Students completing courses in visual effects may be preparing for a career in the motion picture industry or the thriving video game market. In recent years, advancement in computer generated technology has greatly enhanced the end result of many successful films and games.

Graduates with degrees from visual effects programs most likely have studied various aspects of their chosen craft. Aside from strictly digital post-production effects, there are areas of study involving the construction and photography of miniature sets and models. Animatronics is another technique to bring an imagined figure to life before the cameras. Students reviewing the application of visual effects in previous eras will notice that while stop motion animation has been around for decades, it's still been employed in feature films in recent years.

Also in the realm of the real world is the study of matte painting, which allows film sequences to have realistic backgrounds that would be otherwise impossible or too costly to shoot by conventional means.

Students attending college or university in preparation for careers in visual effects may also specialize in various aspects of digital animation such as texture mapping to add realism to digitally generated objects. The digital rendering of images with attention to texture, shading, and lighting is essential for impressive realism.

Major motion picture studios and successful video game companies have embraced the latest generations of visual effects. Graduates with diplomas in this interesting field will be prepared to begin creative careers, bringing imagined characters and their actions to the screen.