Training artists in film production is complex, time consuming and requires a lot of experience and understanding of up-to-date production tools and processes used by professional studios. For 2019 we are introducing Production Excellence as a new category for the Rookies World School Rankings®.

So what is Production Excellence?

Production Excellence is an accolade awarded to the very best schools that focus on working as a team to create full 3D Animation short films. Many schools focus on teaching the core skills of 3D Animation, however it takes quite a different approach to creating an immersive experience that replicates a production studio.

We believe that schools that replicate a production studio experience provide a great advantage to students because it encourages team work, a strong understanding of pipelines, scheduling experience, resource management and problem solving.

The Production Excellence category is associated with the Rookie Awards 2019, a contest open to all amateur artists trying to break into the creative media and entertainment industry

During the Rookie Awards 2019, entrants were eligible to submit work to Film of the Year categories in either 2D Animation, 3D Animation or Visual Effects. Each of these films were reviewed by an official judging panel consisting over 100+ industry experts. The judges reviewed films based on criteria such as creativity, technical skills, story, production quality and originality. Based on these results a range of finalists and winners were selected and a first pass of schools were shortlisted for this award.

Top 2D Animation Schools 2019

The official rankings for 2019 have been calculated based on the performance of student team based projects submitted to our industry panel. Full details can be found further down the page about how we calculate and rank schools.

Top 3D Animation Schools 2019

The official rankings for 2019 have been calculated based on the performance of student team based projects submitted to our industry panel. Full details can be found further down the page about how we calculate and rank schools.

Top Visual Effects Schools 2019

The official rankings for 2019 have been calculated based on the performance of student team based projects submitted to our industry panel. Full details can be found further down the page about how we calculate and rank schools.

How we ranked the Schools

Our rankings focus on the quality of short films submitted to the Rookie Awards 2019 as teams, rather than individuals. Each short film receives a score by the judging panel and contributes to each Schools overall Production Excellence score.

Important details about how a school score is calculated:

• Schools must submit a team project to Film of the Year - 3D Animation.
• Incomplete entries are removed from calculations. No penalties.
• Each entry receives a performance score. Max 100 points. (Film Score)
• Each category finalist receives 5 bonus points toward School Score.
• Each category runner up receives 10 bonus points toward School Score.
• Each category winner receives 15 bonus points toward School Score.

2D Animation

1. Gobelins - School L'image

Gobelins, L'École de L'Image is a school of visual communication and arts in Paris, with its main location near the Latin Quarter. A consular school funded by the Parisian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it provides several programs at a range of fees. It is best known for the Cinéma Department of Animation, founded in 1975 by Pierre Ayma, who brought the school into the spotlight. It has an international reputation, producing numerous talented individuals and teams hired by the world's leading animation studios, including Disney, Universal, Hanna Barbera, Pixar, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Its former students include many strip cartoonists and animation artists such as Didier Cassegrain, Cromwell, Jean-François Miniac, and Pierre Coffin.

2. The Animation Workshop

The Animation Workshop is an animation school housed in the former military barracks in Viborg, Denmark. It is a part of VIA University College's School of Business, Technology and Creative Industries. Since the late 1980s, The Animation Workshop has educated and trained animators for the Danish as well as the international animation, computer game and visual effects industry. The Animation Workshop has a strong international network of artists, professionals, companies, funding institutions and partner schools. Teachers and students come from Denmark and the rest of the world, and all classes are conducted in English.

3. Savannah College of Art and Design

The Savannah College of Art and Design exists to prepare talented students for professional careers, emphasizing learning through individual attention in a positively oriented university environment.SCAD visionThe Savannah College of Art and Design, an institution with distinctive yet complementary locations, will be recognized as the leader in defining art and design education. By employing innovation in all areas, SCAD will provide a superior education through talented and dedicated faculty and staff, leading-edge technology, advanced learning resources and comprehensive support services.SCAD valuesBeing a student-centered institution.

4. Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

The Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg – as one of the most-renowned film schools in Europe – offers practical education in film, television and new media to over 500 students. Future actors, animators, composers, directors, directors of photography, editors, media designers, producers, production designers, screenwriters and sound designers can benefit from the Filmakademie’s learning-by-doing philosophy - creating films with the help of guest teachers from the industry.

5. University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire is an innovative and enterprising university, challenging individuals and organisations to excel.We are the UK’s leading business-facing university. The University of Hertfordshire is an ambitious and entrepreneurial university with an international vision, putting students at the heart of what we do.Industry focused courses, state-of-the-art learning facilities, a new £38m entertainment venue and opportunities to study, take a years internship or work aboard are just some of the great aspects of what we have to offer.

6. Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Ngee Ann Polytechnic is an institution of higher learning in Singapore with more than 14,800 full-time and 3,000 part-time students, 1,800 staff, and 148,000 alumni. As an industry-oriented alternative to a broader based junior college education, it equips polytechnic graduates in Singapore with industry-specific skills. Many polytechnic graduates start work upon graduation while others continue to complete university degrees. In contrast to polytechnics in the United States and UK, polytechnics in Singapore admit the majority of their students after secondary school which is after 10 years of formal education.

