// Degree
Career in Animation & VFX
Unleash your creativity in one of the fastest-growing global industries!
Launch a high-growth career with our — Advanced Professional Program in Animation & VFX.
Our 3-year degree-aligned program blends the university B.Voc curriculum, ZICA’s industry-tested training, and live studio practices to make you job-ready .
Why Choose Animation & VFX as a Career?
Animation and VFX are no longer niche — they power feature films, OTT series, advertising, gaming, XR (AR/VR), and immersive brand experiences. India has become a preferred global delivery hub for VFX and animation work thanks to cost competitiveness and a growing skilled workforce, creating abundant opportunities for graduates.
Degree-aligned delivery:
We synchronize every semester with the B.Voc syllabus so students meet university timelines while gaining extra industry modules.
Industry-first modules:
Real-time pipelines, virtual production, generative AI tools, and studio workflows are built into the curriculum.
Guaranteed internships & live projects:
Students get practical studio exposure, mentorship from senior designers, and capstone projects that mirror real job briefs.
Placement support:
Resume grooming, industry interviews, placement drives, and an active recruiter network in Pune and beyond.
Course Details
ELIGIBILITY
10+2 (Any Stream)
Graduates
Career Switchers
SCHEDULE
Mon – Fri – 2 hours/day
MODE OF TRAINING
Offline / Online / Hybrid
Course Content
Semester 1
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1022
Enhancing Creativity of Animators
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ History of Animation
▸ Principles and Processes
▸ Applications and Outcomes (Digital Animation, etc.)
▸ Contexts (Portfolio, Collaboration)
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Fundamentals, Sketching, Color Theory
▸ Illustrator for vector character turnarounds –
▸ Storyboard templates for animatics
AI Tools:
▸ Adobe Firefly – concept ideation
▸ Leonardo.Ai (Free Tier) – style exploration
▸ Krita + AI brushes – free digital painting
Illustrator is industry standard for motion design. Free AI tools lower entry barriers for students
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1023
Story & Scriptwriting
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Types of Genres (Classic, Crime, Fantasy, Horror)
▸ Story Structure (Beginning, Climax, Conclusion)
▸ Screenwriting Types (Spec, TV, Video Games)
▸ Dialogue and Description
▸ Copyrights & Script Protection
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Story Concept & Brainstorming
▸ Storyboard Creation
Foundational for narrative design in games, film, and animation pipelines.
Semester 2
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1027
Filmmaking & Cinematography
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Digital Photography (Camera Settings, Lenses)
▸ Cinematography (Angles, Shots, Composition)
▸ Pre/Production/Post-Production
▸ Distribution (Streaming, Theatrical)
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Premiere Pro, Short Film Production
▸ 3D Equalizer Camera Solving
▸ SilhouetteFX Rotoscoping
AI Tools:
▸ Runway ML (Free) – object removal, stabilization
▸ CapCut AI – auto-captioning, beat sync
▸ Pika Labs – AI B-roll generation
AI tools enable solo creators. Our advanced tracking opens film VFX pipelines.
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1028
Drawing & Sketching
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Light & Shade, Grayscale Shading
▸ Color Theory (Harmony, Schemes, Tints)
▸ Elements of Design (Line, Shape, Texture)
▸ Human Anatomy (Heads, Muscles, Bones)
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Sketching, Gesture Drawing, Color Theory
▸ Anatomy in ZBrush (Muscles, Skeleton)
Anatomy mastery separates professionals from amateurs in character design.
Semester 3
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1123
Introduction to 3D (SketchUp)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Interface & Basic Shapes
▸ Simple Object Modeling
▸ Materials & Textures
▸ Basic Lighting & Camera
▸ Object Animation
▸ Floor Plan & House Building
▸ Components & Scene Presentation
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Maya Modeling (Inorganic, Architectural)
▸ V-Ray Plugin – photorealistic rendering
▸ Interactive Object Animation
AI Tools:
▸ Clipdrop – AI texture generation
V-Ray is industry standard in arch-viz. Renders command +20–30% salary premium.
