Animation Film Design Course

It offers students a gateway to confidently immerse themselves in the ever-evolving, creative, exploratory and experimental world of design education at IIAD. They gain a wide range of design skills and expand their design vocabulary. Upon successfully completing the Foundation year, students smoothly transition to the specialised Animation Film Design course.

The first year of Animation Film Design entails a journey of ‘unpacking the self’. By digging deep into their memories and childhood, students discover the inner storyteller within them. Students will learn the basics of visual communication, narrative building and visual storytelling in the first semester. In the second semester, they learn the fundamentals of animation: concepts of gravity, weight, and mass and their impact on motion are explored, leading to the study of motion and emotion in visual media. Students learn kinetic typography and motion graphics, as well as anticipation, ease in and ease out, follow-through and the role of exaggeration. The course also introduces game design to highlight design as storytelling. By the conclusion of the year, you will have acquired the skills to manifest your ideas on digital, audio-visual and spatial platforms.

At the end of this year, your first industry interface will be facilitated with an 8-week Learn On-Site internship, which will focus on multidisciplinary learning experiences. Animation Film Design students can opt to work in various avenues—film, animation, motion graphics, storytelling, digital products—to name a few.

In the second year of this specialisation, students are introduced to the theory of narrative structure and concept of film langauge and film theory. The students learn visual scripting as a tool for narrative and non-narrative projects, they are also introduced to scriptwriting, storytelling, experimental animation and animation as a documentary medium. There is emphasis on inventiveness and creating dynamic imagery ustilizing various techniques across mediums. Students are also introduced to sound design and projection mapping as ways to enhance immersive storytelling.

The 16-week Learn On-Site internship provides extended industry exposure, serving as the gateway to the students’ professional careers. Students gain the opportunity to work in real-world industry settings, understanding the intricacies of organisational structures. They will work in environments such as design studios, advertising agencies, and production houses, both in India and internationally. Ogilvy & Mather, Denstu, Studio Fry, Folklog, Quicksand, Animal, Caravan, Katha publications, Double Barrel Production house, Star Struck and Reliance, among many others.

Beginning their journey by ‘unpacking’ and now ‘repacking’ the self, students come full circle in their final year of the Animation Film Design course. They establish a unique, industry-relevant practice while enhancing their networking and entrepreneurial skills. By engaging in socially relevant design projects, they evolve into ethical and purposeful design professionals committed to “designing for a better future.”

Exposure to diverse areas within this versatile discipline, along with on-site work experience, allows them to focus on their areas of interest and strengthen their design abilities in those chosen fields. The Major Design Project combines the students’ chosen medium of specialisation with their subject area of interest. Animation Film Design students work on projects spanning sectors from social to business to entertainment, creating a diverse portfolio. Whether self-initiated or industry-sponsored, they undertake projects grounded in business and social realities. Throughout the process, students make independent design decisions while receiving close mentorship from faculty and industry experts.

The Major Design Project marks the culmination of their previous learning, focussing on storytelling in various forms, including narrative, non-narrative, documentary filmmaking, explainer videos, brand animations, world-building for brands, music videos, and storytelling through motion graphics. This project brings a sense of accomplishment to their transformative design education.