ArtFX, a premier school of digital arts, develops its partnerships with industry-leading studios like The Yard, creating new opportunities for its students.
The collaboration between ArtFX, a premier visual effects school, and industry-leading studios like The Yard, has been central to the school’s strategy for the past 20 years. Winner of France 2030 « La Grande Fabrique de l’Image » call for project, partly in partnership with The Yard, ArtFX aims to further expand its collaborative efforts. This initiative seeks to create a dynamic forum for students, teachers, and industry professionals to co-develop curricula aligned with real-life studio roles and expectations.
As Carine Poussou, Pedagogical Director, explains in the video below, students are the primary beneficiaries, gaining access to conferences, masterclasses, workshops, internships, and mentoring. Studios like The Yard benefit from strong relationships with both students and faculty.
Since the formalization of their « school-to-studio » partnership in 2023, The Yard has been a key player in this initiative, sharing values of humanity and passion with ArtFX. Laurens Ehrmann, founder and Senior VFX Supervisor at The Yard, recently emphasized in an interview the importance of knowledge transmission, particularly with schools and students. This collaboration has led to numerous internships and subsequent employment opportunities for ArtFX students at The Yard, enhancing both the students’ practical experience and the school’s expertise in visual effects. Recently, during The Yard’s 10th anniversary, ArtFX interns shared their valuable experiences at the studio.
Additionally, The Yard regularly hosts masterclasses and conferences at ArtFX. During the opening of ArtFX’s Lille campus, Harry Bardak, Head of VFX at The Yard, moderated a keynote session with Tim Webber, Chief Creative Officer at Framestore. As Harry’s former VFX Supervisor in United Kingdom, the two of them revisited Tim’s illustrious career, which has been widely acclaimed by the industry. This event, along with annual end-of-year jury and job dating days, highlights the ongoing synergy between ArtFX and The Yard.
The Yard’s active participation in ArtFX’s steering committee and endowment fund further cements this fruitful partnership, ensuring a continuous exchange of expertise and opportunities for future visual effects professionals.