Postgraduate Program in Sound Design & Audio post-production

Postgraduate program

From story to sound world

Create the sound that brings stories, images and interactive worlds to life.

Taught entirely in English, this one-year postgraduate sound design and audio post-production program is designed for French and international students who want to study sound design in France. You will learn how to create, record, edit, transform and mix sound for film, television, animation, video games and immersive experiences.

Combining creative sound design, technical expertise and storytelling, the program teaches you how to build coherent sonic worlds using dialogue, Foley, atmospheres, effects, music, spatial audio and mixing.

From location recording to the studio, and from sound editing to final mix, you will develop a complete understanding of contemporary audio post-production while exploring interactive audio, immersive sound and emerging creative technologies.

Imagine. Shape. Bring worlds to life through sound.

Campus

Paris West

Entry requirements

Certification

The program prepares students for RNCP39888 – “Ingénieur du son”, a Level 6 professional certification officially registered in France’s National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP), the national framework for recognized vocational qualifications.

At a glance

Duration

1 Year – 60 ECTS credits

Languages

English

Next intake

September 2027

Pace

Full Time

Study format

On campus, followed by professional experience at the end of the program.

Internship durations

12 weeks

Tuition fees - Non-French tax residents

€18,000

This program is for you if

  • You hold a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent French or international qualification and want to specialize in sound design and audio post-production.
  • You already have some experience in sound, music, film, television, video games, digital creation or a related artistic or technical field.
  • You want to understand how sound shapes storytelling, emotion and immersion.
  • You want to develop expertise in sound editing, Foley, atmosphere creation, audio processing and mixing.
  • You want to work in film, television, animation, video games or immersive experiences.
  • You want to build a professional portfolio and showreel through practical projects.

Program objectives

By the end of the program, you will be able to:

  • analyze the narrative, artistic and technical requirements of a sound project;
  • define a coherent sonic direction for film, screen or interactive content;
  • record, create, transform and organize sound elements;
  • edit dialogue, atmospheres, Foley and sound effects;
  • create original sound worlds using synthesis, sampling and audio processing;
  • prepare and mix sound for film, television and interactive projects;
  • adapt sound design to the specific requirements of film, animation and video games;
  • design spatial and immersive audio experiences;
  • integrate sound into interactive environments and game engines;
  • collaborate with directors, producers, editors, game designers, animators and technical teams;
  • organize a professional audio post-production workflow;
  • use digital tools and artificial intelligence as part of a controlled creative process;
  • build a professional portfolio and present your sound design approach to industry professionals.

A word from the Program Director

Sound can completely transform our perception of an image, a character or a space. A sound designer does not simply add sounds: they build part of the story and shape the audience’s experience. This program combines that creative ambition with rigorous training in post-production and new forms of sonic storytelling, from film and video games to immersive experiences.

Lissa Meridan – Program Director, Sound & Music

Program highlights

  • Sound as a storytelling tool
    Learn how sound shapes emotion, perspective and immersion, and how it can transform the audience’s perception of a scene, character or interactive environment.
  • Create distinctive sound worlds
    Record, design, transform and combine dialogue, Foley, atmospheres, textures, effects and music to create coherent sonic identities across different genres and formats.
  • Master the audio post-production workflow
    From importing assets to final mix, you will work with methods inspired by professional studios: session organization, editing, processing, automation, mixing and final delivery.
  • From film to video games
    The program’s close links with Film & Audiovisual, Animation and Video Game courses at 3iS Paris West encourage interdisciplinary projects.

You will explore both linear storytelling and interactive sound, where audio responds to player actions, environments and in-game events.

A sound designer rarely works alone. You will learn how to interpret the intentions of a director, game designer or art director, propose sonic solutions and integrate your work into a collaborative production pipeline.

  • Build a professional portfolio and showreel
    Projects completed throughout the year will help you create a portfolio and showreel that reflect your technical skills, creative approach and preferred areas of specialization.
  • Study sound design in English in France
    The program is taught entirely in English within a multicultural cohort and prepares you to work in international creative and production environments.

Program

Sonic storytelling & Artistic direction

How can sound shape the way we experience a story?

You will learn how to analyze a script, scene or interactive experience and translate its narrative intentions into a coherent sonic direction.

You will work on areas including:

  • narrative analysis and sound dramaturgy;
  • development of a sonic identity;
  • relationships between image, space, rhythm and sound;
  • artistic direction for sound;
  • sonic continuity and point of view;
  • creating emotion through sound;
  • collaboration with directors and artistic direction teams.

Sound design & Sound creation

You will develop your ability to design and create original sounds for a wide range of creative environments.

You will explore areas including:

  • sound recording and field recording;
  • creation and management of sound libraries;
  • Foley;
  • synthesis and sampling;
  • audio transformation and processing;
  • creation of textures and atmospheres;
  • sound effects and event design;
  • development of sonic identities and signatures;
  • sound experimentation and emerging forms of creation.

Audio post-production for film & screen

You will explore the full audio post-production workflow for film, television and screen content.

You will work on areas including:

  • session organization and professional workflows;
  • dialogue editing;
  • audio cleaning and restoration;
  • ADR and post-synchronization;
  • Foley and atmospheres;
  • sound effects editing;
  • balancing music, dialogue and effects;
  • mix preparation;
  • mixing and automation;
  • technical standards, exports and deliverables.

The aim is to learn how to transform multiple sound elements into a coherent, clear and expressive soundtrack.

Interactive audio & Game sound

In video games, sound does not simply follow a timeline: it responds to player actions, environments and events.

You will discover the principles of interactive sound design and learn how audio is integrated into a video game production environment.

You will explore areas including:

  • interactive audio logic;
  • design of audio systems and events;
  • dynamic atmospheres;
  • variation and randomization;
  • transitions and states;
  • interactive music;
  • audio middleware;
  • sound integration into game engines;
  • collaboration between sound designers, game designers and developers.

Immersive sound & New audio experiences

You will explore technologies that transform the relationship between sound, space and the listener:

  • spatial audio;
  • binaural audio;
  • multichannel audio production;
  • immersive environments;
  • audio for XR and interactive experiences;
  • sound design for installations and new media.

The aim is not simply to master a format, but to understand how sonic space can become a powerful tool for storytelling and immersion.

New technologies & Sound creation

Emerging technologies are explored as complementary tools within the sound designer’s practice.

You will explore areas including:

  • artificial intelligence applied to audio processing and generation;
  • sound separation and restoration tools;
  • voice and sound transformation;
  • automation of selected production tasks;
  • new creative environments;
  • artistic, legal and ethical issues associated with these practices.

The aim is to understand how to select and integrate the right tools while retaining control over artistic and technical decisions.

 

Final project – Design the Sound World of a Work or Experience

The final project is the culmination of the program and a central piece of your professional portfolio.

You will join or develop a film, animation, video game or immersive project and take responsibility for its complete sonic identity, from initial creative direction through to final delivery.

Starting from the artistic brief and narrative intentions, you will define a sonic direction, organize the production, create or record the required elements and manage their integration through to the final mix.

Depending on the project, you may be responsible for:

  • sound direction;
  • recording;
  • Foley and atmospheres;
  • sound design;
  • sound editing;
  • interactive integration;
  • spatial audio;
  • final mixing.

You will also build a portfolio and showreel presenting your creative approach, key decisions and the different stages of the sound design process.

The project is presented and defended before a jury of professionals from the sound and creative industries.