Animation
Established: 1980 г.
Educational Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Forms of Education: Full-time
Program Director
Academic team:
Prof. Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev (Character Development, World Culture,), Prof. Dr. Docho Bodjakov (Film & TV Directing), Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Ovcharov (Film & TV Directing), Dr. Radoslav Kamburov (Film and TV Directing), Martin Genovski (Film and TV Directing), Maria Averina (Film and TV Directing), Boya Harizanova (Film and TV Directing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emil Rashev (Film and TV Cinematography), Prof. Dr. Teodor Yanev (Film and TV Cinematography), Prof. Dr. Emilia Stoeva (Film and TV Cinematography, English Language Terminology), Dr. Krassimir Stoichkov (Film and TV Cinematography), Zdravko Ruzhev (Film and TV Cinematography), Hristo Bozadzhiev (Film and TV Cinematography), Petar Nenov (Film and TV Cinematography), Dr. Andrei Rashev (Film and TV Cinematography), Plamen Botovski (Film and TV Cinematography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valentina Fidanova-Kolarova (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Rossitza Ilieva (Film and TV Editing), Eng. Dimitar Stoichev (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nina Altaparmakova (Film and TV Editing), Andrea-Nikol Kostova (Film and TV Editing), Liuboslav Bonev (Film and TV Editing), Zina Nacheva (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valeria Krachunova-Popova (Film and TV Sound), Assoc. Prof. Pavel Stefanov (Film and TV Sound), Dr. Tsvetelina Tsvetkova (Film and TV Sound), Stefan Makedonski (Film and TV Sound), Desislava Georgieva (Film and TV Sound), Ivailo Natsev (Film and TV Sound), Georgi Penkov (Film and TV Sound), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elena Trencheva (Film and TV Design), Dr. Boyana Bachvarova (Film and TV Design), Hristo Karaivanov (Film and TV Design), Desislava Bankova (Film and TV Design), Iva Petkova (Film and TV Design), Elena Misheva (Film and TV Design), Assoc. Prof. Vladislav Budinov (Animation, Language of Animation, Abstract Animation), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gospodin Nedelchev (Animation, Creating Animated Characters, Creating Animated Sets, Technology of the Animated Film), Dr. Penyu Kiratzov (Animation, Production Models in Animation), Ivailo Seferov (Animation, 3D Animation Software MAYA, Creating Models for 3D Animation, Texturing for 3D Animation, Rigging, Animating and Rendering for 3D Animation, 3D Animation Post-production), Hristo Karaivanov (Drawing, Painting), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krasimir Andonov (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Iglena Ruseva (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Nishkov (Photography), Krikor Vanlian (Photography), Mariana Zhizhanova (Photography), Tanya Decheva (Photography), Dimitar Vladimirov (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ema Konstantinova (Film and TV Producing), Dr. Hristo Bonev (Film and TV Producing), Dr. Asparuh Nikolov(Film and TV Producing), Petar Harizanov (Film and TV Producing), Ivo Nikolov (Film and TV Producing), Prof. Dr. Sc. Maya Dimitrova (Screen Research and Journalism, American Cinema, Western European Cinema), Irina Ivanova (Screen Research and Journalism), Prof. Dr. Sc. Vladimir Ignatovksi (Theory of Entertainment Arts), Prof. Dr. Sc. Bojidar Manov (Aesthetics of Documentary Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Yuri Dachev (Principles of TV Journalism, Film Adaptation), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krasimira Guercheva (Aesthetics of Animation Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Ivanov (Russian Cinema, Balkan Cinema, Eastern European Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andronika Martonova (Asian Cinema), Boryana Mateeva (Latin American Cinema), Dr. Krasimir Kastelov (Bulgarian Cinema), Prof. Dr. Kalin Gaidarov (Personality Psychology, Children Psychology, Social Psychology), Neli Dimitrova (Character Development), Nikolai Yordanov (Character Development), Alexandra Petkova (Character Development), Prof. Dr. Sc. Miroslav Dachev (Semiotics, World Culture), Prof. Dr. Svetlana Stoicheva-Andersson (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivailo Kostov (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boyka Donevksa (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rumiana Evtimova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Sc. Kamelia Nikolova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Milena Bratoeva (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boris Minkov (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Yuri Stoyanov (World Cuture), Prof. Dr. Madlen Danova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Julian Kuyumdzhiev (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rossen Roussev (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Kalina Stefanova (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariyana Lazarova (Copyright and Related Rights in the Audiovisual Field), Eng. Zhivko Ivanov (Visual Effects, 2D Visual Effects), Prof. Dr. Hristo Haralampiev (Constructive Drawing, Spatial Modeling), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radostina Neikova (Experimental Animation, History of Bulgarian Animation Cinema), Nina Russeva (Color Technology), Kiril Ivanov (Digital Image Editing, 2D Animation Software), Dr. Tsvetelina Tsvetkova (Sound and Music in the Animation Film), Zlatka Dekova (Plastic Anatomy), Petya Dinova (Creating and Animating Puppet Character, Volumetric Animation Techniques)
1.ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The aim of this educational programme is to develop capacities and skills of students to be able to undertake positions such as classical and 3D animators, layout artists, colorists, painters, and other technical positions for all animation genres. After an interdisciplinary education during the first academic year, priorities focus on the classical drawn animation, 2D and 3D animation, classical puppet and stop-motion animation, digital image processing and computer graphics.
