DESCRIPTION

The one-year Filmmaking program in the Cote D’Azur based at our George Melies Campus in Cannes provides for foreign students a solid foundation in filmmaking, screenwriting, and Directing: combining theoretical knowledge about the history and art of cinema, with ‘hands-on’ technical training using film, sound, and lighting equipment. While classes deepen their knowledge and appreciation of filmmaking – as an art, a process, and an industry – students also participate in group projects and can borrow school equipment to write, direct, and shoot their own short movies.

The program offers graduating students an overview of the various jobs involved in the production of films and television while emphasizing Screenwriting and Directing.

Classes and Projects run from January 2025 until July 2025 and are extended by the possibility of a professional internship at the end of classes and after finishing work on the final films. The program consists of regular classes and practical work interrupted only by specified school holidays, production preparations, filming and post-production. Although students are responsible for searching for their internship, ESRA International provides necessary official documents, insurance, and other support according to the internship’s location in France or abroad.

Students are also able to apply for passes to attend the Cannes International Film Festival in May via the School’s dedicated allocation system.

The program on its own covers the fundamentals of Screenwriting and Directing as well as basics in Cinematography, Editing, and Production. The average teaching time is 25 hours per week.

LECTURES AND PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS

• Understand the aesthetic and technical aspects of creating image and sound, from early cinema to contemporary film
• Learn the essential rules of visual storytelling and screenwriting
• Train in directing and develop ‘hands-on’ skills in cinematography, video, lighting, sound recording and editing – taking on different roles in a film crew.

PROJECTS

• To organise, shoot, record audio and edit a short interview with a subject of your choice.
• To write and shoot a 5 minute short film project (individual or team of 2 to 5), with students choosing to produce either a fiction film or a documentary
• To write and shoot a final 10 minute group film project (team of up to 10)

CANNES CAMPUS

The One Year Programme is located in the GEORGES MÉLIÈS CANNES CAMPUS at 218 Avenue Francis Tonner in Cannes La Bocca, and includes classrooms, workshop rooms, editing rooms, post-production rooms, sound studios, and a larger shooting studio with lighting and a green screen. There is also a media library, an equipment locker room and a cafeteria.

• ESRA STUDIO
  The studio includes a lighting grid and console, a green screen wall, black curtains, multi-camera connectivity, and a related video control room. It is used for certain workshops and for student projects.
• AMPHITEATER
  The amphitheater is equipped with a digital HD film projector, a 5m wide screen, and a 5.1 Dolby Digital sound system. The projection room is used for classes, jury sessions, as well as for the end-of-the-year screenings.
• ESRA SALLE DE MONTAGE
  The Salle De Montage is a state of the Art Editing Classroom and studio and is equipped with Apple Mac pro stations containing Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve Editing Software.
• ESRA SOUND STUDIO
  The Sound Studio is equipped with Apple Mac pro stations containing Pro Tools and includes a Dolby Atmos Surround system. The studio is used by students for postproduction sound mixing, synchronisation and calibration.
• CAFETERIA
  The campus offers a full cafeteria open from 8.30AM to 5PM everyday, that offers snacks, sandwiches, lunches and salads. Vending machines are available until the school closes at 8PM Monday to Friday and at 12PM on Saturdays
• MEDIA LIBRARY
  The campus includes a media library which is both a workspace where students can come to write, read, or look at films on their laptops, and a documentation room/film library where they can borrow books, professional magazines, and DVDs that are useful for their studies.