Pathway in the Master Audiovisual Arts
60 ECTS / 1 year / English, Dutch
Campus Brussel / Sint-Lukas
Campus Brussel / Sint-Lukas
Animation film in Brussels
Academic Master / International Master
Curriculum
The MA programme is a one-year, full-time arts education program. Its goal is to build the profile of an independent and professional animation filmmaker whose understanding of contemporary cinema culture is based on a strong sense of aesthetics and ethics. The individual practice is the point of reference throughout the program and leads to a master project that includes both a single-screen film work and a written essay.
You can follow this programme in English and Dutch.
Master project and master thesis
For your MA degree, you formulate your final project and develop it through to completion. In this way, you prove that you are ready to be a critical and innovative animation filmmaker. Our students often participate in international Animation film festivals. It is an important networking opportunity for our master students.
Your MA project is central to the programme. You choose a topic, a research question and an objective. Under personal guidance, you not only realise an artistic project but also write a thesis in which you reflect upon your practice, methodology and ideas.
Studio & critical practice
The MA atelier provides a platform for discussing your work during one-to-one meetings with your tutors and in group discussions with and presentations to fellow students. Moreover, through guest lectures, study trips and portfolio viewings you'll come in contact with experts in the various aspects of your specialisation. In this way, you raise your practice to a professional artistic standard. Meanwhile, you'll continue to feed your theoretical knowledge. Via intensive, small-scale seminars and public lectures, you'll be exposed to contemporary critical thinking about film and audiovisual culture and learn how to link theory with practice. You'll graduate with an audiovisual work, which you'll present to an external jury.
In preparation for your MA project, you'll follow a three-day MA Session during which special attention is paid to the (un)truthful aspect of storytelling. In this Critical Practice, you'll reflect on the extent to which a balance can be achieved between truth and lies. During workshops, you'll explore how these aspects can enrich your own MA project.
Seminars
Seminars are an integral part of the master's program. LUCA has a particularly rich and diversified range of research seminars fed by the research groups of our campuses from Brussels, Ghent, Genk and Leuven. Each campus has its own researchers, research traditions and disciplines.
Together with your coordinator, you will select two seminars that match your ambitions. You can also choose from the courses given at the KU Leuven or its associated university colleges.
Video
Sorry, I Don't Understand, Natalie Feoktistova (2020)
Interested in this course?
Application & entry requirements
Enrollment procedure
The application and enrollment procedure at LUCA School of Arts consists in general of three steps.
- First you will have to submit an online Admissions application in which you will be asked to upload certain documents required for the Admissions’ diploma and language check. We will be checking if you meet with the diploma and language requirements.
- The second step continues with your participation in a Master Assessment.
- Step three is the final and binding (online) registration (for which you will receive a unique registration link after succeeding the Master Assessment).
Do you want to start a Master's degree at LUCA?
Then you must pass the MASTER ASSESSMENT
Where do you have class?
Facilities & campus life
Campus Sint-Lukas Brussels
Paleizenstraat 70
1030 Brussels
+32 2 250 11 00
An international campus and an added value to your programme
- A modern and open campus in one of Europe's foremost artistic hubs
- Studio's and workshops, a state of the arts lending service, high tech print rooms …
- A creative community with four educational institutions and over a thousand artist and designers
- An art library renowned for its collection in the country
- At walking distance of the Brussels North railway station
During the master programme you can make use of our infrastructure: a high-performance computer park, a film studio, sound and mixing studio (surround 5.1), editing cells and colour grading room. The LUCA lending service has professional cameras and audio and lighting equipment at your disposal.
In addition, various software packages (Adobe Creative Cloud, DaVinci Resolve, Protools, Cinema 4D, Dragonframe) are offered. For all these facilities you pay a fixed surcharge (extra study costs) of 400 euros. The good news is that you don't have to invest extra to make your work.
Campus St-Lukas Brussels
At LUCA we attach great importance to the quality of our courses
If the basic principle of the policy plan means that 'quality is our driving force', and that every aspect of the policy can be tested against this, then LUCA undeniably wants to develop and nurture a strong quality culture: a culture that leaves based on trust in people with talent and expertise, and which is aimed at valuing, inspiring and improving.
