School and Courses for Game Designing, 3D Game Designer - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Australia

Game Design //

We create our own realities, one world at a time...

The video game industry is growing fast. In fact, the expertise and practices of game design + development is spilling over into a range of sectors, with design and development practices becoming widely adopted outside of purely gaming purposes.

Game Design at JMC feeds this drive, providing the skills and knowledge to create fully immersive digital environments. Learn how to design, develop and implement an idea, with emphasis on creativity and expression through concept creation, digital drawing, environment modelling and game-engine implementation.

Get the hands-on expertise with leading game industry development and production software, and use our 18-camera leading precision motion-capture suites and VR facilities needed to create interactive game prototypes and quality game assets. Graduate with the skills demanded by leading developers.

TECH //

We take gaming seriously at JMC, with each campus housing dedicated digital art + development studios with purpose built workstations, cintiq and intuos pro wacom tablets, non-digital art studio for prototyping, stopmotion, sculpting and life drawings, portable VR development suites, motion capture studios, 3D printers, green-screen cyclorama studio and mixing + recording studios.

JMC uses a range of software including Unity 3D and Unreal Game Engine, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Creative Cloud, Pixologic Zbrush, Substance Suite, Foundry Suite with Nuke + Mari, Redshift GPU + Arnold CPU Renderer, Adobe Suite, Toon Boom Harmony with Unity middleware, Shotgun Studio and SourceTree.

STUDY ABROAD //

THE DUTCH EXCHANGE

Take your passion to Europe and spend an entire trimester at Fontys Academy for Creative Industries in the Netherlands. Collaborate with creative students from all over the world and build your international contacts along the way.

JAPAN STUDY TOUR

Spend 12 days immersed in anime and manga creation classes at the Tokyo Design Technology Center and Osaka Animation College, and explore the pop culture of Japan. This selective unit includes visits to the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum and the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

*Study Abroad programs will resume once international travel restrictions ease

Take advantage of our 18
camera dedicated motion capture suites

USE THE WORLD’S LEADING
DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM FOR GAMES AND REAL-TIME CONTENT

HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO INTERN WITH MAJOR COMPANIES

2-WEEK JAPAN STUDY TOUR
ANIME + MANGA CLASSES PLUS A NETHERLANDS EXCHANGE PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY

course guide //

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Game Design)
[CRICOS 075773A]
Diploma of Creative Arts (Game Design)
[CRICOS 075767K]

As you embark on a Bachelor degree, combine interactivity, game design and programming with traditional art practice and animation. Specialise in what you are passionate about as you select from a list of major and minor streams to hone in on your skills. Add to your Game Design major stream with a choice of 2D Animation, 3D animation, CG (Computer Generated) Art or Production Art for the opportunity to combine both technical knowledge and artistic practice as you build a professional portfolio. Immerse yourself in an exciting journey from concept to finished product through the magic of visual storytelling.

Students can elect to study compositing, augmented + virtual reality and motion capture for real-time games animation and cinematics, and will graduate with a major game development project and a developed showreel in a process that emulates real-world production and a developed showreel.

In only 2 years you can graduate with a Bachelor degree thanks to our accelerated full-time course. Part-time study is also available to domestic students. International students many choose to complete the course in 3 years [CRICOS 075772B] rather than the accelerated 2 year option.

curriculum

Studio Workshop

This unit introduces students to practices, processes, and tools utilised in animation, games and VFX. Students will work through a series of self-contained exercises, with mentoring support from lecturers, which will provide entry-level practical experience. These will primarily be completed during class time. Areas of focus may include design research, design sketching and visualisation, concept ideation, 3D modelling, surfacing, texturing, basic rigging, simple animation, rendering, colour grading, editing, game mechanics, simple programming, and delivery to different platforms. While students are not expected to achieve full competence in these skills, they will gain a practical grasp of the steps and thinking required to produce animation, games, and VFX. At the conclusion of this unit students will be supported to make an informed decision regarding the focus streams they will choose in Trimester 2.

Design Processes I

Students will have the opportunity to investigate widely used design processes, specifically the British Design Council’s “Double Diamond”, human-centred design practices, and “Agile” project management. This is the first of two units that take students through the full life span of a project, from brief to implementation. This first part covers the “first diamond”, from challenging the brief and discovery, to conducting research, and developing insights - right through to identifying opportunity areas.

