CHARACTER DESIGN FOR FILMS & GAMES

36 HRs Part-Time | 6 Weeks

Unleash your creativity and learn to design Characters for films and games

Grants Available for SG/PR*

About Character Design Course

The goal of this Character Design course is to provide advanced theoretical and practical expertise of figure/character development for a variety of visual storytelling media, such as games and animation. Investigate a character’s essence by cultivating their attitude and delving into what makes them feel real and grounded.

You’ll learn how to express all parts of a character in their apparel as well as the smallest details, such as position, attitude, and personality, in the video game and cinematic worlds. Brush up on your digital painting talents by experimenting with different painting techniques and strategies such as custom shapes, custom brushes, etc in this Digital Art Class. This course will teach you how to design a character based on a tale and how to comprehend and develop character poses.

3D Character Design

3D concept design emphasizes the game character, which is important to achieve striking and believable characters in gaming. At MAGES Institute, students will learn how to create 3D characters from the modelers, texturing, and rigging standpoints.

Our course focuses on the concept of 3D character designs, teaching students how to transform 2D designs into 3D models without losing the character’s features and traits.

Here, you will be introduced to tools and software such as Blender, ZBrush, or Maya to create detailed character models from the concept phase to finished 3D animations.

By the end of the course, we will make you an expert in developing believable and interactive characters suited for game environments.

For game developers, animators, or anyone who frequently applies video games to VR, focusing on 3D character design and concept art will help you improve the game story through visually appealing characters.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Characters are the agents through which we are brought into the world and universe of a Game, Movie or TV Show; in this course we dive deep into what makes a character effective and believable. Explore the essence of a character by developing their attitude and personality, and learn to show it through costume, poses, and expressions.

Taught and mentored by Kingston Chan, who has over two decades of experience at SEGA, Koei Tecmo, and is the former Art Director of FZD School of Entertainment Design.

DURATION : 36 Hrs across 6 weeks | Part-Time | Sat

STUDENT-TO-LECTURER RATIO: 18 Students : 1 Lecturer

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT: Lectures, Practical (Hands-on Application) and Project-based Assessment

COURSE START DATE : 28th June 2025

75% attendance is mandatory to complete the program

COURSE CODE : TGS-2021005685

REGISTERED COURSE NAME (MySkillsFuture Website) : CHARACTER DESIGN FOR FILM/GAMES (Blended Learning)

SOFTWARE TAUGHT : Adobe Photoshop

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS : Windows/Mac Laptop

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS : 18yrs & Above, Min Education level – N Level, & Passion for Concept Art

For more detailed information visit FAQs section below.

*GRANTS AVAILABLE : SSG, SFC, PSEA, UTAP

*For additional grant eligibility, please contact us.

AWARD : Statement of Attainment and Certificate of Completion

INSTRUCTORS

Kingston Chan, a Concept Development Artist and Art Director with 20+ years of experience, is also an Educator. He formerly served as the Senior Art Director at FZD School of Design.
With a background in SEGA Co. and Koei Tecmo, he’s committed to nurturing creative talent by emphasising art fundamentals in our tech-driven world.

Kingston Chan

Head of Art Department | Program Director

Damien Soh is a visual artist based in Singapore, specializing in digital illustration. His versatile skill set also extends to freelance work for multinational corporations like Unilever, encompassing roles in visual development and art direction. Having worked as the lead illustrator for the short animation “Pagoda of Peril” for Universal Studios Singapore in 2018, Damien recently made his solo exhibition debut with “The Banquet” at Art Outreach Singapore, hosted at Gilman Barracks.

Damien Soh

Lecturer

INSTRUCTOR GALLERY

TOPICS COVERED

Concept Art Production Flow Ideation Methods.
Importance of Keyplates and Backstory in the Concept Art Process.
Create Thumbnails and rough sketches.
Anatomy of the Concept Character in Orthographic and Perspective Views.
Create expressions for the character.
Final Character Design based on the keyplate.

Importance of cross-department workflow between concept and 3D artists.
Render the final character concept – Colors, lights, and shadows.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key issues relating to concept art practice.
Develop ideas for a new character’s features and profile.
Demonstrate artistry, conceptualization, and processes including thumbnail sketches and comps.
Demonstrate composition and orthographic drawing skills based on the creative brief.
Apply aesthetic and conceptual understanding of concept art in the evaluation of one’s own work and the work of others.
Design a character concept that effectively communicates the narrative.
Explain the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the concept art development process.
Demonstrate the ability to render expressive characters through various styles and techniques.

Fees

Singaporeans 40Yrs & Above

Course Fee (Incl 9% GST)

$2,398.00

SSG Grant @ 70%

$(1,540.00)

SFC (Based on available bal.)

PSEA (Based on eligibility & availability)

Amount Payable

$858.00

Singaporeans 21 & 40Yrs Below

Course Fee (Incl 9% GST)

$2,398.00

SSG Grant @ 50%

$(1,100.00)

SFC (Based on available bal.)

PSEA (Based on eligibility & availability)

Amount Payable

$1,298.00

Permanent Residents (PR)

Course Fee (Incl 9% GST)

$2,398.00

SSG Grant @ 50%

$(1,100.00)

Amount Payable

$1,298.00

SFC

All Singaporeans aged 25 years and above can use their Skills Future Credit to fully offset the remaining fees. Please check your Skills Future Credit balance before applying.

PSEA

All Singaporeans can utilise their Post Secondary Education Fund for payment of course fees upto the age of 31. More information can be found HERE

FAQs

Who is this course for?

All those with a passion for the arts, whether with some or little background in painting/illustration/sketching are welcome to apply. This course is beginner-friendly and is beneficial for both, traditional artists and digital artists looking to enhance their art. The course will bring up a fundamental understanding of designing a character keeping the fundamentals of Concept Art in mind.

Do I need to know any digital software for this courses?

Knowledge and background of Adobe Photoshop is an advantage, as it will be the default software used throughout. For those with no experience in Photoshop, please contact us.

What are the entry requirements for this course?

What is the admission process, and what payment options are available?

Once we receive your contact information our course advisor will guide you through the admissions process and the grants that are available.

We accept payments by check, bank transfer, credit/debit card and PayPal.

For more information, please contact us directly using the form below.

SPEAK TO AN ADVISOR

Need guidance or course recommendations? Let us help!

Course Type

Professional Short Course

Professional Certificate

Diploma / Advanced Diploma

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