Documents
Meet with us
ApplyMoPA school will open a Stop Motion Program in 2025!
After 25 years of training students in 3D animation, MoPA is taking a new step by launching a program dedicated to stop motion in September 2025. With this new program, the school strengthens its position as a leading institution in animation film education, already ranked among the world’s top creative schools.
What is Stop Motion?
"Stop motion films are widely loved around the world, yet very few schools offer training in this technique, even though numerous commercials and films are made using it."
Stop motion is a technique that creates animations from puppets or real objects, frame by frame. Each movement is photographed and then assembled to bring these animated characters to life. It’s a meticulous and time-consuming process that produces unique results, loved by filmmakers like Tim Burton, as seen in his films The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. Today, many commercials and films use this technique, but very few institutions offer training in it.
A program designed to train future animation professionals
The Stop Motion Program offers a comprehensive curriculum to master the entire process of creating a stop motion film, from pre-production to post-production, including the production phase itself. MoPA will award graduates a diploma as a stop motion film designer/director.
The program is structured over four years, starting with a preparatory class followed by three years of specialization in stop motion, where students engage in a project-based learning approach, producing one to two films per year.
The preparatory class
The preparatory class serves as a transition after high school, helping students confirm their career path. It aims to teach various techniques—drawing, photography, modeling—and how to use them for film pre-production.
The three specialization years
The first year focuses on strengthening artistic and pre-production skills, allowing students to work on storyboards, concept art, character design, and more. They begin their first stop motion productions as a team.
In the second year, students specialize further in directing and filming or animation aspects. They gain hands-on experience in managing a film set and mastering modern tools such as 3D printing.
The third year is dedicated to team-based production of a five-minute graduation short film, presented to a jury of industry professionals with international visibility, and later screened at various festivals worldwide.
Numerous career opportunities
With its modern facilities, over 250 machines, and studios equipped with professional equipment, MoPA is the ideal place to begin a stop motion career and quickly enter the professional world. Here are some career options that graduates of the Stop Motion Program may pursue:
Pre-production : director, screenwriter, storyboard artist, layout artist, art director, character designer.
These professionals envision and plan the creative aspects before filming begins.
Production : stop motion animator, rigger, set builder, cinematographer.
These roles are central to creation, whether animating puppets, building sets, or lighting scenes on set.
Post-production : VFX compositor, editor, sound designer.
After filming, these professionals add the finishing touches by handling visual effects, editing, and soundtracks.
MoPA has always caught the attention of major studios thanks to its talented students. With this new program, the school aims to continue on this path, providing students with the skills to succeed in a growing industry. As MoPA’s director Yoni ARENA affirms, MoPA’s strong alumni network, with graduates credited in the biggest animated films, demonstrates the industry’s recognition.
