Study Animation Cinema at ECV
ECV, an animation school, offers a higher education program dedicated to 2D/3D animation film techniques available across all 6 campuses. Graduates of these specialties can be found in top global creative studios such as Illumination Mac Guff, Ubisoft, Unit Image, Quantic Dream, Asobo, Cube Interactive, and more.
The schools also provide students with learning conditions tailored to the current needs of the studios:
- Body and facial motion capture studio
- Individual workstations
- Auditorium/cinema room
- Sound studio…
The Sector Has a Bright Future
The animation film industry continues to grow, with France ranking third globally. French studios are multiplying, and they are hiring. ECV, the motion design school, was one of the first French schools to launch a program dedicated to animation over 20 years ago to meet the needs of emerging professions in the digital revolution.
Global Recognition
The animation film school maintains privileged connections with a network of over a hundred renowned studios worldwide. This global recognition ensures high-quality education for students, who, once they graduate, have an easier time entering the job market and participating in exciting projects. This specialty is constantly evolving and expanding at various levels:
5-Year Animation Programme
Starting this course
After establishing a strong foundation in drawing, particularly by completing the specialised Art Prep year, first-year Bachelor Animation 2D/3D students learn the fundamentals of 2D/3D skills and digital design. This Prep year is designed as an immersion into both specialisations. It aims to provide various academic art knowledge and techniques, as well as an initial introduction to visual culture and graphic design.
Following this preparatory year, students continue to develop the essential principles of this field and digital design for the next two years. In the 3rd year of the programme, each student creates an individual short film in 2D or 3D animation, experiencing the complete creative process divided into three phases:
- Pre-production (story development, visual breakdown, storyboarding, 2D and 3D)
- Production (modelling, setup, lighting, etc.)
- Post-production (special effects, compositing, editing, sound design, and mixing)
Choosing your specialisation
The final two years of the programme offer the opportunity to choose a specialisation within the Master’s in Animation Cinema: 2D or 3D. The training weeks involve project sessions that increase in complexity and duration.
Students work in groups to create a short film, the story of which is developed in the scriptwriting course. The goal of these projects is to encourage teamwork and introduce production scheduling management.
The final year before graduation is dedicated to completing the end-of-study project. This team project aims to showcase their creative talents and technical skills. ECV ensures an experience close to professional and real-world industry environments within the team.
Programmes
The Animation Preparatory Year is the first year of studies dedicated to learning:
Analysis drawing – Life drawing – Anatomy study – Color – Illustration – Sketching – Sculpting – Perspective & Volume – Concept Art – Storytelling – Storyboarding – 2D Graphic Design – Digital Painting – Animation techniques – Photography – Filming…
The two years following the Preparatory Year (Bachelor in 2D/3D Animation Cinema) focus on learning the world of animation and design:
Character design – Concept Art – Background – Image composition – History of Cinema – Compositing – Storyboarding – 2D and 3D Animation – Sound Design – Modeling – Sculpting – VFX – Real-time – Rigging – Posing – Editing – Screenwriting…
The last two years are dedicated to developing a specialisation: animation, modeling, storyboarding, character design, concept art, VFX (special effects)… Students choose between the 2D or 3D Specialization. The programme in Master is divided into several key stages: skill development, completion of a mini-project, pre-production phase, and finally production.
Career
After obtaining their diploma, students enter the job market by showcasing their expertise in roles such as :
- character designer,
- 3D modeler,
- 2D animator,
- 3D animator,
- layout artist,
- concept artist,
- film director,
- storyboard artist, and more.
In terms of career opportunities in animation, these roles can be pursued in companies, studios, or creative and/or graphic design agencies.
