Real-time Visualization Artist Specialisation
Advanced real-time visualisation for architectural, product and interactive 3D, mentored by industry and academic experts.
Create Interactive Real-time Experiences for Visualization and Virtual Production
This is advanced real-time visualisation work for artists ready to specialise. Across three terms you'll build architectural, product and interactive 3D scenes in Unreal Engine 5, working through asset preparation, master materials, lighting, camera animation, Blueprint interactivity and delivery until each scene holds up in a real pipeline. Your mentors, drawn from industry and academia, open your scenes, call out the material and lighting decisions that would fall over in production, and push your work past its first version, again and again. You graduate with a portfolio of real-time and interactive visualisation work built to the standard architectural, design and entertainment studios actually hire from.
What you'll train on:
- Interactive real-time 3D experiences in Unreal Engine 5
- Visualisation workflows for architectural and product applications
- Real-time presentations, walkthroughs and configurators
- Career preparation built into the final term

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.
Our mission is to ensure graduates are the best trained and best prepared for a successful career in their chosen field.
Same Course. Same Mentors. Two Ways to Train.
1:1 Career Mentorship
Train with a working professional focused entirely on you, reviewing your work every week the way a supervisor reviews a junior artist. Immediate, specific, tailored to exactly where you are. You set the pace, push past the set curriculum where you need to, and start the month you are ready.
WHO IS THIS FOR
- Working professionals looking to upskill or pivot without leaving their job
- Experienced artists who need targeted training in a specific tool or technique
- Students who benefit from personalised instruction due to additional learning needs
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Private 1-hour weekly sessions with a dedicated mentor |
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Flexible scheduling and pacing that fits around your life |
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Personalised feedback on your portfolio and career direction |
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Start any month, no waiting for a cohort |
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No prerequisites, assessments, or fixed cohort schedule |
Group Class
Learn in a small group led by a working professional, with everyone's work reviewed every week the way a studio team operates. You grow alongside people chasing the same goals, sharpening your eye on their work as well as your own, and keep the momentum that comes from not working alone.
WHO IS THIS FOR
- Students who learn better in collaborative, social environments
- Career changers who want structure and accountability while they transition
- Recent school leavers looking for an alternative to a traditional university degree
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Weekly 3-hour live classes with a small cohort of peers |
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Collaborative group projects that simulate studio team workflows |
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Structured curriculum with assessments and deadlines that keep you on track |
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Watch your work reviewed next to your peers', and learn from their feedback |
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Credits transfer directly toward a CGSI degree |
Course Curriculum
Real-time 3D Visualization
Introduces real-time architectural and product visualisation using Unreal Engine 5. Students learn to import and prepare assets via Datasmith and FBX, build materials and shaders, set up lighting and post-process volumes, and create both interior and exterior scenes. The subject covers camera animation, foliage systems, and a final portfolio project, giving students the core real-time visualisation skills demanded by architectural, design, and entertainment studios.
- Investigate fundamental Real-time 3D visualization principles including topology, materials, and lighting within the context of asset preparation
- Utilise appropriate references and visual research to inform creative and technical decision making
- Prepare a series of 3D models and materials that respond to real-world requirements and design briefs
- Apply foundational lighting, texturing, and composition techniques to Real-time 3D scenes using industry-standard tools
- Explain and justify design decisions with reference to foundational Real-time visualization principles and peer/mentor feedback
- Adhere to industry specific processes and practices and communicate creative concepts using written, oral, and visual presentation methods
- Introduction to Real-time Visualization
- Asset Preparation, Datasmith & FBX Export
- Materials & Shaders
- Setting up Master Materials
- Lighting & Post Process Volume
- Blockout and Planning
- Making an Interior Scene
- Camera Animation Basics & Rendering
- Foliage System & Landscaping
- Making a Simple Exterior Scene
- Making Scenes More Dynamic
- Real Time Exterior Project
Interactive 3D Visualization
Advances real-time visualisation skills into interactive, immersive, and client-ready deliverables. Students work with Substrate materials, variant manager configurators, procedural vegetation, photogrammetry workflows, and Blueprint-driven interactivity. The subject covers VR optimisation, pixel streaming for browser-based delivery, and final project export, preparing students for roles producing interactive presentations, virtual walkthroughs, and real-time experiences.
- Demonstrate understanding of advanced interactive elements, proceduralism, and material workflows in Real-time 3D visualization
- Apply visual storytelling principles to the layout and lighting of real-time 3D scenes
- Utilise appropriate visual references and documentation to support asset creation
- Construct a complete interactive real-time 3D scene that integrates architectural, organic and/or mechanical elements with lighting and textures
- Explain decisions with reference to environmental storytelling and industry best practices
- Adhere to industry specific processes and practices and communicate creative concepts using written, oral, and visual presentation methods
- Mood and Atmosphere
- Substrate Material Workflow
- Variant Manager Configurator
- Procedural Vegetation Editor
- Procedural Content Generation
- Material Functions
- Render Elements & Back to Beauty Workflow
- Photogrammetry Workflows
- Interactivity and Blueprints
- VR Optimization
- Pixel Streaming
- Project Builds / Export
Real-time Visualization Capstone
Create a professional portfolio of real-time architectural and interactive 3D visualization work in Unreal Engine.
- Plan and develop a real-time visualisation portfolio aligned with industry hiring standards
- Refine and polish interactive and immersive scenes in Unreal Engine to studio quality
- Demonstrate range across architectural, product, and interactive 3D visualisation
- Seek and respond to peer and mentor feedback to iterate professionally
- Present a cohesive body of work for professional applications
- Developing Project Ideas
- Writing Project Proposals
- Planning Creative Projects
- Making the Most of Professional Feedback
- Research, Development, and Testing
- Preparing and Delivering Progress Presentations
- Rescoping Projects
- Responding to Critical Feedback
- Acquiring Feedback from Creative Communities
- Preparing Online Portfolio Content
- Presenting Completed Projects
- Professional and Creative Reflection
Download the Course Guide
Download the course guide for the full curriculum, term structure, software list, and what you will build in each term.Train Directly Under Industry and Academic Experts
Your scenes are reviewed by mentors with real-time visualisation experience across architecture, product design and virtual production. They open your files, point to what would not hold up, and show you how to lift it.