3D Animation

1. Supinfocom Rubika

Since their creation in 1987 by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Grand Hainaut, Rubika schools have distinguished themselves by setting up an innovative and pioneering pedagogy based on the realization of projects and teamwork.This pedagogy has enabled Supinfocom Rubika, Supinfogame Rubika and ISD Rubika to become the world's leading institutions in the design, animation and video games industries.In this world, in motion, with a major revolution, the digital revolution, which fundamentally redefines the relationship between man and the world, evolves. The profile of the student too: your knowledge and skills are constantly evolving and diversifying.Our role is not only to accompany you with certainty towards your loved ones but also to give you all the skills to be the best in

2. ArtFX

ArtFX is a private digital arts college, training its students in CGI, VFX, 3D Animation and Video Games. Located in Montpellier (France), the school was created by professionals of the film, video games and visual effects industries.As the only school in Europe specializing in compositing CGI into live-action footage, ArtFX is a reference for CGI and CG animation training. At ArtFx you will develop professional level skills and build a solid network of contacts thanks to our close partnerships with professional artists. Thanks to these connections our graduates also have a 99% placement rate in major post-production studios within France and around the world.As a private establishment of higher education technical training, ArtFx is a member and co-founder of the Network of French Film An

3. The Animation Workshop

The Animation Workshop/VIA University College (TAW) enjoys a strong and wide reputation due to the top educations we provide for the international film industry, yet we are much more than a school. The Animation Workshop is located in Viborg, Denmark. It is a part of VIA University College’s School of Business, Technology and Creative Industries and has expertise in the areas of education, culture, communication, and business development. To this effect, it benefits from a strong international network of artists, professionals, companies, funding institutions, and partner schools.

4. MOPA

The history of MoPA is intrinsically linked to that of Supinfocom, created in Valenciennes in 1988. It was the first French school entirely dedicated to CG imaging. In the year 2000, it opened in Arles.Over the next few years Supinfocom Arles forged its own path, gaining a reputation for excellence and winning its first international prizes. Since then the school has trained over 500 top-level professionals who are now working throughout the world and the list of prestigious prizes continues to get longer. Our graduates are sought out by industry professionals from studios throughout the world who also make up our graduation jury.In 2015, Supinfocom Arles became MoPA.

5. ISART Digital

A school in tandem with the industry: ISART DIGITAL is an international institute of higher education specialising in Video Games, 3D Animation and VFX. Based in Paris and Montreal, we also offer exchange programs with schools in Japan. We deliver Master’s-level degrees. The greatest advantage of ISART is our close relationship with industry professionals, which enables us to place our students in internships throughout their studies.

6. School of Visual Arts

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for nearly seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and nearly 37,000 alumni in 75 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world.

Visual Effects

1. ArtFX

ArtFX is a private digital arts college, training its students in CGI, VFX, 3D Animation and Video Games. Located in Montpellier (France), the school was created by professionals of the film, video games and visual effects industries.As the only school in Europe specializing in compositing CGI into live-action footage, ArtFX is a reference for CGI and CG animation training. At ArtFx you will develop professional level skills and build a solid network of contacts thanks to our close partnerships with professional artists. Thanks to these connections our graduates also have a 99% placement rate in major post-production studios within France and around the world.As a private establishment of higher education technical training, ArtFx is a member and co-founder of the Network of French Film An

2. University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire is an innovative and enterprising university, challenging individuals and organisations to excel.We are the UK’s leading business-facing university. The University of Hertfordshire is an ambitious and entrepreneurial university with an international vision, putting students at the heart of what we do.Industry focused courses, state-of-the-art learning facilities, a new £38m entertainment venue and opportunities to study, take a years internship or work aboard are just some of the great aspects of what we have to offer.

3. New3dge

New3dge, located in Paris, is a private school of higher education specialized in the fields of Game Art, 3D Animation&VFX and Concept Art. We have tailored our student program and our teaching methods alongside some of the major players in these fields. We recruit our educators from our network of respected professionals around the globe. At New3gde, we give our students the opportunity to learn skills and work with cutting edge technology in an ever-evolving environment, guaranteeing their integration in the video game, 3D animation/VFX field and Concept Art. Our current placement rate is 92%.

4. Escape Studios

A university education, powered by industry experience.We’re pioneering the next wave of visual effects artists, animators and game developers by transforming higher education. Industry engagement is at the core of everything that we do, it’s why we do things differently and it’s what sets us apart.We harness the expertise and relentless creativity of award-winning artists, developers and studios, through our unique degree concept teams (DCTs), to design, develop and deliver our degree programmes. We set our students industry-designed briefs, so they gain experience of responding to real-world scenarios during their studies.

5. The Netherlands Film Academy

The academy is the only recognised institute in the Netherlands that offers training to prepare for the work in the various crew disciplines. Specialisation is possible in fiction directing, documentary directing, screenwriting, editing, producing, sound design, cinematography, production design, and interactive multimedia/visual effects.