The ESCAC’s Advanced Master in Specialization, a 90-credit program, aims to train professionals who, from various areas of the industry, are responsible for the creation of audiovisual content: fiction films, television series, and more.
The digital revolution, the proliferation of screens, and the rise of streaming platforms are some of the factors driving the growing demand for audiovisual products and the industry’s need for highly trained professionals. These professionals must be capable of producing content with creativity, a deep understanding of narrative mechanisms, and essential technical expertise.
The Advanced Master in Specialization allows students to focus on one of the seven cinematic disciplines taught at the school: Directing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Screenwriting, Editing, Producing, and Sound. Of the 90 credits in the program, 60 are dedicated to providing students with thorough, highly specialized training in their chosen profession, preparing them to enter the job market as team leaders upon graduation. A large faculty made up of active professionals from across the industry, along with exceptional resources and facilities (over 30,000 m² dedicated to teaching audiovisual crafts), ensures that students receive training that is fully up-to-date and aligned with the current state of the audiovisual industry.
A key and distinctive feature of the Advanced Master in Specialization is the interaction among students from different specializations. On one hand, the curriculum includes courses designed for two or more disciplines, which enables more ambitious practical projects and fosters essential positive team dynamics. On the other hand, students from all specializations collaborate in the two core courses, which together account for 30 credits: Collective Practices and the Final Master’s Project. Working together, each within their field of expertise, students form teams to carry out various audiovisual products from initial concept to final delivery.
The Advanced Master in Specialization builds upon the foundational three-year program shared by all students in ESCAC’s Official Bachelor’s Degree in Cinematography.
General Competencies
Upon completion of the program, the student should be able to:
Work in a team, collaborating with others and contributing to a shared project within interdisciplinary and/or intercultural groups.
Lead work teams in creative environments.
Design a self-assessment process for the work carried out, both at a personal level and within the team as a whole.
Evaluate the social and environmental impact of actions within their field.
Continue learning autonomously in order to adapt to changes in the audiovisual sector, especially regarding technological advancements.
Solve creative and technical issues at any stage of the creation of an audiovisual work, from pre-production to post-production and distribution.
Communicate their conclusions, as well as the knowledge and rationale behind them, to both specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
Possess and understand knowledge that provides a foundation or opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas.
Specific Competencies
The specific competencies, as well as the professional opportunities for each discipline, can be found on the page corresponding to each specialization (see Specializations section).
Eligible Candidates
University graduates in Cinematography (ESCAC-UB) or holders of an ESCAC postgraduate or master’s degree.
Graduates in Audiovisual Communication, Fine Arts, or other master’s degrees or qualifications related to the audiovisual field.
Industry professionals with proven experience.
It is expected that between 10% and 15% of the Master’s students may be granted an internal scholarship covering up to 60% of the tuition cost.
The scholarship application must be submitted at the same time as the pre-enrollment for the specialization.
Scholarship decisions will be based on economic circumstances, portfolio quality, personal interview, and academic record.
Program Title: Advanced Master in Specialization
Minimum Duration and Credits: 90 ECTS credits
The specialization courses account for 60 credits, while the common courses — one of which is the Master’s Final Project — total 30 credits.
The subjects for each specialization can be consulted in the following section.
The course Collective Practices aims to strengthen teamwork skills and consolidate the learning of techniques specific to each specialization through participation in collaborative projects.
Divided into groups and supervised at every stage by the course faculty, students develop various short film projects.
Each group is composed of students from different specializations, allowing every participant to carry out the tasks specific to their field while learning to collaborate with peers from other areas. Each student takes on the role of team leader for one part of one project and collaborates in different roles on the remaining projects.
Throughout the academic year, students give regular public presentations of their work. These pitch sessions are a key element in the development and evaluation of the projects.
The Master’s Final Project course is designed to allow students to develop their creativity by applying the knowledge and skills specific to their specialization.
Working in groups and guided at every stage by faculty from each discipline, students develop and produce as many short films as there are students in the Directing specialization.
Each production team is composed of students from different specializations, ensuring that every student takes on the role of team leader for one final project and participates in other roles for the remaining projects.
Throughout the academic year, students deliver regular public presentations of their projects. These pitch sessions are a fundamental part of the development and evaluation process.
Filming takes place between September and March of the academic year following the program’s start. Once the funding allocation for each short film is determined by the program coordinators, students in the Production specialization are responsible for managing the project, including scheduling, equipment, budgeting, and more.
ESCAC Films, the school’s academic production company, supervises and coordinates the Master’s Final Projects through every phase—from development to distribution and promotion.
As part of this course, and prior to the short film shoots, each group completes two preparatory exercises.
Depending on the quality of the proposals and pending approval by a dedicated committee, up to two additional short films may be produced. These may be directed by students outside the Directing specialization.
The faculty of the Master’s program is composed entirely of active industry professionals who dedicate part of their time to teaching.
