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2019 Master of Arts Screen: Production Design

Applications open:
02 Jul 2018

Applications close:
15 Oct 2018

Duration:
2 years full-time

icon Sydney

icon $50,976 ($25,488 p.a.)

FEE-HELP and scholarships available

Apply Now Register Interest

icon 1300 131 461

Become a creative leader in the global screen industry

The Master of Arts Screen: Production Design offers emerging production designers, art directors, designers and artists the opportunity to be immersed in the study of screen design and equip them with the knowledge and skills to negotiate a creative and versatile career as a screen designer.

Digital visualisation technology is opening up new and exciting methods for screen designers to communicate and express their ideas, supporting screen stories in ever-increasing ways. In this course you will explore new platforms and technologies involving production design concepts, practices and skills, as you engage in meaningful, creative collaborations. You will also pursue your own artistic identity as you collaborate as a creative practitioner and storyteller with your colleagues in other disciplines.

Is the 2019 Master of Arts Screen: Production Design right for you?

Why do this course

In this intensive course you will thoroughly engage with the field of screen design, allowing you to experience a range of work in production design and connect to the screen community culture at large.

The course requires you to create a design framework and approach for screen design projects, collaborating with peers to tell stories in visual and spatial terms. The program advances skills of interpretation, awareness and observation that support creative storytelling, and pairs this learning with the logistical thinking necessary for a career in designing and art directing for screen.

 What you can expect

The course provides an intense experience that involves constant exploration, research, learning and creative practice in the discipline of production design. You practise interpreting texts, formulating ideas and originating visual concepts. You are supported to develop a strong creative practice, discovering your own design process. Industry practitioners will contribute to the coursework program, providing insights into their practice. In small, cross-disciplinary groups, you collaborate with your fellow students to develop a shared vocabulary for cinematic storytelling and life-long collaborative networks.

In the final year, you create a funded major project using AFTRS’ extensive production facilities to realise your vision, and the course concludes with a professional placement.

Across the course, you will be supported to consider who you are as a creative practitioner and develop an adaptable, creative skill-set. Learning to document and analyse your process through the development of a practice-based research project, you will understand how you have been informed by innovations and processes of the past, and how your practice engages with contemporary screen culture and its emerging trends and technologies.

Career opportunities

The Master or Arts Screen: Production Design enables you to work at a professional level on a broad range of screen productions.

Award-winning AFTRS Alumni include: Melinda Doring AACTA Awards Best Production Design for The Sapphires (2012) and The Eye of the Storm (2011), AFI Award Best Production Design for Somersault (2004); Chris Batson APDG Award The Voice (2012); Annie Beauchamp Art Directors Guild Award for Art Direction Moulin Rouge! (2002).

Potential careers:

  • Production Designer
  • Art Director
  • Set Designer

YOU WILL LEARN TO

Demonstrate and apply advanced knowledge of theory and practice as a professional and creative leader in their discipline.

Critically evaluate and apply a deep understanding of cinematic storytelling to create audience-engaged work for the screen.

Justify and implement a reflective creative practice that synthesises specialist knowledge, research and an understanding of personal process.

Apply an adaptable skill set.

Demonstrate an ability to lead, inspire and collaborate across diverse projects with a confidence in their creative voice and core value.

Get Answers

How to apply

To apply you will need to:

1. Answer all mandatory questions marked with an asterisk (*).
2. Upload supporting documentation, which includes certified copies of your:

a) Proof of citizenship/residency
b) Highest educational qualification
3. Upload specific application tasks relevant to the course for which you are applying.
4. Agree to the terms and conditions at the end of the application.

You do not have to complete your application in one sitting. Save your application and log back in at any time prior to the closing date to pick up where you left off.

When uploading application tasks that are media/video files, please be patient as this can take some time.

If you require assistance, please contact the Student Centre (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au

Admission requirements

Places in this course are competitive and are based on merit selection.

