In this course, you'll learn the foundations of art and design, as well as practical fabrication skills that can be applied in real-world settings. You'll gain confidence, enhance your skill-set, and develop a portfolio to impress potential employers in the film and TV industry.

 

The film industry in NZ is about more than just The Lord of the Rings. We are home to a world-class movie making industry, with top talent in all areas of film including screenwriting, set design, and costume design. The film industry supports around 21,000 local jobs and contributes $NZ2.7 billion to our GDP each year.

 

This intensive 19 week course will give you introductory skills in the art department, and the confidence to be part of the team who create the worlds you see on screen. In your final week we will help you to prepare your resume and portfolio to send out to employers in the film and TV industry.

 

What you'll learn

Foundations of art of design

You’ll spend the first five weeks of this course understanding the processes within the art and design department, and how to manage and plan art and design for a film and tv set.   

 

This includes understanding the different departments on set, what they’re responsible for and how they interact with one another. Then you’ll learn how to look at a script and understand what props, costumes and sets are needed to bring it to life. 

 

You’ll also learn practical skills of how to be safe on set there’s even a bit of photoshop thrown in.

 

Practical fabrication skills

During the next six weeks, you’ll develop the practical skills you need to be part of a team on set.

 

You’ll spend two weeks understanding the fabrication of costumes and get some skills under your belt around altering them to fit a script. Then you’ll spend the next couple of weeks focusing on the making and sourcing and managing of props.  Then you’ll be introduced to set building and painting and set dressing, understanding the importance of continuity on set.

 

Put it all into practice!

You’ll be matched with a director and a script and you’ll spend the next seven weeks:

• planning and developing the art and design for the script

• creating and sourcing the props, costumes, set dressing that you have planned

• On set shooting

• Wrapping the shoot; project managing the breakdown of the set and return of the stock

 

This project is designed to expose you to what it’s like to be on a real set and to give you the confidence to walk straight out of this course and into a job in the art and design department on set.  

 

Getting ready for the industry

In this final week you will spend time getting your resume and portfolio ready to send out to employers in the film and tv industry.