In the second year of study, authorship and responsibility to protagonists and the audience play a prominent role. The open work on documentaries and video essays creates an inspiring environment to scrutinise classic genre definitions and to make the leap across experimental boundaries. Short film projects are developed and implemented in teams with the support of lecturers from various disciplines. The students alternate roles and thus get acquainted with all the functions. Reflection on the working process helps students discover their strengths and weaknesses and find their personal position in film production. Internships are another way to hone in on one’s specific interests.
In their third year of study, students complete their course with a written and practical bachelor’s thesis on a subject they are free to choose. Short documentaries and video essays once again come to life and are conceived and implemented in the functions of (co-)directing, camera, audio or montage. Students purposely reinforce their broad basic knowledge by concentrating on one of these four areas of focus. Writing a dossier, and working on funding, rights and film promotion prepare students for the professional requirements of their future careers.
In the theory modules of the Lucerne School of Art and Design, which serve to guide the entire programme, the students also work on theoretical and scientific issues related to art, design, media, culture and philosophy. In the first and second year, students also take part in multi-week interdisciplinary project modules where they work on current topics and trends in collaboration with students of other disciplines under the supervision of a cross-disciplinary team of lecturers.
