What ArtFX does

ArtFX is a France-based, privately held higher education institution (SARL, registered in Montpellier) founded in 2004 by Gilbert Kiner and Martine Charviez, specializing in digital arts training for the visual effects, animation, and video game industries. It delivers a five-year Master's cycle (300 ECTS credits) leading to the French state-recognized RNCP Level 7 'Digital Director' title, alongside shorter BTS, ARTCODE programming, continuing education, and Summer School programs. Its core product is a curriculum that begins with two years of purely analog artistic training (drawing, painting, sculpture) before introducing industry-standard digital tools including Houdini, Maya, Nuke, Substance Painter, Unreal Engine, Unity, Arnold, and deep learning frameworks, evaluated through a proprietary CPT (Creativity, Technical Mastery, Professionalism) system.

The school operates four campuses across France and the United Kingdom — Montpellier (headquarters, since 2004), Lille-EuraCreative at Plaine Images (2023), Paris-Enghien-les-Bains, and London (launched January 2026 in partnership with Arts University Bournemouth). Its primary revenue stream is annual tuition (€13,300/year for the Master's cycle, €6,900/year for ARTCODE) plus registration fees, with ancillary income from student housing partnerships (Odalys Campus, 217 units in Montpellier), continuing education, and the sub-brand École 24 cinema school. Go-to-market relies on direct enrollment via portfolio review and interviews, supported by open days across all campuses, online live sessions on YouTube/LinkedIn/Facebook, and the Campus France network for international recruitment (50+ nationalities enrolled).

ArtFX competes on brand reputation — ranked #1 worldwide in VFX Production Excellence by The Rookies for seven consecutive years, five-time winner of the VES Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project, and laureate of the France 2030 'La Grande Fabrique de l'Image' initiative. Teaching staff are active professionals from studios including ILM, Rodeo FX, MPC, Dneg, Weta Digital and Framestore, and 55+ studios participate annually in graduation juries and job datings, with ~50% of the 1,000+ alumni employed internationally. The leadership team comprises founder/President Gilbert Kiner, Director General Simon Vanesse, Academic Director Carine Poussou, London Director Charles Chorein, and campus directors Dominique Peyronnet (Montpellier) and Alexandre Pagot (Lille).

Name

ArtFX

Legal name

SARL ARTFX

Website

https://artfx.school

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ArtFX is a French private higher education institution founded in 2004, operating four campuses (Montpellier, Lille, Paris, London) and training students in VFX, 3D/2D animation, and video game production through a state-recognized RNCP Level 7 Master's program, serving international applicants seeking careers in film, streaming, and game studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Arts Higher Education (VFX, Animation, and Video Game Training)

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animation Services for VFX (Creature/Character, Crowd, Simulation Support) (MPADAHAF), Real-Time Content & Engine Services (Unreal/Unity, Real-Time Rendering Pipelines) (MPADAHAH)

Keywords

• Higher education
• VFX training
• Animation programs
• Game development education
• Digital arts school

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Annual tuition for the 5-year Master's program is €13,300 per year. ARTCODE programming course costs €6,900 per year. Additional registration fees apply (€870 for Year 1, then €370 per year). Payment plans available including three-installment option and monthly installments once French bank account is established.
2. Student Housing: On-campus student residence partnership with Odalys Campus provides 217 fully-equipped T1 and T2 apartments ranging from 19-29 m². Prices range from €630-€785 per month plus utilities. Administrative fees of €300 apply.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ArtFX is a private higher education institution delivering a 5-year Master's degree cycle (plus shorter BTS and Summer School programs) in digital arts disciplines including 3D Animation & VFX, 3D Character Animation, 2D Animation, Game Art, Game Design, and Game Programming. Programs culminate in a French State-recognized RNCP Level 7 "Digital Director" certification (300 ECTS) and prepare students for careers in film, television, animation, and video game production studios.

Product overview

ArtFX is an educational institution offering a portfolio of degree programs across digital arts disciplines. The school operates as a single unified institution with multiple campuses (Montpellier, Lille-EuraCreative, Paris-Enghien-les-Bains, and London), delivering programs in 3D Animation & VFX, 3D Character Animation, 2D Animation, Video Game (Game Art, Game Design, Game Programming), and Programming (ARTCODE). All programs are delivered through a 5-year Master cycle culminating in an RNCP Level 7 "Digital Director" certification, alongside shorter programs including a 4-year Game Programming cycle, a 2-year BTS program in computer science, and Summer School workshops for teenagers. The portfolio spans the full creative pipeline from traditional foundation skills to advanced digital production techniques including AI integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• École 24: School of new cinema and series, offering enriched cinema education with new writing formats and latest technological advances.

