After graduation, the student will have his or her showreel composed of complex works realized during his studies that will best show their talent, knowledge, and interests, and in addition, will have contacts and experience in the industry, so it will be easier to get a job. On the other hand, students will be able to choose to be independent artists or entrepreneurs in this field.
Specific occupations for which students will be educated are 3D animators for the needs of film and games, artists in the field of visual effects for the needs of film, artists for working on the development and creation of video games within the art department, and more.
Additional specialized professions for which, depending on their interest during their studies, students can be educated and improved: level art, rigging, match moving, 3D modeling and texturing, animation in the field of various techniques such as stop-motion, 2D cartoon animation, or 3D animation.
I am very excited and happy that we have the opportunity to create a new study program within an extremely reputable institution such as the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. As the IT industry in Serbia is in full swing and development, little is known that companies, in addition to programmers, also need quality artists. Work in this field is a combination of art and technology. A good indicator of current developments in the IT field is the arrival of large and reputable companies such as Epic Games and Ubisoft. This is the right moment to formally educate staff, which will undoubtedly be much needed in the future as well.
– Darko Subotin, assistant professor at FDA
It is also a great pleasure and honor for me to have the opportunity to create new study programs in the field of visual effects, animation and game art. The idea was to create a program in cooperation with the most important economic entities in the field. The strategic partner of the Faculty is the company 3lateral, which actively participates in the creation, and support was provided by many other companies from the creative industries sector, such as Ubisoft and Nordeus. A great indicator that we are doing the right thing is the fact that Epic Games, which is the world’s leading company in the field of interactive arts and 3d technologies (Unreal Engine), has decided to award the Faculty with the prestigious Epic Mega Grants for the development of a new study program.
–Mina Cvetinović Pavkov, associate professor of FDA