An unforgettable experience with us
The studio that teaches
Unlike most educational methods that are only learning by listening, project-based learning provides a greater understanding and better retention of complex concepts. As an added benefit, the flexibility of this style of learning allows students coming from different levels of experience to always stay challenged. Students learn real-world problem-solving skills by continuously pushing themselves in new ways. Each project reveals a new craft-relevant challenge to overcome under the guidance of an experienced mentor.
Through carefully designed demonstrations and courses, students are shown all the fundamental skills required in the industry and apply those skills through valuable portfolio projects, which smoothly increase in complexity as the program progresses. We embrace an open floor plan, encouraging students from different programs to communicate and collaborate on projects. Our hours of instruction closer reflect the future studio culture, with additional evening times to work on projects. Our higher than average full-time instructor to student ratio nurtures a strong learning relationship between students and staff which often results in a close knit group of friends who develop teamwork skills while also recognizing and supporting each others strengths. In addition, a fluid schedule allows us the flexibility to add in a last minute guest speaker or studio tour!
One of the major advantages of the project work offered only at Lost Boys is that the students feel better prepared for employment in a studio. Students are encouraged to find new solutions to problems they encounter on different projects thereby continuously learning throughout this process. This is imperative in an ever evolving technology driven field.
Small class sizes to cultivate more specialized, tailored, and unique learning experience for you.
Personalized mentorship in small class sizes
The road to career success and mastery of difficult skills are often tricky tasks to accomplish. At Lost Boys, you have direct access to experienced industry leaders available to offer advice and expert guidance to fit your needs. With a direct 1-on-1 link to your instructor, you’ll be able to ask questions, discuss your progress, or to just brainstorm creative ideas. From preparing you with mock interviews with industry recruiters to creating the perfect demo reel that demonstrates your skill set, our instructors unlock your potential and achieve success.
By setting challenges and goals to keep you motivated throughout the week, instructors gradually raise the bar to help you grow professionally and individually. More importantly, capitalizing on your strongest skill set to nurture complete mastery of it. When you’re facing a difficult task that may not be your strongest suit, our instructors and staff help you find a different approach that guide you to a greater outcome.
Ultimately, our instructors care about you and ensure that your goals are met. More importantly, your mentorship does not end after your graduation, but rather, it is a continued process where you can confidently ask and rely on our instructors guidance throughout your visual effects journey.
Student Testimonials
What to expect when joining Lost Boys
Education that's industry driven, connected, and ready for you
We have two decades of experience actively participating in the development of our industry. We listen to the current needs, we anticipate the future demands, and the outcome has been the creation of the world’s top craft programs giving you your best shot at working in feature film visual effects.
There are no programs out there like ours wherein course curriculum adapts to the needs of the industry. In fact, many programs out there fall behind or quickly become outdated. With our strong connection to the industry, we understand first-hand what the industry requires from new artists coming out of our school. Time and time again our students have worked on the ground floor on feature films in the field they have trained under. With our program, students have gone to work as compositors, FX TDs, and lighting artists due to the specialized nature of our programs. To that extent, what you study will be what you become and the jobs you place in will not be unrelated work. We are confident that our students are well-equipped to face any challenges when graduating from our course and studios around the world recognize and testify to our industry-readiness.
Although we have strong ties to the visual effects industry, our alumni are also another valuable resource. They directly enter world-class studios right out of graduation due to their highly-specialized skill set, which become a valuable ongoing tie to the industry that continuously help evolve the program. In fact, the most exclusive studios in the world visit only our studio and hire only from Lost Boys due to the highly-specialized, industry relevant training offered here. We are proud of our students who have gone on to work on blockbuster featured films and grateful to our veteran instructors who paved the way for the new generation of artists coming out of Lost Boys.
Industry speakers from world-class studios and feedback on demo reels
Industry Testimonials
select testimonials from hundreds of world-class studios
Building confidence in finding a job
We understand the challenges that come with finding a job in an industry that is highly competitive and ever-changing. That’s why we focus on providing you the highest level of support after you graduate by finding you the best studio that fits your needs both on a personal and professional level. We’re with you for the long haul because it is important for us to see our graduates succeed and fulfill their dream of being a visual effects artist.
From creating professional demo reels that are industry-relevant, student mock interviews hosted by industry recruiters and instructors, studio tours and reviews from visual effects artists within big studios, we prepare you in every aspect of job-seeking that will build your confidence in finding a job.
Thanks to our long history as leaders in visual effects production, our active industry participation, and our track record of producing the top fresh talent for world-class studios, we are experts in building your portfolio and demo reel that studios are actively seeking. Our reputation opens doors and builds connections that many schools cannot.
We often have recruiters contacting us to ask when the next class is graduating and if we have any alumni available for work. With our world-class reputation for producing highly-sought out artists, studios will often hire several Lost Boys at once right out of graduation. Our goal is to help you find a job after your time here with us at Lost Boys. Your choice of education with us is just another step closer for you to achieve your dream as a visual effects artist.
Once a Lost Boy, always a Lost Boy
Lost Boys is not just a school that trains highly-sought out artists in the Visual Effects industry, it is also a family with a reputation of being a strong, connected international community. With regular social events, game and movie nights, tours to local studios, and camping trips, Lost Boys has naturally developed an environment that connects both students and staff together. We continue to stay in touch with our graduates and maintain a strong connection with our current students in and out of student-life.
One thing we continue to emphasize to prospective students is our extreme care for any individual who embarks on their visual effects journey with us. Our priority is to understand your goals and how we can accommodate those needs by creating an environment for both individual and collective growth. We are fortunate to have such an amazing group of students, alumni, and staff that create a safe environment that welcomes anyone into our studio.
To that extent, we actively cultivate a respectful, supportive relationship among students and staff. This is at the heart of the community which invites students from diverse backgrounds to bring their personal thoughts, feelings, and experience into the studio. We believe this intuitively allows for a creative space to flow that fuels positive energy in and out of our school.
Training in the most diverse cities in the world
A podcast that goes from interviews with industry veterans on the growing field of visual effects, reviews on recent featured films, our own ideas of movies that would be cool to make, controversial topics of the film and TV industry, and interviews with recent alumni.
Our industry allies have hired Lost Boys right out of graduation
