Short film creation Visual development
Next term, our students will create a partners' teaser for one of the oldest European animation festivals, CINANIMA. This short film will showcase the festival's partners in the form of a short animated story, full of traditional Portuguese elements and the stories of the festival's attendees.
Please submit your portfolio to enroll in the course.
Start date
February, 2025
Duration
12 weeks
Price per month
415€/month (excl. VAT)
About the course
The course "Short film creation" is a significant creative endeavor focused on a single project, where practicing and aspiring 2D animators, artists, and composers come together in teams and work through the pipeline on a shared project. Each session of the course involves working on a new project, developed from scratch: from idea to final presentation.
The projects created participate in international competitions and festivals, serving as a showcase for all participants and adorning the walls of our school. Participation in such a project is a valuable experience in itself, but in addition, there's always the possibility of winning recognition for the school's short films in competitions or festivals, with awards for the winning participants (according to the terms).
In which direction can you participate in the project?
Visual Development
- creating visual effects for the film: Character Design, Prop Design, Background Design, Still Frames.
Animation
- producing rough and clean animation for the project.
Throughout the 4-month duration, the work is divided into stages, where one team completes their part of the work and passes it on to another. In any team, you will learn to work in studio conditions and see the project through to completion.
All project teams exchange ideas throughout the course, working on creating a color script, background layouts, character layouts, character and background coloring, and so on.
The course is suitable if you:
-
Graduates of our or any other CG school
If you have strong drawing and concept art skills, lots of ideas for character design solutions and clip locations - we are waiting for you to join our team!
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Practicing designers, background designers and artists
Current industry professionals who want to contribute to an interesting team project, get energized with new ideas, and learn the trends of creating modern visual design for projects
Сurriculum
First month
3 lessons
- Set the team structure
- Prepare mood boards and exchange ideas in collaboration with the 2d animation class
- Design the visuals of the film: Character Design, Prop Design, Background Design, Still frames
-
4 weeks (please, make sure to have 6+ hours per week for homework)
-
The first month will be mainly dedicated to the preproduction aspect of the project
Second month
3 lessons
- Create the color script
- Create background layouts
- Create character layouts
-
4 weeks (please, make sure to have 6+ hours per week for homework)
-
The second month will be mainly dedicated to the production aspect of the project
Third month
3 lessons
- Character coloring
- Background coloring
- Final touches
-
4 weeks (please, make sure to have 6+ hours per week for homework)
-
The third and final month will be mostly dedicated to the finalization of the project
Student
Reviews
«Short film creation – Visual development» course
Thank you very much for a great course
Alena Dudko
Graduate of courses in traditional 2D animation
Learning animation is difficult, but very interesting!
Julia Reshetnyak
Graduate of the short film creation course. Animation & Directing
Demoreel «Traditional 2D Animation»How will the training go?
What software is needed for the course?
Adobe Photoshop
to work comfortably on the project
Drawing tablet
for drawing
Zoom
for a weekly meeting with a mentor and team
Discord
to keep up with everything
Studios where they work our students after the course
Short film creation Visual development
Course fee
415€/month (excl. VAT)
Start
February, 2025
Spots left
15 spots
Frequently asked
questions
about the course
What to Expect from the Courses?
You'll gain fundamental knowledge and practical skills in animation that are essential for becoming a professional and working in the industry. Upon completion, you'll have a demo reel showcasing your skills to potential employers.
How Are the Lessons Structured?
It’s straightforward: first, you get the theory, then you practice. Each lesson comes with video instructions, visual examples, and assignments that you complete at your own pace — just make sure to submit your work on time to receive feedback from the instructor! The course is available in a convenient format, so you can study from anywhere in the world, using just your tablet or computer.
What time do classes take place?
The schedule is determined closer to the start of the courses. Classes usually begin no earlier than 17:00 UTC, most often on weekdays. If you're unable to attend on certain days, you can always watch the recording.
If you're unsure whether your timezone is compatible for effective learning, please feel free to reach out to us on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/33749767306
At what age is it possible to take school courses?
We accept students from the age of 16, since the course program is intensive and it will be difficult for a child to keep up and understand.
BUT, on an individual basis, we can accept students from 14 years of age on the course. At the same time, we consider the student’s work and potential.
When do you need to pay for the course: in advance or wait until the start day?
A place on the course is reserved for you only if you pay for the first month of training or the entire course at once. The number of places in study groups is limited and is indicated on the course page. As a rule, there are few open places left closer to the start of the course; enrollment into the group also closes early due to the large number of applicants.
We also recommend our students to make payments in advance to avoid unpleasant situations with the time required for the processing of the payment.
I paid, what should I do next?
You will be invited to the study group about a week before the start of the course, there will be the very basic information on the learning process, and the materials on the training platform will open on the start day. All links will be sent to you at the specified email address, however, it happens that they may end up in the “spam” or “promotion” sections, so we recommend checking these folders too).
What should I install and prepare before starting the course?
During the week before the start of training, you will receive letters with preparation instructions.
First of all, you will need to install Discord - your study group will be there. Your supervisor or teacher in the study group, to which you will be added a week before the start, will provide you with information about the training programs.
In general, for classes you will need: a computer or laptop, a headset and a webcam (not required, but recommended).
Classes are held in Zoom, so you need to install it and the Discord messenger.
Why Is This More Effective Than Self-Study?
First, we’ve gathered all the essential materials for you, so you don’t waste time searching for lessons and resources online.
Second, you always have access to the instructor — if you run into issues, you can ask questions and get professional answers.
Most importantly, our course is structured to guide you step-by-step, from simple to complex, preventing confusion.
Why It Might Be Better Than a Traditional University?
Because we teach practical skills! Our focus is on getting you animating after just a few lessons, rather than spending years on theory. Plus, we offer a flexible schedule — learn whenever it’s convenient for you!
Is a certificate issued upon completion of training?
After successful (passing all the required course credits) completion of each course, we issue a certificate in electronic form. Important: this is not a state diploma, i.e., it does not provide any benefits. We focus on the fact that during your studies you collect a portfolio, which is more significant in the field of animation.
Return Policy
We usually do not refund payments after the start of classes. But if you have an exceptional case, write to us and we will think about what can be done.