Training in art direction, image and media trains students for careers in art direction. This 5-year course includes a foundation year in applied arts at Penninghen, followed by four years of specialization.
A TRAINING IN 5 YEARS
A FOUNDATION YEAR
The foundation year in applied arts, which corresponds to the first year if you continue the program in five years, allows you to discover the methods taught at Penninghen through its teachings. At the end of this first year, you will have acquired the “fundamentals” of 7 essential disciplines:conception and creation, language of space, observational drawing, illustration, sketching, artistic culture.
Essentially practical, the first year you will have been trained in disciplines that fall under art direction, such as observation drawing and mastery of the line, the use of graphic codes. Assessment throughout the year on the basis of continuous evaluation has allowed you to rank among the 60 students who continue their training at Penninghen to integrate the art direction curriculum.
FOUR YEARS OF SPECIALIZATION
Penninghen is a private establishment of higher education, legally registered on 30th March 1953, at the French National Ministry of Education and Research, declared under the Paris Local Education Authority (registration number 075- 4271K). After 5 years of post-baccalaureate studies, one of two European Master
Degrees may be awarded:
AD A MASTERS DEGREE IN ART DIRECTION, GRAPHIC DESIGN & DIGITAL DESIGN
Certified by the French government (established by Decree n° NSF 320v of 19.01.2012), a state-certified qualification for careers in visual communication (graphic design, publishing and print, video, television, cinema), 2D/3D imagemaking 3D digital design.
THE SECOND YEAR PROGRAM
In the second year you enter the specialization and the understanding of your future profession of art director, image and media and its various fields of application. You will understand the components of art direction, and the vocabulary and grammar related to creation and production. By analyzing the different visual communication media you learn to observe, in order to understand and master the codes and rules. You start practicing graphic design very concretely.
You produce works using multiple graphic media to understand the essential balance between image and word. You learn the rules and typographical codes and layout, you are introduced to storytelling by the image. At the beginning of the year, a five-day trip to Liverpool brings together all the Interior Architecture, Communications and Art Direction students for an artistic performance project at the Liverpool Media Academy, based around singing. This is an opportunity to get together and develop personal skills in a spirit of cohesion.
You cover the following disciplines:
- art direction
- typography and layout
- illustration and narration
- calligraphy
- drawing
- life drawing
- editing tools
- artistic culture
- international communication
THE THIRD YEAR PROGRAM
In the third year you enter the mastery of the learning phase. You really start to conceptualize and formulate an intention, you develop your visual language. You master the stages of design and project management, you know how to give art direction.
This year is the year of the study trip to Venice (a week-long study trip for all 3rd-year Interior Architecture,Communication and Art Direction students. 8 days in October) and the “big project” (free production, interdisciplinary, prepared for several weeks, submitted to an internal jury, invoking various disciplines valuing the achievements and revealing the ability to create).
You will deepen the following disciplines:
- art direction
- editorial design
- motion design
- digital design
- photography
- type design
- illustration
- drawing
- illustration and narration
- life drawing
THE FOURTH YEAR PROGRAM
In the fourth year, you learn how to manage and deploy a project of art direction in its entirety. You confront the professional world to test your method and develop your expertise through the internship experience. A professional experience of at least four months through two internships is required. You are required to invest, design, produce and collaborate.
Confronted concretely with the daily life of the company that welcomes you, you are supported by the school that follows you. Starting your career path, these internships allow you to develop your own professional network and start preparing for your future.
You cover the following disciplines:
- creative studio
- brand identities and systems
- cultural editing
- film language and production
- international communication
- editorial photograph
- brand thinking
- image
- life drawing
- film culture
- project definition
THE FIFTH YEAR PROGRAM
The fifth year is the culmination of your training in art direction. It is a year of affirmation, conviction and verification of prior learning. A year rich in meetings and exchanges with professionals. A workshop is offered with a prestigious brand or institution. As part of an interdisciplinary course that invites 5th year students of the three courses, the confrontation of ideas and expertise emancipates and frees the convictions of each. The workshop is an opportunity to share your thoughts, interact with future professionals, affirm your choices and confirm your expertise.
The last stage of your training is that of the graduate, a project that you develop for several months before presenting it to a jury of professional experts outside the school, thus allowing the certification of your training. Now accomplished, in control of your achievements, you are ready to embark on your own path.
You cover the following disciplines:
- professional project
- brand curation
- art direction
- film production
- photographic direction
- project definition
- life drawing
- artistic culture
- international communication
- diploma
THE OPPORTUNITIES
The fields of application:
- visual communication (advertising, poster, photography, typography, etc.)
- digital communication (website, social networks, interactive design, etc.)
- brand image (identities, logo, graphic systems, brand book, etc.) packaging (design, design, etc.)
- production (advertising, video, film, video games, etc.)
- publishing (book, catalogue, press, magazine, etc.)
- image direction (illustration, shooting, photography, dataviz, etc.)
The main sectors:
- communication agencies
- communication and corporate marketing departments
- creative studios
- multimedia design studios
- digital design
- interactive design
- advertising agencies
- publishing houses
- luxury, fashion, culture sectors
- animation, video game sectors
The main business lines:
- Art director
- Creative director
- Graphic designer
- Graphic designer
- Photographer
- Director
- Web designer
- Motion designer
- Image manager
- Production manager
- Collection manager
- Publisher
- Illustrator
- Museographer
- Design director
- Model maker