1. Prerequisites

Applicants to postgraduate programs are required to hold a relevant undergraduate degree at bachelor level, or to have completed equivalent work experience and/or training.

The typical duration of a bachelor degree is 3-4 years, and candidates applying by degree equivalence are required to demonstrate they have achieved corresponding learning outcomes by completing a similar volume of relevant work experience and/or training. If you wish to apply for admission to a postgraduate program by degree equivalence, contact the Student Centre.

2. Selection criteria

1. Demonstrated experience or related skills relevant to discipline.
2. A distinct creative perspective.
3. A proven capacity for leadership and collaboration.
4. A willingness and capacity to engage in critical thinking, reflection and research.

3. Resume and educational qualifications

Provide a one-page list of your achievements, educational qualifications and work experience. You must also provide a certified copy of your highest education level.

4. Proof of citizenship/residency

Ensure you submit a certified copy of your birth certificate or passport.

Application tasks

1. Visual interpretation of text

Read the Wonder Inc. script by Sarah-Jane McAllen, based on Chris Womersley’s A Lovely and Terrible Thing, and:

• Interpret story, themes and meaning.
• Develop visual approach to story.

Provide the following to communicate your visual approach:

• A concept illustration – that can be created using digital painting, such as Photoshop, photomontage, traditional painting or drawing or a combination of any of these techniques.
• A colour script indicating the use and transition of colour throughout the story.

(Maximum 3 to 5 pages – submit as PDF file)

2. Production design analysis



Watch the film The Bronze Mirror. In 500 words (maximum), describe the importance of the bronze mirror object to the telling of the story and to the visual approach of the film.

Provide 2 existing images of the object in context of the film to support your rationale regarding its importance in the story telling process.

(Submit as one PDF file)

3. Audio-visual creative statement

Make a 2 minute audio-visual work that presents who you are, as a creator; why you want to complete the MA Screen Production Design; and what you hope to get out of your time at AFTRS (submit as media file).

4. Creative work

Your creative submission should demonstrate your best work. Be selective with your choices; 2 to 3 examples of the work that most effectively demonstrates your creative point of view and your technical and craft skills. This includes fiction, non-fiction or a mixture; linear or nonlinear, and film, video or other digital and online forms (submit as media file).

Clearly outline your role on the work submitted in your portfolio (submit as PDF file).

Fees and scholarships

Tuition Fees

Domestic Fee: $50,976 ($25,488 p.a.)
International Fee: $101,952 ($50,976 p.a.)

The fees shown are the indicative course tuition fees, expressed as both a total course cost and per annum cost. AFTRS tuition fees are reviewed each year and you are liable for the additional tuition costs if the tuition fees rise during the course of your enrolment.

FEE-HELP

This course is FEE-HELP approved. Refer to the Study Assist website for details.

Scholarships

AFTRS Storytelling, Equity, Virgin Australia and Indigenous Scholarships available.

FEE-HELP and Scholarships are available for eligible domestic students only.

International students

AFTRS welcomes international student applications into this course. You must be aware of your English language proficiency, visa conditions, health insurance and financial obligations you are required to meet as an overseas student.

Please refer to the International Students section for further information.

Admission requirements

International applicants must meet:

(a) the same academic admission requirements as domestic applicants, and
(b) a minimum English proficiency equivalent to an overall band score of 8.0 IELTS (exemption categories apply).

How to apply

To apply as an international student, there are several steps you will need to go through:

1. Admission requirements

Ensure that you meet the admission requirements above.

2. Obtain the application form

Contact the Student Centre on (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au to discuss your intention to apply and ask for an international student application form to be sent to you. DO NOT use the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of this page to apply online – this is for domestic students only.

3. Gather required documents

You must provide the required application documents when you submit your application. These documents include:

(a) all application tasks,
(b) resume,
as well as certified copies of your:
(c) highest educational qualification,
(d) passport, and
(e) English language proficiency test results.

Documents submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by a complete English translation made by an accredited translator.

