1. How to become a Special Effects Technician
Neo’s Career Path
How to become a Special Effects Technician

2. My Career Goals I want to become Special Effects Technician by 2020
To get there, I will need to:
Graduate high school by June 2017
Meet the entrance requirements for the school program.

3. What is a Special Effect Technician?
A special effects (SFX) technician produces visual, pyrotechnic (explosive) or physical effects in order to create a particular impression or illusion in a film, television, stage or video production. working with colleagues to determine special effects requirements
using skills such as moulding, electronics, welding, joinery, drawing and painting
creating props, for example collapsible furniture (for use in fight scenes) or prosthetics (body parts or silicon masks)
using specialist software packages to create computer-generated aspects, such as scenery and characters

4. About my future career would normally work on a freelance basis.
would be either indoors in a studio or outdoors on location.
might have to do a lot of heavy lifting.
work flexible hours, often including evenings and weekends.
might have to travel abroad and spend overnights away from home.
Actual salaries may vary, depending on:
where you work
the size of the company or organisation you work for

5. My job has a 20% chance of becoming automated
Because special effects are usually used in movie or film making even photoshoping. It requires the technicians necessary skills to deal with it. There are a lot of detail stuffs that robots can not do.

6. Special Effects Technician would be great for me because…
I already have these skills for this career:
Basic computer skills

7. I am not quite ready for this career, but I will get there!
Because the nature of special effects depends on creating something out of nothing, there is quite a bit of on-the-job training involved with a career in this field. Successful effects technicians aren't afraid to learn new things or do something in a different manner. Special effects technicians usually work under the tutelage of a senior effects technician.
These are skills for the job I still need to learn:
This is how I will get those necessary skills:
Go to some certain school that has this program and give training for students.

8. This is what appeals to me with this career…
Because I can create some really cool stuffs by my own hands and the stuffs that I create are unique.

9. Potential obstacles to getting this career
The possible obstacles:
Do not have required skills for this career
My plan to overcome them:
Learn by myself and read over some book about the special effects making.

10. The training/education required for my career is:
Although a formal college degree in filmmaking or film studies might help you get your foot in the door, the real measure of a special effects technician is his previous work. Rob Bottin, a special effects technician who worked on "The Howling" and "The Thing," among other movies, was entirely self-taught when he broke into the film industry.

11. I intend to go to BCIT for that career
Credential: Certificate Format: Full-time Length: 1 year Start Dates: October, April Campus: Burnaby Domestic Tuition: $16,470*  International Tuition: $21,210* *cost estimate

12. Here is where I can get that:
English: two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
English 12 (50%) or
Communications 12 (67%) or
3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (50%) from a recognized institution
Applications will be reviewed and assessed by the program area when the entrance requirements are complete. Applicants will be contacted for the following:
Portfolio review session with the Digital Arts department*
*Applicants must bring their portfolio to the portfolio review session. The portfolio should consist of pieces, one of which must be a sketchbook which includes some Life Drawing or other artwork such as painting, 2D or 3D design, sculpting, photography etc.)

13. Financial Plan I am going to pay for my program:
From Family and self, I will go and find a job to pay for the school tuition.

14. Special Effects Technicians are awesome!!!
I can join the scheme as an SFX trainee. As your experience grows, you can apply for re-grading as technician, senior technician, and eventually, as supervisor.
I might specialise as a miniature SFX technician, a role which can command higher fees.
If I work for a large company, you might get promotion to visual effects designer.
Technicians need to make sure they continually update their skills by searching out courses such as those run by the Institute of Explosive Engineers.
Most SFX technicians work freelance for small specialist companies.