Addison DeBolt
Addison DeBolt has spent 14 years working on AAA shooters and real-time pipelines at EA, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, Activision, Niantic, and Fox VFX. Her credits run from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Ghosts, and Infinite Warfare to Dead Space, Avowed, and Assassin's Creed Nexus. She mentors CGSI Real-time 3D students with the production rigour that comes from shipping at scale.
Known for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Akintayo Adewole
Akintayo Adewole has spent eight years working in virtual production and real-time 3D at Epic Games, Verrex, OVFX Studio, and DRKR Pixels, with shorts and commercials across his portfolio. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students through the Unreal-driven workflows now powering film, episodic, and live broadcast.
Known for Unreal Fellowship: Animation

Carl Shedd
Carl has worked in the industry professionally for over 17 years. He started his career at Gearbox Software and is currently a World Building Director at Gearbox Software.
Known for Borderlands franchise

Cesar Maestre
Cesar Maestre has spent 11 years working in real-time 3D and virtual production at Epic Games, the studio behind Unreal Engine. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students from inside the toolchain that drives modern film, broadcast, and game production.
Known for Unreal Authorized Instructor

David Gruwier
David Gruwier brings 14 years of VFX experience from Ghost VFX, the Copenhagen studio with credits across major streaming and theatrical productions. He mentors CGSI students on the production-grade workflows behind modern post pipelines.
Known for Star Trek: Picard

Erica Penk
Erica Penk is a Gold Unreal Authorized Instructor who has been working in real-time 3D since 2015. She founded Ericana Productions and previously held the Technical Manager role at Trick 3D, where she contributed to Zayden's Wish, the first virtual reality experience produced by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She mentors CGSI Real-time 3D students alongside her work with the Unreal Fellowships, specialising in previsualisation, technical animation, and Blueprints.
Known for Zayden's Wish

Ivan Leon
Ivan Leon has spent 14 years working in real-time 3D across Ubisoft, Epic Games, Star Atlas, and Next/Now. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students with a perspective shaped by both AAA games and the new wave of Unreal-driven cinematic and interactive work.
Known for XDefiant

