In the 3rd and 4th years of study, all students usually realize two practical projects. In the 4th year, diploma films are created.

The type of spot as well as the product/brand can be chosen freely by the students (Spec Spots).

In the 3rd year of study, a classic commercial film of up to 30 seconds must be realized.

For the other films, the following formats can be chosen:

Classic TV Spot, Social Spot, Campaign consisting of a series of spots. Branded entertainment (branded short, branded event, branded game, etc.), viral spot, website, interactive format, mobile application, game, series format, feature film format, documentary film format, etc.

Regular group and individual meetings regarding the progress of the two projects to be completed from a creative point of view (pre- and post-production).

Prof. Martin Schmid

Zoran Bihac

Regular group and individual meetings about the progress of the two projects to be fulfilled from a production point of view.

Florian Sigl

Bernd T. Hoefflin

Martina Lülsdorf

How do advertising agencies work? How do agencies brief film productions? What do agencies, clients, and film productions expect from directors? What do new workflows look like at agencies? Brand positioning, strategy, campaign; production workflow, and director selection process.

Specific terms in the advertising world.

The biggest and most successful advertising agencies and advertising film productions on the German market.

Florian Sigl

Practical seminar with a case study

Based on agency scripts/storyboards, real-life conference calls are conducted with all students and discussed afterward.

Martina Lülsdorf

Before the commissioning of a film, the Director's Interpretation is set. It forms the key piece for production and direction: In the Director's Interpretation, directors describe how they see the story in the film and how they would like to realize it. They give an insight into the actors, the set, the location, the look, the mood, and/or the music, among other things.

The director's interpretation is also called treatment. In treatment seminars, directors are taught the basic rules for this: How long must the treatment be, what must the treatment contain, how are mood images selected, etc.?

The so-called pre-production meeting (PPM) between the clients, the agency, and the production is the most important meeting before the shooting date. In individual meetings with the main lecturers, the students have to go through a PPM meeting with all their projects and complete the most important ToDo's before shooting.

This seminar is about creativity and inspiration as well as methods to come up with innovative ideas.

In these seminars, various casting agents from the industry talk about the casting process and what needs to be considered.

In the workshop, the aim is to familiarize students with the basic rules of casting. The lecturer will hand out a treatment, which will be used to practice casting live with the help of actors.

Karolina Matheis

Heiko Richard

Stephanie Maile

and others

In this workshop, directors and actors can work together and explore the potential of a script. Scenes from selected scripts will be rehearsed and shot. There will also be time to reflect on and find solutions for difficult situations that arise time and again on the set. After an introduction, everyone has the opportunity to act out the scenes with actors. There will also be the opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter in one-on-one discussions with the course leader.

Kai Ivo Baulitz

This seminar is about gaining confidence in directing actors and overcoming one's inhibitions. This will be achieved with the help of Acting Coach Jill A. Samuels from the USA, who has a full repertoire of tips and tricks ready for you.

Jill A. Samuels

Instruction from general basics of commercial film production to international producing, assessment, and planning of the professional workflow, also for specific fields.

Florian Sigl

Bernd T. Hoefflin

Martina Lülsdorf

various guest lecturers

Schedule, calculation, legal and financial basics, buyouts, risk management, assembling production line-ups from a financial and creative point of view. Positioning, market analysis, monitoring, financing.

Bernd T. Hoefflin

Structure of commercial film productions and team composition in commercial film projects. Introduction to advertising film calculation including exercises, basics of cost and activity accounting, cost control and legal and tax issues.

Bernd T. Hoefflin

and other guest speakers

Process of a pitch, introduction to the contractual framework of commercial film projects, discussion of failure scenarios, and weather days. Which insurances are needed and what do they cover? Law on set (copyright, intellectual property rights, work safety, etc.), an exemplary process of post-production.

Bernd T. Hoefflin

Advantages and disadvantages of various film locations and their peculiarities concerning e.g. costs, venues, casting, currency rates. Cooperation with service productions. Producing for international clients and agencies in Germany and abroad.

Martina Lülsdorf

Self-promotion; how many film productions should be approached; acquisition inquiries; self-positioning; mid- and long-term career and life planning; goal setting.

Bernd T. Hoefflin

Director research, hiring directors, directors' agents, an overview of the current market, and working with international directors.

Florian Sigl

Technique, know-how, market structure, and basic knowledge.

Technique, know-how, logistics, and basic knowledge.

Casting know-how, casting locations national and international, client contracts, legal aspects.

Technique, history, know-how, and basic knowledge.

Technique, know-how, logistics, and basic knowledge.

Overview of the composer and music market. Labels, music content, composers, recording studios, contracts, legal issues, licensing.

How does the "film department" work in an advertising agency?

Lectures from former camera students of the Film Academy as well as from other professional camera operators who work and are established in all relevant special disciplines such as car, beauty, food, slow motion shooting.

Introduction to Production Design in Advertising Film. The specialist/teacher for Production Design also discusses the scene design of actual projects with the students.

In cooperation with the Production Design Department.

In the 2nd year of commercial film, a practical editing workshop is held with an experienced

commercial film editor. For this purpose, real raw material is given out, from which the editors create their commercial film cut.

Peer-Arne Sveistrup

During the field trips to the advertising film capitals Berlin, Hamburg, London, or Amsterdam, the relevant film productions, advertising agencies, and post-productions are visited on-site. The goal is to get to know each other, network, and exchange ideas about current projects, trends, and on topics such as creative and the production process.

Students of commercial film directing and producing can apply to Jung von Matt in Hamburg for a 6-week exchange with the young creatives there as well as with producers. Up to three directors and/or producers will spend some time at the agency (e.g. during the semester break), get to know the creatives and the internal film department as well as the workflows, work together on film ideas, and, ideally, realize a film for actual clients. It is also possible to realize a joint film as part of their diploma. Jung von Matt will provide the participants with an apartment/room during this time as well as the trip to Hamburg. Besides the exchange with creatives/producers and the possibility to shoot a film under real-life conditions, this is a good stepping stone into the industry and a way to strengthen your network.