A creative and professional campus in the heart of Lyon
In the heart of Lyon, ESMA has a campus shared with the CinéCréatis school, encouraging emulation between the animation and audiovisual worlds. The site boasts high-tech equipment, professional software and state-of-the-art teaching facilities: modern classrooms, lecture theatres, a production studio and collaborative work spaces.
Anchored in Lyon’s cultural ecosystem, between festivals, animation studios and creative industries, ESMA offers its students a unique immersion in the city’s artistic and professional dynamics.
Courses at ESMA Lyon
ESMA Lyon offers a comprehensive training programme dedicated to the creative industries and the entertainment sector. Each course combines high artistic standards, technical expertise and professional immersion, to prepare operational and versatile profiles.
Prep Entertainment
A preparatory year to explore the basics of drawing, volume and visual storytelling. It prepares you effectively to enter a course specialising in 3D animation or video games, while at the same time confirming your career plans.
3D Animation & Special Effects
A 5-year course, validated by a Level 7 RNCP qualification (Bac+5), which teaches each stage of the 3D animation creation process: storyboarding, character design, rigging, animation, environment design, sculpting and compositing. The final year is devoted entirely to the production of a collective short film, a key project presented before an international jury of professionals.
Gradual immersion in the professional world
A structured course that offers professional immersion at every stage thanks to specialised workshops, masterclasses led by industry experts, and the making of a short film in 5ᵉ year presented before a jury made up of 3D animation and special effects professionals.
A campus of excellence for 3D creation
ESMA Lyon welcomes its talented students to a new-generation campus on the banks of the Saône, in the dynamic Confluence district. This exceptional site is in line with the standards of the major creative industries, offering an environment conducive to artistic excellence.
Designed to reproduce the conditions of professional studios, the campus has a studio, computer rooms equipped with high-performance workstations and the software most widely used in the industry, such as Maya, Houdini and Blender. Each space is designed to enable complete mastery of the 3D production chain, from modelling to compositing, including rigging, texturing, lighting and rendering.
The production areas are complemented by drawing workshops, essential for developing cross-disciplinary artistic skills. This immersive setting combines the technical expertise and artistic sensitivity that are essential if you want to work in the animation and special effects sector.
To encourage collaboration and creative emulation, the campus also offers coworking spaces, relaxation areas and terraces overlooking the city. Every space has been designed to stimulate creativity and prepare future experts in 3D animation and VFX to join the most prestigious studios.
Student accommodation a stone’s throw from the campus
ESMA Lyon is facilitating access to accommodation through a partnership with Artemisia, an expert in student accommodation. Located right next to the campus, this modern residence combines student life with comfort, in the heart of the Confluence district, one of Lyon’s most dynamic and creative areas.
The accommodation on offer is designed to meet the specific needs of students: fully-equipped individual studios or shared spaces, adapted to a daily routine punctuated by classes, studio projects and creative sessions.
Living a stone’s throw from ESMA Lyon encourages integration, exchanges and involvement in campus life. For those who prefer other options, the city of Lyon also offers a wide choice of private student residences, shared flats and independent accommodation, ideally located in young and lively neighbourhoods.
Train for tomorrow’s 3D animation professions
Lyon, at the heart of an artistic and innovative ecosystem
A city of culture and innovation, Lyon is a leading centre for 3D animation, VFX and the digital arts. A number of well-known studios such as Hocus Pocus Studio and Studio Pump are developing major projects here, alongside players specialising in modelling, texturing and compositing.
The city also boasts a number of festivals and events dedicated to the moving image, creating a stimulating environment in which to expand your professional and artistic network.
Access to jobs in the biggest studios
Training at ESMA Lyon means acquiring technical and artistic expertise that is recognised by 3D and video game studios. ESMA 3D graduates quickly find their place in some of the biggest structures in France and abroad.
Each student develops a high level of expertise combining art and technology, a real asset for joining the creative industries and building a career in the digital and entertainment professions.
Lyon, a dynamic and inspiring student city
Ranked as one of the best student cities in France, Lyon is a city of dynamism, exceptional heritage and quality of life. The capital of the Gauls and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city attracts thousands of students every year thanks to its cultural influence, its artistic events and its lively atmosphere.
Between strolls through Vieux Lyon, the banks of the Saône and Rhône rivers, the Presqu’île and numerous cultural events such as the Fête des Lumières, Lyon offers an inspiring living environment, conducive to personal fulfilment and professional encounters.
ESMA Lyon’s campus is strategically located in the heart of the Confluence district, a fast-changing area where innovation and creativity come together. The site is easily accessible thanks to a dense tram, metro and bus network, as well as a network of cycle paths.
Lyon combines academic excellence, cultural vitality and international openness, making it the ideal place to study animation, special effects and digital technology.