James Major is a graduate of our BA(Hons) Live Visual Design and Production course. He works as an XR Studio Executive and Production Co-ordinator for XPLOR, a new research and innovation hub dedicated to evolving live production, entertainment, arts and creative industries, based on Production Park.

What made you want to study at Backstage Academy? 

I have always had an interest in games and storytelling. From there my love for 3D graphics and virtual environments grew. I learnt how to 3D model and then further integrate them into game engines such as Unreal Engine. 

What have you been doing since graduating? 

Since graduating, I’ve been working on increasing my skill set and network within the industry. My passion for film and TV has put me in such a strong position in the sector as I’ve been able to make great connections, collaborate with them and learn from them. 

Working on filming days of any project have been the proudest moments of my career so far. Every project is so different, they can’t be compared to one another, which makes it so new and exciting each time. I can’t even begin to describe that feeling of pride I feel after working on a project for weeks, or often months, and then seeing it up on the screen. 

How did Backstage Academy help with your career development? 

Backstage Academy really helped me prepare for the client facing side of the industry. In particular, they taught me how to present myself in front of clients and industry partners. 

What was your favourite part of studying at Backstage Academy? 

In my first year, I was part of the team who put together the exhibition ‘Digital Dimensions’ for the National Children’s Museum. It was the first time I was part of a team who really worked well together to push our ideas to get the best results. It may have felt stressful at the time, but the best thing is looking back and knowing it was all worth it. It was an amazing project to work on. 

From content creation to world-building, projection mapping to immersive technology, our course in Live Visual Design and Production will leave you with a highly prized skill set to create extraordinary visual experiences, bring your ideas to life and explore the future of entertainment technology.