iACADEMY remains a Toon Boom Center of Excellence, having received the distinction as the first educational institution in Southeast Asia and in the Philippines to get the accreditation in 2019.

Toon Boom is a Canadian software company that specializes in animation production and storyboarding software. Founded in 1994, Toon Boom develops animation and storyboarding software for film, television, web animation, games, mobile devices, training applications, and education. Its software is used by the best animation studios in the world namely Universal, Boulder Media, Ubisoft, Fox, NBC, Lucasfilms, Cartoon Network, South Park Studios, and many others.

The COE accreditation given to iACADEMY attests that its animation program meets a high standard and ensures that students are given a superior learning environment through a comprehensive exposure to Toon Boom software.

“This recognition truly places iACADEMY among the top schools of choice for design and the arts in Asia. Apart from being a Toon Boom Center of Excellence, this has been evident in the achievement of our students and the recent award given by the International Business Magazine that declares iACADEMY the Most Innovative Design School for 2022 under the category for Asia,” Vanessa Tanco, CEO and president of iACADEMY, said.

iACADEMY has produced graduates that made exceptional contributions to the industry. Among them is Mikee Sevilla, one of the first graduates of AB Animation, who has worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios and participated in the making of animated films Encanto (2020) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2020).

Animation students Danica Sy and Jeriah Capil were also among the iACADEMY Game Changers who were recognized in local and international competitions for their animated works. Sy, a 2nd-year animation student, was short-listed in QCinema Shorts for the animated film “Silbi,” which tackled mental health issues.

Meanwhile, Capil’s “Bahala Na Si Darna” was among the 20 shortlisted projects from more than 200 entries to the Sine Kabataan 5 Short Film Lab and Festival from all over the country.

“Having the complete technical skills and exposure to industry practices are both crucial to ensure students emerge as successful professionals in the animation industry. With iACADEMY’s strong focus on intensive industry training and partnership with global leaders like Toon Boom, we are certain they will meet the technical challenges of both local and international animation studios,” Weena Espardinez, chairperson of the animation program, said.

The BS Animation program of iACADEMY is handled by veteran animators who have worked locally and internationally from known animation studios. Part of its roster of faculty members are AJ Siytangco, who worked as FX Artist for Lucasfilm Animation; and Hamill Buyco, a 3D Artist who worked on the Big Hero 6 TV series.