4. Apply for the course

Send both your completed application form and the required documents back to the Student Centre prior to the closing date.

5. Wait for your offer

Assessment of your application will take place once the closing date has passed. You will be notified if further documents or additional information is required.
All international applicants who are considered for a place in the course will be required to attend an interview either in person (if already in Australia) or via online conference call (e.g. Skype).

6. Receive an offer

If your application is successful, you will receive an email with an Offer and Enrolment Guide comprising of:

1. Letter of Offer
2. How to accept your offer
3. How to pay your fees
4. How to obtain health cover
5. Enrolment information
6. Other related material

AFTRS also emails unsuccessful applicants.

7. Accept your offer

When you receive your Offer and Enrolment Guide, review your Letter of Offer and make sure all details are correct (including the exact spelling of your name). Accept your offer as per the instructions supplied.

8. Pay your fees and obtain health cover

Make arrangements to pay your fees and apply for Overseas Health Insurance Cover (OSHC). Provide a copy of your OSHC to the Student Centre.
You will then receive an email that confirms your enrolment, called a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).

9. Apply for a student visa

Apply for a student visa with the Department of Home Affairs. You will need to provide your OSHC & CoE as part of this application.

10. Receive student visa

Advise the Student Centre once you have been successful in obtaining a student visa. We will then send you additional information regarding commencing your enrolment in your course.

If you require assistance with any of the above steps, please contact the Student Centre on (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au

DISCLAIMER ** Changes in circumstances may impact upon the accuracy or currency of information. While AFTRS takes all due care to ensure that the information is accurate, it reserves the right to vary any information described here without notice.

Get Answers

How to apply

To apply you will need to:

1. Answer all mandatory questions marked with an asterisk (*).
2. Upload supporting documentation, which includes certified copies of your:

a) Proof of citizenship/residency
b) Highest educational qualification
3. Upload specific application tasks relevant to the course for which you are applying.
4. Agree to the terms and conditions at the end of the application.

You do not have to complete your application in one sitting. Save your application and log back in at any time prior to the closing date to pick up where you left off.

When uploading application tasks that are media/video files, please be patient as this can take some time.

If you require assistance, please contact the Student Centre (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au

Admission requirements

Places in this course are competitive and are based on merit selection.

1. Prerequisites

Applicants to postgraduate programs are required to hold a relevant undergraduate degree at bachelor level, or to have completed equivalent work experience and/or training.

The typical duration of a bachelor degree is 3-4 years, and candidates applying by degree equivalence are required to demonstrate they have achieved corresponding learning outcomes by completing a similar volume of relevant work experience and/or training. If you wish to apply for admission to a postgraduate program by degree equivalence, contact the Student Centre.

2. Selection criteria

1. Demonstrated experience or related skills relevant to discipline.
2. A distinct creative perspective.
3. A proven capacity for leadership and collaboration.
4. A willingness and capacity to engage in critical thinking, reflection and research.

3. Resume and educational qualifications

Provide a one-page list of your achievements, educational qualifications and work experience. You must also provide a certified copy of your highest education level.

4. Proof of citizenship/residency

Ensure you submit a certified copy of your birth certificate or passport.

Application tasks

1. Visual interpretation of text

Read the Wonder Inc. script by Sarah-Jane McAllen, based on Chris Womersley’s A Lovely and Terrible Thing, and:

• Interpret story, themes and meaning.
• Develop visual approach to story.

Provide the following to communicate your visual approach:

• A concept illustration – that can be created using digital painting, such as Photoshop, photomontage, traditional painting or drawing or a combination of any of these techniques.
• A colour script indicating the use and transition of colour throughout the story.

(Maximum 3 to 5 pages – submit as PDF file)

2. Production design analysis



Watch the film The Bronze Mirror. In 500 words (maximum), describe the importance of the bronze mirror object to the telling of the story and to the visual approach of the film.

Provide 2 existing images of the object in context of the film to support your rationale regarding its importance in the story telling process.

