Our Campus in Lyon

The Entertainment Prep course, which is open to post-baccalaureate students, combines artistic practice and technical training, enabling them to develop their skills in drawing, colour, sculpture, visual storytelling and more.

Throughout the year, students can develop their creativity and prepare for training in 3D Animation and VFX, Video Games or Illustration Concept Art.

This preparatory year is also available in English for students, who will be able to continue their studies in 3D Animation and VFX in English.

Over five years, you’ll learn every stage of animated film production  from concept and design to final rendering. The course combines theory and hands on practice, guiding you through storytelling, modeling, animation, sound, and post-production. In your final year, you’ll bring everything together by working as a team to create a full 3D animated short film just like in a real studio.

They will be able to develop professional techniques by practising drawing and learning all the tools and software needed for 3D production, such as 3D printing.

At the end of the Professional Cycle, you’ll gain comprehensive expertise and versatility across the entire production pipeline, while also having the opportunity to specialise in key areas such as rigging, 3D printing, modelling or lighting, for example.

This course is also available in English for international students.

An ideal base for students of the animation industry, Lyon offers a multitude of opportunities for those with a passion for the visual arts.

The city is home to a number of renowned companies, including video game studio Arkane, Xilam Animation and communications agency Havas, as well as other key players in the creative industries.

These entities offer not only internship and job opportunities, but also an environment conducive to networking and immersion in the sector.

When it comes to culture, the city has plenty to offer! The Lumière Festival, organised each year by Lyon’s Lumière Institute, the International Comics Festival and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, located just a stone’s throw from Lyon, are events that attract enthusiasts and celebrate creativity.

Other experiences, such as those offered at Les Subsistances, a cross-disciplinary venue rich in artistic and innovative experiences, at TUBÀ, an innovation centre dedicated to new urban technologies, or at various festivals and art exhibitions, help to shape a rich cultural scene in Lyon.

All of which gives our students the opportunity to nurture their own creativity !

A cosmopolitan city if ever there was one, Lyon has something to enchant everyone! Its mild climate, unrivalled gastronomic offering and numerous green spaces are just some of the advantages that fully coincide with the French art of living. Museums, festivals, trade fairs and other festivities are in full swing throughout the year, offering an incomparable cultural diversity.

The Fête des Lumières, in which ESMA students take part every year, the Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, and the Les Nuits Sonores festival, a must for all electronic music fans, will convert even the most sceptical, who will have no choice but to succumb to Lyon’s charm and cultural vivacity !

Get around quickly and easily! That’s what Lyon’s transport network, renowned for its dynamism and efficiency, offers students.

At the foot of the ESMA Lyon campus, the district benefits from a highly strategic location – less than 10 minutes from Perrache station and close to several tram and bus lines. Thanks to this privileged location, students at the ESMA Lyon campus benefit from rapid access to local, national and international destinations, making their daily journeys easier.