School of Film & Visual Media

School of Film & Visual Media is part of Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts & Technology in Berlin, based in the extraordinary Funkhaus facility alongside the river Spree.

We specialise in visual storytelling; filmmaking, production, writing, directing, cinematography, editing, visual effects, practical FX, 2D and 3D animation, motion design and digital arts courses. Our grounded, playful, human approach is supported by the values and concepts of progressive education.

That means heaps of hands-on projects, a 'brain gym' of collective problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking and a deeply individualised learning process that develops your interests and your unique talents.

Sounds like fun right? It is, but also expect to be challenged, stretched and working to briefs and tight deadlines. Our undergraduate and masters degree courses are rigorously validated by a UK university so we expect high levels of commitment and a proactive approach from each student. It's a work hard, play hard approach.

Discover and build the creative entrepreneurship and personal leadership skills required to launch yourself in today's film industry through a learning process that develops the tools, skills, attributes and habits which significantly increase your chances of success.

These building blocks help turn a talented, hardworking human being into a genuinely successful one and we embed the learning into most of our programmes.

If you really want to push the envelope, we also have a ground breaking optional course in Self Development & Leadership. This is provided at low cost to all Catalyst students.

You won’t find “traditional” classrooms, lectures or exams at Catalyst. From day one, you’ll be grouped with other motivated creatives just like yourself and tasked with producing film or visual FX projects under challenging creative, technical and logistical constraints.

It’s great fun, but it’s harder than it sounds. Don’t worry - our team of industry professional tutors will be there to provide support with a range of hands-on workshops and individualised support that will help ignite your creative growth.

Our courses are taught by a team of permanent tutors and visiting international film and visual effects industry professionals, with a genuine passion for passing on their specialist knowledge to others.

They'll ask the difficult questions you've been avoiding, set impossible tasks that stretch you in ways you didn’t know you were capable of, provide insights into new ways of thinking and heap fulsome praise where it's due.

Above all, they'll be there for you when you pick yourself up out of the dirt after a spectacular creative failure with an encouragement to be even more audacious next time.

As part of our specialist film making and visual effects school you'll benefit from a range of collaboration opportunities not only with your fellow film school students but also with our acting and music production school students.

You'll get challenges with demanding deadlines and engage in working methodologies that resemble the normal everyday, rough and tumble of industry life. At the same time, this 'real world' experience comes with an essential safety net - a chance to fail gloriously with no impact on your reputation, your income or your pride!

All of our filmmaking and film production courses are taught in English, the language of the international film industry. Study your passion in a community of like minded international learners.