Film and TV Design
Established: 2017
Educational degree: Bachelor of Arts
Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Form of education: Full-time
Program Director:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elena Trencheva
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, Visual Design, Costume Design, Reenactment in Documentary Films), Dr. Boyana Bachvarova (Film and TV Design, Set Construction, Location Workflow Organization), Hristo Karaivanov (Film and TV Design, Graphic design, Perspective, Drawing, Painting), 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), Dr. Alexander Gerginov (History of Costume), Dr. Silvia Varadinova-Papadaki (Materials and Patination), Iva Dencheva (Make-up and Hairdressings), Zlatka Dekova (Plastic anatomy), Zornitsa Asenova (Materials and Patination, Clothing Design), Tsvetelina Liutakova (Technical Drawing, Design Software), Kristian Karaivanov (3D Props Modeling)
1.ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The aim of this educational programme is to develop capacities and skills of students to undertake positions such as designers, production designers, set and costume designers, props and make-up artists, VFX and 3D modelling specialists for all audiovisual genres.
After an interdisciplinary education during the first academic year, priorities focus on designing and building sets, creating and realising costumes, props, hairdressings and make-up, or even VFX for documentaries and feature films, TV commercials and music videos, reality TV formats and studio programs, etc.
Practical modules focus on: drawing, painting, preview and storyboarding, visual dramaturgy, 2D and 3D visual effects, digital design, graphic design, technical drawing, plastic anatomy, perspective, set decoration, costume design, props modelling, make-up and hairstyle, clothing design, materials and patination, 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
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 final diploma defence on their work as designers for a director’s project of a student majoring from the Film and Television Directing programme (not shorter than 20 minutes).
3. QUALIFICATION
Graduates acquire a bachelor’s degree with professional qualification “Film and Television Production Designer”. They have the 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
When submitting their application, applicants must also submit a 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)
A test to check the artistic and design capabilities of applicants, as well as their understanding of the specifics of an imaginary audiovisual space. Tasks may include:
- Developing a film set project, based on a detailed film synopsis (applicants may draw/paint in a freely selected technique) as well as a graphic plan of the space.
- Creation of a graphic storyboard of 6 frames based on one designated part of the selected synopsis, or on a predetermined description by a director.
- Sketches (in different positions and moods) of the two main characters from the designated synopsis.
Exam duration: 360 minutes. Applicants 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 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 results from the test and answer questions, related to their choice of design for the space, the composition of the storyboard frames and the construction of the characters through the costumes. 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.
