The DAVE School

Visual Effects (VFX) encompass nearly all additions to a movie or TV show post-filming. This includes explosions, falling helicopters, or transforming 21st-century New York into its 1920s counterpart. VFX brings to life events too dangerous to film, like particle-based effects such as smoke, water, and oceans, as well as entire worlds and environments.

This course starts with a full introduction to hard surface modeling (vehicles, buildings, armor, etc.), then covers the art and science of texturing, lighting, and "look development." Students then explore organic modeling and digital sculpting in ZBrush, creating creatures, people, and animals. Next, students discover the art of motion, learning to rig mechanical assets and characters for lifelike movement. This is followed by motion capture of real subjects translated into 3D avatars. Facial rigging and animation, body mechanics, and camera and digital scene creation are taught using Maya, Unreal Engine, and After Effects.

The DAVE School Visual Effects Production Diploma teaches specifically for this exciting world. Our Visual Effects Production program spans 12 months and offers scheduled starts each Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Fully on-ground here at our Orlando, Florida campus. Students get to learn and refine their skills in an immersive combination of project-based workflows and applied studio skills, preparing them for their advancement into the VFX workplace.

Game production is predominantly about imagining and building entire worlds and their inhabitants from scratch. It involves devising immersive experiences that can run and adapt to real-time user play demands. Our Game Production students share much of their initial craft introduction with our VFX crew, as fundamental skills in 3D modeling, lighting, texturing, and composition greatly overlap.

The DAVE School's Game Production Diploma teaches specifically for success in this thriving industry. Like the Visual Effects Production Diploma, this program spans 12 months and offers scheduled starts each Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall. It's fully on-ground in Orlando, Florida. During the final 3 months, students work together under direct instructor guidance on pre-production techniques for a real game of their own making.

DAVE School students begin with a full introduction to hard surface modeling (vehicles, buildings, armor, etc.), then move to the art and science of texturing, lighting, and "look development." They first receive a full introduction to Game Production concepts and terminology, then get their first real taste of real-time Game Engines, learning Unreal Engine, the driving force behind so many blockbuster game titles. Game production students work with instructors to cover: advanced modular asset creation, texture and material creation, real-time lighting and environment management, game interactions, game physics, FX, prop and world design, camera control, and even Unreal's use for Virtual and Augmented Reality.

The Game Production in Simulation and Immersive Technology Diploma builds on the complete Game Production curriculum. It adds two specialized blocks focused on VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), XR (Extended Reality), and simulation design.

Students begin by mastering game design fundamentals, including hard surface modeling (vehicles, buildings, props), texturing, lighting, and look development. Using industry-standard tools like Unreal Engine and Maya, they create playable levels, interactive environments, and advanced modular assets. Key topics include real-time pipelines, game interactions, physics, FX, and environment management.

What You’ll Learn

• Foundational Game Development: Asset creation, level design, and gameplay mechanics.
• Immersive Simulations: VR/AR development for interactive training and games.
• Dynamic Environments: Build engaging, realistic simulations for practical and entertainment applications.

Our flagship Virtual Production (VP) diploma teaches everything from both the Visual Effects Production and Game Production programs and real-time technologies. DAVE School students will learn: lighting and production techniques for photo-real, real-time production, emerging production technologies, and many leading-edge approaches to the ever-evolving world of contemporary media creation.

What you learn:

• Character, Prop and Environment Modeling
• 3D Animation
• Visual Effects
• Lighting and Texturing
• Rigging
• Level design
• Digital Compositing
• Green Screen Keying
• Rotoscoping
• 2D/3D Tracking
• Demo Reel and Portfolio Creation

Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Technology prepares students for the fast-paced, evolving fields of visual effects, game production, and virtual production. This comprehensive program combines industry-focused technical training with essential knowledge in AI, cultural studies, and advanced production techniques.

With concentrations in Visual Effects Production, Game Production, and Virtual Production, this program equips students with skills to design immersive experiences, craft cinematic worlds, and create cutting-edge digital solutions for industries like film, gaming, and virtual reality.

Core Courses

• Drawing for Animators
• Previsualization
• Audio Editing & Sounds Design
• Digital Cinematography
• Motion Picture Editing and Workflow
• Production Management
• Professional Portfolio Development
• Proportions and Anatomy
• Color Theory and Equations
• Exploring the Metaverse
• AI Principles in CGI Production
• Creative Problem-Solving Through Project-Based Learning

Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Technology prepares students for the fast-paced, evolving fields of visual effects, game production, and virtual production. This comprehensive program combines industry-focused technical training with essential knowledge in AI, cultural studies, and advanced production techniques.

With concentrations in Visual Effects Production, Game Production, and Virtual Production, this program equips students with skills to design immersive experiences, craft cinematic worlds, and create cutting-edge digital solutions for industries like film, gaming, and virtual reality.

Core Courses

• Drawing for Animators
• Previsualization
• Audio Editing & Sounds Design
• Digital Cinematography
• Motion Picture Editing and Workflow
• Production Management
• Professional Portfolio Development
• Proportions and Anatomy
• Color Theory and Equations
• Exploring the Metaverse
• AI Principles in CGI Production
• Creative Problem-Solving Through Project-Based Learning

The Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Technology prepares students for the fast-paced, evolving fields of visual effects, game production, and virtual production. This comprehensive program combines industry-focused technical training with essential knowledge in AI, cultural studies, and advanced production techniques.

With concentrations in Visual Effects Production, Game Production, and Virtual Production, this program equips students with skills to design immersive experiences, craft cinematic worlds, and create cutting-edge digital solutions for industries like film, gaming, and virtual reality.

Core Courses

• Drawing for Animators
• Previsualization
• Audio Editing & Sounds Design
• Digital Cinematography
• Motion Picture Editing and Workflow
• Production Management
• Professional Portfolio Development
• Proportions and Anatomy
• Color Theory and Equations
• Exploring the Metaverse
• AI Principles in CGI Production
• Creative Problem-Solving Through Project-Based Learning

The FX Production Diploma combines the full Visual Effects Production curriculum with two advanced blocks focused on Houdini FX workflows, preparing students to create professional-grade visual effects for film, television, and video games.

The program begins with a comprehensive foundation in 3D modeling, digital sculpting, texturing, lighting, and compositing. Students develop expertise in:

• Hard surface modeling (vehicles, buildings, armor) and organic modeling (creatures, characters, animals) using ZBrush.
• Animation workflows: Character rigging, motion capture, body mechanics, facial rigging, and camera animation using Maya and Unreal Engine.
• Compositing techniques: Node-based workflows in Nuke, green screen keying.
• Motion tracking: 2D/3D tracking, rotoscoping, crowd replication, and set extensions to integrate assets seamlessly into real-world environments.