Animation & VFX: Digital Animation
& Visual Effects
& Visual Effects
Training creators for global animation and entertainment industries.
Animation & VFX: Digital Animation
& Visual Effects
& Visual Effects
Training creators for global animation and entertainment industries.
Animation & VFX: Digital Animation
& Visual Effects
& Visual Effects
Training creators for global animation and entertainment industries.
Duration
4 Year Degree - B.Des
Eligibility Criteria
50% in Class XII
(Any Stream) or equivalent IB / A-Levels
Next Intake
July 2026
Session begins from 15th July 2026
This program empowers students to create stunning digital animation and visual effects for entertainment, gaming, and immersive media. Students explore character design, 3D modeling, AR/VR environments, VFX, and procedural animation using AI and advanced software tools. Hands-on projects, industry collaborations, and live experiences develop technical expertise, storytelling, and creative problem-solving. Graduates are prepared for careers as character animators, 3D asset designers, VFX specialists, game animators, XR/mixed reality creators, and AI-assisted animation designers, emerging as future-ready professionals shaping the global animation and entertainment industries.
Character & AR/VR Animator
3D Modeller & Asset Designer
Game & Interactive Environment Animator
VFX & Compositing Specialist
AI & Procedural Animation Designer
XR / Mixed Reality Animator
Riddhesh Adarkar
Indraneel
Shelar
Shelar
Agnijit
Tarafdar
Tarafdar
Rushikesh
Mon Pal
Omkar Mahashabde
Jayesh
Panchal
Panchal
Jay
Mehta
Mehta
Rajendra
Ravi
Rao
Rao
Arpita Chikodikar
Shantanu
Mishra
Mishra
Our Globally Benchmarked Curriculum
Semester 1
Laying the foundation for creative thinking and design. Students explore core principles, visual language, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for future learning.
Design Research 1
Use design thinking and visual methods to explore, research, observe patterns, reflect on insights, and craft compelling stories that communicate ideas, inspire action, and create meaningful impact.
Design Studio 1
Design Studio 1 introduces creative exploration through design thinking, observation, research, and storytelling. Students develop problem-solving, visual communication, and reflective practice skills to address real-world challenges.
Drawing Fundamentals 1
Drawing Fundamentals 1 builds core visual skills through observation, sketching, composition, form and technical drawing. Students explore line, shape, proportion, and perspective to strengthen creative expression and design communication.
Imaging 1
Imaging 1 introduces digital and analog imaging techniques, exploring composition, light, and narrative. Students learn visual storytelling, image editing, and creative expression for design and communication.
Space and Materiality
Space and Materiality explores relationships between form, material, and environment. Students experiment with textures, structures, and spatial design to understand sensory impact, function, and creative possibilities.
History in Context to Objects
History in Context to Objects examines cultural, social, and historical influences on objects. Students analyze artifacts to understand design evolution, material significance, and contextual storytelling.
Skill-Up Elective
Skill-Up Elective offers specialized learning opportunities beyond the core curriculum, enabling students to explore emerging tools, creative practices, and interdisciplinary skills that enhance professional growth.
ATLAS Elective
Semester 2
Building confidence in experimentation and observation, students engage in hands-on projects that develop analytical thinking and creativity. The semester deepens design practice, emphasizing research, advanced techniques, sustainability, and user experience, fostering innovation, collaboration, and readiness for real-world challenges.
Design Research 2
Design Research 2 advances research skills, emphasizing observation, data analysis, and user insights. Students apply research backed by design thinking to identify problems, generate solutions, and inform creative strategies.
Design Studio 2
Design Studio 2 builds on creative practice, guiding students to apply research, experimentation, and design thinking in real-world projects, developing problem-solving, collaboration, and visual storytelling skills.
Drawing Fundamentals 2
Drawing Fundamentals 2 deepens observational and visual storytelling skills. Students refine visual communication and expressive techniques for creative design solutions.
Imaging 2
Imaging 2 advances digital and analog imaging techniques, focusing on composition, storytelling, and post-processing. Students create visually compelling narratives and enhance design communication through images.