Design Fundamentals

A Design unit which introduces students to basic concepts in visual design. With a mix of foundation concepts, hands-on exploratory creative exercises, and an introduction to important ideas and people in various visual design disciplines, it will provide a sound basis for students to build their individual specialisations on.

Games & Animation in Context

Games and Animation in Context provides students with a formal and contextual framework to discuss games and animation. Beginning with journalistic responses, and developing through to in-depth presentations, students will consider the context, express the experience, and identify the structural elements of a variety of contemporary and historical works. This unit also requires on and off-campus participation in contemporary exhibitions, screenings, and events.

Game Dev I: Game Development (Game Dev Stream)

This unit provides a broad introduction to working within game editor systems, integrating art elements into projects. The use of 2D graphics programs will be developed in conjunction with 2D & 3D features in the engine. Students will be provided with a template for gameplay and will apply principles of design and technical art skills to develop a playable project. This will provide an overview of a range of core engine features and practical experience integrating content.

Production Art I: Characters (Production Art Stream)

Character Design introduces key design principles for the creation of memorable animation and game characters in a range of styles. Students will be introduced to fundamentals of form and construction, basics of anatomy and gesture through life drawing, and the visual development of characters from story contexts. Artwork workflow and finishing styles will be covered, along with unified approaches to developing a full cast. Industry practice in documentation and presentation will also be covered.

CG Art I: Modelling (CG Art Stream)

The unit focuses on general 3D art creation with an emphasis on process. Block-outs, low poly modelling in 3D, mesh optimisation, unwrapping, rendering to texture, texturing, and project management, are all covered using a low poly diorama as a vehicle for the project. The final project is uploaded to an online real-time WebGL 3D viewer. The course begins with an introduction to the pipeline through the creation of simple prop objects such as telephone poles and signs. A scene block-out is then created and students work through the elements. For houses, a modular texturing approach is introduced along with stencils to reduce the number of textures. Finally, vegetation is created. Post-processing effects and lighting are added in the online viewer.

3D Animation I (3D Animation Stream)

3D Animation I guides students through the analysis and application of key principles of animation in a 3D context at a basic level. Technical workflow and animation mechanics are illustrated through lectures, and ongoing practical exercises build foundational knowledge and skills.

2D Animation I (2D Animation Stream)

Students are introduced to the conventions and common principles that have developed over animation’s rich hundred-year history. Students will explore traditional frame-by-frame techniques including cut-out, stop-motion, and drawn animation underpinning and developing an understanding of principles of movement and the animation process. Work will be undertaken using both traditional hand-made and photographed techniques and newer digital versions of these.

Lab I

In Lab I students are presented with the opportunity to develop and execute a small individual project utilizing the key skills they are focusing on in their streams. They must log required hours in the lab environment, and meet weekly with an assigned project supervisor who will act as a mentor and support person. A range of creative briefs will be provided covering potential projects in areas such as art and design, modelling, animation, game development, or hybrids of these. In addition to the creative work, students will be guided through planning, documenting, reporting, and reflecting on their work. Additional workshops may be provided where required to extend technical knowledge. Finished projects will form the basis of a portfolio to be built upon in successive trimesters.

Game Design I

This unit explores game design by introducing key game designers and theorists in readings and lectures. Contemporary game design issues are analyzed and discussed forming a conceptual framework to engage with. Through broad research, paper prototyping, playtesting and analysis, students develop game design documents (GDDs) and, where relevant, a paper prototype or video illustrating gameplay for two projects.

Game Dev II: Programming (Game Dev Stream)

Creating effective and tightly designed game prototypes is made possible only with an understanding of fundamental core programming concepts. This unit introduces game programming and game engine operation, by writing games-focused software scripts in the C# language using the Unity game engine Application Programming Interface (API). Students will complete a number of small games exercises and develop their own small coding project in an area of interest, learning the fundamentals of programming for game design practitioners of all fields – artists, designers, and programmers.

Production Art II: Props + Environment Design (Production Art Stream)

This unit focuses on design and drawing skills for the creation of three-dimensional props, vehicles, buildings and environments. There is a strong emphasis on perspective and volumetric drawing, accurate portrayal of physical detail and form, and the composition and layout of spaces. Drafting and rendering techniques and conventions are covered, as well as style and finish for concept art and production design.

