Visual Development for Entertainment
Stir emotion through art with a career in visual storytelling.
- Gain industry experience with a real-world client. Over the course of the program, you will develop a concept art/visual development deliverable with an industry client.
- This program explores new and emerging technologies and their use in the current creative pipeline. We examine a number of options and outcomes using a variety of tools 3d, 3d printing, texture, lighting, props and more.
- Upgrade your skills and hone your craft for industry standard outcomes and skillsets.
Program Availability and Schedule
Availability
Open
Closed
Waitlisted
Start Term
Availability
International
Availability
Competitive?
Fall 2025
No
Schedule
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Program Summary
Credential
Program Delivery
Program Code
Area of Interest
School
Campus
In this one-year Visual Development for Entertainment Ontario College Graduate Certificate, you refine your artistic skills for a specialized career in the entertainment industry. As a visual development or concept artist, you take creative ideas and generate visual designs for a wide range of media products. This includes, but is not limited to, creating characters, prop designs, and environments that help tell the story of a film, show or video game. Building on your existing artistic knowledge, skills, and experience, you integrate current and emerging technologies and tools to enhance 2D and 3D entertainment industry outcomes. You develop project management, teamwork, visual research, and rapid visualization skills to refine and move concepts through industry-specific pre-production pipelines.
You apply your knowledge of cinematography to treat your art like a movie set creating believable concepts to augment the viewer experience. You enhance your artistic skills to evoke emotion through visual storytelling....(read more)
Overview
Stir emotion through art with a career in visual storytelling.
In this one-year Visual Development for Entertainment Ontario College Graduate Certificate, you refine your artistic skills for a specialized career in the entertainment industry. As a visual development or concept artist, you take creative ideas and generate visual designs for a wide range of media products. This includes, but is not limited to, creating characters, prop designs, and environments that help tell the story of a film, show or video game. Building on your existing artistic knowledge, skills, and experience, you integrate current and emerging technologies and tools to enhance 2D and 3D entertainment industry outcomes. You develop project management, teamwork, visual research, and rapid visualization skills to refine and move concepts through industry-specific pre-production pipelines.
You apply your knowledge of cinematography to treat your art like a movie set creating believable concepts to augment the viewer experience. You enhance your artistic skills to evoke emotion through visual storytelling.
Develop problem-solving skills through art and design. You build leadership skills to produce, guide and manage studio-ready artwork for the film and entertainment industry. Working with industry experts through the conceptual process in a studio environment, you apply industry-standard technologies and techniques such as:
- visual development
- concept art
- digital drawing, painting and 3D modelling
- texture work
- matte painting
- motion capture art
- traditional and digital sculpting
- mixed media
- storyboarding
Throughout the program, you practise presenting, defending, validating, and adjusting your creative pitch to communicate solutions and sell your ideas. Each course contributes to the development of an industry portfolio that showcases your abilities to augment, refine, and deliver evidence-informed visual concepts and visual storytelling.
Graduates may find employment in a wide range of sectors of entertainment including:
- animation
- film and video production
- video game development
- digital entertainment
SUCCESS FACTORS
This program is well-suited for students who:
- Are open to exploring various styles, techniques and technologies to enhance existing artistic skills and abilities.
- Have a passion for creative idea generation.
- Are able to work in fast-paced individual and team environments.
- Are detail and process-oriented.
- Value and respect the ideas, perspectives, and expertise of others.
Courses
Programs at Algonquin College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities. Upon registration, each full-time student is provided an Algonquin email account which is used to communicate important information about program or course events.