Sustainable System
Sustainable System explores eco-friendly design principles, material choices, and systemic thinking. Students analyze environmental impact, interdependence of various systems using, and integrate responsible practices into design processes.
Time
Time examines its role as a design element, influencing memory, narrative, information flow, and user experience. Students explore temporal dynamics to create meaningful, engaging designs.
Skill-Up Elective
Skill-Up Elective offers specialized learning opportunities beyond the core curriculum, enabling students to explore emerging tools, creative practices, and interdisciplinary skills that enhance professional growth.
ATLAS Elective
Why our Year 1 outpaces every
other design school?
other design school?
ISDI School of Design
Multidisciplinary Exposure
Offers a Major–Minor Pathway where students combine core specialization with a secondary focus called a minor.
Integrated Design Thinking
Combines design thinking, observation, and research fostering strategic and creative problem-solving.
Holistic, Future-Ready Learning
Includes forward-looking courses like Sustainable System and Time, focusing on environmental impact.
Other Design Schools
Holistic, Future-Ready Learning
Other design schools follow single-track, restricting students to one specialisation throughout the program.
Theory–Practice Gap
Often separates theory and practice, introducing research much later as an
after-thought.
after-thought.
Aesthetic-Centric Focus
Primarily emphasizes form and aesthetics, with limited focus on sustainability or systems thinking.
Semester 3
Explore animation, storytelling, and visual expression. Apply concepts using digital tools, software, and emerging technologies.
Animation Film Studies
Explores animation’s narrative, social, and political dimensions, enabling students to critically analyze film and media for informed creative storytelling.
Introduction to Animation
Teaches illustration, storyboarding, and character design techniques, guiding students to plan and structure compelling animation narratives effectively.
Drawing for Animation
Develops foundational drawing and sculpting skills, enhancing students’ ability to create detailed, expressive, and production-ready animation assets.
Story and Narratives
Builds skills in screenwriting, character arcs, and visual composition, allowing students to craft coherent and captivating animation narratives.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Semester 4
Translate ideas into tangible interiors. Projects strengthen technical skills, creativity, and incorporate digital tools for design visualization.
Advanced Animation
An extension of Introduction to Animation, this course explores advanced principles of motion, character performance, and storytelling. Students refine their technical and creative skills to produce expressive, high-quality animations across digital platforms.
3D Sculpting
This course teaches digital sculpting techniques to create detailed 3D forms using industry tools, focusing on form, anatomy, and surface detail for animation and visualization.
Visual Development
Develops expressive characters through design, psychology, and storytelling exercises, enabling students to create compelling, relatable personalities for animation.
Storyboard and Animatics
Builds storytelling skills by guiding students through storyboard composition and animatic development, planning narrative flow a visual pacing effectively.
Modeling Studio
Teaches Maya 3D modeling for creating animation-ready characters and environments, emphasizing accuracy, topology, and production-ready asset creation.
Surfacing
Develops surfacing skills using digital tools, enabling students to texture characters and environments with realism and artistic expression.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Why our Year 2 outpaces every
other design
school?
other design
school?
ISDI School of Design
Story-Centric Learning
Emphasizes narrative building, character psychology, and visual storytelling to create emotionally engaging animations.
Comprehensive Production Training
Covers every stage of animation—from drawing and storyboarding to 3D modeling
Industry & Research Integration
Combines film studies, critical analysis, and real-world exposure to develop industry-ready storytellers.
Other Design Schools
Technique-Focused
Center largely on software and execution with limited storytelling emphasis.
Fragmented Skill Development
Teach separate animation stages without connecting conceptual and production aspects.
Minimal Contextual Learning
Often overlook research, film theory, and cultural understanding in creative practice.
Semester 5
Integrate animation, VFX, and immersive media in larger projects. Build experimentation and innovation skills using emerging technologies.
3D Animation and Rigging
Builds skills in rigging and procedural animation, enabling dynamic, realistic movement for 3D characters and objects in animation and VFX projects.
