Abstract:

The media world is changing and in times of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, changes in various aspects are becoming obvious and necessary. Acting in hybrid settings or entirely in digital space poses immense challenges for media education. The media, and film production in particular, have undergone fundamental change as a result of digitization. The democratization of access to production and distribution facilities has multiplied audiovisual content. Media vendors must find new ways to catch the recipient’s awareness. Therefore, the quality of media content will be crucial. On the other hand, media producers often have less time and resources. Thus, competencies such as problem-solving, socially interactive activities, self-employment and teamwork, and ICT skills will be of paramount importance. The media industry demands a new set of collaborative skills from young professionals – but these competences are not imparted to full extent by traditional media or film schools [1].

While previous research and subsequent seminars focused on digital pre- and postproduction [2], the coronavirus pandemic and its lockdowns have led us to the question: How can not only the pre-production and post-production be substituded, but also the shooting itself, if no one will be able to meet any other person due to political requirements or health reasons. The premise put two main problems into perspective. First, the students have to focus on a narrative that allows them to work separately. Thus said, they have to shoot on their own, and then have to put the film parts together to a functioning whole in the editing process. Second, how can assistance be given during the shooting? Provided that high-end technical resources are not at hand, simple and less expensive tools have to be applied in order to grant the student help by lecturers and/or their fellow students. Moreover, our applied research looks for solutions to make the process totally flexible when it comes to the place and personal determinants of shooting. Using digital communication in the process of developing, shooting, and finishing a film enables students to work on film, whatever the circumstances.

Our paper shows how this learning module for bachelor students in "media management" can be developed, carried out, and evaluated. The research is based on our experiences with the module "audiovisual film production" that took place at the bbw University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and the DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences in Northern Hesse between March and October 2020 – fully online. The learning impact and the positive student feedback show the importance of this multi-method approach to foster this new set of creative, methodological, social, and functional competencies for the digital transformation.

References:
[1] Universität Augsburg et al. (Hrsg.): Geschäftsmodelle in der digitalen Welt, 2017, S. 39-42
[2] I. Schuenemann, J. Kirch, S. Siehl, "How a new learning module supports a comprehensive learning with respect to film production and competencies of the future", Paper presented at the 12th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN 2020), EDULEARN 2020 Proceedings, pp. 4906-4912.

Keywords:

Media Creation, Film Production, Higher and Further Education, Virtual Cooperation.