Products and services

• 3D & VFX Master's Program (Animation 3D & Effets Spéciaux Visuels Numériques) Five-year Master's cycle training in 3D animation and visual effects, covering simulation 3D, real-time rendering, and AI. The original ArtFX program, recognized by leading international creative studios, taught at Montpellier, Lille, and Paris campuses. Delivers RNCP Level 7 Digital Director certification and 300 ECTS credits.
• 3D Character Animation Master's Program Five-year Master's cycle training students to master production of computer-generated films, creating and animating with finesse sets, objects, and characters for stylized universes. Delivered at Montpellier and Paris campuses.
• 2D Animation Master's Program Five-year Master's cycle combining artistic 2D skills (drawing, color, perspective) with mixed 2D/3D techniques for adult and children's series, including productions like Klaus, Superman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Delivered at Montpellier, Lille, and Paris campuses.
• Game Art Master's Program Five-year Master's cycle training students in video game art for studios producing AAA and indie games.
• Game Design Master's Program Five-year Master's cycle combining technical, analytical, and creative training for video game design and production roles.
• Game Programming Master's Program (ARTCODE) Four-year cycle (Bachelor 3 years admission BAC, Master 2 years admission BAC+3) in game programming, delivered at Paris or Lille campuses. Priced at €6,900/year plus €370 registration fee.
• BTS SIO Informatique et Création Numérique Two-year BTS program in computer science and digital creation offered by ArtFX.
• Summer School Discovery Workshops Discovery workshop program for teenagers (ages 14-18) introducing VFX, 2D and 3D animation, video games, and AI during summer school sessions.
• Production Management Continuing Education Continuing education program for working professionals in production management roles within the creative industries.
• Talent Management Continuing Education Continuing education program for working professionals transitioning into or advancing within talent management roles in creative industries.
• Atelier Pro Workshop at PIDS Enghien Professional workshop held at the Paris Images Digital Summit (PIDS) Enghien for industry professionals.
• VAE Recognition of Prior Learning Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience (VAE) service for candidates seeking formal recognition of prior professional experience in lieu of full program attendance.
• École 24 — School of New Cinema and Series Sub-brand school offering enriched cinema education with new writing formats and latest technological advances, including SFX makeup and acting, delivered in partnership with the ArtFX network.
• Student Residence Montpellier (Odalys Campus partnership) On-campus student housing offering 217 fully-equipped T1 (19-25 m²) and T2 (29 m²) apartments priced from €630-€785 per month plus utilities and €300 administrative fees, with reception, secure access, video surveillance, bike room, and fitness facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 worldwide in VFX Production Excellence by The Rookies for 6 consecutive years (2019-2025)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Illogic StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Three-year skills partnership formalizing collaboration between ArtFX and Illogic Studios. Includes annual masterclasses by senior supervisors and artists, joint workshops, technical modules on compositing, environments, FX, and pipelines, collaboration on 3rd year Labo project, intern hosting, and participation in graduation juries.
• ASUS ProArtcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2025Strategic partnership to equip ArtFX students with high-performance hardware including ProArt displays, NUC workstations, and NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPUs across the creative pipeline from previsualization to final color grading. Provides students access to professional-grade equipment matching industry standards.
• Arts University Bournemouth (AUB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for the launch of ArtFX UK London campus in January 2026. Students earn a UK-accredited diploma while training in London. Charles Chorein (VFX Supervisor with 18+ years at MPC, Dneg, Weta Digital) leads the London campus as Director.
• France 2030 - La Grande Fabrique de l'ImageflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2023Government-backed initiative to position France at forefront of cultural and creative industries. ArtFX selected to develop training programs and expand campuses in Montpellier, Lille, and Paris. Includes development of new programs in Technical Director roles, production management, and virtual production.
• Odalys Campus (Student Housing)minorOthersOn-campus student residence partnership providing 217 fully-equipped apartments (19-29 m²) for ArtFX Montpellier students. Includes reception, secure access, video surveillance, bike room, and fitness facilities.
• AFT-R (Student Housing Lille)minorOthersStudent housing partner for ArtFX Lille EuraCreative campus, providing accommodation options for students at the Plaine Images location.
• Campus FrancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner network for international student recruitment. Facilitates application process through streamlined platform connecting students from around the world with French higher education institutions. Provides visa application support infrastructure.
• Industry Studio Partners (Pics Studio, France.tv, The Yard VFX, Fortiche, Unit Image, MPC, Mikros Animation, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of studio partners collaborating on curriculum development, providing internship opportunities, participating in graduation juries, and co-developing training content. Over 55 studios participated in 2025 graduation juries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vancouver Film School: Canada-based for-profit school offering intensive 1-2 year programs in VFX, animation and game design. Closely comparable business model (private for-profit, premium tuition, studio partnerships) and similar student demographic.
• New3dge: Paris-based French school specialized in 3D animation, VFX and video games with industry professional instructors. Direct competitor for Paris-region students and similar curriculum in VFX/3D/game disciplines.
• MoPA 3D Animation School: Arles-based French 3D animation school offering a multi-year program focused exclusively on 3D character animation. Closely comparable in curriculum depth, target audience and French market positioning to ArtFX's 3D Animation track.
• Gnomon - School of Visual Effects: Los Angeles-based school specializing in VFX, games and entertainment technology, serving as a US counterpart to ArtFX. Highly comparable curriculum in VFX/game production with strong industry placement track record at major Hollywood studios.
• Rubika: Valenciennes-based French school (formerly Supinfogame/Supinfocom) specializing in animation, video game art and interactive design. Comparable 5-year Master's structure, similar international student focus, and overlapping studio partnerships.
• Gobelins, l'école de l'image: Paris-based French school specializing in animation, VFX and interactive design with strong industry reputation. Direct competitor to ArtFX for top French and international VFX/animation students and the most prestigious comparable French institution.
• ESMA: Montpellier-headquartered French school offering programs in 3D animation, VFX, video game art and design. Directly competes with ArtFX in the same French cities, with overlapping VFX/animation curriculum and similar target audience of international students.
• Escape Studios (Pearson College London): London-based VFX/animation school now part of Pearson College London, offering undergraduate and short courses with strong UK studio ties. Direct competitor in the UK market where ArtFX just launched its London campus in January 2026.

Emerging players

• CGMA (CG Masters Academy): Online VFX/animation/game art school taught by industry professionals. Represents the emerging online alternative to in-person schools like ArtFX — comparable curriculum content but lower-cost, location-flexible delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• CalArts (California Institute of the Arts): Major US arts institution widely regarded as the global gold standard for animation training, with a broader creative arts scope. Indirect competitor at the high end of the global rankings where ArtFX competes for top international applicants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ArtFxOfficiel/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/ARTFX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/artfxschool
• Xx.com/artfxschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ArtFX