MoPA

MoPA (Motion Picture in Arles) is a French animation academy based in the historic city of Arles. Founded in 2000 as Supinfocom Arles and rebranded in 2015, the school operates as part of the EDH Group and is a member of the Network of French Animation Schools (RECA). The institution delivers studio-oriented training in digital and physical animation, structuring its curriculum around production pipelines and collaborative workflow habits.

Campus and Technical Infrastructure

The school operates from a 1,700-square-meter campus designed to function like a working studio rather than a traditional academic environment. Facilities include:

• Over 200 high-performance computer workstations
• A dedicated stop-motion workshop
• A sound recording studio and color grading suite
• A drawing and fine arts studio
• A private screening and projection theater

Instruction across all major degree programs is delivered strictly in person, ensuring students have continuous access to specialized hardware, fabrication spaces, and daily peer collaboration, though entrance examinations are held remotely.

Educational Pathways

3D Animation Cinema

MoPA's primary track is a comprehensive five-year program culminating in an Expert Diploma in 3D Design, Production, and Animation (certified at RNCP Level 7, equivalent to a Master's degree). The program is organized into two sequential cycles:

• Foundations Cycle (Years 1–3): Covers the entire filmmaking pipeline, taking students through pre-production, 3D modeling, rigging, animation, shading, lighting, and compositing to establish strong generalist capabilities.
• Specialization Cycle (Years 4–5): Students select an advanced concentration in either Animation Professions or Image Professions. The final year centers on directing and producing an animated short film in teams of four to six artists, guided by industry mentors and presented to professional graduation juries.

Stop Motion

MoPA also offers a dedicated three-year Stop Motion program designed to achieve an RNCP Level 6 qualification. This track concentrates on physical craft and puppet filmmaking, including armature construction, miniature set fabrication, puppet making, lighting, and frame-by-frame physical directing.

Preparatory Class

An Artistic Preparatory Class (Manaa) provides a one-year foundational bridge for incoming students. The coursework focuses on observational drawing, cinematic culture, perspective, and visual storytelling to prepare candidates for competitive degree track admissions.

Production Pipeline Integration

Technical training mirrors standard studio workflows across pre-production, production, and post-production. Students utilize industry-standard creative tools across their coursework, including Autodesk Maya, Houdini, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter, Nuke, Mari, V-Ray, Blender, and Unreal Engine.