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Beyond Doctor, Engineer, CA

Chapter 9

Animation, film and media after 12th

B.Des, BA or BSc, 3 to 4 years

Will the fees for an animation degree ever come back?

  1. 1 Entrance

    NID DAT, Own tests

  2. 2 Degree

    B.Des (Bachelor of Design), BA or BSc

  3. 3 Work

    Animator, VFX (visual effects) artist

You study
Animation, visual effects, game art or film
Open to
Any stream; tests judge creativity, not marks
Total cost
From about 2 lakh to over 30 lakh

What it is really like

Animation means making drawings or computer models move. At 11 pm in a Mumbai studio, a young animator nudges a character's blink frame by frame. College teaches drawing, storytelling, software and teamwork; the job is building scenes shot by shot, often late.

How you get in

  • NID DAT

    See Design. NID Ahmedabad is the one public option, with a handful of seats.

  • School tests

    Aptitude, a portfolio (a folder of your best work) and an interview.

  • Film institutes

    FTII and SRFTI, the top government film institutes, take graduates only.

Where to study

Public, government

NID Ahmedabad

About 17 to 18 lakh for four years

Private

Whistling Woods; Srishti Manipal

About 22 to 30 lakh

Private

ICAT; Backstage Pass; JECRC Jaipur

About 2 to 10 lakh

After the degree

Pay over time: Animator

Start

5 years

10 years

Yearly pay in rupees. Pay varies widely; treat every figure as a range.

Leads to

AnimatorVFX artistGame artistVideo editor

Here is the hard truth. Animation shrank about 6 per cent in 2025. Studio closures cost about 2,000 jobs. AI already does much junior work. Big game studios mostly hire computer-science graduates.

Top colleges and what it takes

Animation and film schools select on their own studio tests, portfolios and interviews, not on a national rank. The two national film institutes (FTII, SRFTI) are postgraduate-first and admit through JET after a degree. The requirements here are qualitative, so treat them as a guide to what to prepare.

  1. National Institute of Design (NID), Animation Film Design

    Ahmedabad · Government

    NID DAT (Prelims + Mains)

    B.Des with an Animation Film Design specialisation needs a high NID DAT merit position (roughly the top few dozen for Ahmedabad; approximate)(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • B.Des (Animation Film Design)B.Des with an Animation Film Design specialisation needs a high NID DAT merit position (roughly the top few dozen for Ahmedabad; approximate)
  2. Whistling Woods International

    Mumbai · Private

    Own entrance (written/creative test + interview)

    No rank: admission is by WWI's own aptitude test, portfolio and interview. Fees are high, so check scholarships.(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • BA / B.Sc Film, Animation & VFX programmesNo rank: admission is by WWI's own aptitude test, portfolio and interview. Fees are high, so check scholarships.
  3. Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology

    Bengaluru · Private

    Own Srishti assessment + interview

    No rank: selection is by Srishti's own creative assessment, portfolio and interview(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • B.Des / BFA (Film, Animation)No rank: selection is by Srishti's own creative assessment, portfolio and interview
  4. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)

    Pune · Government

    JET (Joint Entrance Test) + orientation/interview, after graduation

    Postgraduate-first: the 3-year PG diplomas (direction, cinematography, editing, sound, acting) take graduates through JET and interviews(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • PG Diplomas in Film (after a UG degree)JET + interview; no published cut-off
  5. Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI)

    Kolkata · Government

    JET + interview, after graduation

    Postgraduate-first: admission through JET, then an orientation and interview(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • PG Programmes in Cinema / Electronic & Digital Media (incl. Animation Cinema)JET + interview after a UG degree
  6. Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID)

    Pune · Deemed

    SEED (Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design) + studio test/interview

    No official cut-off: SEED score plus a studio test and personal interview decide B.Des admission(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • B.Des (Animation & Game Design / Communication Design / Film)SEED + studio test/interview; no published cut-off
  7. MIT Institute of Design (MIT-ID)

    Pune · Private

    MIT-ID DAT + studio test/interview

    No cut-off: selection on MIT-ID's own design aptitude test, studio test and interview(approx.) source

    1 programmes
    • B.Des Animation Design / Film & Video DesignOwn DAT + studio test/interview; no published cut-off

Cut-offs move every year and differ by category, quota and home state. Use them to judge the level, then check the official counselling data.

How to prepare

  • Build a portfolio of short animations, storyboards (comic-strip plans) and life drawings.
  • Learn free software such as Blender before paying for any course.
  • Sit NID DAT, so a low-cost seat stays possible.

Is it for you?

Good fit if

  • you have strong digital art or storytelling skill
  • you can build skills cheaply, including self-taught software

Think twice if

  • you would need a large loan, which this market may not repay

Official links and free study material

Animation, film and media: common questions

How do I get into Animation, film and media after 12th?

NID DAT: See Design. NID Ahmedabad is the one public option, with a handful of seats. School tests: Aptitude, a portfolio (a folder of your best work) and an interview. Film institutes: FTII and SRFTI, the top government film institutes, take graduates only.

Which stream do I need for Animation, film and media?

Any stream: PCM, PCB, Commerce and Humanities are all open. Any stream; tests judge creativity, not marks.

How much does Animation, film and media cost in India?

From about 2 lakh to over 30 lakh. By college: NID Ahmedabad: About 17 to 18 lakh for four years; Whistling Woods; Srishti Manipal: About 22 to 30 lakh; ICAT; Backstage Pass; JECRC Jaipur: About 2 to 10 lakh. Fees change every year; confirm in each official notice.

What is the salary after Animation, film and media?

Animator: about 3 lakh to start, about 5 lakh after 5 years and about 10 lakh after 10 years (yearly, in rupees). Pay varies widely; treat every figure as a range.

Is Animation, film and media a good career for me?

A good fit if you have strong digital art or storytelling skill, and you can build skills cheaply, including self-taught software. Think twice if you would need a large loan, which this market may not repay.

Source: Chapter 9 of the book. Notes and sources