New animation, gaming academy to teach Victoria’s next generation of film makers and game creators

The GameChanger Academy is set to be the first of its kind in Australia and will help train the next generation of film makers and game creators.

The GameChanger Academy is opening in Melbourne.

Becoming Hollywood’s next biggest director is no longer a pipe dream for aspiring Victorian film makers and game creators, thanks to Australia’s first screen professional school coming to Melbourne.

The GameChanger Academy will open its doors to the next generation of artists, animators, producers and technologists next year in a bid to fill skill gaps across the state’s booming screen industry.

It comes as Victoria continues to experience a shortage in multimedia specialists, sound technicians, and electronic equipment trades workers, according to the Australian government’s jobs and skills data.

Students can study a Bachelor’s degree and postgraduate courses at the animation, visual effects and games school, which will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and educators with industry experience.

The GameChanger Academy will be Australia’s first screen professional school.

Creative Industries Minister Colin Brooks announced The GameChanger Academy’s establishment on Tuesday, with the school backed by a $3.6 million investment from the state government and is being delivered in partnership with VicScreen.

“Victoria’s visual effects, games and animation professionals are producing some of the most loved films and games across the globe,” Mr Brooks said.

“The GameChanger Academy will ensure that Victoria has more skilled workers to service the digital screen sector for many years to come.”

Screen and entertainment workers hoping to upskill will also benefit from the academy by learning the latest industry practices through partnerships with a range of Melbourne visual effects, digital games and animation studios.

Film and game education specialists CG Spectrum will run the academy and will start taking student enrolments for next year on October 14.

“The GameChanger Academy is a significant investment in the next generation of industry leaders, upskilling current screen professionals and training a new cohort of job ready graduates,” CG Spectrum co-founder Jeff Pepper said.

“We believe the GameChanger Academy has the potential to become a global lighthouse for learning and development within the VFX, animation and games industries.”

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said the academy will create a steady stream of job-ready graduates equipped to join Victoria’s booming screen industry, as the state continues to build its reputation as a global destination for screen and games production.

The program will help expand the talent pool for creative companies including Academy Award winning visual effects house Framestore.

Head of studio Lara Hopkins said the creative company looks forward seeing what The GameChanger Academy’s graduates have to offer.

“Our studio in Melbourne is growing, and this means we’re always on the hunt for talented creatives and tech geniuses to work on projects that range from arthouse horror to huge superhero blockbusters,” she said.