SAE University College has announced a new partnership with globally renowned design and visual effects studio FIN, placing the opportunity for students to get real-world industry experience through extended work placements at the centre of SAE’s VFX and Virtual Production course offering.
The partnership means that SAE’s VFX students will have more time to apply their skills in FIN’s real studio environments, build meaningful industry connections, and gain the confidence that comes from working on FIN’s incredible projects from start-to-finish.
This collaboration is designed to create new opportunities for SAE students while also supporting FIN’s commitment to developing future talent and staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
FIN's expertise spans world-class film, television, and advertising projects, offering students unique insights into the creative and technical processes of high-end visual effects. Students will learn from the studio's experience on major productions like Paramount's 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3', Gareth Edwards' 'The Creator', and numerous award-winning commercial campaigns.
“This partnership reflects SAE’s commitment to career-ready education. We don’t just teach creative and technical skills, we collaborate with the people defining the future of the industry,” SAE Dean Rachel Shea says.
“Providing opportunities for our students with a global leader in VFX such as FIN means they are working with the best before they even graduate. This collaboration will help us design courses that further align with the real-world jobs our students want at the end of their education.”
SAE prides itself on providing students with courses that directly relate to the real experience of working within industry and is continuously reviewing all curriculum to ensure they are teaching the most up-to-date industry practices and concepts. For the VFX curriculum, SAE will now have input from FIN's senior artists and technical directors further ensuring that students are workplace ready upon graduation.
The partnership will also include opportunities for FIN Creatives to run Q&A sessions for students, be guest lecturers, give us feedback on our curriculum, and provide advice to help students understand what it’s really like to work in the industry.
“Two years ago, we recruited Adam Priest and John Mayer directly from SAE, and they’ve since become two of our most in-demand compositors. They came in with a strong technical base, a solid understanding of production workflows, and the right mindset to thrive in a studio environment,” Head of Compositing at FIN, Aaron Barclay says. “Their transition into high-end, client-facing work was seamless, and that speaks volumes about how well-prepared they were. It’s exciting to see SAE grads hitting the ground running and making real impact so early in their careers.”
“Shaping the future of the industry starts with education,” Managing Director at FIN Chris Spry says. “We’re excited to help design the course content that will shape the next wave of VFX professionals. We’ve seen firsthand when students are trained in industry standard tools, workflows and mindsets from the beginning, they walk into studios confident and job ready.”
Coinciding with this partnership, SAE will be launching its Bachelor of VFX and Virtual Production on its Brisbane campus, allowing for close collaboration with FIN’s studio on the Gold Coast.
To celebrate the launch of the Bachelor of VFX and Virtual Production on SAE’s Brisbane campus, the university college is offering a 15 per cent scholarship for new domestic students beginning the course on campus in Trimester 1 2026.
Any budding VFX stars who would like to take advantage of this scholarship and the new partnership with FIN should contact SAE via their website.
