Animation Design
The reference Master’s program for creating high-quality animated projects
Milan
ITA
Master
Language
Italian
Start date
November 2026
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
1 Year
Course Coordination
Lorenzo Lodovichi, Sara Irace
Price
EU/EEA resident students: €13.500
Non‑EU/Non-EEA resident students: €15.500
Start your career path in the animation industry and bring out your creativity as you make your first short film. This is all part of our Master's Course in Animation Design
Refine your professional path in the animation field and enhance your creativity by creating animated projects using a variety of techniques.
The Master’s in Animation Design brings out the creative power of imaginary worlds through a solid design approach: you will deepen your technical skills, tell stories, bring immersive environments to life, and create animated projects where the visual aspect plays a leading role.
This Master’s program is the professional leap that prepares you for the job market and industry processes: throughout the course, you will explore new forms of cross-pollination between different visual expressions, specializing as a designer for the production of animated content.
A Master’s that envisions the Animation Designer as a highly trained professional, capable of adapting to the evolution of the global industry.
Information to decide
A Master's Course that looks at the Animation Designer as a high-trained professional who can adapt to the evolving global industry
The Master's Course in Animation Design in Milan is centered on the methodology of animation design, production, and development, with a focus on both established industry-standard techniques and methodologies, as well as the exploration of new visual languages. Particular attention is given to the latest trends in TV series and cinema, VFX, advertising, the game industry, and digital 2D animation.
A large part of the course is dedicated to developing a design-oriented approach through technical skills and mastery of software and tools: you will have access to a lab equipped with Wacom Cintiq graphic tablets and work with dedicated programs such as Toon Boom Harmony, Storyboard Pro, the Adobe suite, and Blender.
AI, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT APPROACH
IED has always maintained a strong connection with the professional world, and AI is a topic that cannot be ignored. There is a growing need to balance the educational value of traditional techniques and methods with the rapid technological progress we are witnessing.
The Innovation Techniques module of the Master’s in Animation Design is specifically aimed at individuals who have already pursued studies in the artistic field and wish to broaden their perspective on tools and techniques. It provides an ideal framework for experimenting with AI as a support tool for animation.
Taking a stance of outright rejection toward new technologies can be limiting for anyone aspiring to be a production artist. On the other hand, studying new tools is the only way to understand their long-term implications and to ensure that the artist’s role remains central and irreplaceable within production processes in the future.
The Master’s Course in Animation Design in Milan is aimed at those who hold a degree in illustration or computer graphic animation, as well as those who have studied at an Academy of Fine Arts in disciplines such as Painting, Set Design, or Multimedia.
You can apply for admission if you hold a diploma from a specialized school in comics and animation drawing, or if you have equivalent experience in the animation field.
In particular, the Master is designed for those who want to work in teams with a wide range of skills (character design, environments, storyboard, layout, animation, direction, finishing, post-production, sound), for those with an ambitious and design-oriented mindset who enjoy continuously engaging with technical aspects and processes, and for those who want to explore and push beyond their artistic limits.
The Master’s Course in Animation Design in Milan is characterized by a strong multidisciplinary approach and a deep understanding of the applications increasingly required in animation: advertising, TV series, feature and short films, docufiction, video games, cross- and transmedia productions, and visual effects for film and television.
The program alternates highly specialized, in-depth learning with areas of cross-contamination between different stylistic and expressive forms of animation, including the use of AI as a supporting tool.
Its added value lies in training professionals with up-to-date, specialized technical skills, capable of creating innovative projects and entering a highly competitive and rapidly evolving industry.
Your course of study will be a journey that takes on the nature of an adventure, enriched by meaningful encounters along the way: in line with IED’s DNA, this Master allows you to understand industry dynamics and start building new connections within an international network full of growth opportunities.
By the end of the Master, you will have animated materials to present to the professional world and a solid skill set for roles such as 2D Animator, 2D Effects Animator, 3D Animator, Pre-production Artist (Concept Artist, Character Designer, Environment Designer), Storyboard & Layout Artist, Production Assistant, and Compositor.
The Master is structured around specific courses, primarily workshop-based, aimed at producing a final visual project, typically in the form of a micro short film or short-form content.
Syllabus
The study plan is balanced across disciplines related to technical tools, design, and production.
ANIMATION, DIGITAL TOOLS: Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard Pro, covering essential basic and advanced technical foundations for 2D animation.
CHARACTER ANIMATION – ADVANCED LEVEL: organic animation in Toon Boom Harmony, with in-depth study and refinement.
SPECIAL EFFECTS – ADVANCED LEVEL: in-depth exploration of 2D animation related to special effects, a rapidly growing sector.
STOP MOTION: comprehensive and advanced stop motion animation.
3D ANIMATION FOR GAMING: 3D character animation with a particular focus on gaming methodologies.
INNOVATION TECHNIQUES: experimentation with mixed techniques, with special attention to the integration of AI in animation processes.
ANIMATED SERIES LAB: a multidisciplinary workshop aimed at creating a dossier for an animated series, including script, pre-production elements, and a production plan.
PORTFOLIO DESIGN: development of a professional portfolio/showreel showcasing the best work produced during the Master.
FIELD PROJECT and THESIS: creation of micro short films or short-form content videos.
Faculty
Course Coordinator
Lorenzo Lodovichi
Visualizer, Illustrator and Director
Course Coordinator
Sara Irace
Stop Motion animator
Nicola Finizio
Senior 2D FX Animator at Sony Pictures
Giulia Landi
2D animator
Francesco Bruschettini
Film Producer
Alessandro Busseni
Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Laura Fiori
Art Director
Alfredo Cassano
2D animator, storyboard artist and pianist
Alessandro Finizio
Composer, Sound Designer and Guitarist
Bianca Costanzo
graphic designer, illustrator and 2d animator
Marta Sofia Marzullo
Freelance Animator and Illustrator
Walter Dessì
Motion Designer and 2D Animator
Patrizia Russo
Freelance animation & illustration artist, graphic designer
Andrea Pagliardi
Head of Communication Cartoon Italia
Roberto Grasso
Author, Director and Creative Lead
Loris Giordano
3D Animator
Andrea Asperges
Traditional Animator and Pixel Artist for Characters and VFX
Alice Tagliapietra
2D FX animator and background artist
Inside the labs
VIDEO EDITING LAB
+4
VIDEO SHOOTING LAB
+5
ANIMATION LAB - WACOM
Projects
Course partner
What people say
IED Master Tales - Interview with Elisa Milanesio
Master Tales is a series of conferences dedicated to master students through which Alumni who graduated in previous years talk about their professional journey, suggest practical details on how to take their first steps in the world of work and provide stimuli on new, little-known and possible inspiration for students. #iedmastertales
Alumna of the Master's Program in Animation Design - IED Milano
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