Insider's Guide - ArtFX

Whether you’re already at school, looking to find a new school or even considering moving overseas to study, nothing beats hearing from the students themselves! We speak to Loïc Ciaux, a 4th year CG/VFX student, about the ins and outs of studying at ArtFX in Montpellier, France.

The Specifics ​

What’s the name of your school? ​

I am studying at ArtFX in France.

What’s the name of the neighbourhood?

​The school is located in Montpellier, France.

Closest train station or public transport option? ​

People use Line 1 from the tram station and get out at Malbosc Station. The walk to school from the station is only 5 minutes.

How long have you been there? ​

I started in 1st year and am now in my 4th year at ArtFX.

Why did you choose to study here? ​

When I was 12 years old, I became passionate about cinema and visual effects. I discovered ArtFX when I came upon their graduation movie “Voile Noir” made in 2011. I was impressed by level of visual effects made by students and wanted to learn more about the craft.

The Scene ​

The first thing you see when you walk outside your school? ​

In front of the school, there is the National School of Chemistry.

The closest shop outside your school is:

There is Restaurant La ö inside ArtFX and near the school there is a local bakery.

Your school is great, but you wouldn't mind a bit less:​

The school has become a little small for 600 students. The school has become more and more international and more well known, so there are a lot of us for the campus in Montpellier. This will change however as new campuses will open in Lille and Paris.

The unofficial uniform of your school is:

We get T-shirts and sweatshirts with the ArtFX logo every year.

A mandatory stop for anyone new to your city: ​

Montpellier is very dynamic city with many students. When you come to Montpellier you have to go to city centre of Montpellier and visit Place de la comédie in front of the Opera Comédie. There you will find many restaurants and bars.

A common myth about your school is: ​

ArtFX is not only a school for VFX, you can choose from many courses such as 2D/3D animation, CGI/VFX (with different specialisations), Videos Games, Programming, and Stop Motion.

A massive night out for students at your school is likely to be: ​

The student association often organise parties for all students for special events and for integration day.

The Superlatives ​

You won’t find a better place to eat than at: ​

If you are looking for the best burger in Montpellier I really like going to Burger'n Co at Corum.

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen at your school is:

One day ​​I saw a Video Games student doing a funny Battle fight in front of the school with a Sword and Shield made from cardboard.

One thing you’d never change about your school is: ​

I really like the diversity of the workshops offered within the courses at ArtFX. We leave ArtFX as generalists in a way, knowing so many aspects of the stream we have chosen. The school also has many contacts with studios around the world, which is helpful as we look to get a start in our careers.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing changed is: ​

Some computer at school could do with being upgraded and more licenses for various software, but in general we manage to be organised and work comfortably!

Someone gives you $1M to pimp out your school. You use it to: ​

I would like to buy a big render farm for our graduation movie as we are super ambitious!

Author: 4th year CG/VFX student, Loïc Ciaux specialises in Organic Modeling, Environments, Texturing, and LookDev

You can find Loïc Ciaux on LinkedIn and Artstation.