Jon Robins
Jon currently works as a Lead Character Technical Artist at Striking Distance Studios where he loves solving problems and helping teams in as many ways as he can.
Known for Marvel's Avengers

Karim Yasser
Karim Yasser has spent 10 years building real-time worlds and FX, with credits including Gears of War: E-Day, Dune Awakening, Off The Grid, and Echoes of the End at studios such as People Can Fly, Gunzilla Games, and Myrkur Games. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students through the Unreal-driven workflows now powering games and live virtual sets.
Known for Gears of War: E-Day

Lightfoot Buckeyne
Lightfoot Buckeyne brings 11 years of real-time 3D experience from Cubic Corporation and Endava Games, with credits on Immortals of Aveum, Payday 3, and Alien. He mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the engine workflows and shipping discipline behind modern Unreal-driven projects.
Known for Immortals of Aveum

Lucas Esposito
Lucas Esposito brings six years of real-time 3D and virtual production experience from Zakazane Studio, with credits including Gwent: The Witcher Card Game. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students from inside the Unreal-driven workflows now defining the field.
Known for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

Michael Parker
Michael Parker mentors CGSI students across the foundational craft and production discipline that underpins every specialisation.
Known for Avengers: Infinity War

Nicholas Taylor
Nicholas Taylor mentors CGSI students through the production-grade habits and craft that shape industry-ready portfolios.
Known for Real-time 3D

Nicklas Byriel
A certified V-Ray instructor, Nicklas is a 3D generalist/TD with over a decade of experience in 3D visualization, including running his own company Negative Black.
Known for Founder of Chaos Theory

Nida Arshia
Nida Arshia has spent 11 years across real-time 3D and visual effects at MediaMonks and Epic Games, with credits including Detective Pikachu, Cats, Dolittle, Dark Phoenix, and Predator. She mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the visual storytelling that translates film thinking into Unreal-driven production.
Known for Visual storytelling

Paul Eliasz
Paul is an Unreal Engine Specialist and CTO of UMEWE COLLECTIVE, working in game development, VR, and Virtual Production. He’s consulted for top companies, including Bentley and Netflix, and mentors creatives globally.
Known for Bentley

Simon Warwick
Simon has been working in the game industry since 2005, and was credited as the only technical cinematic animator for Batman: Arkham City at Rocksteady Studios.
Known for Batman: Arkham Knight

