Year 1
- Applied arts
- Stop motion animation
Tuition
€9,000
Animated Image Artisan
2D/3D Animation Program
Become a creator of worlds in motion — storyboards, rigging, textures, FX, and visual storytelling.
Program Objectives
- Master the fundamentals of 2D and 3D animation
- Develop visual and narrative creativity
- Learn professional techniques in design and acting
- Complete a full animated team project
Program overview
Each year, our curriculum is reworked in order to adapt its content to the professional sector’s requirements.
Each lecture is delivered by seasoned professionals from the visual media industry, including MacGuff, Ubisoft, and Ellipsanime. This course stands out as a high-quality training program due to its emphasis on professional experience and the practicality of its teaching methods. This enables them to impart the intricacies of the profession to each student. Beyond the technical knowledge acquired, this dynamic teaching approach fosters the students’ development and contributes to the School’s distinctive character.
Year 2
- Traditional 2D animation
- Introduction to 3D
Tuition
€9,000
Year 3
- 3D animation & modeling
Tuition
€9,000
Year 4
- Final-year project
Tuition
€9,000
Year 5
- Master 2 specialization (work-study)
- University degree awarded in partnership with Université Paris-Est Créteil and INA
Tuition
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Program
A detailed year-by-year description of the curriculum.
First Year
Acquiring the fundamental principles of the course through theoretical teaching and practical application of tools pertinent to the professions within the animated cinema industry.
Curriculum
- Figure drawing
- Live-action filming
- Modeling
- Art History
- Drawing from a live model in motion
- Traditional Stop Motion animation
- Intro to digital tools
- Statue drawing
Second Year
Implementation and broadening of the skills acquired in Year 1 to prepare for the mastery of traditional animation techniques. Learning the basic techniques of digital animation.
On the syllabus
- Traditional and digital 2D animation
- Character design
- Intro to 3D modeling & animation
- Storyboard
- 2D compositing
- Art direction
Third Year
Advancement and Mastering 3D tools with the implementation of traditional animation skills. Discovery and learning the different steps of the film production chain in digital images (pipeline) by combining it with all the essential hard skills.
On the syllabus
- Modeling
- Setup/Rigging
- 3D Animation
- Previz
- Lighting/Rendering
- Compositing
- ICFX
- Motion Capture
Fourth Year
Direction of a short movie under real conditions of movie direction, while specialising in a specific field of animation. Work in an immersive environment within a team with the implementation of the hard and soft skills acquired throughout the course.
On the syllabus
- Art direction
- Previsualization
- Rendering
- Production management
- Storyboarding
- Animation
- Compositing & VFX
Fifth Year
Master’s degree 2 under a work-study contract: students do not have to pay tuition fees and are remunerated as part of their apprenticeship.
On the syllabus
This fifth work-study year lets our students specialize in a specific field and earn a Master’s degree, issued under the partnership between École Méliès and the University of Créteil and the INA.
Available specializations include:
- Real-time technologies
- Art direction
Need info? Take action:
Admission requirements
For the 2026–2027 academic year
Entrance exam composed of 1 remote test and 3 on-site tests.
Artisan of Animated Image
Tests
- Illustration test (remote)
- Observation / perspective test (on-site)
- Film culture MCQ (on-site)
- Motivation interview with portfolio (on-site)
Entrance exam session dates
- Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Saturday, February 14, 2026
- Saturday, March 21, 2026
Prerequisites
- Hold a high school diploma (Baccalauréat)
- Pass the entrance exam
- Have solid general and artistic culture and be comfortable with digital tools
Application fee: €90
Student testimonial
École Méliès provides an ideal environment where passion is palpable. The school gives us a lot, whether in terms of equipment, talks, or film analyses. The guest lecturers are diverse and always highly committed to supporting our projects. It is a real pleasure for me to study at this school.
Ready to join the adventure?
Explore our brochure and apply today to bring your projects to life.
Need help?
If you run into any issue during the application process or have a question,
don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help.
