Content and structure

[Translate to English:] Abbildung einer Filmproduktionssituation

Course content.

Directing involves various skills and demands close cooperation with all other areas of film production. Production management, decoupage, pre-visualization, material development, dramaturgy, styles of presentation, director positions, production and law are taught.

Course structure.

Academic year 1: Developing skills and staging material written by another party
During the first academic year, you will acquire knowledge and develop your skills by attend-ing courses and lectures. You will also create a fictional short film together with students from the same master’s cohort and mentors will provide support throughout the projects. The film you will develop will be written by students in the Master's Major in “Screenwriting”. An intensive production management seminar will take place each semester.

Academic year 2: Preparing and undertaking your master's thesis
During the second academic year, you will build further on your knowledge of film studies research issues through the University of Zurich. You will begin working on your master's the-sis in the third semester and dedicate yourself completely to it in the final semester, while continuing to receive support from mentors.

The Master’s in Film degree programme comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. You will earn 90 credits from your Major and 30 credits from your Minor, which can be a specialization of your Major or a subject that expands on or supplements your main programme of study. You can find more information about the new study model here.

As a general rule, the course extends over four semesters (full-time study).
Provided the head of the programme agrees, it is possible to combine the course with work outside of your programme of study. Only the first semester must be completed on a full-time basis. All compulsory session dates are communicated well in advance.

Skills acquired in the course.

Practical work:

You will gain artistic experience within a set production framework and schedule. Film work processes are initiated, tested, analysed and developed. You will work on two projects as part of the Master's Major in “Directing Fiction”: a short film (staging material written by another party) and your master’s thesis (short or medium-length feature film or series pilot episode).

Craft: Methods of film-making and film technology
You will develop your methodological, technical, and practical film-making skills to a professional standard together with the ability to incorporate dramaturgical, performance, visual and musical elements into a complete piece of cinematic art. You will have the continuous support of professors, lecturers and special guests from the film industry. As part of the Master's Major in “Directing Fiction”, you will also attend three large, multi-week seminars on staging and production management methods. 

Theory:

You will learn how to approach research issues of film studies at the University of Zurich’s Institute of Film Studies, which will also involve completing a written paper. However, the “practice-oriented theory” is also important. Therefore, you will systematically work on specific aspects of filmmaking throughout the short fiction project and as part of your master's thesis in order to acquire an analytical and conceptual understanding of your creative work.

Admissions requirements.

You have taken your first step into the film industry, have explored your own sense of aesthetics, and have:

  • the desire and creativity to refine and realize your vision for a narrative by working as part of a team
  • an interest in creating believable cinematic characters that inspire empathy in viewers and or leave viewers feeling unsettled by their contradictory nature
  • the desire to gain staging experience by working on exercises and projects, with texts written by yourself and others in order to further develop your cinematic style
  • a pressing need to tell stories that touch or provoke a reaction in an audience by engaging with issues that shape our society
  • a knack for dealing with criticism concerning artistic choices and content in a constructive way
  • the desire to articulate and reflect on your approach to filmmaking and to convey/communicate your artistic decisions to a team in a collaborative way

Benefits of studying at ZHdK.

  • Our professors and lecturers play an active role in the film industry and experts from the international film industry are frequently invited as guest lecturers. This means you benefit from a curriculum that is guided by experience and real-life practice, whilst having the opportunity to build an extensive, professional and international network within the film industry. 
  • The Film subject area is always providing fresh inspiration for artistic research. For instance, the Immersive Arts Space, where research into future technologies of the audiovisual industry is conducted, was built next door to our film studio. Findings from this research are also directly incorporated into teaching. New forms of audiovisual storytelling such as motion tracking, pre-visualization techniques and virtual production are developed, tested, and practiced.
  • Numerous festival entries and multiple wins at the prestigious student Oscars are testament to the impressive level of international success achieved by ZHdK students.
  • You benefit from internal festival advice for your final thesis film.
  • The shared campus allows all the ZHdK disciplines to be in close proximity with one another and offers a diverse infrastructure of the highest calibre. Students have access to superbly equipped workshops, a museum, concert halls, sound and film studios, rehearsal stages, studios, a library, and exhibition spaces. A rooftop garden, cinema, music club, cafés and a canteen also enable students to meet for recreational purposes.
  • Master’s students benefit from a Major-Minor study model, which is a first in Europe and prepares young people for a networked, digital and agile world of work.