A design flaw in German training and further education for film and digital media lies in the conflict with reality of everyday life on set. Project-related business does not fit into the structure of commercial training courses offered by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce, and a real academic university degree is too far removed from practical application in many job profiles. Another problem is simply that there are no specific courses for many "professions" such as editor, program planner or campaign conception. This is now changing with the new Master of Arts for Film and Digital Media from the Munich Filmwerkstatt (see also www.filmma.de ).
The barriers to entry are professional experience and a high school diploma. The time required is adapted to the workload in the creative industries and is accordingly flexible. This is possible because practical activities from everyday work can be actively integrated into the course as projects with academic reflection. Without a previous bachelor's degree, an internationally recognized master's degree can be obtained in just two years. Thanks to the lean structures, the tuition fees are at a very competitive level. Funding for supporting companies and participants must round off the offer. We believe: This is a real career opportunity!
The course is not only for cast and crew, but also for all other careers in the film industry that are not yet covered by other courses. Whether in the editorial department, at the distributor, at the broadcaster or in administration, this opens up new perspectives. The first year begins in October. It's worth being quick to get a place. There is currently even a phase of reduced tuition fees.
For a commercial apprenticeship in the dual system, project-based companies do not have a training company. Even a classic dual study course is only of limited help here. The academic approach, which is rightly established in higher education, often does not meet the demand for practical relevance. A dual study course often does not fit exactly into the flexible lifestyle of filmmakers. The idea was to create an offer that fills the gap in the system. Martin Blankemeyer from the Munich Film Workshop has already reported extensively on this new opportunity at the Talent Summit. Now the launch is imminent.
Thanks to the Filmwerkstatt's many years of experience as a provider of seminars in the film industry, the teaching modules are also practical, flexible and online. The partnership with a university in Great Britain has given the title international recognition. In most of the offers on the market, existing structures have been slightly modified in order to reach a compromise for filmmakers. The "Film Master" takes the other path and follows the practical needs of the participants.
There are also other opportunities for employers. Unlike with the dual study program, there is no fixed partner model here. A company can cover course fees or contribute to them and/or grant the employee appropriate time off. For permanent employees, the spectrum ranges from paid special leave for education to flexibility in the employment model (from full-time to part-time). Project-related employees could also receive special educational leave in the project to further motivate those who want to continue their education.
If you are interested, we would be happy to offer you access to the media library with information about the course as part of the “Talent Summit” at the Munich Film Festival. We look forward to seeing you again at the “ Forum Filmwirtschaft ” on October 6, 2022 online or at the get-together in Munich.
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(Author: Markus Vogelbacher)