Code:
ART0031
Course Name:
Concept Design 1
Course Description:
The concept art and visual development process provides the framework to create and validate visual concepts for the entertainment industry.... + Read More
Hours:
56.0
Code:
ART0032
Course Name:
3D Sculpting for VIsual Development
Course Description:
In the entertainment industry, using 3D sculpting is a powerful pre-production tool. Students use sculpting techniques to convert conceptual... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0033
Course Name:
3D Design Technology for Entertainment
Course Description:
Entertainment industry professionals must be proficient in transforming traditional creative skills into a digital context. Students explore... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0034
Course Name:
Industry Studio 1
Course Description:
Creative industries require professionals who can lead and ideate solutions for complex conceptual and visual problems. Working in teams wit... + Read More
Hours:
84.0
Code:
ART0035
Course Name:
Visual Research and Communication
Course Description:
Research and communication skills are used to present, defend and validate creative ideas. Students apply research methodologies to source c... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0041
Course Name:
Concept Design 2
Course Description:
Detailed visual exploration and storytelling through the iterative process allows for a complete presentation of a proposed creative propert... + Read More
Hours:
56.0
Code:
ART0042
Course Name:
Production and Asset Development
Course Description:
Developing and refining a finished product is essential in achieving the end goal in the production pipeline. Through exploration of advance... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0043
Course Name:
3D Design Technology
Course Description:
As creative industries become increasingly digital, concept artists must understand the limitations and possibilities of the technologies th... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0044
Course Name:
Presentation and Pitch Development
Course Description:
The ability to sell and clearly communicate your concept is essential to the visual development process in the entertainment industry. Build... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Code:
ART0045
Course Name:
Industry Studio 2
Course Description:
The entertainment industry requires concept artists to collaborate with creative professionals in multiple areas of the pre-production pipel... + Read More
Hours:
84.0
Code:
MGT0125
Course Name:
Entrepreneurship for Independent Artists
Course Description:
The successful entrepreneur is able to cultivate business opportunities for creative productions. Students examine the entrepreneurial minds... + Read More
Hours:
42.0
Careers & Pathways
Careers
Graduates may find employment as a(n) Art Director, Senior/Lead Concept Artist, Visual Development Artist, Character Artist, Environment Artist, Level Artist, Prop Artist, 2D or 3D Artist, Texture Artist, VFX Artist, Storyboard Artist, Lead Artist, Production Designer, Matte Painter, Background Painter, Clean-up Artist, Character Modeller, Lead Modeller.
Pathways
Please use our Pathways tool to search for pathway options.
Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Pitch and defend evidence-informed concepts and artistic solutions with a variety of stakeholders to meet project goals.
- Produce conceptualized art in multiple formats using a pre-production pipeline process in a studio environment to meet stakeholder needs.
- Leverage existing and emerging technologies to drive innovative processes and outcomes for the visual development and concept art pipeline.
- Tailor and present a professional creative industries portfolio to meet the needs of a variety of entertainment sector requirements.
- Research, create, and prototype physical and digital deliverables to refine concepts and support visual problem solving.
- Apply entrepreneurial, business, and project management skills to facilitate the completion of individual and team entertainment industry deliverables.
- Contribute to and lead multidisciplinary projects while soliciting, providing, and incorporating ongoing feedback to promote respectful, inclusive, and collaborative creative development environments.
- Develop strategies for professional development to maintain currency, adapt to new technologies, and continuously improve creative skillsets.
- Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.
Tuition & Fees
Get an idea of how much each semester will cost with our Tuition and Fee Estimator.
2024/2025 Academic Year
Tuition and related ancillary fees for this program can be viewed by using the Tuition and Fees Estimator tool at www.algonquincollege.com/fee-estimator.
Further information on fees can be found by visiting the Registrar`s Office website at www.algonquincollege.com/ro.
Fees are subject to change.
Admissions Requirements
Program Eligibility
- Ontario College Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Degree or equivalent in the areas of Illustration, Concept Art, Game-Art, or Animation, OR
- Ontario College Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Degree or equivalent in any other field. Submission of a portfolio is required. Submission details can be found on the Algonquin College Additional Admission Requirements website: https://www.algonquincollege.com/admissionspackages.
- Applicants with partial post-secondary education (minimum two years full-time, in good academic standing) in any field will be considered. Submission of a portfolio is required. Submission details can be found on the Algonquin College Additional Admission Requirements website: https://www.algonquincollege.com/admissionspackages.
- Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject-specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
- IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22; OR Duolingo English Test (DET) Overall 120, minimum of 120 in Literacy and no score below 105.
Application Information
VISUAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ENTERTAINMENT
Program Code 1440X01FWO
Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:
ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228
Applications are available online at www.ontariocolleges.ca.
Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.
International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.
For further information on the admissions process, contact:
Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro
Additional Information
Program Resources
Contact
Michael Kent
Program Coordinator
Mike is a concept artist in the entertainment industry. Mike completed the Game development and Concept Art Foundations programs at Algonquin College. Mike began his career as a production artist in animation working for Pip Animation and Amberwood studios. It was his education that ignited his passion for concept art and has worked as a concept artist for major studios across the globe including Ubisoft, Square-enix, BioWare, Tri-bros, Disney and more. While his passions started in gaming and concept art, Mike was driven to give back and grow the creative community that inspired him and began teaching in several programs at Algonquin college in 2014. From concept art foundations, game development and more, he is excited to share his knowledge and experience with you in his digital painting course.