Semester 4
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1128
Elements of 3D (3ds Max)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Desktop PC, Sofa/Bed (Cloth Modifier)
▸ Interior Living/Kitchen/Bedroom
▸ 3D Car/Bus Modeling
▸ 3D Exterior & 2 BHK Flat
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Maya Modeling (Furniture, Vehicles)
▸ Hair & Fur (3ds Max specific)
▸ Product for Advertisement
▸ V-Ray Plugin
Product visualization is a high-paying niche (+40–50% earnings). V-Ray essential for freelance
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 1129
Audio Editing (Adobe Audition)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Noise Reduction & Audio Restoration
▸ Multi-Track Mixing
▸ Voiceover & ADR
▸ Podcast Production
▸ Sound Design for Animation
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Audition basics, Multi-track editing
AI Tools:
▸ ElevenLabs – AI voice in 20+ languages
▸ Adobe Podcast AI – auto noise removal
▸ Descript (Free Tier) – transcription & editing
AI voice tools reduce production time by 70%. Critical for multilingual content creators.
Semester 5
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2121
Advanced 3D (Maya)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Desktop & Household Appliances
▸ 1BHK Flat & Architectural Exterior
▸ Vehicle & Landscape Modeling
▸ 3 Cartoon Characters
▸ Flag (Cloth) & Grass (Xgen) Simulation
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Modeling
▸ Texturing
▸ Arnold Lighting
▸ Rigging
▸ Animation
▸ nCloth, Xgen, Bifrost
▸ Stylized Game Assets
▸ Mixamo (Auto-rigging)
▸ Substance Painter (PBR Texturing)
▸ ZBrush for Props
▸ MASH Motion Graphics
▸ Crowd Animation
▸ Bullet Physics
Substance Painter = mandatory for game studios. MASH = essential for broadcast motion graphics.
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2122
Sculpting (Mudbox)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Fruit Bowl
▸ Male/Female Head & Body
▸ Character with Lighting/Textures
▸ Terrain Creation
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ ZBrush Full Pipeline
▸ Realistic Character Texturing
▸ Complete Anatomy Study (Muscles, Bones)
▸ Quadruped Sculpting (Animals)
▸ Maya–ZBrush Production Pipeline
ZBrush dominates industry (90% usage). Mudbox is legacy; ZBrush required for film/games
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2123
Video Editing (Premiere Pro)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ 3/5/9/12-shot Edits
▸ Animatics & Cinematic Cuts
▸ Color Grading
▸ Hard Subtitles
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Premiere Pro
▸ DaVinci Resolve – Color Grading Industry Standard
AI Tools
▸ Runway ML – text-to-video
▸ MidJourney – AI concept art
▸ ElevenLabs – voice generation
▸ Adobe Firefly – Generative Extend
AI-augmented editors = +40–60% salary premium. New job category in digital media.
Semester 6
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2127
Motion Graphics (After Effects)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Day-to-Night Conversion
▸ Wire Removal & Roto Brush
▸ Clean Plate & Object Tracking
▸ 2/4-point & Camera Tracking
▸ Motion Graphics
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ After Effects
▸ Keying, Roto, Tracking
▸ Mocha Tracking Plugin
▸ Advanced 3D Integration
▸ Real Ad Portfolio Creation
AI Tools:
▸ Adobe Firefly – Generative Fill
▸ Runway ML – AI rotoscoping
Mocha AE = industry standard for planar tracking. Portfolio essential for broadcast roles.
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2131
Compositing & VFX (Nuke)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Chroma Keying
▸ Human/Animal Rotoscoping
▸ 2D/3D Compositing
▸ Tracking & Stabilizing
▸ Object Removal with Paint
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Nuke Professional Training
▸ SilhouetteFX
▸ 3D Equalizer
▸ Houdini-Nuke Pipeline
Nuke = global VFX standard (Weta, ILM). Advanced tools = senior compositor roles.
Degree Syllabus:
VAAA 2132
Fluid Simulation (RealFlow)
Credits: 4
Topics Covered:
▸ Standard & Bound Box Simulation
▸ Water Fountain Creation
▸ Water Transfer (Bifrost)
▸ 10-sec Arnold Render
Additions as per ZICA Standards & Industry Requirements:
▸ Maya Bifrost (Fluids, Ocean)
▸ Houdini Pyro FX – Fire/Explosion
▸ Ocean Systems & Destruction
Houdini = next career tier. Essential for film VFX roles (fire, water, destruction).
Recruiting Companies
