Master's in Cinematography

As one of FAMU’s first three departments, Cinematography (CINKK) has always been most demanding and the professional standard of its graduates has been traditionally high, thanks to their teachers, famous creators of film imagery. The current teaching staff of the Department includes leading specialists and university professionals who have received many domestic as well as international awards.

See 5 reasons why to choose us:

Reason #1: FAMU: A top-class faculty of film professionals + we shoot on filmstock!

Film and TV School (FAMU) is an integral part of The Academy of Performing Arts, which was founded after World War II, in 1947. It is the fifth oldest film school in the world. Its graduates include numerous influential filmmakers and scriptwriters, many known within international contexts such as Oscar winners or laureates of international film festivals. FAMU students are all taught by working professionals who are internationally recognized for their achievements. The cinematography department, among the strongest departments at FAMU, includes the following professors who will be participating in the master’s degree program.

Reason #2: A Program to Master the Professional Skills for a career as director of photography

CINKK offers a wide range of courses taught by film professionals with many years of practical experience. Five or six students from various countries are usually accepted to the program. The applicants enrolled to become a part of an international cameramen’s team who inspire one another. Students can choose to shoot their final degree project on a 35mm or digital 4K camera, and are guided to leave the program with a professional-level show reel in hand.

We are aware that a Master’s Degree often qualifies a person to teach as well as practice a profession, and we design a course of study to enable our students to leave with a thorough knowledge of the cinematography field befitting a future teacher/practitioner.

Reason #3: A Stunning location as a backdrop for a study

FAMU is located in the center of Prague, one of the most beautiful locations in Europe with a dramatic history and a rich spectrum of its own local colors and architecture. Two years in this cultural capital would be of benefit to any artist and would serve our students well as a base from which to discover other important locations. We encourage our students to make the most of the soulful and stunning environment around them and to capture this impressionable city in unforgettable films.

For nearly a century Prague has been one of the world’s filmmaking capitals, home to top craftsmen, technicians, and audio-visual professionals who also partner with FAMU teachers and students.

Reason #4: A perfect place to make new contacts and friends in the moviemaking industry

The applicants accepted to the program will meet students of directing, production, editing, sound, animated filmmaking, documentary film, scriptwriting or photography at school, which will enable them to network with a view to potential future collaboration on their works. Contacts facilitate finding interesting internships or jobs or getting references. In the course of their studies, students may register their films to various festivals with which the School partners. The success of our faculty is demonstrated by the fact that the majority of people working in the Czech Republic’s film and TV industry in artistic or production positions, as well as still-photographers in various media, are FAMU graduates.

Reason #5: The Czech Republic

The Cinematography Department is located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, which has everything a modern metropolis could offer. One advantage is the fact that the cost of living is much lower here than in Scandinavia, Great Britain, or France. The Czech Republic is a peaceful country rich in history which boasts numerous castles, chateaus or churches. You can find hundreds of theatres, galleries, museums, libraries and – naturally – cinemas.

The country has a population of 10.5 million and is located in the temperate climate zone which means you can swim in the summer and enjoy skiing in the mountains in winter! Yes, we have several mountain ranges and national parks where you can find beautiful lakes, rocks, and various animals. Although there are lions in the Czech Republic’s national emblem, there is no need to be afraid in the outdoor although bears sometimes wander over the border with the Slovak Republic – a state which formed Czechoslovakia with the Czech Republic until the end of 1992.

Almost all of your peers have studied English in primary and secondary schools so there will be no problem with a language barrier. Young people most often speak German, French, and Spanish as their second language. In contrast to that, the older generation tends to have a knowledge of Russian as it was mandatory under the socialist regime. Still, if you learn a few Czech words before you arrive, people are sure to smile at you even more.

The CINKK Master’s program runs in English. Its demands are equal to the identical program in Czech, and the students receive a diploma and the MgA. degree upon graduation.

Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree successfully completed at a college with a similar or related focus, possibly in combination with practical experience of filmmaking. What is essential is a Bachelor’s degree (from any university) and professional experience with film photography. You are assumed to possess ample experience with still photography and a strong interest in cinematography.

Prerequisites:

1. Knowledge in maths: general secondary school level; particularly simple equations, goniometric functions, common logarithm.
2. Knowledge in physics: general secondary school level; particularly electromagnetic radiation, optics International cinematography and the cameraman’s job
3. General knowledge in the field of art
4. Own still camera with interchangeable lenses

The Cinematography Master’s degree program at FAMU’s Cinematography Department runs for three years. Our MA students spend three full years mastering the art of narrative cinematography, immersing themselves in the craft of studio lighting, color concepts, and photo-graphic design. We expect applicants to have experience in cinematography, usually with a Bachelor’s degree in film.

The graduates of the MA program at the FAMU Cinematography Department are professionally and intellectually mature cameramen for fiction and non-fiction films, as well as for projects exploiting special technology and advertising spots. Their professional expertise forms an inseparable part of the individual approach to specific projects, including the ability to find and create adequate methods of production and work. That makes them reliable partners for the producers, costume designers, scenographers, but first and foremost, for the directors. The cameramen are capable of precisely distinguishing the rights and obligations in all of the camera team and the move and lighting equipment team.

Theme analysis and the following inspiration of individually classified models enable the cameraman to create an image concept that fundamentally supports the literary dramaturgy of the script theme, with options of alternative designs of imagery concepts. The cameraman has mastered all of the components available to expressive imagery, not only during the filming but also during film project preparation and finish. The demands of the specialized study program along with the graduate’s moral and communicative properties are directly linked to the encouragement to human development of the cameraman’s individuality, making the cameraman a significant member of the creative team for both Czech and international film productions with no limit on the depth and demands of the film piece.