First year: Undergraduate studies
The first year of undergraduate studies is similar to the first year of general studies at the Filmakademie (see course of studies).
Second year: Undergraduate studies – Specialisation
Winter semester
- Introduction to short film dramaturgy / collaboration with screenwriting department
- Introduction and practical research
- Development of concepts and context: dialogue and sharing in plenary sessions and support in individual discussions
- Self-direction / self-awareness and introduction to directing techniques
- Rehearsal work / the director's book
- Casting workshop
- Workshops on working with your own material / production design and resolution
- Pitching: Presentation of the second year projects
Summer semester
- Film acting workshop with Acting, Production Design, Film Sound and Editing departments
- Creative and technical sound design
- Filming: From the end of May to mid-June / five filming days per project
Followed by start of editing and post-production
Third and fourth year: Graduate studies
Courses such as staging exercises, acting workshops, writing workshops, research seminars, interview practice, finding and developing concepts and content, cinematography, sound and editing exercises, visits to editorial offices, festival excursions, pitching training, case studies with international guests or cross-media workshops are the focus of the main study programme.
Practical film work addresses the special aspect that fictional film work at FABW, depending on the subject and financial situation, makes both experimental narrative forms and intimate theatre through to major feature film productions possible across all genres.
The projects are realised in the course of the third and fourth year of study in collaboration with all students of the Fiction Film department, from brainstorming for ideas to the finished film. All individual roles, such as script, production, direction, cinematography, sound and editing are staffed by Filmakademie students. The individual phases of the projects (research, script, filming, editing, final production) are determined at the beginning of the semester on the basis of a binding schedule.
In addition, the department's regular collaboration with renowned editorial offices and film funding organisations (e.g. MFG, SWR/Debüt im Dritten, Kleines Fernsehspiel/ZDF) enables students to already make a name for themselves in the feature film market during their training.
Diploma project
The diploma project is usually an open-format feature film that is developed and realised over a period of one to two years. Students are free to decide whether to realise the graduation film in co-operation with a broadcaster or independently.
