Film and TV Cinematography
Established: 1973
Educational Degree: Bachelor
Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Form 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, Lighting, TV Studio Programme,), Prof. Dr. Teodor Yanev (Film and TV Cinematography), Prof. Dr. Emilia Stoeva (Film and TV Cinematography, English Language Terminology, Kinetic Composition, Video Art), Dr. Krassimir Stoichkov (Film and TV Cinematography, Exterior Cinematography Exercises, Lighting), 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, Aerial and Mobile Cinematography, TV Equipment and Technologies), Plamen Botovski (Film and TV Cinematography), Angel Yurukov (Film and TV Cinematography), Silvia Shuleva (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), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gospodin Nedelchev (Animation), Dr. Penyu Kiratzov (Animation), Ivailo Seferov (Animation), 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), 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, Introduction to the History of Cinema), Dr. Yana Dzharova-Karakoleva (History of Television), Prof. Dr. Kalin Gaidarov (Personality Psychology, Children Psychology, Social Psychology), Neli Dimitrova (Character Development), Nikolai Yordanov (Character Development, TV Reality Formats), 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, 3D Visual Effects), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martin Dimitrov (Digital Technologies, Aerial and Mobile Cinematography, Reportage Cinematography, Documentary Film, Fiction Film), Prof. Dr.Sc. Liubomir Halachev (Underwater Cinematography, Wildlife Cinematography), Tihomir Kolev (Special Visual Effects), Assoc. Prof. Georgi Nikolov (Current Trends in Film Cinematography), Ivan Tonev (Current Trends in Film Cinematography), Anton Bakarski (Current Trends in Film Cinematography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tsvetan Nedkov (Film and TV Optics, Music Video, Fiction Film), Eng. Toni Todorov (Methods and Standards in Color Correction, Creative Color Corrections), Kiril Valchanov (Special Cinematography Equipment), Zdravko Ruzhev (TV Equipment and Technologies, DOP Assistant Duties);
1.ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The aim of this educational programme is to develop capacities and skill of students to be able to work as Director of Photography (DOPs) and assistant cameramen for all audiovisual genres. After an interdisciplinary education during the first academic year, priorities focus on camera work in documentaries and feature films, television commercials and music videos, reality TV formats and studio programs, etc.
The practical modules comprise of cinematographic tasks on different kinds of short films and documentaries, TV adaptations, music videos etc. A major part of the education is focused on studying the fundamentals of film and television optics, aerial and mobile photography, reportage cinematography, digital technologies, artistic lighting, kinetic composition, underwater cinematography, wildlife cinematography, cinematographic assistance, methods and standards in color correction, special camera equipment, 2D and 3D visual effects, video art, etc.
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
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 final diploma defence on their practical work as directors of photography (DOP) of a realized project of a student from the Film and Television Directing programme (not shorter than 20 minutes).
3. QUALIFICATION
Graduates acquire a bachelor’s degree, with professional qualification “Director of Photography in Film and Television”. They have options to work in the creative and production companies in Bulgaria and abroad, in the creation and realisation of feature films, television series and adaptations, documentaries, corporate and educational films, music and commercial videos, online productions, multimedia projects. 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
Applicants must submit a complete portfolio with a set of 14 black and white or color photographs in horizontal composition: in classic copying negative / positive, format 18/24 cm, and in mini lab – 20/30 cm, but not less of the provided size. Photos must be:
- Portrait (close-up) under natural lighting – 1 photo
- Still Life under natural lighting – 1 photo
- An architectural object under natural lighting – 1 photo
- Reportage – 1 photo
- Thematically united series (topic of the applicant’s choice) – 10 photos.
No digital computer processing is allowed in the digitally created photographs.
Besides the theme’s topic, each photograph from the series could be titled and numbered, if it’s significant to the narrative.
The portfolio may also 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)
In the presence of all registered applicants, a topic is drawn. Each applicant must shoot an exterior “raw material” based on the topic, in one of several pre-determined locations, using a camera and a tripod provided by NATFA. At the request of the applicant, the camera could be set up by the exam supervisor at manual or automatic mode. It is recommended that applicants use as many as possible kinetic composition elements (panoramas, tracking of moving objects, different cinematographic plans, and angles). The length of the presented “raw” material is up to 5 minutes, within 20 frames.
Duration of the shooting process: 120 minutes. Applicants who receive a score lower than average (3.00) cannot participate in Stage II.
Stage II – Oral Exam
Applicants’ “raw” materials admitted to 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 attend the screening and are then invited to analyze the results and answer questions, related to their artistic choices and decisions, chosen composition, mise-en-scène, lighting, camera movement, angle, color scheme and other components. The Final Selection Committee also interviews the applicants about the materials, included in their application 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.
