While 3D animation, special effects and gaming are the lifeblood of the city's training programmes, Montpellier also boasts high-quality courses for the cinema and sound industries. The reasons for this are twofold: production studios are multiplying in Montpellier and the number of films and series being shot in town is growing exponentially. Therefore, the network of schools that offer training in these disciplines is also expanding: major school openings include Cinécréatis, part of the Icônes network, which is now located in the town's creative hub, Cité Créative.
Here is an overview of Montpellier’s training courses.
While 3D animation, special effects and gaming are the lifeblood of the city's training programmes, Montpellier also boasts high-quality courses for the cinema and sound industries. The reasons for this are twofold: production studios are multiplying in Montpellier and the number of films and series being shot in town is growing exponentially. Therefore, the network of schools that offer training in these disciplines is also expanding: major school openings include Cinécréatis, part of the Icônes network, which is now located in the town's creative hub, Cité Créative.
Here is an overview of Montpellier’s training courses.
3D animation/Special effects
Montpellier: An endless source of talent
Animation and special effects (FX) courses are part of Montpellier's greatest assets. The city’s network of top private schools offers a diverse and truly exhaustive range of training programmes for a variety of popular careers.
L’École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) was founded in Montpellier by Karim Khenissi and is one of the city’s most renowned establishments. The Rookies ranked ESMA the top school in the world for the “Production Excellence – 3D Animation” category. The establishment’s in-depth four year training programme provides a level of qualification equal to a Masters’ degree. Its “Cinema 3D Animation & FX” course leads students to land jobs as 3D and FX project managers, which can then lead to careers such as 3D studio manager and creative director, 3D animation or rendering supervisor, 3D computer graphics designer, FX supervisor, art director, computer graphics company manager or independent author and director.
Students are given all the support they need: “Our school’s family-like atmosphere is conducive to personal growth,” explains Karim Khenissi, the school's founder and director. Over 1,000 of the establishment's former students now work for the world's biggest studios: Dreamworks, Pixar, Double Negative, Weta Digital, Industrial Light and Magic, Illumination Mac Guff, Sony Animation, Disney and more.
The Rookies ranked ArtFX the top school in the world for the “Special Effects” category. The school teaches a Masters’ course in “3D & Digital Special Effects”, which leads students to land jobs as digital directors. Students are trained for careers such as FX artist or supervisor, compositing or concept artist, rigging or environment artist, lighting/rendering artist or matte painter. ArtFX also boasts a “3D Animation” Masters’ course, which prepares students for careers as 2D & 3D animators, story-boarders, character designers, concept artists, puppet animators, layout artists, art directors or production managers. “Our approach to teaching is all about benevolence,” emphasises Gilbert Kiner, the school's founder. Students learn by participating in group projects. Many ArtFX alumni have gone on to work in the world's most famous studios: ILM, Dreamworks, Weta Digital, Disney, Mac Guff, Mikros, etc.
Objectif 3D was founded in 1999 and provides training for careers in the animated film industry. Known for having yielded many excellent 3D technicians and artists over the years, its four-year “Cinema 3D Animation & VFX” training programme attunes students to the requirements of professional studios.
Ionis e-artsup boasts a vocational Bachelor’s course in “Animation & 3D”. This three-year course teaches production and digital design techniques for both the cinema and gaming worlds: characters, landscapes, environments, etc. The school also teaches a Masters’ course for artistic directors.
Studio M is another historical figure in Montpellier’s landscape. Taught alongside fellow school ACFA Multimedia, its Bachelor’s course for “Digital Special Effects Supervisors & Motion Designers” prepares students for careers as rigging editors, chief editors, visual effects supervisors, motion designers and more.
Brassart is yet another Montpellier-based school for “Cinema 3D Animation & VFX”. Its three-year course requires applicants to pass an entrance exam.
Université Paul-Valéry offers an “Audio-visual & New Media Designer” course, which teaches traditional audio-visual skills (film and sound recording, editing and post-production) and the fundamentals of programming, interactivity and 2D/3D graphic design.
Video games
Montpellier: A training hotspot
The video game industry is constantly expanding and offers many a job opportunity. In France, 75 schools train for gaming-related professions. Twelve of them are located in Montpellier, making the French city a major hotspot for video game training.
One of these schools is ArtFX, which offers two training programmes. First, we have its popular five-year Masters’ course in “Game Design & Game Art”, which includes a psychological approach to gaming: “Games are only interesting if the player gets to enjoy a real experience. You have to reach into their imagination”, insists ArtFX founder Gilbert Kiner. The school’s second programme is a Masters’ course for “Technical Directors for Video Games & Special Effects”. After graduation, employment is guaranteed: studios are constantly looking for technical directors.
