Between internships, film production, collaborative projects and final studies, young talents acquire solid professional skills, while developing their creativity, an essential quality to stand out in a constantly evolving and particularly competitive sector.
ESMA: specialized courses to meet the requirements of animated cinema and design
To meet the needs of the animated film and design sectors, ESMA offers specialized courses, focused on the technical and creative skills most sought after by professionals. With two preparatory classes (Design and Entertainment) and five professional cyclesthe training allows students to gradually acquire mastery of the tools and methods used in studios and agencies.
Entirely dedicated to arts professions, the school attracts students wishing to train in Interior Architecture, Graphic Design, 3D Animation Cinema, Video Games, Illustration and Concept Art, or aiming for a Master of Science Producer & Entertainment Manager. Established in six major French cities (Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Rennes and Toulouse) and in Montreal, ESMA has trained many talents who today practice internationally, consolidating its reputation as a reference school.
Grâce à innovative teaching methods, modern technologies and tools, and partnerships Close with the professional sector, ESMA trains future talents and prepares them to succeed in their international careers. The training courses therefore not only transmit technical skills and stimulate creativity: they also teach students to produce quality professional projects, often rewarded at international festivals and competitions.
To the prestigious BAFTA Student Awards 2025, eight students from ESMA Toulouse were distinguished for their video game “In the Skin of a Polatouche†. The Toulouse animated film “Swing To The Moon†, after winning the 1st prize from the jury of Animation nuggets 2022, is now broadcast on the Disney+ platform, illustrating the concrete success of the school’s training courses among the general public and professionals.
ESMA: Speakers from the sector to convey the realities of the profession
At ESMA, learning is not limited to lessons taught by passionate teachers. The schools establish a direct link with the professional world, guaranteeing that the training remains anchored in reality and fully enriches the students’ journey. Thanks to the intervention of working professionalstheir experience constitutes a major asset for following developments in the sector, understanding the expectations of companies and identifying the skills sought.
Regularly, prestigious speakers come to share their know-how and experience. Among them, renowned experts such as Kristof Serrand, Director of Animation at DreamWorks Animation, or Mark Flanagan, Global Learning and Development Manager Feature Animation at Netflix, met ESMA students to share practices with them and discuss their professions.
ESMA also benefits from an extensive network of professionals who intervene during workshops, masterclasses, recruitment days or within the end-of-study juries. These meetings offer students concrete opportunities for contact, real springboards for their promising future careers in animation and design.
Professional integration at the heart of training
Preparing the future of its students is a priority at ESMA, whatever the course chosen. The training combines concrete projects and participation à des festivals to develop technical skills, creativity and team spirit. Animated films, graphic creations and collective works punctuate the student journey.
Internships complete these experiences, which are essential to gradually confront the market and seize employment opportunities, in France and internationally. Depending on the course, students complete one or more internships, of a duration adapted to their training. Once graduated, they can also benefit from an additional internship agreement, over a period of six months. This unique opportunity allows them to extend their experience or explore a new sector.
Certain courses can also be followed alternatelysuch as Plurimedia Graphic Design or Interior Architecture, notably at ESMA Toulouse. With a rhythm of one week at school and three weeks in the company, these courses allow you to reinforce what you have learned and develop concrete professional practice.
The end-of-studies project marks the end of the journey. Each creation is presented and evaluated by a jury made up of professionals and personalities from the sector, looking for new talents. For the 3D sector, this process includes a job forum, where students participate in individual interviews and can directly enter the job market upon graduation.
ESMA Toulouse: an ideal setting to flourish and create
Toulouse, once again ranked among the best student cities by the L’Étudiant website, confirms its attractiveness among young people seeking a diploma course. Located in the heart of the Pink City, close to numerous cultural venues, ESMA Toulouse benefits from this dynamic environment, appreciated for its quality of life.
Inaugurated in 2013, the campus has gradually established itself as a center dedicated to artistic training. Designed to meet the requirements of artistic training, it provides students with professional tools and software, as well as modern equipment: spacious classrooms, laboratories, amphitheater, exhibition halls. Spaces dedicated to well-being complete the whole, offering a working environment conducive to the expression of talents.
Member of the Network of French Animation Cinema SchoolsESMA Toulouse is also part of a logic of exchanges around educational practices and tools, with the objective of adapting its training to developments in the sector.
Among the seven ESMA campuses, that of Toulouse stands out for its location in the heart of a student district, shared with other specialized establishments such as Pivaut (a reference for artistic professions) and the ETPA (photography school). An environment conducive to exchanges and creativity.
