Funded by Skillset, in partnership with UK Screen and some of the UK’;s biggest VFX post-production houses, two short films were launched last week.

The films aim to help address the skills shortage in the UK’;s booming visual effects (VFX) industry, hoping to inspire young people to pursue a VFX career.

Some of the UK’;s leading companies talking about how they got into the industry and what skills are needed to work on blockbusters such as Captain America and Harry Potter.

The two films are aimed at young people aged 10-plus and 15-plus respectively, as well as careers advisers, teachers and parents and advise what subjects to study and how to get started in the industry. The films are now available to view and download on the Skillset website: http://www.skillset.org/skillset/VFX/careers.

Skillset Executive Director Kate O’;Connor explained: “VFX is the fastest growing component of the UK’;s burgeoning film industry. However the UK is not producing enough VFX talent to fuel this growth, leaving us reliant on skilled migration. This is not sustainable, which is why Skillset has launched a slate of programmes to ensure that the UK produces the talent our VFX industry needs to remain a world leader.”

The films were created in response to the recommendations of the Next Gen Report, which sets out how the UK can be transformed into the world’;s leading talent hub for video games and visual effects.

Encouraging young people to study maths, science and art at school, the films are the first step towards bringing the idea of a VFX career into the classroom and providing an online VFX careers-related resource hub for teachers, career advisers and young people themselves.