CG Art II: Look Development (CG Art Stream)

This unit focuses on look development via surfacing, lighting, and rendering, and introduces software for use in creating textures. Students are introduced to creative and technical lighting approaches and systems in greater depth. Common materials and channels contextualising their use are explored. Texturing approaches inside specialist software are introduced with a focus on developing layered, matte based approaches for further customisation in a destination application. Procedural and semi-automated systems for look development will also be explored. Rendering strategies will be explored and the calculation of render times for quality output is examined.

Rigging (3D Animation Stream)

This unit covers how to set up a skeleton and rig for a character mesh, how to skin the mesh and weight it properly, how to add controls to the rig, user interface options, blend shapes, and testing of rigs. The unit provides the technical knowledge required for creating a fully controllable character for use in animation or game productions. Rigging is often sought as a secondary skill for animators and an understanding of rigging allows animators to exercise greater creative control over the character rigs they work with.

3D Animation II (3D Animation Stream)

This unit continues to develop core principles of animation while also introducing more sophisticated acting elements and dialogue via theory, and practice. The assessment tasks encourage students to animate their own ideas, characters and stories, adding individual personality and style in the process.

2D Animation II (2D Animation Stream)

2D Animation II introduces techniques and styles of digital animation from the motion design sector. Students will learn to use digital graphic art and animation packages to design, prepare, and execute styles ranging from abstract graphics to typography, to stylized character animation.

History of Animation + Games

This unit exposes the student to a history of animation and games embedded into a broader notion of the visual narrative or experience. Studies will lead from early examples of sequential art through to current examples of new technology platforms, with attention paid to historical and social context, geographical and technical factors, and the interplay of commercial production with the artist and auteur. Students will actively investigate topics themselves, and conduct presentations and seminars under the guidance of the lecturer. Classes will be divided between tutorial sessions and sessions devoted to screenings, demonstrations, and presentations, plus self-directed off-site visits to relevant events and exhibitions.

Game Design II

This unit builds on the knowledge of game design and interactive storytelling that has been developed in the course so far. The subject introduces students to some of the fundamental theories of designing game spaces that are engaging to play in, and develops a conceptual and theoretical foundation for the definition and attainment of game design goals. Content will include concepts universal to level design, including interactivity, map design, world building, immersion, sensory perception, and pace.

Game Dev III: Rapid Prototyping (Game Dev Stream)

This unit extends the student’s fundamental knowledge of game programming through the practical application of the rapid prototyping process. The unit develops the approach needed when approaching game programming projects by engaging in a number of exercises that will explore the mindset required when thinking about the world in terms of systems and interconnected relationships and meanings.

Production Art III: Production Design (Production Art Stream)

This third unit in the Production Art sequence consolidates the skills learnt in PAI and PAII and embeds them into the context of the full design of a production in animation, games, or a related field. Students will be introduced to the process and art of world creation, employing colour, form, composition, character, architecture, landscape, technology and culture to conceive, define, and illustrate narrative and experiential works. Illustration techniques and detailed documentation will also be key elements of the unit.

CG Art III: Digital Sculpture (CG Art Stream)

Introduction to using digital sculpture package for modelling and detailing. Through the unit students must maintain a focused and sustained sculpture practice, posting sculpts, duration of sculpt and reference to the course forum. Initially, this is to establish familiarity with software, analyzing planes and volume, and learning landmarks for the human figure. This includes gathering reference and analysing sculptures on an exhibition tour. The course then requires work for two subjects, stylised props and stylised character, including the preparation of models and textures, applicable to production project.

2D Animation III (2D Animation Stream)

2D Animation III builds on the previous units, taking the student’s 2D skills to a sophisticated level of expressive and acting animation. Contemporary digital implementations of classical frame by frame animation styles are employed, with a strong emphasis on movement, timing, acting, and dialogue. Art cleanup methods and approaches are explored, giving the student experience in producing polished, finished 2D animation in a range of styles.

Lab II

In Lab II students develop and execute a small group project utilizing the key skills they are focusing on in their streams, or alternatively, act as a crew-member on a project being undertaken by more senior students in Studio I and II. Individuals and teams are required to log required hours in the lab environment, and to meet weekly with an assigned project supervisor who will act as a mentor and support person. A range of creative briefs will be provided for those originating their own project, covering potential projects in areas such as art and design, modelling, animation, game development, or hybrids of these. In addition to the creative work, students will be guided through planning, documenting, reporting, and reflecting on their work. Additional workshops may be provided where required to extend technical knowledge. Finished projects will form the basis of a portfolio to be built upon in successive trimesters.