Concept art
Develops immersive 3D environments using concept art and narrative-driven design, creating visually compelling and contextually rich spaces for animation and VFX.
Surfacing 2
Builds students’ 3D mEnhances surfacing skills, applying complex shaders and detailed textures to characters and environments for realistic, production-ready animation and visual effects.odeling skills using Rhino and Keyshot software, enhancing their ability to visualize, refine, and integrate complex design concepts with realistic renderings.
3D Lighting
Teaches lighting and texturing techniques to enhance realism, mood, and atmosphere in 3D scenes for animation and VFX.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Semester 6
Push creative and technical boundaries with complex projects. Develop future-ready skills in immersive storytelling and AI-assisted production.
Character Animation
Develops expressive character animation by combining acting techniques and psychological understanding, enabling students to create believable, emotionally engaging, and nuanced animated performances.
Collaborative Project
Builds teamwork and collaboration skills through cross-disciplinary project development, preparing students for professional studio environments.
Production management
Introduction to the Complete pipeline of Animation film making process. - divided into 2D and 3D animation - where students get mentors to help them execute the project from 2D and 3D domain.
Immersive Storytelling - Unreal Engine
Teaches creation of interactive VR experiences, emphasizing storytelling, user engagement, and optimized asset development for immersive environments.
VFX Production
Teaches creation of interactive VR experiences, emphasizing storytelling, user engagement, and optimized asset development foGuides students through complete VFX workflows, teaching professional tools, techniques, and project management for high-quality visual effects productionr immersive environments.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Why our Year 3 outpaces every
other design
school?
other design
school?
ISDI School of Design
Advanced Production Mastery
Covers the full 3D and VFX pipeline with hands-on studio collaboration.
Expressive Storytelling
Merges character acting, psychology, and concept art for immersive worlds.
Future-Ready Technology
Integrates VR, Unreal Engine, and real-time workflows for innovative storytelling.
Other Design Schools
Tool-Focused Learning
Emphasize software skills without interdisciplinary depth.
Limited Character Development
Prioritize motion over emotional storytelling.
Outdated Techniques
Lack exposure to new technologies and immersive media.
Semester 7
Engage in industry collaborations and live projects. Refine portfolio, professional skills, and technology-enabled project execution.
Graduation Project Pre Production / Industry Capstone
Develops narrative, scriptwriting, and storyboard skills, guiding students to plan and structure a cohesive, professional-quality final animation or VFX project.
Professional Practice and Portfolio Development
Builds professional skills through portfolio creation, collaboration, and workplace practices, preparing students for industry entry and career opportunities in animation and VFX.
Industry Internship
Students gain real-world experience by working with design studios or industry partners, applying their skills to professional projects and building industry readiness.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Semester 8
Showcase mastery in a final animation or VFX project. Demonstrate creativity, technical expertise, and readiness for global, tech-driven opportunities.
Final Project Production Process
Applies full production workflows to complete capstone animation and VFX projects, integrating technical, creative, and collaborative skills for professional-quality outcomes.
Final Project Post Production
Teaches compositing, sound design, and finishing techniques, polishing final projects to achieve cinematic quality and cohesive storytelling.
Minor Track
The minor track you choose will continue across all the remaining years of your program.
Why our Year 4 outpaces every
other design
school?
other design
school?
ISDI School of Design
Capstone & Ethical Practice
Concludes with self-driven projects emphasizing research, professionalism, and responsible design ethics.
Specialized & Future-Focused Learning
Offers advanced pathways in animation for additional proficiency
Human–Tech Fusion
Integrates ergonomics, coding, and electronics for smart, user-focused design solutions.
Other Design Schools
Weak Ethical Integration
Address professional ethics superficially, without linking them to real-world design practice.
Limited Specialization Options
Often provide generic final-year projects without advanced focus areas.
Basic Technical Training
Rarely combine coding, ergonomics, or smart product design.
