olegna said:
So, do you mean that I would need to complete an undergraduate course first, then apply at AFTRS?
Many people would develop the background and experience needed through their undergraduate degree however there are some who get themselves involved in the industry early and are already familiar with it - if that sounds like you, then give AFTRS a shot. However, if you're otherwise just starting out then perhaps its best for you to consider an undergraduate degree or even diploma first.
This doesn't stop you from applying to any of their short courses(during, before or after your degree) though - which would definitely build some good skills which you could use in your career later on.
Another course that might be good for you also, is the
BA in Visual Communications at KvB. Its a fairly vocational course with some theory and it seems to have a good reputation in the field.
As regards the UTS BA in Communications, well UTS is generally regarded as having on of the best communications schools in the state but from what I've heard this course at least is very theoretical if you major in Media Arts & Production. (I do the same course but in a different major) What happens is in first year all your subjects are chosen for you and they are in four areas. Three of those areas are common to all BA in Communications students at UTS and they are:
* Communications and Media type stuff - basically study how the media interacts with our society, culture and life. For example, Rupert Murdoch's monopoly on news allowing him to influence public affairs and politics. It also discusses how and why audiences value and react to certain info. I actually find its sorta interesting, but I can't wait for second year when I don't need to do this stuff anymore. This provides most of the theory for Journalism, Info Management and Public Communications
* Sociopolitical studies - this is essentially about the social policies of our nation and how they affect the individual. For example, aboriginal rights and access to power and benefits or gay marriage and adoption rights. There is also an online component to this area. Hate this one - completely, alot of the others seem to enjoy it though.
* Cultural studies - It essentially is about investigating cultural texts and phenomena in a contemporary environment. The lectures are interesting, and so is the reading content but it is an extreme bitch to actually study. This provides the bulk of the theory for the writing[ie me] and media production subjects.
The fourth subject will be your major subject (ie media arts for you, writing for me, journalism for the next person etc.) and you'll basically study the theory of media production and what not in
this and
this. And that'd be first year.
In second and third year, you'll continue with cultural studies + media arts & production + an arts elective (from uts or usyd or unsw or mq etc.), though of course you will get a wider range of cultural studies and media arts subjects to choose from each semester. And thats the UTS one in a nutshell.
AsyLum or Phanatic would be the best persons on here to discuss MQs Media courses with if you want to know more about them.