Critical Frameworks

In this unit students will be exposed to a range of theoretical frameworks derived from literary, film, animation and game studies. Students will explore a number of these through academic research, and share their discoveries with their peers in a tutorial presentation context. A flexible approach to the presentation of ideas through various media options will allow students to develop their thinking in visual and auditory ways as well as more traditional writing forms, and the group will be encouraged to engage in debate and discussion around the themes.

Compositing (Extension Elective)

Digital compositing is the process of combining visual elements into cohesive still and moving images and is integral for any post-production facility. Students are introduced to key areas in compositing, moving from separating and combining still images, to working with complex transparency, camera movement and computer-generated images. These scaffolded weekly projects prepare students for a proposal and project completed in a para-professional studio environment.

Augmented + Virtual Reality (Extension Elective)

Extended reality systems are a significant element of new trends in digital human interfaces and creative expression. This unit provides a foundational introduction to the history of XR technologies, their convergence in present systems, and key psychological elements informing a user experience. The first project implementing a basic augmentation application for mobile device introduces students to working with development plugins and principles of tracking key to all XR technologies. The second project extends students implementing development within a dedicated virtual reality system as a small team.

Motion Capture (Extension Elective)

This subject covers the capture, cleanup, and refinement of motion data acquired from our motion capture suite, but there should be an opportunity to explore the application of the tools in a slightly more experimental manner.

Internship (By Application Only)

This unit provides you with an opportunity to ‘learn by doing’, and just as importantly to reflect upon your ‘doing’ in relation to achieving the unit’s learning outcomes. To guide your expectations of this unit, JMC Academy use the National Society for Experiential Education’s definition of internship, which is ‘a carefully monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience’. You, your host employer and JMC Academy, will agree on a plan of work that meets your professional goals and the requirements of the unit. You will undertake that work in the workplace, under supervision from JMC Academy and your host employer’s nominated workplace supervisor. You are participating in this unit because you have made a successful application, and an internship opportunity is available to you. You will work with your campus’ internship/unit coordinator to make all the arrangements for your internship, as well as completing all necessary paperwork. JMC Academy will work with you to make your internship a success, including being as flexible as possible with regard to how, when and where you ‘intern’. Your internship/unit coordinator will be in regular contact with you, and you too must make an effort to contact them if you have any concerns or questions. In any case, you must successfully complete all assessment tasks to pass this unit.

Studio I

In Studio I and Studio II students will design and develop a short production completed to a professional/publishable standard. The design and prototyping stage of the project is undertaken in Studio 1. Students will be expected to develop and document a concept for a project and a project plan for the development and production of the full project (including Studio II) culminating in an exhibition of the completed work. They will work with their peers and mentors to develop required advanced technical skills and to regularly critique and refine their creative and technical goals. AGA 402 students, in consultation with the unit coordinator, may also involve students in AGA 304 to assist in the development of this project. At the end of this unit, students will need to have developed detailed creative and technical documentation and prototype elements that will allow full production to commence immediately in Studio 2.

Professional Development

This subject is aimed at giving you the tools and skills needed to seek employment upon completion of the program. Preparation of showreels and portfolios, letter writing and interview skills, and the promotion of oneself as a unique “brand” in a creative industry all form part of the content. You will have the opportunity to test your presentation skills in both mock and real environments. You will draw on the work completed during the course as well as charting a direction for the future, and preparing a set of materials to take with them into their job-seeking. You may, as a part of this unit, have the opportunity to connect with industry representatives at site visits, “speed-dating’ interviews, and other events.

Studio II

This unit builds on the practice and concepts presented in Studio 1 (ASP204). Students will explore live recording and mixing practices in full band or electronic music based projects, in both a controlled studio and live sound context. Practical approaches to recording and mixing, using a combination of digital and analogue recording techniques will be practised. Students will explore areas including; further application of microphone techniques, overdubbing, appropriate instrumentation, and the application of mixing techniques for specific purposes. This unit provides insight into current industry practices from recording a live band to electronic dance music production.

At Diploma level, design, develop, prototype and implement an idea, and gain hands-on knowledge of leading industry software and game engines. Explore everything from concept drawing, digital sculpting and visual narrative to expressive animation techniques, game art development, 3D modelling, asset creation and building immersive game spaces.

You will begin to understand the core components of visual narrative and games design and will adopt a range of rich, diverse and expressive animation techniques, which you'll develop into sophisticated outcomes. A solid foundation in game-art development practice will provide you with the perfect platform upon which to deepen your critical level of knowledge and understanding in a Bachelor degree.