02
Creative Aptitude Test
03
Portfolio Review + Interview
04
Final Selection & Offer Letter
Eligibility
Indian Boards (ISC / CBSE / State Boards)
- Minimum 50% overall in Class XII
A-Levels (UK)
- Minimum grades A, B, or C in any 2 subjects
- Total of 3 subjects required
International Baccalaureate (IB)
A minimum of 24 points, including:
- 3 Higher Level (HL) subjects
- 3 Standard Level (SL) subjects
Application Fee: ₹3,500
Once you receive the offer letter, pay an enrollment fee of INR 50,000 and block your seat
Why Animation & VFX: Digital Animation
& Visual Effects at ISDI x Parsons
& Visual Effects at ISDI x Parsons
Design That’s
Rooted in Reality
Rooted in Reality
Work on real-world interiors, commercial projects, and client briefs.
Global DNA,
Local Insight
Local Insight
Parsons-influenced curriculum tailored to India’s architectural and cultural contexts.
The Studio is Just
the Beginning
the Beginning
Learn in workshops, fabrication labs, digital studios, and live sites.
Taught by Designers Who
Work, Not Just Teach
Work, Not Just Teach
Faculty bring experience from architecture, hospitality, and interior design studios.
Build Your Portfolio
Before You Graduate
Before You Graduate
Graduate with projects and interiors that showcase your design vision and professional readiness.
Where concepts meet execution,
in and beyond the classroom.
At ISDI, every project becomes part of a career-ready portfolio. From hands-on labs and design sprints to brand collaborations, internships, hackathons, and industry showcases, you graduate with real-world experience and work that speaks for itself.
Leaping Windows - Comic book library
The visit focused on studying panel composition for the Visual Book project. Leaping Windows offered valuable insights with its extensive collection of comics and illustration references for its niche audience.
Anifest 24
Students attended Anifest 2024, organized by TASI, where they explored the world of animation through hands-on sessions, industry showcases, and interactions with leading professionals—gaining insights into trends, techniques, and creative careers.
Udaipur Local Immersion
Animation and VFX students attended a two-day Kavad workshop in Udaipur with master artisan Mr. Satyanarayan Sutar, learning its cultural significance and creating their own Kavad boxes. Inspired, they’re now developing animated films that reinterpret this traditional art form.
Fractal Studios
Interior Design students participated in the IDAC Internship Program, connecting with leading industry professionals through live projects and mentorship. The experience offered real-world design exposure, studio learning, and portfolio development—bridging academics with professional practice and preparing them for future careers in design.
Blue Willow - Surfacing / texturing project - maya + Substance painter project
Design Visualization Project I analyzed a chosen film, animation, or real-life scene to study how spatial elements contribute to the narrative, mood, and functionality.
The Queen - Bee inspired Dronebot
An elderly woman living alone on her countryside bee farm struggles to manage it due to age. Her son, a drone designer abroad, gifts her a bee-inspired drone that communicates with bees through sound frequencies, helping her care for the farm.
Search - 3D Animated Film
Search - This short film takes you through the journey of a home cleaning robot Chip where he is trying to revive his lost friend.
Asuranga - Character Design Project
Asuranga, the final boss, is a tyrannical ruler empowered by ancient Asuras. His design blends regal authority with dark, infernal energy, embodying chaos and dominance.
Shell X - Drone Design - maya + Substance Painter
In 2147, the United Frontier Corps deployed Shell-X, a stealth combat drone using nanotech camouflage to gather intel and strike with precision when threats arise—protecting humanity amid bioengineered chaos.
Cockroach of the Bathroom of the Valley of the Shadow of Death - Comic Book Design
Creation of Composition - This involves drawing a composition having only 2 lines, 3 curves and 2 circles. In total, 3 compositions were made out of which one was selected for further execution.
Student Projects in Motion
Where creativity meets momentum
Liana Fernandes
Anish Kumar
Sarah Xavier
Anish Kumar
Surbhi Nagari
Sarah Xavier
Sairaj Menon
Radhika Rane
Liana Fernandes
Khushi Gapta
Abhay Krishna
Savi Nigam
Savi Nigam
Radhika Rane
Sarah Xavier
Pawana Kumble
Student Voices: Real Voices from the Program
Hear from our students
We have learned so much about the industry. I am so happy to be practicing it now.
