Audiovisual Media

Course information

Audiovisual Media is an art course that trains you to be a distinctive, independent and entrepreneurial filmmaker. You learn to reflect on the power of images in relation to the story. You learn to use various styles of visual narration based on personal vision and themes. The lecturers guide you on the basis of their own expertise in the film profession and their love of film. You do not learn to think only in formulas or formats, but rather to see film as a form of art and applied art. This applies to nearly all forms and presentation possibilities.

HKU students map out their own route for the main part. Your broad development means that you become an all-round artist at the same time as a specialist. This is reflected in the diversity of the graduation work, ranging from daring, urgent, distinctive work to inventively constructed, audience-friendly genre films and commercially oriented films for clients.

Our students provide the financing of their projects themselves, set up crowdfunding, know how to find sponsors and establish contacts with funds and broadcasters. They are independent, involved in what they do and show commitment and initiative. That makes them loved at workplaces up to the highest levels. Many films by graduate students and alumni are shown at festivals in the Netherlands and abroad, win awards and are shown on TV.

The curriculum

The first year of the study focuses primarily on learning film skills, such as storytelling, visual storytelling and auditory storytelling. Courses within these learning lines exsist of script writing, mise-en-scene exercises, cinematography, sound and sound recording, play directing, field research and film production. In all courses offered, it is mainly about the meaning and how to apply these film skills to your own work.

The exchange semester

The AVM course is open for exchange during the first or second semester of the second year, meaning you’ll take part in collaborative work while attending a sufficient amount of classes and instructions to help enrich your design capacities and skills.

In the 2nd year the focus is on personal craftsmanship. In the first semester , you will make an audiovisual self-portrait and a film within the theme ‘Family’.

In the 2nd semester you will make a film within the theme ‘Society’and you will finish the semester with your own chosen work. Parallel to these projects, you will do a lot of theoretical research and you are able to follow skilss classes in the field of design processing, philosophy and psychology.

• look beyond the wals of your own professional field, traditions and working processes,
• gain new experiences and discover new interests,
• xperience different materials, experiments, disciplines, working methods, insights.

Programme for exchange students Audiovisual Media semester 1 (start September)

Programme for exchange students Audiovisual Media semester 2 (start February)

Click on the code in the schedule above to download the official course description (pdf).

For a short overview and information on all the modules, please click here.

Competencies

• You can make authentic visual work that comes from research and in which the artistic vision becomes visible. The visual work creates meaning and stems from the personal ambition of the student.
• You can examine your own work and working method and that of others by considering, analyzing, problematising, positioning and assessing it.
• You can actively and critically relate to the context in which you find yourself in your work.
• You can independently and actively contribute to the creation of an artistic product or process in a partnership.
• You can set up and maintain an inspiring and professional work situation.
• You can continue to develop and deepen your own work and working method and thereby contribute to the development of the profession, the discipline, the culture and society.
• You can articulate your ideas, concepts, work, working method and artistic vision for professionals and the public inside and outside the field.

Place in the curriculum and related courses

The exchange programme exsist of courses that are an obligatory part of the regular year 2 of the Bachelor of Design in Audiovisual Media.

Portfolio requirements Audiovisual maker

A portfolio should be a collection of your best and most recent work. It is a crucial part of your application. The portfolio helps HKU evaluate your achievements and potential and represents your view of yourself and your work.

Visual work

The digital portfolio should include at least 3 - 5 audiovisual films / pieces and some material of the development proces, for example storyboards, director statements, moodboards. Please mention your exact role in the project.

For Audiovisual Media it is very important that your portfolio shows that

• you are able to collaborate with other filmmakers
• your work focuses on exploring more than just one genre (fiction, documentary, experimental, commercials)
• you are able to tell a story with your work
• you are socially engaged
• you dare to experiment

Language

Please note that the Bachelor programme is mainly taught in Dutch and it is helpful for exchange students to be able to understand some Dutch. It is quite common that exchange students don't understand Dutch on a high level when they start an exchange at HKU Media and you will of course be supervised in English.