# UK CG training
Learn 3D, VFX, animation, and motion graphics.
Independent UK reviews of Blender, Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Escape Studios, CGMA, and every serious CG course in 2026. Read before you spend a pound.
01 Independent editorial
02 UK salary + career context
03 Affiliate-disclosed on every review
04 Updated 2026
# careers / compositor
How to become a compositor in the UK.
Compositor is the highest-volume junior VFX role in the UK. Every Tier 1 Soho studio (Framestore, DNEG, MPC, Cinesite, Milk, Union, ILM London) runs Nuke pipelines and hires junior comps every quarter. It is the fastest route into UK VFX and the most transparent salary progression. Two things get you the first seat: a 60-90 second reel and enough Nuke fluency to survive week one.
# UK salary band
Junior compositor: £24,000 to £32,000. Mid (3 to 5 yrs): £36,000 to £52,000. Senior (6+ yrs): £50,000 to £72,000. Lead / comp supervisor: £72,000 to £110,000. Freelance day rate at 24 months: £380 to £620/day.
Three required skills.
- Nuke node-graph fluency: keying, roto, tracking, CG integration, clean-plate, deep compositing. Read the Nuke guide.
- Colour and grade literacy: understanding scene-linear workflows, ACES, log vs linear, and matching CG to plate under a colourist grade. UK VFX supervisors test for this at senior review.
- A 3-shot reel: one green-screen key with CG integration, one clean-up / paint-out, one full-CG integration. 60-90 seconds max. Framestore’s reel-guide page is the canonical spec.
Typical 3-year progression.
- Year 1: junior compositor at Framestore, DNEG, MPC, Cinesite, Milk or Union. Often runner-to-junior in 4 to 8 months. Salary £24,000 to £32,000.
- Year 2: comp on 2 to 4 feature or premium-TV credits. Confident with keying, roto, deep and CG integration. Salary band £32,000 to £42,000, freelance £330/day.
- Year 3: mid compositor with lead-shot responsibility. Salary £40,000 to £52,000 PAYE, or freelance £400 to £550/day.