Postgraduate Programme in Directing

Understand the elements and resources of audiovisual storytelling. 
Be able to develop an audiovisual narrative connected to a story.  
Understand the conventions of different genres. 
Be creative and able to innovate in storytelling, audiovisual design and directing actors. 

Understand the tasks and techniques specific to other departments and the narrative possibilities of each of the aspects of the film they represent.  
Understand the principles of directing actors.  
Understand the tasks and roles of the other members of the directing team, particularly those of the assistant director and script supervisor. 

Turn a literary screenplay into a technical screenplay.  
Be able to identify actors who are a good fit for the characters needed. 

Guide actors (both professional and non-professional) in their performances.  
Lead and motivate a team, making quick and effective decisions during pre-production, filming and post-production.  
Communicate ideas effectively to the production team and other collaborators. 

Show maturity and analytical rigour in self-evaluating the work carried out, both individually and by the team as a whole.  
Present projects convincingly to both specialist and general audiences. 

Each student directs a scene based on a script provided by the teaching staff. The aim is to work on the basic dramatic chain (protagonist–goal–obstacle–conflict), as well as the development of the piece’s tone, genre and narrative intent. The stu – dents are organised into film crews of 5 to 6 people and colla – borate on their classmates’ practical exercises, taking on different technical and creative roles. Each student directs their own exercise.

As their final project, each student develops and directs their own short film with a freely written script. From the conception of the idea to the final edit, students work on creating an original audiovisual work, exploring dramatic construction, an auteur approach and the translation of ideas into cinematic language. Throughout the process, they are supported by tutors specialising in screenwriting, visual concept and production. Projects are made in teams of 5 to 6 people, recreating working practices typical of a professional environment. Each student directs their own short film. 

Basic acting concepts. Introduction to traditional techniques and Western acting systems. Reading and analysing subtext. Character background and creation. Characters, motivations and goals within a scene. The scene’s overall objective: shaping the audience’s emotional response. Instructions, staging and planning according to the medium. Casting: selecting the cast. The role of the casting director. The actor in front of the camera.

How to tell a story in images. Choosing camera positions. The camera is the gaze: angle, lenses, framing, shot planning and movement. Point of view and movement: shot angles, camera position, pan, subject movement. Analysis of different resources and shot-planning styles according to the genre or the nature of the scene or text. In small groups, students film exercises to put the concepts presented in class into practice. 

Light and colour. The different types of equipment used in contemporary lighting. Motion capture. The aspect ratio in cinema and its evol – ution. Elements that contribute to the development of an aesthetic concept. A meeting point in the crea – tive process between the different departments. Expressive elements of cinematography: light, framing and focal lengths. Visual narrative: composition, camera position, use of different focal lengths, staging. Camera styles. Feeling and space: how to photograph a space to create or heighten a particular feeling. Aesthetic concept: choosing the visual concept according to the story. 

The course includes a shoot on a soundstage in collaboration with the Postgraduate Programme in Photography. 

Introduction to short film screenwriting. Causal plots. The three acts. Unity of action, cause-and-effect relationships, a crescendo of obstacles and twists. Characterisation. Creating characters. Character transformation arcs. Dramatic devices: planting, dramatic irony, surprise and mystery. Short film plot structures: causal with a final surprise, beginning a process towards intimacy, ending a process towards separation, meandering, descriptive, a process of character change, based on repetition, with dramatic irony at the end. 

The art direction department and its relationship with directing. Set dressing. Furniture. Props. Textiles. Graphic design. Photography: photographic elements that interact with the set. Colour. The physical parameters of colour. Colour psychology. Universal images. 

Production department organisation chart. The role of the producer and their relationship with the director. Production during filming. Development phase: writing, casting and team formation. Communication with the team. The postgraduate projects will be followed up through production tutorials.

Defining editing and the criterion linking screenwriting, directing and editing. The viewer, emotion and genres. Classical editing. The rules of classical continuity. The invisible cut. The rules of continuity. The psychology of editing. A history of editing, the history of rhythm. The revolutions of the sixties. The music video era. The digital revolution. Editing styles and directors’ contributions. 

Sound conception. The sound map and sound universe. Naturalistic and expressionist resources. Sound action. Thinking about, writing and filming sound. How to give sound elements meaning, symbolic and expressive value in audiovisual storytelling. The human voice, gestures, the voices of things. Orchestral counterpoint. Aesthetic effects depending on the type of microphones and recording formats used. Sound and reality. Music as a dramatic element. 

Music as a narrative and expressive tool in cinema. Analysis of the dramatic functions of music in the construction of audiovisual narratives: atmosphere, emotion, rhythm, point of view and subtext. The relationship between image, sound and music; synchrony and counterpoint. The musical identity of characters, motifs and recurring themes. Working methods between directing and musical composition. Criteria for selecting original or pre-existing music and integrating it into the edit. Through the analysis of film sequences and student projects, the seminar will explore music as a fundamental element of mise-en-scène and the narrative construction of audiovisual works. 

Development of audiovisual projects that enable students to apply the knowledge they have acquired in screenwriting, pre-production, filming and post-production, working in collaborative settings similar to those of a professional production.

Practical sessions geared towards specific production objectives, where students experiment with mise-en-scène, directing actors, visual planning and the processes involved in film directing. 

Theoretical courses focused on specific areas of audiovisual directing, taught by industry professionals to deepen students’ knowledge of professional methods and tools. 

Meetings with highly regarded professionals who share their experiences, creative processes and real-world examples from the audiovisual industry, encouraging dialogue and professional reflection.

Assessment combines ongoing monitoring of learning with evaluation of the projects, exercises and activities completed throughout the programme. It takes into account both students’ progress and the practical application of the knowledge and skills they have acquired. To receive the qualification, students must meet the attendance requirements (at least 75% of classes) and pass the programme’s core subjects (Projects, Directing Workshops and Directing Actors). 

The Original Short Film is assessed through the tutor’s supervision and the work presented to the committee at the final screening.