Program Overview

Program Overview

The History of Animation Cinema program is a 20-session course that explores the evolution of animation, its artistic currents, and technical developments. Guided by Serge Verny, a cinematographer, illustrator, and expert in the field, students will delve into the history of animation, from its origins to the present day, through numerous examples and selected works.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired:

• A clear and chronological understanding of the evolution of animation cinema, from its origins to digital innovations
• The keys to analyzing animated styles, genres, and writings in relation to artistic, technical, and cultural contexts
• An understanding of the societal, aesthetic, and intercultural issues that traverse animation, from propaganda to ecology, and from Japan to Europe

Course Structure

The program consists of 20 sessions, each focusing on a specific aspect of animation history, including:

• Definitions of animation and its relations with other arts
• Origins and pre-cinematographic processes in the 19th century
• Adaptation of animation to cinematographic support and the pioneers of the field
• Industrialization of animated drawing and its influences on forms
• Avant-garde of the 1920s and the musical model
• European artisans and experimental cinema
• Major studios in the United States and the development of anthropomorphism, animation, and animism
• Animation and propaganda during World War II
• UPA and limited animation; diversification of productions in Europe and Asia
• The National Film Board of Canada and the Research Service of the ORTF
• Russian and Soviet animation; development of Japanese animation
• Digital animation; graphic cinema in real-time capture
• Documentary animation film; extended animation

Program Details

• Duration: 20 hours
• Schedule: Two evenings per week
• Start Date: September 2026
• Location: Campus PSL Amyot, Paris 5th
• Online Option: Live and replay sessions available for 6 days
• Instructor: Serge Verny

Instructor Profile

Serge Verny is a cinematographer, illustrator, and expert in animation. He is a graduate of the 丱ole des Arts D嶰oratifs-PSL and the Gobelins, and holds a Doctorate in Arts and Sciences of Art from the University of Paris I Panth廩n-Sorbonne. He was a pensioner of the Academy of France at the Villa Medici in Rome.

Institution Profile

The 丱ole des Arts D嶰oratifs-PSL is an institution that has been producing artists, designers, and creators since 1766. It offers high-level training in 10 distinct and transversal sectors, including cinema animation, and awards degrees at the license, master's, and doctoral levels. The school's cinema animation sector is recognized for training renowned and award-winning directors.