BTEC Digital Games Production

Level 3 Pathway - In order to enrol onto our Level 3 courses, students must have achieved a minimum of 5 grade 4s at GCSE Level across 4 different subject areas; this should ideally include a Grade 4 for English Language and Mathematics.

It is important that students also pay attention to any individual subject entry requirements.

It may be that a small number of students are recommended to sit AS qualifications at the end of Year 12 in order to inform decisions about progression into Year 13, however these AS examinations are standalone and do not contribute to the overall A Level qualification.

This qualification, equivalent to one A Level, is designed to provide an introduction to digital games production and is suitable for learners who are looking to progress to higher or degree apprenticeships,employment or to higher education / training. You will develop skills in areas such as game development, 3D modelling and games testing. It is expected you will engage with sector employers as part of the course, where you will be given opportunities to develop practical skills in preparation for employment.

You will develop skills using industry standard game making software such as Blender, Construct 3 and Unreal Engine with an emphasis on games development.

The course is made up of the following 5 units:

• Digital Games Production – Covering game genres and the principles of game design, in this unit you will design and make your own digital game. You will learn about the main features of different types of games and the key elements to think about when designing them. You will gather the graphics, sounds and other assets to make your chosen game while creating a level design for your game and creating it in a game engine.

• Digital Media Skills – This unit allows you to demonstrate, through constructing a digital game, the skills you have developed in media production across other units. You will learn to work to a client brief relating to a specific media sector and choose the format and medium for your digital game. You will demonstrate your understanding of production and post-production activities by working on the skills required to produce the product, and by preparing appropriate documentation.

• 3D Modelling – You will understand how 3D models for games are structured, used and produced before planning and creating 3D models for use in a 3D game engine. You will learn how 3D models are structured, what they are used for, the different elements in them and plan ideas for your own. You will also import your models into the engine and check to make sure they function effectively.

• 3D Environments - You will understand the components of 3D environments and texture types, plan a 3D environment, make textures for it and build it in a 3D game engine. You will learn about the tools in a 3D game engine that enable a game world to look really good and the different types of textures that make models, terrain and other game elements look so impressive. You will also plan and create graphics to go on models and surfaces in a game environment before planning and building that environment.

• 3D Digital Animation - You will explore the purposes, development and technical characteristics of 3D animation while developing the appropriate skills. 3D animation is extensively used for a variety of purposes. In this unit, you will learn about the different uses of 3D animation and develop skills in digital tools and techniques, creating a final 3D animation for use in a media product.

Extended learning

Students will need to devote a significant amount of time to a range of extended learning tasks that will include research activities, portfolio based tasks and practice exam questions.

Level 3 Sixth Form entry requirements and having gained a qualification in Level 2 Creative iMedia or similar subject would be advantageous.