Free 60-hours skills training
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses, giving you the opportunity to build up sector-specific technical skills and attract new clients.
Master in-demand Houdini skills to win more contracts. Training and career support is completely free.
Feel more confident using Houdini’s powerful node-based workflow with this 10-week programme.
You’ll learn the fundamentals of procedural generation, craft realistic VFX simulations such as explosions and smoke and leave being able to navigate the 3D software than increasing numbers of studios are adding to their workflow.
In addition, you’ll also be paired with a business mentor who will help you secure more of the contract work you love to do, rather than the projects you have to do to pay the bills.
And the best part – it’s free.
6,900+
creative professionals enrolled
7,000+
mentoring calls delivered
95+
countries in the network
Tailored for career outcomes for artists, motion
Our industry-first approach is built around identifying the latest skills needs and gaps in the technical side of the creative sector - and adjusting our learning journeys and wraparound support to suit.
In-depth software training
Our interest and passion lie in creative industries, like film, broadcast, virtual reality, games and VFX. We are authorised training partners for industry-standard tools - and our mentors are typically certified instructors.
Mentor-led training
It's easy to access learning content online but completion and engagement rates can be low. Our team of mentors and coaches work to ensure the right goals are set, training is structured, valuable feedback is provided, and learners are motivated and focused.
Your path to attracting more contracts in VFX and motion graphics
Houdini is a powerful 3D and VFX software, ideal for creating detailed models, procedural designs, dynamic simulations, and stunning visual effects. As the VFX industry rebuilds in 2025, more and more studios want their artists to be able to work in Houdini. And as clients demand more dynamic content to stimulate audiences, creative studios of all kinds are adopting it in their pipeline.
TECHNICAL ARTIST
ENVIRONMENT ARTIST
VFX ARTIST
"[The partipant's] overall aptitude has increased, he is more able to manipulate geometry and perform basic animation in Houdini and the course allowed him substantial insight into material X. He now has a better understanding of vellum and simulation in general and is better at organising his logic to work with Houdini's data-flow."
Quote from the manager of a previous participant
2024
Your journey ahead
The Skills Bootcamp is project-led in a small group of no more than 7 others, with 1-2-1 feedback and a skills scorecard to show your progress.
- Understanding the node-based workflow
- Navigating the interface and tools
- Exploring procedural design basics
- Introduction to procedural modelling in SOPs
- Advanced SOP techniques
- Copy stamp, attributes, solver node
- Introduction to writing code and VOPS and tips
- VOPS and tips
- Introduction to VEX wrangles and tips
- Introduction to DOPS and Houdini's particle system
- Introduction to Bullet RBDs
- Advanced RBD control with constraints
- Introduction to pyro tools and basic control
- Advanced custom velocity controls
- Rendering
- Understanding pyro shading
- Introduction to Vellum cloth
- Cloth tips and tricks
- Introduction to texturing, material assignment and principle shader
Built with industry, for industry
This Skills Bootcamp has been designed specifically to ensure you get the technical skills that will help you stand out in a crowded market of creative technologists. Everything is aligned around the real skills that the industry needs to fill.
Studios we work with
Meet the team who are in your corner and you learn new skills.
You will have 1-to-1 and group video calls, live online classes, personal feedback, technical help and emotional support from a team of people invested in your success.
Mark Spevick 
Technical Mentor
I’ll assess your skill level, then ensure you learn the concepts well. I’ll set you tasks to build your skills, give you feedback on how well you’ve executed the task and support you to build a project for your portfolio.
Nishe Patel
Success Manager
I'm available for coaching if you feel blocked in you learning journey - or wider freelance career. You can talk to me about everything from confidence challenges to procrastination and we'll work through them together.
Stephen Arthur
Success manager
I’m here from day one of your bootcamp. I’ll make sure you are getting the most from the bootcamp at every stage, whether it be setting up your personalised schedule to sharing articles and events you might love.
Lindsay Stockley
Lead business mentor
I will make sure you get the most up-to-date and relevant learning opportunities to build your creative business. Whether it is getting you the best mentors or gaining access to helpful resources, I will be there to ensure you get the support most beneficial to your growth.
Over 6,000 creators from 95 different countries
We're proud of all the creative professionals, from every walk of life, who have been through one of our career accelerators since 2015. With our new Skills Bootcamp, we want to continue this commitment to finding diverse voices and original talent who've been shut out for too long. Outsiders, misfits and changemakers need apply.
Alessandro Manghi
Unreal Engine Artist
Bruno Wilkinson
Game Programmer
Kimberly Gyambibi
3D Visualizer
Ismail Aljanabi
3D Technical Artist
Loretta Lok
Game Developer
Krisztian Bajko
Games programmer
Oskar Korbut
Design Coordinator
Tara Cannon-Young
Environment Designer
Srinath Upadhyayula
Software Engineer
Zilla Meetun
Unreal Engine Developer
Yacob Reyneke
C++ Programmer
Mattia Grigolato
Unreal Generalist
Victor Rasuly
Games developer (Alumni)
My time at Mastered has been nothing but fantastic. I came into Mastered with absolutely no programming experience whatsoever, to taking on the role of a Technical Game Designer within just the span of 5-6 months, thanks to the help of my mentors!
Richard Leck
Technical artist (Alumni)
The team at Mastered is just amazing. I was working a full-time job and was going through a tough time mentally, but they were so patient with any issues I had and pushed me to find a way around problems in ways I never thought about.
Dean Isseyegh
Gameplay programmer (Alumni)
The one-on-one mentoring sessions with an experienced Unity developer were extremely useful. Even as someone with lots of programming knowledge, there was still a whole load of game-specific technology, terms, and programming paradigms I had never heard of and just knowing about them gave me the ability to pick them up and learn about them quickly.
Limited places available
You can apply to join the bootcamp through the form below and one of our admissions team will set up a call to find out more about your goals and assess whether this is going to be a good fit for you. Please note, we are selective and there are very limited fully-funded places. We are looking for special talent so please give the questions below proper thought.
Talent. Meet opportunity