The faculty members for each discipline can be consulted on the page corresponding to each specialization (see Specializations section).
Teaching Organization and Methodology
The instruction is delivered in person, with full-time study commitment. Teaching takes place over approximately thirty to forty weeks, with students attending around twenty hours per week on campus.
The school’s learning system is based on learning by doing. Students acquire their craft through continuous practice in environments and with equipment that simulate the production of fully professional audiovisual works. In this context, interaction among students from different departments is essential. This collaboration happens not only in the Collective Practices and Final Master’s Project courses but also in specialized workshops and other shared subjects.
Evaluation System
Generally, evaluation is continuous and conducted during the course period established for each subject, following the curriculum sequence and the academic calendar approved by the institution. Continuous assessment includes various forms of evidence indicated in the teaching plan, collected progressively and integrally throughout the learning process. These serve as meaningful and periodic indicators for both students and faculty on the evolution and progress in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and values targeted by the subject.
Single (final) evaluation is a right of the student who chooses to waive continuous assessment. To opt for single evaluation, the student must apply within the deadlines and according to procedures established by the institution. The single evaluation must ensure the achievement of the subject’s learning objectives.
After grades are published, the institution opens a re-evaluation period, which consists of assessing the degree to which the learning outcomes of the subject—competencies and training objectives—have been met. This assessment is adapted to the characteristics of the competencies and training activities programmed.
Specific details for each subject can be found in the respective teaching plans.
The school offers the necessary spaces and equipment to provide fully professional training tailored to the current needs of the audiovisual industry.
1. Image Laboratory:
Color grading room with DCI-P3 standard calibration (Barco DP 2k-8s projector) and HP Z8 workstation at 40Gb/s, based on DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Conforming and mastering room, covering all image processing stages from shooting to final DCP mastering.
Additional color grading room calibrated for Rec709 standard, equipped with Eizo 2K monitor and MacPro workstation, using DaVinci Resolve Studio, for grading projects/practices outside class hours.
Analog photography lab with over 10 enlargers.
2. Sound Editing Rooms:
3 sound editing rooms with Pro Tools Ultimate.
5.1 Nearfield sound room with Pro Tools Ultimate connected to a recording booth; C|24 controller; Genelec speakers (8330 A x3, 8320 A x2, 7350 A x1).
2.0 Nearfield sound editing room with Pro Tools Ultimate connected to a recording booth; Command 8 controller; Dynaudio BM5A MkII speakers (x2).
5.1 sound editing room with Pro Tools Ultimate; D Command controller; Genelec speakers (1032 A x3, 1031 A x2, 1094 A x1). Also includes a small stereo nearfield setup with Genelec 1029 A speakers (x2). Room projector: BenQ MX631ST.
7.1 Mixing room with Pro Tools Ultimate; D Control controller; Dynaudio Air Series BD/02 speakers (x6), UL6500 (x3), LFE (x2). Room projector: Optoma 4K.
Soundproof recording booth connected to PT1 and PT2.
3. Image Recording Equipment:
Multiple cameras for 35mm and 16mm film shooting (Arri LT, Arri III, Arri 435ES, Arri BL4, Arri SR3 Advanced, SR2, SR).
Various digital cinema cameras (2 Alexa SXT, 4 Alexa Classic, 1 Alexa Mini, Canon C300 MKII, Canon C100 MKII, Sony FS5, Blackmagic Pocket 4K).
Sets of prime and zoom lenses (Zeiss Superspeed 1.4 MKI, Zeiss Superspeed 1.3 MKII, Zeiss Standard 2.1, Atlas Orion Anamorphic, Kowa Cine Prominar, Cooke Speed Pancro S2 TLS, Schneider Xenar, Schneider Xenon, Sigma Prime).
Complete range of camera accessories.
Additional gear: Western Dolly, Easy Rig, Steady Bag, Tulip 5m camera crane.
4. Sound Recording Equipment:
Multiple recorders (Sound Devices 664, 788, MixPre6; Zoom F8).
Extensive microphone catalog covering all types of on-set sound capture: Sennheiser (416, Mkh60, Mkh70, G3 with MKE2 EW Golg capsules), Sony UWP-D with pecha mic and Sanken Cos11 capsules, Zaxcom microphone pack, etc.
5. Editing and Postproduction Classrooms:
2 fully equipped editing rooms with over 40 computers, licensed with professional image editing software (Avid, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve).
4 editing boxes fully equipped for project/practice work beyond class hours.
2 digital image postproduction classrooms with over 40 computers, equipped with leading VFX tools (Autodesk Maya, Arnold, Nuke, ZBrush, Houdini, Substance Designer/Painter, Mocha, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.).
6. Production Classrooms:
2 production classrooms with over 40 computers running management software Movie Magic Scheduling and EP Budgeting.
7. Studios:
4 studios totaling more than 800 m².