MA 3D Animation for Film & Games ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln

Cologne Game Lab (CGL) of the TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences)

The lectures will be held in English, which prepares students for the international working environment of the animation industry. Additionally, the international composition of the programme enhances and promotes the students' intercultural competence.

The postgraduate programme 3D Animation for Film & Games is aimed at media professionals from the fields Film, Games, Media Design, and Architecture who want to expand their skill set in 3D animation and to explore the intersection between film and games that opened up due to technological innovation.

In addition to a successful Bachelor’s degree or comparable academic degree, admission to the programme requires at least twelve months of practical experience in a relevant field. The Master’s programme thus gains its specific profile in the targeted interweaving of scholarship, art and craft, tradition and innovation, practice and future orientation.

The programme is strongly project-oriented and offers a highly international and interdisciplinary environment where students receive guidance in the development of numerous 3D animation projects as well as the theoretical foundations necessary for a critical approach to the design and research of animated projects.

More information: https://www.filmschule.de/en/studies/ma-3d-animation-film-games

• Tuition fee for EU students: 1,500 EUR per semester
• Tuition fee for non-EU students: 2,500 EUR per semester
• One-time registration fee: 200 EUR

The curriculum of the Master’s programme 3D Animation for Film & Games is divided into project and theory modules, while the “Experience Assessment” module, which covers the application process, precedes the programme. In the semesters one to three, the strong project orientation of the programme is apparent, as 14 out of a total of 22 ECTS per semester are accounted for by the project modules I-III.

In addition, students receive in-depth media theoretical and practical instruction in the modules Animation in Film & Games: History & Theory I-III, which include the respective seminar series on Media & Games Studies, Animation History, Methods & Tools, and Tutorials. The fourth semester is dedicated to the Master’s project as well as thesis, which culminate in a public presentation and a defence.

A special focus of the course is on design-oriented processes. Through the flexible semester structure, students are given creative freedom so that they can experimentally test, discard, and realise different ideas, approaches, and procedures.

The MA 3D Animation for Film & Games is a study programme optimised to allow students holding a part-time job. During the lecture period students will attend 12 hours of seminars, lectures and mentoring sessions per week. These will take place on Mondays (all day) and Tuesday as well as Wednesday evenings. The self-study time varies, but students should plan for at least 12 hours per week to do their project work and to prepare for or follow up on classes.

Students are explicitly encouraged to pursue their career in the media industry while taking part in the programme. Based on experience, the working hours should not exceed 24 hours per week.

1,500 EUR

• Tuition fee for EU students: 1,500 EUR per semester
• Tuition fee for non-EU students: 2,500 EUR per semester
• One-time registration fee: 200 EUR

Approx. 340 EUR per semester

Approx. 934 EUR per month

The programme is aimed at talented and dedicated media professionals in the fields of film, games, design, architecture and similar areas who have gained relevant experience in creating and producing 3D animation.

The entry requirements for the programme are as follows:

• First higher education degree (e.g. Bachelor's, Diploma) in Film, Games, Design, Architecture or the equivalent
• 12 months of relevant working experience in the media and creative industries

Application Documents:

To apply for the programme / artistic-scientific aptitude test, you will need to submit the following documents:

• Completed application tasks, which are updated at the beginning of each year
• CV
• Portrait photo
• Scans of academic certificates, degrees
• Proof of 12 months of professional experience, refer to our FAQs for acceptable documentation

Based on these documents, a group of applicants will be selected for a personal interview. During these interviews, the artistic qualifications and the English language proficiency of the applicants will be examined.

Special information for international students: International applicants have to validate their formal entrance qualification to the MA 3D Animation for Film & Games through uni-assist in a separate process. As the processing time for this is approximately four weeks, applicants are highly encouraged to hand in their certificates to uni-assist in early February. Without a positive evaluation from uni-assist, applicants cannot be admitted to the MA programme.

Applicants have to demonstrate the appropriate level of English during the selection process.

More information: https://www.filmschule.de/en/studies/ma-3d-animation-film-games

No

Students are explicitly encouraged to pursue a career in the media industry while taking part in the programme. However, based on experience, the working hours should not exceed 24 hours per week.

The students are professionally supervised by two professors, numerous guest lecturers and members of the faculty. Tutors assist them in their study projects. In addition, students also receive support from the administration.

The ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln is a comprehensive educational and professional training institution with an artistic-scientific focus serving aspiring media professionals. On the initiative of the NRW state government and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the school was founded in 2000 as a non-profit company, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW being the sole principal partner of the ifs. The ifs is consistently ranked as one of the best film schools in Germany, based on its outstanding student support, excellent teaching and project work and active festival participation, including a Student Academy Award. The ifs portfolio encompasses the Bachelor's programme in Film, offering various specialisations, alongside Master’s programmes in 3D Animation for Film & Games, Digital Narratives, Entertainment Producing and Serial Storytelling. The study programmes are carried out in cooperation with the TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences. In addition, there are several professional training programmes for media professionals, including the unique European Showrunner programme. The courage and will to promote ongoing development and change is what distinguishes the ifs. The school enjoys a constant flow of impulses and inspiration through its close collaborations in all the fields of the audiovisual landscape. The primary focus lies on the media developments and innovations of the future. The school is a member of CILECT as well as the International Association of Film and Television Schools. It cultivates partnerships with a global network of film schools and universities.

The ifs in a nutshell:

• innovative media education reflecting current developments and their aesthetic and cultural potential
• individual and intensive support provided through small groups of students and a two-year programme cycle
• excellent teaching by renowned national and international filmmakers and academics serving as professors and lecturers
• network building during studies facilitated by a strong practical orientation and numerous contacts in the media sector
• professional teamwork fostered by a combination of vocational specialisation and interdisciplinary cooperation
• intercultural experience gained through international collaborations with film schools worldwide

Cologne (Germany), a city with a 2,000 year heritage, is a buzzing media hub. A third of Germany’s TV programmes are produced in Cologne. Key TV and radio stations, numerous renowned film and TV production companies, and more than 70 print and digital publishing companies are based in the city, drawing a creative and artistic crowd. In addition, a large and still growing number of exciting international productions are made in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia.

The ifs is located in Schanzenstraße in Cologne-Mülheim, which is the creative and media quarter – next door to TV production companies, studio facilities, publishing houses, a radio station and the municipal theatre.