Just like ESMA, IPESAA is part of the Icônes school network and teaches two courses: one for “2D/3D Graphic Designers” and another for “Character Designers”. As their names state; the former trains students to become graphic designers, multimedia designers or illustrators, while the latter prepares students for careers as character designers. These qualifications are greatly sought after in the gaming industry, as well as in the fields of animation, television and cinema. The course demands a high level of artistic skill as well as good interpersonal skills.
Objectif 3D offers a four-year course in “Game Art & Design”. It focuses on advanced video game creation techniques, leading students on to careers as game designers, environment or character artists, lighters and modelling artists. Objectif 3D boasts second tailor-made course for programmers: its three-year “Game Programming” course.
ACFA Multimedia teaches a course entirely dedicated to “Sound Design for Video Games & Interactive Media”. The course trains students for real-life professional situations through a hands-on approach. To join, candidates must pass an interview and have undergone prior sound-related training.
Montpellier's universities have training courses of their own: Université Paul-Valéry offers a two-year Masters’ course titled the “Video Game Course” that trains designers/directors in gameplay-related fields; Université de Montpellier launched the “Imagina Course - Image Games & Intelligent Agents” to train engineers and researchers in the visual and gaming industries.
Ionis e-artsup offers two courses: one simply titled the “Game” course, plus the school's course for artistic directors (see above).
ETPA photography and game design school is part of the Icônes network. It has set up its own video game branch on Montpellier’s Cité Créative campus.
Brassart offers a “Gaming Industry Training Course”.
IAD-3D specialises in gaming and teaches two four-year courses for game designers, level designers, technical/FX artists and environment/character artists. Over the four years of training, both specialisations – Graphic Designer and Game Developer – share several common classes.
At the start of the 2021 academic year, Studio M is set to launch two new courses in Montpellier: one in “Game Art” and the other in “Game Design”.
Cinema and sound
A full palette of careers
Montpellier is a major hotspot for film and television series. The city also boasts a wide range of training courses for the cinema and sound industries.
Cinécréatis is part of the Icônes network and is located on Montpellier’s Cité Créative campus since the start of the 2020 academic year. Building upon 20 years of experience, the school caters to “Audio-visual Designers/Directors”. This three-year course gives students the knowledge and skills required to pursue careers in the audio-visual and cinema industries.
ArtFX teaches a Masters’ course in “Cinema”, which leads students to land jobs as digital film directors, either on film sets or for visual effects studios. Students are also trained towards careers in the fields of directing, scriptwriting, visuals and set design.
ACFA Multimedia is part of the Eduservice Group and has created a series of cinema-related courses. These include three advanced vocational training (BTS) courses in “Editing & Postproduction”, “Visuals” and “Sound”. In addition to these state diplomas, the school boasts three other courses (“Director/Editor”, “Sound/Sound designer” and “Sound Engineer”) lasting two to three years, as well as a shorter six-month course (“Audio-visual Engineer”). Studio M also provides vocational training in “Photography” (BTS), “Higher Training Certification for Professional Photographers” and a training course for “Sound Designers”.
Studio M provides “Higher Training Certification for Professional Radio Hosts” in Montpellier.
Université Paul-Valéry boasts a two-year Masters’ course in “Cinema & Audio-visual Production” to train future entrepreneurs in the field of animation (i.e. cinema, audio-visual and interactive productions). This course is directed by senior lecturer and cinema specialist Vincent Deville, alongside producer for Films d’Ici and Films d’Ici Méditerranée, Serge Lalou [PB1]. The University also offers an “Audio-visual Design and New Media” course, which teaches traditional audio-visual skills (film and sound recording, editing and post-production) as well as the fundamentals of programming, interactivity and 2D/3D graphic design.
Based in Mauguio, near Montpellier, Travelling has created a full range of courses for the audio-visual industry. First off, it provides a three-year “Professional Cinema & TV” course for seven different types of specialisation: scriptwriting, directing, editing, visuals, sound and production. The school also boasts four higher vocational courses (BTS) in “Visuals”, “Sound”, “Editing & Postproduction” and “Production Management”.
Les Cours Florent is also present in Montpellier, where the famous school trains students in “Acting” over three years and at a rate of at least nine hours a week.
Le Plateau also trains students in “Acting” and specialises in on-camera work.
Métamorphoses specialises in “Make-up & Special Effects”.