(Submit as one PDF file)

3. Audio-visual creative statement

Make a 2 minute audio-visual work that presents who you are, as a creator; why you want to complete the MA Screen Production Design; and what you hope to get out of your time at AFTRS (submit as media file).

4. Creative work

Your creative submission should demonstrate your best work. Be selective with your choices; 2 to 3 examples of the work that most effectively demonstrates your creative point of view and your technical and craft skills. This includes fiction, non-fiction or a mixture; linear or nonlinear, and film, video or other digital and online forms (submit as media file).

Clearly outline your role on the work submitted in your portfolio (submit as PDF file).

Fees and scholarships

Tuition Fees

Domestic Fee: $50,976 ($25,488 p.a.)
International Fee: $101,952 ($50,976 p.a.)

The fees shown are the indicative course tuition fees, expressed as both a total course cost and per annum cost. AFTRS tuition fees are reviewed each year and you are liable for the additional tuition costs if the tuition fees rise during the course of your enrolment.

FEE-HELP

This course is FEE-HELP approved. Refer to the Study Assist website for details.

Scholarships

AFTRS Storytelling, Equity, Virgin Australia and Indigenous Scholarships available.

FEE-HELP and Scholarships are available for eligible domestic students only.

International students

AFTRS welcomes international student applications into this course. You must be aware of your English language proficiency, visa conditions, health insurance and financial obligations you are required to meet as an overseas student.

Please refer to the International Students section for further information.

Admission requirements

International applicants must meet:

(a) the same academic admission requirements as domestic applicants, and
(b) a minimum English proficiency equivalent to an overall band score of 8.0 IELTS (exemption categories apply).

How to apply

To apply as an international student, there are several steps you will need to go through:

1. Admission requirements

Ensure that you meet the admission requirements above.

2. Obtain the application form

Contact the Student Centre on (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au to discuss your intention to apply and ask for an international student application form to be sent to you. DO NOT use the ‘Apply Now’ button at the top of this page to apply online – this is for domestic students only.

3. Gather required documents

You must provide the required application documents when you submit your application. These documents include:

(a) all application tasks,
(b) resume,
as well as certified copies of your:
(c) highest educational qualification,
(d) passport, and
(e) English language proficiency test results.

Documents submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by a complete English translation made by an accredited translator.

4. Apply for the course

Send both your completed application form and the required documents back to the Student Centre prior to the closing date.

5. Wait for your offer

Assessment of your application will take place once the closing date has passed. You will be notified if further documents or additional information is required.
All international applicants who are considered for a place in the course will be required to attend an interview either in person (if already in Australia) or via online conference call (e.g. Skype).

6. Receive an offer

If your application is successful, you will receive an email with an Offer and Enrolment Guide comprising of:

1. Letter of Offer
2. How to accept your offer
3. How to pay your fees
4. How to obtain health cover
5. Enrolment information
6. Other related material

AFTRS also emails unsuccessful applicants.

7. Accept your offer

When you receive your Offer and Enrolment Guide, review your Letter of Offer and make sure all details are correct (including the exact spelling of your name). Accept your offer as per the instructions supplied.

8. Pay your fees and obtain health cover

Make arrangements to pay your fees and apply for Overseas Health Insurance Cover (OSHC). Provide a copy of your OSHC to the Student Centre.
You will then receive an email that confirms your enrolment, called a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).

9. Apply for a student visa

Apply for a student visa with the Department of Home Affairs. You will need to provide your OSHC & CoE as part of this application.

10. Receive student visa

Advise the Student Centre once you have been successful in obtaining a student visa. We will then send you additional information regarding commencing your enrolment in your course.

If you require assistance with any of the above steps, please contact the Student Centre on (02) 9805 6444 or studentinfo@aftrs.edu.au

DISCLAIMER ** Changes in circumstances may impact upon the accuracy or currency of information. While AFTRS takes all due care to ensure that the information is accurate, it reserves the right to vary any information described here without notice.