The specialized training focuses on modules dedicated to: drawing, painting, modeling, building animated characters and sets, technological processes, software programs, plastic anatomy, color technology, 2D and 3D visual effects and more.
Additionally, there are modules on philosophy, religion, literature, theater, music, art, architecture, psychology, history of cinema, semiotics, theory of performing arts and others.
2. EDUCATION
Education is only full-time, lasting 4 years. Graduates who have completed their credits under the programme curriculum have to pass an oral and written graduation exam in the respective field of study, as well as a practical diploma defence on their work as animators of three different (in terms of visuals, style, genre and technology) frames (5 seconds each) from Bulgarian or foreign animated films (by the choice of the graduates).
3. QUALIFICATION
Graduates acquire a bachelor’s degree, with professional qualification “Animator”. They have options to work in the creative production process in Bulgaria and abroad throughout the whole chain of animation cinema, as specialists in pre-visualization and design in film and television production, in the new media and the gaming industry. Graduates could also continue further their education in Master programmes.
During their education, students get acquainted with the world practices and models, as well as with the professional terminology in English language, which allows them to work with/in foreign productions, as well as co-productions in Bulgaria and abroad.
4. ADMISSION
When submitting their application, candidates must also submit a complete portfolio. It may contain scripts, essays, poems, short stories, plays, novels, paintings, drawings, photographs, films, original music, performances of songs and musical instruments, recordings of musical performances and other artistic materials of the candidate’s choice. Textual materials must be in a pdf format and not exceeding 5 pages. Images must be in jpg format. Audiovisual materials must be in mp-4 format and not exceeding a total duration of 10 minutes. Sound materials must be in mp-3 format and not exceeding a total duration of 10 minutes. The purpose of the portfolio is to show the applicant’s interests, artistic preferences, potential skills and mindset in as many details as possible. All materials must be uploaded in the Google Drive cloud space with a limit up to 3 GB.
Stage I – Practical Exam (anonymous)
Applicants have to pass a test (same test for all applicants) in which they must show their abilities to visualize different creative tasks such as:
Task 1: Drawing of four different physical positions and moods of a given character.
Task 2: Writing a synopsis for short animation film (up to 3 minutes) on a given topic.
Sample topics: “Jealousy”, “Fear”, “Competition”, etc.
Task 3: Finalizing a given part of a cartoon.
Task 4: Recognition of world-famous works of art.
Example:
Exam duration: 360 minutes. Candidates who receive a score lower than average (3.00) cannot participate in Stage II.
Stage II – Oral Exam
The tests of the applicants admitted to the Stage II are viewed by the Final Selection Committee. The Committee comprises of: NATFA’s Rector, the Dean of the Faculty of Screen Arts and the Program Directors of all the programs in the faculty. Applicants are then invited to analyze their test results and answer questions related to the choice of style, narrative, visual language and details, etc. The Final Selection Committee also interviews the applicants about the materials, included in their application portfolio. The commission also talks to the candidates about the materials from the presented portfolio. The aim of the interview is to understand the applicants’ potential capabilities, interests, overall cultural knowledge and mindset, ability for independent thinking and artistic reflections. Applicants who receive a score lower than average (3.00) cannot participate in the final ranking.
