ACADEMY AND INDUSTRY

Rainbow Academy was created in 2011 as part of the production studio of Rainbow CGI, from an idea by Iginio Straffi, founder of the Rainbow group, one of the largest animation studios in Europe.

The Academy is run by Francesco Mastrofini, Rainbow CGI’s CEO with a twenty-year-long experience in the field of 3D Graphics – a man who is a synonym for professionalism and commitment.

The Academy’s Director of Studies and 3D Department Coordinator is Diego Viezzoli, Rainbow CGI’s CG Supervisor with twenty years of experience in the business, in which he has worked with some of the top international VFX companies such as Frame-store and MPC.

The Artistic Director of the Academy and Rainbow CGI and Coordinator of the Concept Art 2D Course is Vincenzo Nisco, who boasts 15 years of international experience working with companies like Disney. In 2006, he was invested with The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by president Napolitano for his extraordinary international achievements, while in June 2015 he was presented with the “Award of Honour” at the ICFF Toronto Film Festival for his 40-year-long international career.


The Academy’s mission is combine
Learning and Industry, International Experience and Production, Work and Passion.
Practical experience makes an incredible difference, as our teachers well know, having worked for many years in international productions.

GOALS AND MISSION

As the only Italian company producing international films and TV-series, Rainbow’s experience
provides its students with the skills required to easily integrate in any company around the world.

Learning how to use software tools is less complicated than learning about how to do the job itself.

The assimilation of the working skills needed for employment in the cinema and animation business demands a level of experience that only veterans in the field can guarantee.

Our academy teachers are all highly-specialized professionals with many years of experience in production studios.
Many of them work as supervisors or artists, and their passion and know-how are at our students’ disposal.

 

PRODUCING AS THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN THE ART OF PRODUCTION

Rainbow Academy likes to think big.

This means working in real-life production pipelines and learning all that needs to be known about workflow and teamwork.

It means that formation goes through the simulation of a real production, so that our students know what to expect when they come to face the reality of working for a production studio.

The main difference between the Rainbow Academy approach and that of other schools lies in the method – in the idea of teaching not only the tools and software, but the way to organise and manage the actualization of a personal project. 

Our students are asked to put their newly-acquired skills into practice every day, under the direction and supervision of our specialized artists, who ensure that the work is always in line with professional standards.

STUDENT LIFE

AMERICAN-STYLE ACADEMY

THE ONLY ACADEMY INSIDE
A 3D ANIMATION STUDIO

OUR PARTNERS

The recent addition of Viacom to our shareholders has given Rainbow an opportunity to see how it compares with other international television realities such as MTV and Nickelodeon, or cinema production and distribution companies like Paramount and Dreamworks.

Rainbow finds success today in “cross-media” productions (where television, cinema and videogames meet) in an international market of more than 150 countries. It is the largest and most important Italian company of its kind, already 15 years old and internationally-known for the creation of brands like Winx Club.

PROFESSIONALISM

Our didactic approach revolves around criteria linked to the natural production workflow; lessons at Rainbow Academy take place inside the production studio, as in top American companies.

The constant commitment of our ca. 30 teachers, selected among top professionals in the field of animation, guarantees the high level of specialization in our courses, the constant update of our didactic plans in line with the market and the requirements of international companies.

RAINBOW
CGI

ONE OF THE LARGEST ANIMATION STUDIOS IN EUROPE DEDICATED TO FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION STUDIO

The Rainbow CGI studio is one of Europe’s largest studios dedicated to 3D animation television and film production.

Its Rome headquarters actually host Rainbow Academy. As of today, the team is made up of more than 400 operators and has produced 4 full-length 3D animation movies for the big screen.

It is the only Italian company to have produced four 3D and stereoscopic films for the big screen in just 10 years of existence. Furthermore, it has produced animated TV series for the international market, TV commercials, visual effects for films and proprietary Videogames and VR apps.

Today Rainbow CGI is a great Italian reality,
providing the greatest Italian 3D Artists in the world,
as great as the goals that will take it higher and higher.

THE LOCATION

THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL FORMATION

MORE THAN 1500 SQM

The Academy is located in Rome, where it shares a 1500 sq.mt building with Rainbow CGI, a top partner in the 3D business. This allows students and teachers to take advantage of cutting-edge equipment, and, most important of all, to make use of the 3D production rooms.

CUTTING-EDGE HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY

Besides the quality of its teachers and courses, one of the most important criteria used in selecting an animation school is its infrastructure. 

The infrastructure is one of Rainbow’s fundamental assets, since it offers the possibility of working in specialized rooms fully-equipped with the hardware and software that students need to know about if they want to pursue a career in this field.

BARDEL

A THIRTY-YEAR-OLD LEADER IN NORTH AMERICAN DIGITAL ANIMATION

BARDEL BECOMES PART OF THE RAINBOW GROU

The Rainbow group has headquarters all over the world, from Moscow to Hong Kong and to Singapore. However, one of its favourite places is Vancouver, where Bardel is based, a 30-year-old company and an indisputable leader in animation production in North America. It joined the Rainbow group in 2015, the same year it won an Emmy with All Hail King Julien, a DreamWorks Netflix production.

GREAT EXPERTISE, GREAT PARTNERS

Bardel Entertainment is known all around the world for its partnerships with companies like Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Disney & Warner Brothers.

It is a top international company, working both in 2D and 3D and has produced some world-famous films and TV-series, such as Ninja Turtles, Puss in Boots, All Hail King Julien and Angry Birds Blues; the latter produced together with Rainbow CGI studio.

RAINBOV
GROUP

RAINBOW GROUP AND ITS ANIMATION: MAKING ITALY PROUD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF SUCCESS

Founded in Loreto in 1996 by Iginio Straffi, a director, TV and film producer, Rainbow Group takes care of the many sides of the animation business.

Besides creating and producing cartoons, Rainbow group also takes care of the distribution and the licensing of characters by way of a specifically-tailored media platform. The “Rainbow model” is based on the top Italian products for the international market. Rainbow entirely controls all its projects and activities directly: from their concept to production, from broadcasting to licensing.