Film Animation
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Why study Film Animation?
Discover and articulate your unique artistic personality as you master an incredibly adaptable art form. This rigorous, versatile program will give you a solid foundation in the art of frame-by-frame filmmaking from professor-practitioners connected to a community of working animators in Montreal and around the world. Our approach to animation emphasizes cross-pollination and experimentation.
You’ll graduate with the knowledge and discipline to think critically about your work, and your experience working independently on all aspects of film animation production will set you up for successful collaboration with others in the industry.
With an Oscar win, ten nominations, and hundreds of prestigious awards won by past and present faculty and students, we’re proud of the international acclaim our alumni enjoy as directors, producers, editors, and designers of the world’s most creative animation.
Program details
A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree takes a minimum of three or four years (90 – 120 credits) of full-time study, depending on your academic background.
Program options:
- Major in Film Animation (60 credits)
- Minor in Film Animation (30 credits)*
*For current Concordia students only. Students may apply to the minor for their second year of study.
Cegep Students: No specific profile required. However, following a profile in the arts may help applicants build a successful portfolio.
Additional requirements
- Letter of intent
- Portfolio
Minimum cut-off averages
Minimum Cut-off Averages should be used as indicators. Data may change depending on the quality of the application pool. Admission to the Faculty of Fine Arts is very competitive. Applicants who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to these programs.
- Quebec Cegep (CRC): DEC CRC 18.0
- Canadian High Schools: 70%
- U.S. High Schools: C+
- University Transfers (internal/external): C
Admission to most programs is based on portfolio/audition evaluations as well as academic grades. Applicants selected for admission have normally achieved grades that exceed minimum requirements.
- International Bacc. (IB): A minimum total of 26 points. Admission to competitive programs is based on strong portfolio/auditions and, normally, above-average grades.
- Bacc. Français: A minimum grade of 11 for students who have completed their Bacc. Français outside of Quebec. Admission is competitive and based on strong portfolio/auditions and, normally, above-average grades.
(excluding diplôme professionnelle)
Make sure you also meet Concordia’s minimum admission requirements.
We consider complete applications year round and we give priority to applicants who apply by official deadlines. Late applications will be considered if places are still available for the fall term only.
| You've sent your application from: | Fall term deadline | Winter term deadline |
| Inside Canada | March 1 Certain programs have extended their deadlines. Please check program availability. |
N/A Admission to this program is only available for the Fall Term. |
| Outside Canada (International) |
February 1 | N/A |
We reserve the right to close admission to a program at any time after the official deadline without prior notice.
Courses emphasize experimentation with a variety of techniques and materials. Our acclaimed faculty provide students with intensive training in a diverse range of traditional and digital animation techniques, including:
- Classical animation
- Puppet animation
- 3D digital animation
- Direct animation
- Experimental animation
- Animated documentary
- Animated installation
- Sound design & music composition
This rigorous approach to classical and digital animation processes emphasizes cross-pollination experimentation, and an independent spirit, making the Film Animation program one of the most versatile training programs in its field.
Sample classes
- Analytical Drawing and Design for Animated Filmmaking
- From Idea to Storyboard
- 3D Digital Animated Filmmaking
- Sound for Animated Film
- Traditional Stop-motion Animation
For a list of required courses please download the Program Guide according to year of entry.
Consult the undergraduate calendar for a complete list of current Cinema courses.
Schedules for courses are available on the class schedules page.
Our Centre for Digital Arts and our Visual Media Resources department are staffed by technical experts who will help you realize your ideas. You’ll have access to:
- Computing labs for video and sound editing
- Audio-visual equipment loans
- Media library and viewing rooms
- Digital animation lab
- 16mm, 35mm and digital animation stands
- A puppet studio
- A 2-D hand-drawn animation studio
Susan Pigott Fellowship for Indigenous Students
The Susan Pigott Fellowship was established for the purpose of encouraging and rewarding an Undergraduate or Graduate student enrolled full-time or part-time in Film Animation or Film Production in Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. This award is for Indigenous candidates and Canadian residents.
International Study Opportunities
Concordia University offers students the opportunity to take part in an International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) that will count for credit towards their Concordia degree, while paying the same tuition fees they do at home and possibly receiving funding. International study opportunities bring cultural diversity and enrichment through immersion in the programs of study at Concordia’s partner institutions.
Professional Internships
Internships provide students with the opportunity to pursue work in the film industry, film research, archival work, editing film publications, or writing film criticism. Consult the undergraduate calendar or graduate calendar for details about program specific requirements and prerequisites.
Independent Studies
Students may explore specific areas of film through independent study. Consult the undergraduate calendar or graduate calendar for details about program specific requirements and prerequisites. See independent study guidelines and download forms.
Thanks to our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, students will have comparatively minimal start-up costs. You can expect to spend up to $1,000 in the first year, and about $500 in each subsequent year. Students who opt to use analog equipment will bear the cost of film stock, processing, printing and material. All Film Animation students will pay a laboratory fee. Other specialized fees may also apply.
Student work drives the creative energy in the Faculty of Fine Arts, and you’ll have many opportunities to screen your work in film festivals and at on-campus venues. You’ll also have the chance to get involved with organizations that organize screenings and journals that publish articles about film theory, analysis and criticism.
To see what current students are working on, take a look at student work.
Our students have gone on to become some of the world’s leading independent animation filmmakers. Many work with the National Film Board of Canada or with animation studios and visual effects companies around the world. Your degree can also lead to career paths such as:
- Animation Director
- Storyboard artist
- Character designer
- Web animator
- CGI special effects supervisor
- 3D modeller
- Stop-motion, 2D and 3D animator
