PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Science, Technology & Creative Exploration
The Master of Science & Technology in Extended Cinematography (XCin) is a 2-year, research-oriented program at École polytechnique, developed in collaboration with ENS Louis-Lumière. It brings together advanced computer science, cinematography, creative experimentation and collaborative filmmaking for cinema, animation, VFX, video games and interactive media.
From IVA to Extended Cinematography
XCin builds upon the scientific foundations of École polytechnique's third-year Image, Vision, Apprentissage (IVA) track — computer graphics, computer vision, geometry and artificial intelligence — and extends them towards cinematography, virtual production and creative technologies.
Discover the IVA track
Five Complementary Pillars
01 Science & Technology École polytechnique — Computer graphics, vision, AI, rendering, GPU computing and 3D acquisition.
02 Cinematography & Image Science ENS Louis-Lumière — Cameras, optics, lighting, color science and filmmaking.
03 Workshops & Virtual Production Hands-on filmmaking, industry workshops, real-time workflows, VFX and virtual sets.
04 Creative Exploration Project Art & Science — Original projects, prototyping and interdisciplinary experimentation.
05 Graduation Film Collaborative short-film production combining scientific, technical and artistic skills.
A Two-Year Progression
M1 — Foundations & Exploration: scientific and cinematographic fundamentals, first workshops and creative exploration.
M2 — Advanced Technologies & Production: specialization, professional production workflows, creative projects and graduation films.
Learning in Industry
XCin follows a work-study format (alternance), generally alternating three-month academic periods with three-month placements in companies. Professional experience complements the five educational pillars.
Learn more about apprenticeships
The Five Pillars of Extended Cinematography
The program combines advanced computer science, cinematography, hands-on production, creative experimentation, and a collaborative graduation film.
1. Science & Technology — École polytechnique
1st Year (M1)
BLOCK #1 · BEGINNER
- Modeling
- Animation
- Computer Vision
- Real-Time 3D Programming
BLOCK #3 · INTERMEDIATE
- Rendering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Game Engine
- Generative AI
2nd Year (M2)
BLOCK #5 · ADVANCED
- 3D Scene Capture & Reconstruction
- Augmented Reality
- Creative & Generative Models
- 3D Shape Analysis & Geometric Deep Learning
- GPU Computing & Modern GPU Features
BLOCK #7 · SPECIALIZED
- Computational Cinematography
- Motion Capture
- Spatial Audio
- Advanced Real-Time & Neural Rendering
École polytechnique's courses mainly focus on computer science; Unreal Engine and ComfyUI are included as complementary tools.
2. Cinematography & Image Science — ENS Louis-Lumière
1st Year (M1)
BLOCK #1 · BEGINNER
- Cinematography Essentials
- History of Cinema & VFX
- Camera Technologies
- Applied Optics
- Color Science
- Production Workflow
BLOCK #3 · INTERMEDIATE
- Aesthetics & Cinematographic Language
- Narratology
- Fourier Optics
2nd Year (M2)
BLOCK #5 · ADVANCED
BLOCK #7 · SPECIALIZED
3. Workshops & Virtual Production
1st Year (M1)
BLOCK #1 · BEGINNER
- Filmmaking — Hands-On Introduction
BLOCK #3 · INTERMEDIATE
- Generative AI — Hybrid Filmmaking
- Virtual Production — Previs, Techvis, Postvis — 3D Scene Capture
2nd Year (M2)
BLOCK #5 · ADVANCED
- On-Set Lighting
- Hybrid Imaging — Photochemical film and calibration
- Virtual Production — Real & Virtual Sets — Green Screen
- VFX
BLOCK #7 · SPECIALIZED
- Virtual Production — Motion Capture — Augmented Reality
4. Creative Exploration Project
1st Year (M1)
BLOCK #1 · BEGINNER
- One day per week, self-paced
- Student-selected creative or technical topic
- E.g. modeling, animation or R&D (Blender, OpenUSD)
BLOCK #3 · INTERMEDIATE
- One day per week, self-paced
- Real-Time 3D, generative AI, In-Camera VFX or R&D
- E.g. Unreal Engine, ComfyUI, Lightcraft
2nd Year (M2)
BLOCK #5 · ADVANCED
- One day per week, self-paced
- VFX, compositing, generative AI, capture or R&D
- E.g. Houdini, Nuke, ComfyUI, Lightcraft
BLOCK #7 · SPECIALIZED
- One day per week, self-paced
- E.g. Virtual Production or R&D
5. Graduation Film
1st Year (M1)
BLOCK #1 · BEGINNER
BLOCK #3 · INTERMEDIATE
- Define the film project and scenario
2nd Year (M2)
BLOCK #5 · ADVANCED
- Script breakdown and technology choices
- Pre-production — One day per week
BLOCK #7 · SPECIALIZED
- One full month dedicated to the film
- Preparation and shooting
- Post-production
Students bring together science, graphics, capture, VFX, rendering, AI, camera technologies and production workflows to create their final short film.