Victoria Lyons
Victoria Lyons has spent eight years working in real-time 3D, with credits across Splash Damage's Project Astrid, Star Wars: Kenobi, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rebel Moon, and Palia. She mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the Unreal-driven workflows now bridging film and game production.
Known for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Yuri Perrini
Yuri is a 3D Animator and Rigger who has worked across film, TV, commercials, video games, and mixed reality AR-VR, for clients such as Jim Henson, Stan Lee, Gatorade, and the 2018 World Cup.
Known for The Cleansing Hour
Get The Education You Deserve
"The CG Spectrum training solidified my skills using Unreal Engine.
Having used it briefly before, and feeling overwhelmed by how big the range is of what you can do using the engine, the training taught me the areas I would need for virtual production very well. I now feel confident with the skills I have gained."
Simran M | Real-Time 3D & Virtual Production
"Having a mentor definitely helped! It was awesome to have someone I could reach out to when I was stuck.
Getting the weekly feedback also helped in terms of what to improve and what to focus on next. In Term 3, we learned Unreal Engine; I implemented the knowledge I gained in that course to my Advanced 3D Modeling Course to create some additional renders that demonstrated my understanding of using and integrating game-ready assets into an actual game engine.
Benjamin O | 3D Modeling
"Hands down the best decision I've made for my career.
The learning material and staff were great, and having an industry mentor was an invaluable asset that really helped me get my break in the VFX industry."
Alan R | VFX Compositing
"My experience at CG Spectrum was second to none, and taught me so much more than I initially anticipated.
My mentor took me from being barely computer literate to an animator working at a studio in only a year and a half. The information and level of teaching at CG Spectrum will absolutely not be found anywhere else."
Kieran | Animation
"I have never experienced such an explosive evolution in my art since attending CG Spectrum.
I have learnt an incredible amount, not only from my amazing mentor Eric Wilkerson but from the entire CGS community. Being part of such an amazing program has opened my eyes to techniques that have streamlined my process and increased my confidence tenfold."
Oliver H | Concept Art & Illustration
"CG Spectrum seemed too good to be true. Looking back, it was the best decision.
Every mentor and staff member has been so hands-on and directly involved in my learning. Co-Directors of top box office movies and supervisors of major Netflix TV shows are giving me feedback on my projects. Students also have access to a strong community, and an awesome career class to prepare you for your dream job."
Stephanie S | 3D Modeling
"CG Spectrum is the perfect place to gain focus, understanding, an encouragement for your journey.
If you are looking for a supportive place to gain or hone skills in game design or other verticals, CGS is a fantastic and worthy place to dive in."
Shaul H | Game Design
"I highly recommend signing up with CG Spectrum!
I was looking for a final push to bump my skills and finally start applying for jobs as an artist. Shortly after finishing my Advanced 3D Modeling Course I landed my first job as Junior Environment Artist, which was my dream!"
Kasia P | 3D Modeling
"I got a job offer at a major feature film studio before even graduating!
Studying at CG Spectrum gave me the opportunity to network with industry artists while I was learning, and coupled with the amazing course, I was able to secure a position in the industry. Now I'm working on amazing projects in my dream job!"
Andi E | 3D Modeling
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Questions? We Have Answers
This is an advanced specialisation. It builds on prior 3D training, so you need either completion of a foundation-level 3D course or a portfolio, reel and resume that demonstrate equivalent capability.
Your portfolio should show that you can model, texture and light a complete 3D scene, and that you are comfortable in a 3D package such as 3ds Max, Maya or Blender.
If you are unsure whether your skills are sufficient, send us your portfolio when you apply, and we'll arrange for the department head to review it and, depending on the circumstances, a student interview.
Age Minimum
The minimum age to enrol in our career track courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrolment process for applicants under 18.
English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There is no specific 'level'; however, you must be able to follow video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.
Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).
Software:
This course requires Unreal Engine 5, plus a 3D package: 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya or Blender. The capstone term is delivered in Unreal Editor.
Instructions for how to obtain an educational licence for this software will be provided upon enrolment.
Hardware:
You will need a PC with a dedicated graphics card that meets the minimum specifications for Unreal Engine 5 and your chosen 3D package. A minimum of 32GB RAM is ideal for real-time work.
Please note: as the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enroling.
The Real-time Visualization Artist Specialisation is the second half of the Real-time Visualization career track. It follows foundational 3D training and takes you into advanced Unreal Engine work for architectural, product and interactive visualisation.
The final term is dedicated to industry preparation. With your mentor's guidance you'll refine your portfolio, build the professional skills employers look for, and practise presenting your work to a professional standard.
Developing the following knowledge and skills before you start will be highly advantageous to your studies:
- Good understanding of architectural forms and spatial composition
- Solid box modelling skills
- Solid UV mapping skills
- Solid knowledge of 3D geometry: points, edges, vertices, UVs, faces, and surface normals
- Intermediate knowledge of lighting and rendering
- Intermediate knowledge of texturing and materials
- Basic familiarity with the Unreal Engine 5 interface
On completing the Real-time Visualization Artist Specialisation, you'll have greater confidence in your technical and creative abilities and a polished portfolio to show prospective employers.
You'll also have access to our career coach and personalised career services (including interview preparation, CV/resume assistance, and portfolio reviews), which can help when applying for junior roles such as:
- Visualisation artist
- Real-time artist
- Architectural visualiser
Real-time skills are also in demand in product design, film and virtual production.
The CG Spectrum community is another strong resource. Through graduates and mentors already working in the industry, you can network and hear about relevant job vacancies.
We cannot offer guaranteed employment. The industry is competitive, and there is no way of knowing what the market will demand in terms of real-time visualisation.
The students who experience the greatest success are those who take responsibility for their careers, put in the hard work to raise their skills to industry standards, draw on their mentor's expertise, and take advantage of every opportunity to excel.
To help students find employment, we have a range of career services and a dedicated career coach who regularly hosts career-focused webinars, Q&As, artist interviews, and workshops for CG Spectrum students and graduates.
The Specialisation course also dedicates a full term to career and industry preparation. With your mentor's guidance, you'll refine your professional portfolio, build essential job skills, and market yourself with confidence.
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