Minh Quan Nguyen graduated from UTS with a Master of Animation and Visualisation from the UTS Animal Logic Academy. Today, Quan is a Junior CG Artist at Studio Blackbird in Sydney.
Meet Quan
Originally, from Hanoi, Vietnam, Quan was looking for a gateway to kickstart his career as a visual effects (VFX) artist. He became interested in programs in Australia, especially Sydney, for its concentration of film studios and ample job opportunities. Animal Logic, one of the world’s leading independent creative digital studios based in Sydney, is renowned for its exceptional animation and VFX work on Disney and Marvel Studios’ films. Luckily for Quan, UTS and Animal Logic have partnered to offer a Master of Animation and Visualisation. The Master of Animation and Visualisation (MAV) is an industry-led, one-year accelerated postgraduate degree designed to build your knowledge and skills in 3D animation, visual effects and visualisation.
“What made the Master of Animation and Visualisation special for me at UTS was the unique program with the whole class participating in a big project. Our project was, ‘Corrupted,’ a short animated film set in a cyberpunk world.”
The UTS Animal Logic Academy operates as a working studio to simulate a 9 to 5 work environment and equip students with real-world experience before graduating. In addition to learning animation, VFX, and 3D tools like Houdini, Quan learned teamwork, problem-solving, and soft skills through the practical approach of the course.
“We had a production pipeline in which the producer oversaw and assigned tasks to the appropriate departments. Each student chose one or more specialties to develop and with everyone specialising in different areas, we could focus on what we really wanted to do and nurture that skill. Everyone worked to support each other and covered each other’s weaknesses to get the best possible product. Thanks to that team effort, the final quality was beyond what any of us could have achieved alone.
What I enjoyed most about my degree was the flexibility in solving problems. I was encouraged to think outside the box and find different approaches to tackle the same problem as my peers. Not only did we find the most creative, efficient solutions but every day felt like a new fun puzzle to be solved.”
In addition to studio work, the academy hosts industry and alumni speakers, encourages students to attend conferences, and hosts networking opportunities with the Sydney VFX community. By the end of the course, Quan developed an extensive network and portfolio that would help him to launch his career as a VFX artist.
I left UTS with a beautiful, eye-catching portfolio that was specifically designed for jobs I wanted to apply for. Studio Blackbird reached out to my FX supervisor about opportunities for recent graduates and he referred every one of us from the FX department. I was contacted by Studio Blackbird via LinkedIn and after applying, was offered a position as Junior CG Artist.
Quan still works as a Junior CG Artist with Studio Blackbird in Sydney. His responsibilities include modelling, FX, layout and lighting.