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| May 2000 Movie students Seeking a brighter future By Helen Chan Article from the
same section: Students who are interested in studying filmmaking may find that there are actually not many choices for them in Hong Kong. With 27 students enrolled each year, the Department of Cinema and Television at Hong Kong Baptist University is one of the choices. But many students doubt the usefulness of the course. Said Miss Lam Pui Yi, a Year 1 student in the Department: “It seems that there is not much to learn in our major. I think it is more important for us to broaden our horizons by acquiring knowledge from other fields. “This in turn would help us with our studies in the major courses.” She said she is worried that some concepts taught in some courses will no longer be applicable after they graduate. “In addition, even if we obtain a degree in the field, we do not necessarily have an advantage over others in getting jobs in related fields.” Miss Adora Yau, who graduated from the Department in 1999, does not agree. She said that what she learned in school was practical. Said she: “We acquired basic knowledge in the fields of cinema and television, including theories, during three years of studies. This helps us with our work in the related fields.” Miss Yau, who is currently working as a journalist, said that although the things she learned may not be very useful for her present job, they do help her to deal with things in her daily life. Explained she: “Producing short films can help me with my present work to a certain extent. In producing films, I have to suggest to people how to act. Now, I know what kind of photos I need when I do interviews. For example, I can ask my interviewees to make certain postures or expressions. “This definitely helps me to get good photos, which is important for my job as a journalist. “However, I would say that the content of the courses is not deep enough. For instance, little on art direction and lighting is taught and there is a lack of focus in the courses offered.” Mr. Jacky Chan, a Year 2 student in the Department, said that some of the things taught are too basic. “For instance, some theories taught in editing are so basic that you can learn it yourself when watching a movie,” he said. He said that the courses offered in the second and third year are more practical since they can get down to doing something like writing scripts and not simply learning theories. He said, “There are few courses that let us practice during our first year. We mainly learn about the movie history that year.” He also thinks that there are not enough opportunities for student internships. “Only one or two students get the chance to work in TV stations during summer breaks,” he explained. Mr. Chan also mentioned that the curriculum does not cover topics that he is interested in learning. Said he: “I am interested in learning things such as editing, animation, directing and the history of images. “However, I must say that some of the things taught are rather different from what I expected.” Both Mr. Chan and Miss Yau said they chose the course because they are interested in working in the movie industry. Said Mr. Chan, “I want to work in the movie industry immediately after I have graduated.” Miss Yau did not work in the field immediately after her graduation. Instead, she became a journalist. “I want to broaden my horizons before I go into the movie industry. I want to gain more experience and meet more people. Being a journalist can help me achieve these goals. “However, I still hope to work in the movie industry and I want it to be my lifelong career.” |
Students of the Department are exposed to various sub-fields like cinematography, sound animation and editing. (Lauren Lam)
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