Sanya Kulkarni
Ready to Build a Design Degree
that’s Built for the Real World?
Questions? We can read your mind
More questions?
Let our AI Assistant answer your queries
Questions? We can read your mind
Yes, ISDI provides its students with different programs in B.Des and among them is Animation and VFX. The curriculum of the evolving field has been designed in collaboration with Parsons School of Design. Students who have a knack for animation and VFX can pursue the field and gain industry and theoretical knowledge, which will benefit them. To enrol in the course, students should:
- Visit the admission portal of ATLAS ISDI.
- Students should have a design portfolio.
- They should have completed their 12th grade with a minimum percentage.
- Students need to fill out the admission form and pay a fee to enrol in the course.
- The admission committee has a detailed set of interview and Design Aptitude tests upon which students can enrol themselves for the course.
Animation & VFX is a rapidly evolving field with applications across media, entertainment, gaming and digital content.
At ATLAS ISDI School of Design & Innovation, the program focuses on:
- Building both conceptual and technical design skills
- Practical learning through projects and studio-based work
- Exposure to industry practices and workflows
- Curriculum developed with support from Parsons School of Design
Yes, students can specialise in both Animation & VFX at ISDI. The curriculum spans 4 years, which involves different modules and equally enhances their VFX & Animation skills.
The Animation & VFX program at ATLAS ISDI School of Design & Innovation introduces students to a range of foundational and advanced topics, including:
- Drawing and visualisation
- Colour theory and visual thinking
- Animation principles
- Visual effects and compositing
- Production processes and project development
Students also engage in project-based learning and practical assignments.
Graduates can pursue many different careers upon graduating from our Animation & VFX Program. A few of the prospects a graduate can pursue include:
- Animator
- Motion Graphics Designer
- VFX Artist or Compositor
- Storyboard or Concept Artist
- 3D Modeller or Lighting Artist
- Art Director or Animation Director
Career paths may vary based on individual interests, skills and experience.
Yes, ISDI provides global exposure for Animation & VFX. The curriculum has been designed in collaboration with Parsons School of Design, which focuses on global exposure, too. The globally benchmarked curriculum undertakes:
- An optimal combination of theoretical and practical learning
- Develop artistic vision through a global immersion program
- Effective use of digital tools, which are globally recognised and appreciated
- Work collaboratively on live projects, which strengthen their communication skills
Yes, ISDI has collaborated with the prestigious Parsons School of Design. The curriculum has also been aligned with global standards to enhance the Animation & VFX program. The program offers:
- Workshops and talks led by industry experts.
- Live projects for a better understanding of tools and challenges.
- International exposure through global immersion coursework.
We encourage choice-based learning and our curriculum encourages students to work on their skills through modules.
Yes, students will be provided with opportunities while studying the Animation & VFX program. ISDI understands the complexities of the evolving landscape and supports the students with our placement committee. The placement committee is focused on ensuring students are well-versed with opportunities and helps them in seeking the right opportunity with guidance. Students can benefit from:
- The summer internships are an essential part of the global immersion program
- Students can work with mentors and seek internships in their companies
There are many career opportunities which are available to students after pursuing the Animation & VFX program at ISDI. Some of the roles which students can opt for are:
- Roles in animation, VFX and digital media
- Creative positions in advertising and content production
- Leadership roles such as Art Director or Creative Director
There are many other career options which graduates can choose from based on their entrepreneurial skills:
- Start their own design venture
- Head of advertising agencies from a creative mindset
- Head important roles in media houses & studios
Still have Questions?
We’re here to help!
[email protected]
We’re here to help!
Find us
ISDI School of Design and Innovation
ISDI - ATLAS SkillTech University
Building 2, BKC 51
Next to Equinox Business Park
Bandra Kurla Complex Junction
Mumbai – 400051
Building 2, BKC 51
Next to Equinox Business Park
Bandra Kurla Complex Junction
Mumbai – 400051
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