Film Production HE Certificate

This course is designed to intensively train you in production, professionalism, and technical skills. Week after week, you’ll be put into teams and given a challenging, so-called “Impossible Brief” to complete, rotating each time through one of the major filmmaking roles (director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, production designer, editor, sound designer, etc), rounding out your team with students from the Screen Acting and Visual Effects courses.

You’ll work as part of a production team to write, shoot, edit and screen films within a short timeframe and strict limitations, designed to teach you to iterate and create under pressure. You’ll get critical feedback, then rotate and do it again. And again. And again!

The semester-end assessments are practical and relevant, framed through the industry lens to give you as much of a real-world experience as possible, and the weekly workshops facilitated by our industry-professional tutors are there to support these projects and assessments.

Note that this programme is the same as the first year of the BA programme and you'll be learning alongside the BA students throughout the year.

We believe in constantly iterating and improving our course, so the workshops shown below may not perfectly reflect this year’s design. Though the details may change, what will never change is our commitment to hands-on, project-based, real-world learning to make films by making films. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Roundtable

Where your scripts and films are presented and subjected to our unique feedback structure. Learn both to give and receive powerful, honest, constructive criticism. 

Development

Taking a step back, viewing filmmaking and the course itself from a meta, birds-eye view. Watch and discuss the work of professionals, exercise your team building muscles, and report and reflect on your progress.

Production Studio

A hands-on introduction to the basics of on-set technology and shooting workflows. Cinematography, lighting, sound recording, and organisation are the key subject areas. 

Directing & Acting

Developing the empathy, language and communication skills in working with actors. The workshop covers basic acting techniques, methods of giving feedback, blocking, and trains the director’s ability to hold and lead a group.

Sound Design & Editing

Covers post-production sound, from recording tools and techniques to sound editing, mixing and design in post-production. 

Editing & Post-Production

A practical introduction to picture editing, from the nitty gritty of project creation, workflows, ingestion and export to the theories of narrative flow and shot assembly. 

Writing & Storytelling

All about storytelling, from concept and structure on the page to realizing a vision on set. Break down stories to their fundamental shapes and build them up so they resonate.

Production & Industry

From the scheduling, budgeting, crew management and all-important paperwork involved with producing to copyright, legalities, industry expectations and self-promotion. 

Production Design

Practical tools for developing the look of your film. From costumes to miniatures, learn how visuals play an important role in telling your story.

Your initial progression choice will be whether to make your first foray into the film industry or to continue your self development and opt for completing our Film Production BA Hons degree.

There is no right and wrong answer here. It will depend on the skillset you have already developed and what you are planning to do in the film industry.

Your success in either depends entirely on you – what you bring, your approach, and the grit, passion and sheer determination with which you take the next course or start your first project in the film industry.

However you measure it and whatever artistic realm you are working in, most creatives would like to achieve success with their creative endeavour. There are many types of success an individual may want to achieve. From successful completion of an artistic exploration all the way through to financial security and a global audience. 

There are many skills required to develop these dreams into real and practical futures. Our optional course in self-development and leadership is the ‘rocket fuel’ which will provide you with the frameworks, the focus and the drive to help realise your future.

Self development to better understand how to take decisive action, to communicate powerfully with others and take an honest look at how you limit yourself. Leadership to complete your creative project, to bring your work into the external world and to attract an audience to share, appreciate and follow your work. 

The employment model in the film industry has transformed over the last 10 years. Roles with permanent contracts do still exist but it is much more likely that you will work either as a freelancer or as part of a small startup on your way to professional creative autonomy.

The film industry never ceases to evolve and reinvent itself. We aim to provide you with an education that enables you to either be a change maker or to be capable of adapting and staying at the forefront of this change.

All applicants will be asked to provide: personal and educational information, documentation of their education experience, a portfolio or audition tape, and a personal introduction (which can be submitted as a written statement of motivation or a video/audio clip). 

MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

- Standard entry: graduation from high school at a level which would normally permit entry to university in the country where it was gained. This would be A-Levels in the UK and the Abitur in Germany, for example.

- Non-standard entry: We recognise that not all education happens in the classroom and it may be possible to admit you through a non-standard access route. If you do not possess the required formal qualification, but have acquired relevant professional or life experience, please contact our Admissions team.

If neither of the two categories above describe your situation, you'll most likely need to complete a short course to gain access to our 1 and 3-year HE degree courses.

LANGUAGE 

The language of instruction in all our courses is English and applicants must demonstrate a level equal to IELTS 6. We do not ask for official exam results, but we will assess the standard of English in your application and support materials.

For more information please contact our Admissions team and we’d be happy to discuss your opportunities to come study with us.

Course start: mid-September 2023

Application deadlines

• Round 1 - International (non-EU) and EU students - 31 March, 2023*
  * Non-EU students will need to apply for a student visa to live in Germany. The application process for this takes several months and you can only begin this process after you have been offered a place and enrolled on the course.
• Final deadline - EU students only - 31 May 2023

We offer 2 ways to pay:

• Single Payment Option:
  Enrolment Fee* €895 + Tuition Fee €10,855 = €11,750 per year
• Instalment Payment Option:
  Enrolment Fee* €895 + 10 instalments x €1,185.50 = €12,750 per year

* Note- Enrolment fee is non-refundable. It is due every year as part of the total annual fee.

If you decide to enrol in both a 4-week short course and HE degree course (1 or 3-years long) with us, you will receive a discount of 500€ on the total tuition.

Get a feel for our school from the comfort of your home with our Virtual Open Days and skill-focussed Taster Workshops.

Hosted by our team and students, these online events will give you a sense of what it's like to come and study with us in Berlin.

We look forward to meeting you online soon!