Masters
certified RNCP +7
A reduced number of students
supervised training
Motivational interview
Creative test and portfolio
2 academic orientations
at your choice
Admission
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
11.09
Applications open on November 9th
Online Application Exam
2021
back to school in September
The “ARTFX Villa” will welcome 25 students for training in special effect techniques (VFX). With a small number of students in order to provide fast-track professional training.
With the historical campus of Montpellier and one in Lille opening in September 2020, the ARTFX Villa based in Enghien-les-Bains, near Paris is the 3rd ARTFX-School of Digital Arts sites. Created in 2004, ARTFX is ranked as one of the best creative schools in the world, according to the 2019 ranking by specialised online media “The Rookies”.
Since the appearance of digital special effects in the 70s, special effects and CGI are everywhere in movies, whether in blockbusters or indie movies. Special effects and visual effects are not only used in science-fiction, disaster movies or action scenes : made during the shooting or in postproduction, digital special effects are used to give life to a fantasy world, to virtually recreate different atmospheres or to make some dangerous scenes possible without endangering the actors.
Facing the constant growth of demands of the movie industry, but also of the advertising and video games industries, there is a lack of experts trained for digital techniques. The studios are fighting for freshy graduated students, particularly French students who have a very good reputation abroad.
The aim of ARTFX Villa is to train skillful technicians, experts in special effects, and also to develop an artistic sensitivity of those future professionals. This is the reason why the ArtFX Villa offers living conditions close to a residence for artists : a private park, a lake very close to the villa, a studio and hightech equipment… An environment up to the ARTFX reputation of the last 15 years.
TWO YEARS TO BE A BIG HIT
For a 2 years duration, the aim of the ARTFX training is to obtain a Masters degree, recognised by the French State (RNCP certification, level 7). It is made for students who already own a Bachelor’s degree and have some knowledge of cinema and animation, and or digital special effects.
The training starts with an intensive bridging course, which offers a condensement of the innovative pedagogy that characterises ARTFX.
The Masters degree is supervised by professionals who come from the most reknown studios and chooses a learning method focused on practise and aims to encourage creativity, technical skill, but also team spirit. An essential state of mind to work in the industry of creation.
The courses are in English in order to prepare the students to an international career (There are a few well-known studios in France, however today, most of the students of ARTFX are working abroad).
The making of a movie made by a team is the common thread of the training at the ARTFX Villa. The first year is dedicated to conception, writing and preproduction. The making of the movie continues during the second year, which ends by the projection of the movie in front of a jury composed of professionals, among which are recruiters from the biggest animation and digital special effects studios. This projection takes place in the biggest hall of the Centre d’Arts d’Enghien-les-Bains, which welcomes the “Paris Images Digital Summit”, a festival dedicated to special effects, every February.
2 ORIENTATIONS: VFX OR ANIMATION
The Master’s program at Villa ARTFX allows students to master the entire production chain of a film, while developing professional skills such as lighting, compositing, FX, modeling, rigging, animation… In addition to the refresher course at the beginning of the program, students develop their professional skills through workshops led by professionals in the sector, but also through the specific role they choose for their final project. The objective is the professional integration of the students, immediately after the training.
2-year program:
– Upgrading
– Workshops in connection with the chosen orientation: Special effects or Animation
– Internship in a company
– End-of-study projects in teams to promote specialization and professionalization
– Professional jury followed by job dating
L’animation
Ou comment appliquer les techniques du dessin animé aux images de synthèse, pour rendre un personnage expressif, un regard intense… et faire surgir l’émotion.
Le Rigging
(aussi appelé setup).
Fabrication du squelette d’un modèle 3D et l’installation de « points de contrôle » permettant aux personnages / objets de se mouvoir de façon réaliste. Un bon rigg fera le bonheur de l’animateur.
Le hard surface modeling
Modélisation d’objets inanimés.
L’organic modeling
Modélisation d’objets vivants/animés.
VFX & CFX
Les techniques d’effets spéciaux numériques, de la simulation de fluides à l’exposition, du drapé d’un costume à la fourrure d’une créature imaginaire, les effets sont partout.
Le Shading, Lighting and Rendering
L’ensemble des techniques pour créer des images de synthèses, depuis la création des textures jusqu’à la génération d’images photoréalistes (ou non) en passant par l’éclairage / ombrage des scènes.
Le compositing
Ou comment créer un plan unique à partir de plusieurs sources d’images.
Pipeline technical director (TD)
Le pipeline TD traduit les souhaits artistiques en termes techniques. Il sélectionne les outils et les compétences nécessaires en fonction des projets, et facilite le travail de toute l’équipe en levant les obstacles d’ordre techniques.
A PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION RATE OF 95%
Awarded in numerous festivals for their originality and technical excellence, the movies produced by the students from ARTFX are just the right business card.
On average, our freshly graduated students find a job within 20 days of finishing their training, abroad for 70% of them.
Today, more than 550 alumni are recruited. We see their names on the credits of movies like Gravity, The Minions, Star Wars VIII, Ready Player One or the Lion King.
“The studios are fighting for our students even before their graduation, because there is a lack of professionals on the market”, revealed Gilbert Kiner, founder of ARTFX to the newspaper Le Parisien in February 2010.
ARTFX is ranked as one of the best creative school in the world, according to the 2019 ranking by specialised online media “The Rookies”.
ADMISSION EXAMINATION
The admission at ARTFX requires a Bachelor’s degree in the picture industry (2D, 3D) and cinema. The selection of the applicants requires an online application exam which includes a creative test followed by an interview during which the applicant will have to talk about his portfolio and demoreel. Atypical profiles and international students are welcome to start their training in September 2021.
• Online application exam
• The results will be available within 10 days
If your application is accepted, you will have to confirm your subscription and send us the required documents before the given date. If your application is on the waiting list, our team will contact you if anyone withdraws and there is any opportunity available.
A 2 minute personal demoreel
A general and technical quiz
A 30 minute individual interview
PRICES
Application to the admission examination: free
• Scholarship fee: 8600 € / year
• EU residents:
Subscription fee: 350 €
Re-enrollment fee: 250 €
• Non EU residents:
Subscription fee: 850 €
Re-enrollment fee: 350 €
THE IDEAL SCENERY ONLY 10 MINUTES FROM PARIS
Located only 10 minutes from the train station Gare du Nord, the only resort in the Île-de-France region, which offers a fantastic environment for the students. The town of Enghien-les-Bains, despite the fact this is a small municipality, with its 10.000 inhabitants offers high standard cultural amenities. You can find a theatre, a multimedia library, a music school and its flagship place : le Centre des Arts launched in 2002. This place welcomes the Paris Images Digital Summit, a festival dedicated to special effects.
LA VILLA ARTFX
Vestige of the Belle Epoque, the city has been used for a lot of shootings, with its spectacular casino and its typical villas. It is in one of those villas that ARTFX settled lately. This place was formerly the training center for apprentice’s in Île-de-France.
THE VILLA ARTFX
Vestige of the Belle Epoque, the city has been used for a lot of shootings, with its spectacular casino and its typical villas. It is in one of those villas that ArtFX settled lately. This place was formerly the training center for apprentice’s in Île-de-France.
5 MINUTES FROM THE LAKE AND 10 MINUTES FROM THE CENTER
ACCOMODATION
