Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking

The entire program is taught in English

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking is a three-year generalist degree in the art and craft of filmmaking, with emphasis on hands-on instruction coupled with practical exercises in all the essentials of film and television production including directing, production, editing, cinematography and screenwriting. There are two production periods: midterm and final. Final projects must be submitted to and selected by the Greenlighting Committee in order to be produced.

  • European Bachelor of Fine Arts
  • 50 years of EICAR
  • Alumni awarded at Cannes Film Festival

BFA Particulars

The Bachelor’s program includes:

  • Intense specialized workshops
  • Industry professionals faculty members
  • Small class sizes
  • One-on-one tutoring
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Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking

Next intake:

September 2025

Duration:

3 years

Entry level:

First year entry: High School diploma or completion of secondary school

Relevant campuses:

Paris

Overview

  • The first year is oriented towards learning the fundamentals of film and television production with the emphasis on documentary and other non-fiction forms in film and television production.
  • Second year, the emphasis is on fiction and the mastering of the technical and artistic aspects of film and television production.
  • In the third and final year of study, the emphasis is on developing style and choosing a career. Each student will choose one of two concentrations: Directing & Screenwriting OR Screen Production & Postproduction. Priority of choice will be given to students with the best track record (i.e. attendance and GPA). 

Students will be required to take all courses, regardless of concentration, but will have different graduation requirements depending on their concentration.

This, in addition to electives and workshops, forms the basis of the program. Consequently, each student is trained to become a well-rounded and multi-skilled filmmaker with additional practice in the area of their chosen concentration.

Courses amount to a total 420 hours for each year.

A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME IN THE ARTS AND CRAFTS OF THE FILM INDUSTRY

Bachelor 1 Visual storytelling and non-fiction

The emphasis of the first year program is on developing the craft of non-fictional narrative in visual storytelling and the student’s visual vocabulary through theoretical courses and practical exercises.

  • Directing: fundamentals of visual storytelling, scene coverage, staging, basic film structure
  • Screenwriting: introduction to basic structure from concept to character, script writing rules and format
  • Production: basic production management, assistant director skills, location management, continuity
  • Cinematography: basic framing and lighting principals, digital workflow on set, introduction to a wide array of digital cameras including Panavision DVX 200 4K, Blackmagic Ursa 4K, etc.
  • Editing: narrative editing skills, the basics of cutting and continuity, mastering editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Sound: basics of sound recording and writing with sound

Bachelor 2 Fundamentals of fiction

While continuing to develop their polyvalent skills in the disciplines outlined in the first year, students will have the opportunity to write their first works of fiction to submit to the Greenlighting Committee.

  • Directing: staging, shot listing, communicating with crew, actors or protagonists and interpretation of the script, fundamentals of casting and rehearsal techniques
  • Screenwriting: dramaturgy, character development, structure, base of a TV series bible
  • Production: budgeting, scheduling, location scouting and permits, running a film set
  • Cinematography: camera movement, lenses and perspective, axes and shooting rules, basic grip and lighting techniques, introduction of new equipment and technology including Sony PMW-F5 et PMW-FS7
  • Editing: dialogue editing, sound integration, sophisticated postproduction techniques
  • Sound : intermediate level of sound recording and postproduction

Bachelor 3 Finding your style

While honing in on their acquired skills, students will prepare for their final project to submit to the Greenlighting Committee. They will choose a concentration and plan for their career post-graduation.

  • Directing: preparation and execution of final year film
  • Screenwriting: pitching and writing of the final year film and developing the TV series bible
  • Production: fundamentals of creative producing
  • Editing: art and craft of creative editing and postproduction techniques (Avid, advanced techniques of Adobe Premiere)
  • Cinematography: advanced lighting, composition and camera techniques, introduction to the high-end digital cameras such a Arri Alexa Plus, RED cameras, aesthetics of light
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EABHES Accreditation confirms consistency of the Higher Education Institution's weighing of the Accredited Programme's courses and activities withe the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and compatibility of the Higher Education Institution with the principles and rules established withe the Bologna Process.

EABHES
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BFA Concentrations

  • Directing & Screenwriting: If your script is greenlit, you will get to direct your own 9-minute short; if your script is not greenlit, you will have the opportunity to direct a music video as well as a behind-the-scenes of one of the greenlit projects. You must participate in 5 projects as 1st Assistant Director, Editor, Casting Director, or Continuity Supervisor.
  • Screen Production & Postproduction: You must participate in at least: 2 projects as DOP, Editor or Production Manager AND 2 projects as Sound Designer, Colorist AND 1 project as Production Designer, Sound Technician or 1st AC. (Exact number of projects will depend on how many projects are greenlit.)

Credits validation

After successfully completing all core classes, required workshops, and final year project, amounting to to 180 ECTS.

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Come discover or visit the campus of Paris, and meet our team and students!

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Our students projects

EICAR

In a few figures

  • 9000
    m² of facilities
    in Paris and Lyon
  • 300
    professionnal
    trainers
  • +500
    productions
    per year
  • 12800
    alumnis
    EICAR Network
Our programs

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know French in order to go to the international programs?

No. Our BFA, MFA, One Year Filmmaking programs and our summer workshops, “Making a Short” and “Writing a Short” are taught in English. The school nevertheless provides French classes as part of the degree programs to help you to immerge into French culture.

When is the admissions period?

Admissions begins in late October and is rolling but usually goes until early summer depending on places that remain.

Are the programs accredited? Will I get ECTS?

The BFA, MA, and MFA in Filmmaking are all accredited by the European Board of Higher Education Schools (EABHES), which guarantees compliance with the ECTS and the Bologna process. Each semester is worth 30 ECTS.

What type of programs do you offer in the international department? What are their duration?

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is 2 years, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is 3 years; the One Year Filmmaking program is 1 year. All of our full time programs during the year require the student to apply. Summer Workshops can be one to three weeks and require only that one registers.