ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

The aim of the programme is to prepare and educate sound directors, part of the creative and technological process of the shooting period and post-production, when creating audiovisual productions for all film and television genres. The educational process aims to develop qualities like artistry and imagination, and use of professional technologies and production skills, through creative practical work.

After the interdisciplinary training in the first year, the priorities fall on sound recording on location, and on postproduction, work on documentary and feature films, TV commercials and music videos, film adaptations, TV shows, etc. The compulsory subjects are supplemented by courses in history of: Bulgarian cinema, plastic arts, philosophy, mythology and religion, aesthetics and psychology.

 

In the educational process, the students realize as annual individual course work and screen productions as microphone technicians and sound directors in projects by student directors -short films and television productions of different genres, screened at the Academy`s audiovisual complex.

 

GRADUATION:

The students graduate with public diploma defense on a realized project in NATFA, including sound directing work in a film or tv production up to 20 minutes and theoretical work – minimum 25 pages.

The graduates acquire the educational qualification degree of “Bachelor” with professional qualification of “Film and TV Sound Director”. They have the opportunity to work as sound directors and sound editors, experts in the field of film and tv sound production, experts in other fields of audiovisual production and new media, in film and digital audiovisual archives and funds. The graduates could continue their education in the educational qualification degree of “Master”.

 

ADMISSION:  Specialized exam – “Film and TV sound”

When submitting their documents, the candidates are also required to deposit a complete portfolio. It can contain: screenplays, essays, poems, short stories, plays, novels, paintings, sketches, photographs, films, original music, performances of songs and music instruments, recordings of music performances and other creative materials by choice of the candidate.

The literary materials must be in PDF format and not be longer than 10 pages. The visual materials must be in MPG-4 and not be longer than 15 minutes.

The audio materials must be in format MP-3 and not be longer than 15 minutes.

The aim of the portfolio is to fully present the prospect-students’ abilities, their interests, creative inclinations and worldview.

When submitting the documents, the portfolio is sealed in an envelop with the candidate`s name.

 

Stage 1- practical exam 

First part – test for checking the candidates` hearing. Duration: 30 minutes. The test includes five hearing tasks, each being up to 2 minutes.

 

Exemplary tasks:

  1. Checking for ability to identify musical instruments. The candidates listen to a musical excerpt of solo instrument and must identify the instrument.
  2. Determining changes in tempo. A recording of a metronome with a change in tempo (for example: fast-slow-fast) is put on for the candidates. They must determine the change.
  3. Establishing adjustments in the dynamic diapason of a music excerpt. The candidates listen to an excerpt of music in which there are three, deliberately edited, changes in the level (example: strong dynamic – quiet dynamic – strong dynamic). The candidates must determine the correction.
  4. Finding defects in the phonogram. The candidates listen three times the same recording – the first time without defects, the next two times – with distinct defects (example: popping, crackle, missing parts and such). The candidates must describe the defects.
  5. Finding changes in frequency response in a music recording. The candidates listen the recording once without corrections, after that two more times with an equalizer correction in low and high frequencies. The candidates choose between four possible responses: a) the correction raises low frequencies; b) the correction raises high frequencies; c) the correction cuts low frequencies; d) the correction cuts high frequencies

Second part: The candidates receive between three and five edited videos from different films, each video being up to 1 min. They also receive a number of musical compositions and sounds, which they have to choose from and put in the video, with the help of a student editor. The edited video material, the music and sound choices are same for all candidates. Duration: 1 hour

Third part: test for checking the basic knowledge on physic and physiology of hearing. Duration: 30 minutes. The candidates respond to 10 questions, among which material studied in the Physics classes for 9th grade, about knowledge of the physical nature of sound.

The purpose is to text the candidates` knowledge about sound sources, sound waves in different environments, sound intensity, ultrasound and infrasound, reflection and absorption of sound, the sound as information carrier, etc. Those who have received an overall score on both parts lower than Average (3.00) drop out of participation in Stage 2.

 

Stage 2 – oral exam

The jury interviews the candidates admitted to Stage 2 – asking them questions on the shown results in Stage 1 and the materials from the presented portfolio. The aim of this stage is to get an in-depth notion of the abilities, interests, general knowledge, independent thinking and creative reflectivity of the candidates. The ones received a score lower than Average (3.00) drop out of the ranking.