Hollywood success for EDA graduates

Computer Animation and Digital Visual Effects Master’s graduates from the School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA) have showcased their world-class expertise by working on major Hollywood films, including the latest James Bond blockbuster, Skyfall, and recently released Les Miserables.
Robin Walsh and Amz Rattan, both former Kent students of the MSc in Digital Visual Effects, have contributed to one of the most talked about James Bond opening sequences of all time.
The graduates were involved in arguably one of the longest opening sequences in an action movie, working on special effects, including modelling, animation, texturing, motion capture, lighting, rendering and compositing, all taught during the course.
Walsh and Rattan, now both employees of leading film and visual effects company, Double Negative, have also worked on Oscar-tipped musical adaptation, Les Miserables.
David Byers-Brown, Senior Lecturer in Animation, said: ‘We are delighted to see so many former students going on to make a significant mark on the film industry, working on such huge Hollywood movies and household name franchises, such as James Bond.

‘The courses are designed with a strong focus on current professional practice, helping our graduates secure jobs at some of the best film production companies in the UK and work on some of the biggest blockbusters of all time.’
Alongside Skyfall and Les Miserables, graduates from EDA have become sought after recruits with many currently working on soon-to-be-released movies, including Fast and Furious 6, and ‘47 Ronin’, starring Keanu Reeves.
He Sun, a former student, said: ‘I enrolled on the MSc in Digital Visual Effects course in 2007 and after I graduated I landed a job in Eurocom Entertainment. I have been working in the games industry for years, and have worked on some of the best franchises in the industry, including Dead Space, GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, and Disney Universe. Now I have grown to a senior VFX artist in Jagex Game Studio working on one of the most anticipated games, Transformers Universe.
‘I am glad to say, the digital visual effects course at Kent has made one of the biggest pushes to kick-start my career. All the courses are strongly connected with industry standard and the fully equipped lab and production studio provides one of the best learning experiences in the UK.’
Several graduates from the School secure jobs in leading film production companies in the UK following undergraduate degrees in Multimedia Technology and Design or MScs in either Computer Animation or Digital Visual Effects.
The two screenwriters of Skyfall, Neil Purvis and Robert Wade, are also alumni of the University of Kent.