Courses and classes

Background

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Advertising communication is a joint effort between various specialists.


The 'artists' - the Art Director (or AD) and Copywriter (or COPY) work together to come up with the advertising message. The AD deals with the visual aspect, the COPY with words and texts.


The Layouter creates elaborate drawings based on the AD/COPY's projects.
The GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNER designs and creates leaflets, annual reports, posters, packaging, logos and websites.

Structure

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Advertising at CAD is divided into 4 sections. The first year, however, is common to all and is a chance for students to approach advertising as a whole.

Aside from design, students are also introduced to graphic design, multimedia, C.A.P. (Computer-Assisted Publishing), drawing and layout.

At the end of the fist year, they are able to choose, with help from their teachers and C.A.D. directors, what section they would like to attend.

Art direction

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(3 years + 1 special year)

Copywriting

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(3 years* + 1 special year)

At C.A.D., artists - ART DIRECTORS and COPYWRITERS - learn to analyze a briefing and answer it creatively through words and images. ART DIRECTORS gradually learn to express themselves through drawing, to master layout and typesetting so as to make their message attractive and effective.

COPYWRITERS must come up with simple and punchy phrases and write texts that are accurate and convincing at the same time.

* Students who chose copywriting before entering C.A.D. may go straight to the second year provided they have adequate prior training.

The Master of Art in Advertising

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As of this year, the Master’s programme has been discontinued.

WHY IS THAT ?
Students have always graduated at the end of their fourth year.  In recent years, they could choose to do a fifth year in order, for instance, to do longer internships in agencies.

We have noticed, however, that our young graduates can find work very easily thanks to the top quality of our teaching, the school’s excellent reputation – but first and foremost thanks to their vibrant personalities and outstanding portfolios. Maintaining that extra year didn’t seem to make much sense.

WHAT WE OFFER INSTEAD
The alternative is just as fascinating : a chance to major in ADVERTISING DESIGN or GRAPHIC AND WEB DESIGN (see ADMISSION – TRANSFERS).


Layout

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(3 years)

LAYOUTERS make precise drawings of the AD/COPY's projects.

At C.A.D., we teach them the tricks of their trade: how to draw fast and well while correctly interpreting the AD's sketches and instructions.

Graphic and web design

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(3 years)

Graphic and web designers are in charge of various aspects of communication: development of corporate identity (logo, graphic charts, etc), graphic design (page layout, image processing, typesetting), packaging, designing and creating websites.

A large part of the training focuses on mastering the relevant software.

The C.A.D. website

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The website is the school's main communication tool. It is a platform for students' projects.

Final-year examinations

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At the end of the third year, students present their final projects to a jury of outside professionals.

Those who pass this exam must then, in order to graduate, undertake a six-month work placement in one or two firms maximum.

Classes

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INTRODUCTORY COURSE

First period of 3 months

  • Study of shapes
  • Drawing
  • Observation drawing
  • The creative process: sources and resources
  • Analysis and synthesis
  • Artistic culture
  • Art history
  • English
1 st year

  • Advertising design workshops
  • Designing techniques
  • Typesetting
  • Multimedia (Internet)
  • Initiation to various advertising and internet cultures
  • Layout (marker drawing)
  • Drawing
  • IT (C.A.P.)
  • Production, manufacturing and print
  • Advertising theory
  • Photo
  • English


2 nd year

Note: from the 2 nd year, some classes are taught in English. Provisions can be made, however, for students who don't master the language well enough.

FOR DESIGNERS:

  • Advertising design workshops
  • Creation of advertising campaigns with teams of professionals
  • Designing techniques
  • Art direction
  • Copywriting
  • Drawing - layout
  • Rough
  • 3D workshop
  • Designing and writing radio ads
  • Studio recording of radio ads
  • Web design (buzz and viral marketing)
  • Advertising strategy
  • IT (C.A.P.)
  • Artistic culture
  • English


FOR LAYOUTERS:

  • Layout with 3 different professionals
  • Rough
  • Drawing - live models
  • C.A.P.: finalization
  • Advertising strategies
  • 3D workshop
  • Drawing
  • Artistic culture
  • English


3 rd year

FOR ART DIRECTORS:

  • Advertising design workshop
  • Art direction
  • Creation of advertising campaigns with professional teams
  • Fundamentals of ad production (TV and cinema)
  • Designing and creating ads
  • Designing and writing radio ads
  • Studio recording of radio ads
  • Photo
  • Image processing
  • Rough
  • Web design
  • Artistic culture

FOR COPYWRITERS:

  • Advertising design workshop
  • Conceptual copywriting
  • Editorial copywriting
  • Creation of advertising campaigns with professional teams
  • Fundamentals of ad production (TV and cinema)
  • Designing and creating ads
  • Rough
  • Web design
  • Artistic culture


FOR LAYOUTERS:

  • Layout with 3 different professionals
  • Rough
  • Live model drawing
  • Photo
  • Image processing
  • Artistic culture


FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS :

  • Type setting
  • Corporate design
  • Packaging
  • Web design: creation of websites
  • E-production: study of language of programming for works of integration of websites (CSS, XHTML).
  • Graphics projects and creation of websites with firms
  • Flash
  • Image processing
  • C.A.P.: finalization
  • Advertising strategies
  • 3D workshop
  • Drawing
  • Artistic culture
  • English

4 th /Special year

FOR ART DIRECTORS AND COPYWRITERS :

  • Creation of real advertising campaigns
  • Complete final year campaigns
  • Various seminars
  • Work on the portfolio: improvement of campaigns + presentation

FINAL EXAMINATIONS:

At the end of the Special year, students present their two complete campaigns to a jury of outside professionals. C.A.D. degrees are granted by the jury.

INTERNSHIPS

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1 st year

  • A two-week internship in a company's commercial or marketing department during the Easter break.


2 nd year

FOR DESIGNERS:

  • 2 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break
  • 4 weeks in an advertising firm during the summer break.


FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

  • 2 weeks in a finalization/prepress or production studio during the Easter break
  • 4 weeks in an advertising firm or web design studio during the summer break


3 rd year

ART DIRECTORS, COPYWRITERS and LAYOUTERS

  • 3 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break


FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

  • 3 weeks in a graphics or web design form during the Easter break


4 th /Special year

FOR ART DIRECTORS, COPYWRITERS

  • 6 months in an advertising firm starting in July, after the 3 rd -year examinations. This internship can be broken into 2 x 3 and take place abroad.


FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

  • 9 months in a graphics and/or web design studio starting in July, after the 3 rd year examinations. This internship can be broken into 3 x 3 and take place abroad.


FOR LAYOUTERS

 

  • 9 months in an advertising firm and/or layout studio starting in July, after the 3 rd -year examinations. This internship can be broken into 3 x 3 and take place abroad.

Note: many students choose to travel abroad for all or part of their final-year internship as part of the "ERASMUS" program.

students - art direction, packaging, interior designer