Press release – Published on 25/04/2025 by Pauline Jaubert
Virtual production at the core of the École Méliès’ educational strategy
As virtual production gains ground in the film and audiovisual industry, it stands at the core of the École Méliès’ educational strategy to prepare the next generation of talents for the evolving job market.
Orly, 02/04/2025 – The École Méliès, founded and run by Franck PETITTA, launched on 27 March 2025, in partnership with SONY, a high-tech virtual production set together with several reference collaborators: Rosco, ZEISS Group, Smode Tech, Lenovo, and MANGANELLI TECHNOLOGY. Supported by the French National Center of Cinema (CNC) and the Banque des Territoires, this set is the first equipment of this type to be introduced in a film school in Île-de-France, embodying a whole new era in training for the 7th art.
A space of education, creation, and research dedicated to the 7th art
This 120 m² studio, equipped with SONY Crystal LED screen walls, a VENICE 2 camera, ZEISS lenses and CinCraft Scenario tracking, and real-time 3D rendering workstations, offers students the possibility of shooting in hyper-realistic virtual backgrounds. It is a new pedagogical and creative tool, open to collaborations with other schools such as La Fémis and Kourtrajmé.
“Halfway between Louis Lumière’s rigour and Méliès’ magic, the École Méliès’ virtual set opens up a door toward a limitless cinema in which technique and dream are one.”
Laurent STEHLIN, Technical Director of the École Méliès
Virtual production: at the heart of the educational strategy
Known as a long-time expert in animated cinema, the École Méliès is rolling out a new cinema track entitled “Cinema Artisan”, combining animation, live action, and digital environments. Virtual production, which is rapidly expanding, lies at the crossroads of these universes – and the school has fully anticipated this shift.
In February 2025, the school launched the first European professional course for “Virtual Production Supervision”, under the academic supervision of Justine COULMY (Director of Photography and Virtual Production specialist), with the support of the France 2030* project, its technical partners, and studios. This one-year work-study course trains experts able to supervise complex projects from start to finish, combining physical and virtual backgrounds.
The École Méliès also offers, in partnership with the CST (Higher Technical Commission for Sound and Images), short professionalising courses designed for cinema and audiovisual technical teams, so they can understand and take ownership of technologies related to virtual production.
Learn more about the course: https://formation.cst.fr/production-virtuelle/
A pioneer school, dedicated to the image in all its forms
The use of real-time virtual production technologies is already transforming filming methods and shaking up the traditional production pipeline. By including these high-tech tools in its teaching, the École Méliès anticipates how the market is changing and allows students, whether they specialise in animation or cinema, to acquire cross-disciplinary skills that are highly valued on today’s sets.
France 2030*: Project supported by the French government as part of the “La Grande Fabrique de l’Image” plan within France 2030, operated by the Caisse des Dépôts, a public financial institution working in conjunction with the CNC.
“This virtual set is far more than mere equipment: it is an educational outlook. The outlook of a future in which the barriers between animation, live action and digital space fade away to open a limitless creative field. And we have decided to build this future as of today.”
Franck PETITTA, Founder and Director of the École Méliès
