Graphic Design & Media (Visual Arts)

Every advert on television and every page in a magazine, every film or music video you watch is the work of a graphic designer or media practitioner. This industry offers a whole host of careers in publishing, illustration, 3D animation or video editing, giving you countless ways to showcase your creativity.

What next?
As a graphic designer you can work in the publishing sector, designer layouts for newspapers and magazines, or working as an illustrator. In media choose from careers ranging from 3D animation on the next Disney blockbuster to editing movies or TV shows. Alternatively, further your studies by progressing to an advanced level such as a foundation degree or a university course.

Potential careers
Graphic designer: £14k - £65k per year
Animator: £16k - £35k per year
Freelance Illustrator: £250 - £650 per illustration
Photographer: £25k - £65k per year
Production designer: £15k - £33k per year
Television Producer: £15k - £75k per year
Location Manager: £916 - £1297 per week
Television Floor Manager: £180 - £400 per day

"Getting to study at college rather than university has allowed me to have more one-on-one access to the tutors, which has been great for my first year."
Mark Hunter, Foundation Degree student

FX Studios
FX Studios is a visual arts and Media Company which operates at Redbridge College. Its aim is to offer students industrial experience in the fields of photography, video and film production and graphic design. As a student you will work on real commissions for external companies and collaborate with the college record label, Last Word Records. The portfolio of work produced so far includes promotional videos, music videos, artists’ photo shoots and CD artwork.  Students are assigned job roles and take control of the commercial running of the company on a daily basis.

In Redbridge College’s fully-equipped TV studio lights are dimmed and anticipation is building.

Learners are eagerly awaiting the premiere of a music video they have filmed, produced and edited for two local R&B acts who hope to be on their way national stardom.

The learners created a concept for the track by Boistrus and Miss Morgan – titled Think You’re The One – before directing a two-day video shoot shot on location at a local nightclub and hotel.

The lights go out, the dance beat of the track begins and learners sit back to enjoy the product of their hard work.

The subjects of the video are impressed: “I’m so pleased with it, it really is wicked,” says Boistrus, aka Matt Arnold.

“Working with learners at the college was a great experience – they knew exactly what they wanted to do,” he adds. 

Learners studying Creative courses at the college get to work on real life project briefs as part of their course, and production of the video contributed towards the assessment of the learners involved.

Learner Amanda-Jane Fisher, 41, helped create the storyboard for the video production and also had the chance to direct filming on location.

She said: “Filming the video was a very full-on experience but also incredibly enjoyable. It was fantastic to be able to put some of the skills I have learnt at the college into practice.”

During the filming and production process learners were fully supported by lecturers at the college, who have years of experience working in the creative industries.

Click here to view the video for Think You’re The One by Boistrus and Miss Morgan.