Animation Schools in Quebec Compared: A Guide from Our Team
Every spring, our studio gets the same email. A parent or a student writes something like: “I’ve looked at ten animation programs in Quebec and I’m more confused than when I started.” We get it. Between university programs, cégeps, private institutes, and Ontario schools that keep recruiting Quebecers, the choices feel endless. So our team decided to sit down and compare the major options side by side, using the criteria that actually matter for a career in animation: figure drawing hours, gesture drawing training, portfolio preparation, and industry connections. Here’s what we found.
Why Quebec Is a Hub for Animation Training
Quebec, and Montreal in particular, is one of the few places in North America where you can train as an animator and realistically expect to work in the industry without leaving the province. Ubisoft Montreal is one of the largest game studios in the world, with thousands of employees and a steady appetite for animators. Warner Bros. Games has also established a major presence in Montreal, and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has been producing world-class animation out of its Montreal headquarters for decades. Add dozens of smaller studios working on film, television, advertising, and indie games, and you have a job market that rewards strong drawing skills.
The Role of Montreal Art Classes in Building Foundations
What many prospective students miss is that the industry pipeline starts well before college. Montreal art classes, whether at a cégep, a community centre, or a dedicated studio, are where most successful animators first learn to draw the human figure. Life drawing sessions across the city give teenagers and adults the reps they need: quick gestures, long poses, hands, feet, foreshortening. Students who arrive at a portfolio review with a sketchbook full of figure drawing work stand out immediately, because reviewers can see the hours behind the pages.
Industry Demand for Animation Portfolio Graduates
Studios in Montreal don’t hire based on diplomas alone. They hire based on reels and portfolios. A graduate with a strong animation portfolio, one that shows convincing gesture drawing, weight, and acting, will get interviews even from a smaller program. A graduate from a prestigious school with a weak portfolio will struggle. That’s why we always tell students to judge a program by what its graduates can actually draw, not by its brochure.
Top Animation Schools in Quebec: Our Comparison
We looked at the main paths into the industry: university programs, cégep and college programs, and private institutes. Each has a different rhythm, cost structure, and emphasis on figure drawing.
University Programs: Concordia and UQAM
Concordia University offers a well-known animation program through its Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, blending film theory with hands-on animation training. Its strength is the broader film context, and students who take advantage of Montreal’s life drawing scene tend to thrive. UQAM’s programme en animation is more rooted in the francophone artistic tradition, with a strong emphasis on auteur animation and experimental approaches. Both are solid choices, but neither will hand you figure drawing skills on a platter. You have to seek out the extra hours.
College and Cégep Programs: Cégep du Vieux Montréal and Vanier College
Cégep du Vieux Montréal is probably the best-known cégep-level animation program in the province, with a long track record of feeding graduates into Montreal studios. Its curriculum includes dedicated figure drawing and gesture drawing courses, which we consider essential. Vanier College’s Professional Theatre (Animation) program takes a different angle, focusing on stop-motion and puppet animation, but still requires strong drawing foundations. For students who want a three-year, affordable, hands-on path, these are hard to beat.
Private Institutes: NAD and Rubika
NAD (l’École des arts numériques, de l’animation et du design) in Montreal offers intensive, industry-focused training with small cohorts. Rubika, originally from France, has a Montreal campus and a reputation for rigorous 3D animation and video game art programs. Both are expensive compared to cégep, but they tend to offer more studio hours and closer ties to recruiters. Sheridan College in Ontario is also worth mentioning: although it’s outside Quebec, it’s one of the most respected animation schools in the world, and many Quebec students cross the border for it. Its portfolio requirements are demanding, and figure drawing is a major component of the application.
What to Look for in an Animation Program
Not all animation training is equal. Here’s what we tell students to examine before committing three or four years and thousands of dollars.
Figure Drawing and Gesture Drawing: Core Skills
If a program doesn’t require regular figure drawing, be skeptical. Animation is the art of making drawings feel alive, and that comes from understanding the human body in motion. Gesture drawing, in particular, trains you to capture weight, rhythm, and intention in seconds. Look for programs with weekly life drawing sessions, ideally with nude models, and instructors who actually correct your work.
Portfolio Preparation and Animation Training
Ask how the program handles portfolio reviews. The best ones run regular critiques, bring in outside professionals, and help you build a reel that reflects your strengths. If a school only reviews your portfolio at the end of the program, that’s a red flag.
Faculty and Industry Links
Who teaches the classes? Are they working animators, or career academics? Does the school have relationships with Ubisoft Montreal, Warner Bros. Games, or the NFB? Internship pipelines matter more than glossy facilities.
- Weekly figure drawing and gesture drawing sessions with live models
- Regular portfolio reviews with working professionals
- Small class sizes with individual feedback
- Internship or mentorship connections to Montreal studios
- Alumni working at Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Games, or the NFB
How We Evaluate These Schools
Our team doesn’t rank schools by reputation alone. We look at what happens in the studio, week after week.
Our Criteria: Figure Drawing, Gesture Drawing, and More
We ask three questions: How many hours of figure drawing does a student get per term? How much one-on-one feedback do they receive on gesture drawing? And what do alumni actually produce? A program with 40 students per class and one overworked instructor will struggle to deliver the feedback that animation training demands.
The Importance of Animation Portfolio Reviews
Portfolio reviews are where the truth comes out. We’ve sat in on reviews where a student’s sketchbook showed hundreds of gesture drawings and clear improvement over months, and we’ve seen portfolios that looked polished but hollow. Schools that emphasize process, not just final renders, tend to produce stronger animators.
Making Your Choice: Next Steps
Once you’ve narrowed your list, get off the website and onto the campus.
Visiting Schools and Open Houses
Open houses let you see the studios, meet instructors, and talk to current students. Ask to see student sketchbooks, not just finished films. Ask how many hours of life drawing are scheduled each week. Ask where last year’s graduates are working now.
Supplementing with Montreal Art Classes
No matter which school you choose, you can strengthen your animation portfolio by taking Montreal art classes on the side. Weekend figure drawing sessions, evening gesture drawing workshops, and summer intensives are widely available across the city. Many of our own students started this way before ever applying to a formal program.
In the end, the best animation school in Quebec is the one that matches your goals, your budget, and your learning style. But whatever you choose, make sure figure drawing and gesture drawing are at the centre of your training. That’s the foundation everything else is built on.
FAQ
Do I need figure drawing experience to apply to animation school?
Most programs expect some drawing ability, but not perfection. A sketchbook full of gesture drawing studies shows reviewers that you’re serious and teachable. Taking Montreal art classes before applying is one of the fastest ways to build that foundation.
Is Sheridan College worth considering if I live in Quebec?
Yes. Sheridan College in Ontario is one of the top animation schools in the world, and many Quebec students apply. Just be ready for a competitive portfolio process and a higher tuition rate as an out-of-province student.
How important is gesture drawing compared to 3D software skills?
Both matter, but gesture drawing comes first. Software can be learned in months; the ability to draw convincing human movement takes years. Studios like Ubisoft Montreal and Warner Bros. Games hire animators who can make characters feel alive, and that starts with gesture drawing.
Can Montreal art classes replace a full animation program?
No, but they complement one beautifully. A formal program gives you structure, credentials, and industry connections. Supplementary Montreal art classes give you extra figure drawing hours and portfolio material that can set you apart.
What’s the biggest mistake students make when choosing a program?
Choosing based on reputation instead of portfolio outcomes. Ask where graduates work and what their reels look like. If the answer is vague, keep looking.