CG Academy, HELHa

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VFX   ••  MODELING   ••  LIGHTING/RENDERING ••  ANIMATION & RIGGING ••  ENVIRONMENT ••

GAME DEVELOPMENT   ••  LOOK DEV   •  CHARACTER FX   •

•• Multiple Houdini Courses | • Single Houdini Course | ☼ Houdini available for Project/Studio Use

INTRODUCTION

The CG Academy aims to train students for careers in the field of 3D animation, visual effects, video games and real-time 3D. This unique training program is organised by HELHa in Mons (Belgium). The school has established educational partnerships with several studios including Epic Games (Unreal Engine), SideFX (Houdini) and Pixar (Renderman).

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The CG Academy is the department for digital imaging at the Haute-École de Louvain en Hainaut (HELHa).HELHa was created in 2009 as the result of a merger of 3 Belgian higher education colleges. The school is located in Mons at approximately 65 km from Brussels and 30 km from the French border (40 km from Valenciennes and 250 km from Paris). It is close to the city centre. It has 15 different sites throughout Hainaut (Belgian province), proposing 65 different training programs to over 10,000 students. Mons is one of the main cultural crossroads in Europe with many museums highlighting current or ancient artistic creation, as well as science or history.

The city is characterized by both strong anchorage in the past and great modernity. Architectural heritage and old streets give Mons the typical charm of historical cities. The omnipresent local folklore testifies to the attachment that the people of Mons (called Montois) have for their city.Mons is also a dynamic student city with no less than 40,000 students. The HELHa campus houses 3,000 students and offers a human-sized teaching environment. Students are supported in their studies, working in small groups and benefiting from regular inputs by a perfect mix of experts such as professionals in the field and specialised trainers.

LEARN MORE

The CG Academy offers three types of training programs:

  • The Anim Academy, a course dedicated to the animation film industry
  • The VFX Academy, a course focusing on the production of visual effects and special effects, combining compositing and 3D creation
  • The Game Academy, a course leading to careers in the “real time” field, specialising in Game Art and Game Programming

    • HELHa has assembled a team of experienced instructors, like those you can find in renowned private schools. It is the only school in Belgium to deliver diplomas which are recognized all over Europe for the 3 fields of digital imaging.
    Thanks to its dedicated team and close partnerships with studios, the school has adapted its program content every year to meet the needs of a constantly changing job market. The teaching team has made strategic choices to help their students get the skills that perfectly match the industry needs.
    In addition to this, HELHa has an ethical, inclusive and responsible vision. It gives the possibility to any «motivated, passionate and creative» person to integrate the training regardless of their social background.
    A dedicated service offers students from disadvantaged backgrounds funding for educational material.



    GENERAL INFORMATION

    Location : Mons, BELGIUM
    Number of students: 3000 in HELHa, 220 in CGAcademy
    Staff CGA: 40 members
    Founded in: 2017
    Type: Public, subsidised education
    Fields: 3D Animation, VFX, Game
    Website: cgacademy.be, helha.be
    Price: 520€/year

    AMENITIES / FACILITIES

    CGAcademy is located in the heart of the campus at the Haute Ecole de Louvain en Hainaut (HELHa) in Mons.
    It offers coworking spaces, a drawing room, a library, living spaces with arcades and consoles, a cafeteria and food trucks.

    TEAM / STAFF

    Almost all our trainers work in the production departments of international studios and come to share their knowledge during dedicated workshops throughout the year.Close partnerships have been established with studios having an international scope.The school is constantly evolving, keeping in mind the founders’ principles while staying in tune with industry trends and changes. This allows the school to adapt its educational programs to the needs of the ever-changing digital entertainment and interactive media industry.

    PLACEMENT / EMPLOYMENT RATES
    The educational team focuses on the employability of students. They strongly support them in their search for internships and jobs. Nearly 90% of our students find a job within 6 months after graduation.

    TECHNOLOGY

    SoftwareUnreal Engine, Houdini, Nuke, Blender, Zbrush, Substance, Unity, Spine, Perforce, Git
    HardwareVR Headset, AR Headset, game consoles, alternative devices, graphics tablets, motion capture, smartphone