Associate Degree Exit Point: Students who have successfully completed 4 trimesters of the Bachelor programme may successfully graduate with an Associate Degree qualification.

curriculum

Careers in the Industry //

The positive impact of gamification is increasingly being used in a diverse range of roles as a method of communication. Aside from the billion-dollar gaming industry, JMC graduates find work in education and training, planning, corporate business, advertising and many other sectors.

Hit the ground running with a full suite of gaming development tools, from practical hands-on experience, knowledge of all the leading gaming software, strong design capabilities and a savvy and adept gaming portfolio that shows off your skills.

Specific roles may include

Game Designer
Game Producer
Creative Director
Level Designer
Concept Artist
Texture Artist
Environment Artist

Character Artist
Animator
Modeller
Technical Director
Interface Artist
Story Writer
Production Manager

spotlight //

Studying at JMC Academy was a great experience. It gave me the foundational knowledge, experience, and a solid support network to rely on when pursuing my dream career.
Okan Beyit, Environment Artist and Level Designer at Zero Latency, Game Design Alumni

Learning with industry standard software at JMC definitely prepared me for a career in the game industry. The small class sizes also made the lecturers very accessible and hands on.
Alaric Willi , Render Wrangler, Iloura Animation and Visual Effects Studio, Game Design Alumni

At JMC, I learnt that if you want to achieve your goals, you’ve got to listen and learn from others but at the same time form your own outlook and believe in yourself and the work you are capable of.
Taliesan Arnold, Senior Animator at PlaySide Studios, Game Design

Work is not just 9 to 5 anymore. I am so thankful to be living and breathing my passion to make games.
Sofia Moraitis, Associate Experience Designer at EA Games, Game Design Graduate

JMC’s industry professionals will always have an answer. I once asked a lecturer such an obscure question he called someone from a games studio just to answer it. It’s moments like those that I love.
Jordi White, Alumni, Game Design

JMC provided us with the equipment needed to learn and allowed us to make connections we otherwise wouldn’t have. Working in groups made it feel like working in an actual development studio.
Daniele Cologni, Founder of Royal Potato Game Development Studio, Game Design Alumni

JMC provided the education I needed to learn the software and development process of game creation to be able to create something from scratch to finish.
Helen Michaels, Creator of FruitFat, Game Design

Faqs //

I have no experience in making games (although I have played many). Will I be able to do well in the Game Design course?

It’s your compulsion to create, tell stories and discover new forms of play that we’re really looking for, and we teach the course from beginner level up so you’re in good hands.

Is the Game Design course more focused on design or development?

The Game course is primarily focused on art and design, but we recognise that a familiarity with scripting and programming is a key part of the skillset of a game artist, and you will certainly learn skills in those areas as well.

The emphasis is on understanding the theory behind games, designing interesting challenges, mechanics, concepts and stories, and creating the art and assets for those concepts. You would be studying a mix of art and design, software and programming skills, and theoretical concepts.

Are there any work experience/internship opportunities specific to the Game Design course?

While the availability of internships and work placements depends on the individual companies and studios in the industry, we have strong relationships with many practising game designers and game studios. As a result of these connections there is the potential for you to experience internships and placements, studio visits, talks and workshops by industry practitioners, and assessment feedback opportunities from industry people during dedicated 'speed networking' nights. Where practical, interviews will be arranged for individual graduating students with companies seeking to recruit new talent.

What software programs will I use in the Game Course?

Applications used in the Game Design course include Maya for modelling and animation, MotionBuilder for motion capture, Substance Painter & Designer for texturing and ZBrush for digital sculpture.

Unity 3D will be your core game engine and you'll work with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects. You will also have the chance to try a range of other packages such as Nuke, SourceTree & Foundry Mari.

Make it.Game Design

Game Design //

TECH //

STUDY ABROAD //

THE DUTCH EXCHANGE

JAPAN STUDY TOUR

on campus

fees

next intake

entry requirements

course guide //

Careers in the Industry //

Specific roles may include

spotlight //

Faqs //

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Study

Life at JMC

International

Parents

Current Student

Connect with us

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Study

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Make it.Game Design

Game Design //

TECH //

STUDY ABROAD //

THE DUTCH EXCHANGE

JAPAN STUDY TOUR

on campus

fees

next intake

entry requirements

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course guide //

Careers in the Industry //

Specific roles may include

spotlight //

Faqs //

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