Animation Design
The reference Master's Course to get started with practical application of animated projects
Milan
ITA
Master
Language
Italian
Start date
November 2026
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
1 Year
Course Coordination
Lorenzo Lodovichi
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
The Master's Course in Animation Design will uncover your power to create imaginary worlds through a strong project-based approach. You will learn how to storytell, bring explorable settings to life and make a short film from scratch covering everything, from music to direction and production.
This Master's Course is your opportunity to move into your future career and get familiar with the industry as a whole. Over your time here, you will explore new forms of contamination between different visual expressions as you prepare to become a specialist designer for the production of animated content.
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 study programme of the Master's Course in Animation Design at IED Milano has a focus on the methods of animation design, production and development, as it covers subject creation, directing and use of effects. Special attention is paid to the latest trends typically found in TV series and cinema, Vfx, advertising, game industry, 2D digital animation.
Much of the course will focus on developing technical skills and knowledge of software tools as part of a project-based approach. You will have access to a lab equipped with Wacom Cintiq graphics tablets and work with speciality software applications such as Toon Boom Harmony, Storyboard Pro, and also the Adobe suite.
Teaching will be divided into three main areas: design, technical-practical and production-marketing sessions. This approach to the course will help you bring out your innate skills and competitive factors. Whether it is a short film, a mock communication project on social/educational issues, or also a pilot project for a TV series, you will have plenty to choose from as your dissertation project. You will be able to work either individually or as part of a team, learning how to build a work portfolio for pitch competitions being held at the most important festivals.
The Master's Course in Animation Design at IED Milano is for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in the areas of illustration or computer graphic animation. It is also for those who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in such areas as Painting, Scenography and Multimedia.
You can also apply if you are a graduate of a comics and animation design school, or if you have equivalent experience in the area of animation.
In particular, this Master's Course is designed for those who want to work in a team involving multiple skills (character, ambient, storyboard, layout, animation, filmmaking, refining, post-production, sound), and also for those who have ambitious project-oriented mindsets and enjoy discussing technical details on a regular basis. It is also intended for those who want to explore and overcome their own limits to approach a complex project like a film.
The Master's Course in Animation Design at IED Milano has a strong multidisciplinary focus and provides an understanding of the most popular applications of animation: advertising, TV series, feature and short films, docufiction, video games, cross/transmedia productions, and special effects for television and film productions.
The Master's Course makes the contamination between the different stylistic and expressive forms of animation its added value: the one-year course trains professionals with state-of-the-art and vertical technical skills in the field, enabling them to design innovative projects and to fit into a competitive context and a rapidly evolving industry.
Your learning process here will be like an adventurous journey, which will be made even more meaningful as you enjoy interactions with other people along the way. Leading names such as Japanese designer and artist Fusako Yusaki or notable masters like Bruno Bozzetto and Mario Addis have brought their experience and professionalism into the classroom over the past years.
Consistently with the DNA of all IED schools, this Master's Course provides you with the opportunity to approach the world of work, developing new contacts as you move throughout an international network full of endless opportunities for growth. At the end of your training, you will have a short film to submit to the industry professionals and your great know-how will help you take on different roles including that of Concept Artist, Character Designer, Ambient Designer, Storyboard and Layout Artist, 2D Character Animator, Production Assistant, and also Compositor.
Online and In-Person
Syllabus
The first part of the Master's Course involves in-depth and specialized concept design, pre-production and animation, with an integration of technical and practical workshops. Later on, learning activities will mainly consist of sessions providing extra time to help you with your dissertation project. The programme will be divided into 3 core areas: design, technical-practical and production-marketing sessions.
PROJECT AREA
Concept Design for Animation
Character Design
Ambient Design
Storytelling
Pre-production: from Subject to Storyboard
Direction
Soundtrack
TECHNICAL INSTRUMENTAL AREA
2D Animation: ToonBoom Harmony, Toon Boom Storyboard
Cut out and Advanced Animation
Compositing Advanced Techniques and Effects
Special Effects
Workshop: 3D Animation for Gaming
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING AREA
Production Management
History and critical analysis of Animation
Marketing
Faculty
Course Coordinator
Lorenzo Lodovichi
Visualizer, Illustrator and Director
Course Coordinator
Laura Fiori
Art Director
Nicola Finizio
Senior 2D FX Animator at Sony Pictures
Fabrice Beau
Co-Founder, Producer and Managing Director of ANIMALPS PRODUCTIONS
Sara Brienza
Illustrator and Animator
Linda Kelvink
Director, Animator, Founder of IBRIDO STUDIO
Zeno Toppan
Editor-in-chief at Utopia publisher
Alfredo Cassano
2D animator, storyboard artist and pianist
Alessandro Finizio
Composer, Sound Designer and Guitarist
Bianca Costanzo
graphic designer, illustrator and 2d animator
Giulia Landi
2D animator
Marta Sofia Marzullo
Freelance Animator and Illustrator
Walter Dessì
Motion Designer and 2D Animator
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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