Telling bigger and better stories in digital form
- There is a growing need for fresh media graduates who are abreast of the latest trends and armed with an updated arsenal of technological tools
Whether it is in film, animation, television or online media, one thing is for certain: digital is the centre of today’s storytelling.
As audience demands and expectations become more sophisticated, the media’s digital landscape has had to undergo massive changes, or even overhauls, in a short time. “As technology evolves, we see the demand from audiences increase,” explains Bryan Bentley, professor of animation and visual effects at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Hong Kong. “Productions need to be more realistic, bigger and better, and a competing power increases with the demand for that level of entertainment that people expect across all digital media – movies, video games, photography, etc.”
“Developments in digital animation, together with increased joint ventures between Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, have opened up immense production opportunities,as well as the demand for talent,” says Derek Wan, programme director and senior lecturer of the Academy of Film at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).
“These days, the industry and students demand training not just in the technical aspects of media production. Our programme also nurtures creative professionals with a liberal arts background so that the work they produce has more depth and insight into humanity while being able to popularly entertain.”
In 2014, HKBU rolled out a full-time, three-year master of fine arts in film, TV and digital programme, covering 19 subjects. The objective was to enrich media workers and university graduates by systematically equipping them with extensive experience in film, television and digital media, preparing them for leading roles within the media industry in the Greater China region.
In the course’s first year, students get a broad education in film, TV and digital media, and then in the second year, get to choose from a wide range of elective courses that will steer them towards professional training, such as scriptwriting, film or TV production and digital media. This is also the time when students receive a lot of artistic nurturing. In the last year, they will embark on dedicated courses that support their thesis project.