The formal quality framework for training within LUCA was named KOPERA, which stands for: Critically Analyzing the Quality of Training with Peers in Own Direction.
For KOPERA, LUCA starts from a vision of quality care that is based on trust and aimed at valuing, inspiring and improving.
During the six-year KOPERA cycle, each training course receives a panel of critical friends who examine the implementation of the quality characteristics and examine how the training contributes to the general LUCA policy.
The final element of KOPERA is the ultimate assurance of training quality. The key question is: "Does the program have a good quality culture that follows the 'plan-do-check-act' circle?"
LUCA publishes a quality sheet for each course. You can find this on the Education Quality page.
Further studies and career
Start your career as an animation filmmaker
You can find our alumni in the most diverse corners of the artistic and creative spectrum: animation film of course, but also motion design, video clips, media art, illustration, cartoon and game design. Many built their own animation or motion design studio, such as Joost Jansen (JJ Studio), Jonas Jatidjan, Thijs Merckx and Paul Delissen (DRIFT animation), Vincent and Laurens De Mets (Manpaard) and Maarten Vranken (Seeing the Brick). Or they started working as a director or animator in — very often international — studios (Mirjam Plettinx, Kimberly Berckmoes, Tristan Morelle, Wannes Aelvoet, Dylan Marey, Simon Cornelis,…).
Our alumni have proven themselves to be multitalented, creative minds and so, very often also choose to take a different path: Benjamin and Matthias Claeys, for instance, transformed their master project into a successful game Guns, Gore & Cannoli. Jasper Van Gestel makes animations for television. And some of them have built quite a successful career as authors of comics and illustrations such as Gwen Vanderstraeten (Knack, De Standaard, De Morgen), Emilie Timmermans (publishes books with Clavis), Delphine Frantzen (Madame Pipi), Inne Haine (The Miracle of Vierves) and Wauter Mannaert (Weegee, El Mesías, Yasmina) to name but a few.
And of course, some go on and win awards as independent filmmakers such as Timothée Crabbé (VAF Wildcard 2019), Stefka Benisheva, Laure Goemans en Liesbet Van Loon (VAF wildcard 2015) and Filip Sterckx (CANVAS award).
'After an internship, I got started at Beast Animation and worked on various stop-motion series, commercials and short films, as an animator and sometimes as a set dresser or designer. I have also worked at other studios, including in Germany. I also do illustration projects or motion design, for various publishers, advertising agencies and studios ... And in between all the projects I try to keep time for my own work, such as a children's book and a new film.
Mirjam Plettinx
'I work as a freelancer for several production houses and carry out assignments as an illustrator, motion designer or art director. In addition to these commercial assignments, I also work in the art circuit. Like my thesis "Yves", "I love Hooligans" is an animated documentary. With the help of the Flemish Audiovisual Fund, I also participated in '12 minutes about Peace '.'
Joost Janssen
'As a freelancer, I do assignments such as directing and producing motion graphics and video, graphic work and illustration. I also teach as an Animation Film teacher at the academies in Brussels. Meanwhile, I keep doing my own work. For example, with the support of the Flemish Audiovisual Fund, I finished the screenplay for my next short film. '
Maarten Vrancken
Visit us
Are you curious about our approach to art education? During our open days, you will get all the information you need, visit the campus, talk to our teaching staff and students ... Still not convinced? Visit our graduation show! During this, on-campus two-day art festival you can experience first hand how good our students really are.
Curious about the results of the MA programme?
Interested in the films created by our students? Check our streaming platform!
Staff
Our staff consists of contemporary animation filmmakers, researchers and specialists with a national and international reputation. They give you feedback, both individually and in small groups.
Elke Van Damme, Kris Mergan, Yves Bex, Geert Vandenbroele, Frederik Van de Moortel, Guido Devadder, Erik van Drunen.
Trailer Lying Angel, Geert Vandenbroele & Kris Mergan (2020)
Video
Trailer Dry Sea, Yves Bex (2020)
Interested in this course?
#WeArt