There are not many talented film workers in Russia, but they still exist. And most of them graduated from the leading Russian cinema university - the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov.
About Institute
Named VGIK in honor of the great Soviet director, actor and screenwriter - Sergei Apollinarievich Gerasimov. This man made a huge contribution to the development of cinema in Russia. During his life he received a huge number of various awards, including the Lenin Prize, three times the Stalin Prize, the USSR State Prize, and was also awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor.
In addition to cinematic activities, Gerasimov was actively involved in politics, was a member of the party of the CPSU (b), and also a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 3-4 convocations.
The institute itself was actually founded on September 1, 1919, but then it was called the “State School of Cinematography”. He got his current name in 1938, however, then instead of the word “All-Russian” they used the word “All-Union”.
Faculties
The All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov is engaged in the training of almost all categories of specialists in the field of cinema. The main faculties are as follows:
- Acting.
- Directed.
- Art.
- Faculty of Production and Economics.
- Camera
- Scenic.
- Animations and multimedia.
All faculties of VGIK prepare specialists of the highest level, and students are recruited on the basis of workshops. The bottom line is that one of the teachers in a particular field opens his workshop, in which he recruits a certain number of students and oversees their training throughout the entire term. Students attend lectures by professors (VGIK), whose specialties cover various subjects, but the master is responsible for students in the first place and leads the main professional subjects.
Director's Faculty
The director’s profession is one of the most important in the production of the film, because it is this person who decides what the tape will be, what it will be about, who will be filmed in it, and, accordingly, the main burden of responsibility for the success of the project rests on his shoulders. Over the long years of work, the faculty of VGIK has produced many talented and successful directors who have contributed to both domestic and world cinema. Among them are people such as:
- Andrey Tarkovsky.
- Nikita Mikhalkov.
- Vsevolod Pudovkin.
- Sergey Bondarchuk and other talented figures of cinema.
The directing department prepares specialists in four different areas: feature films, non-fiction (documentary) films, sound engineering and animated films. These directions are very different, and the approach to working in them is fundamentally different, so each workshop has its own workshop.
The term of study in general is 5 years. During this time, students attend lectures, both in basic disciplines directly related to directing, and in general education. The latter include, for example, the history of world cinema and the history of fine art, as well as a number of similar items.
In addition to lectures, future directors carry out practical tasks, and at the very end of the training they remove their main work, which is a full-length short film.
Applicants
Recruitment takes place on a competitive basis and is carried out in 3 stages. The first is an interview. It takes place after the applicant has already sent all the necessary documents. At the interview, the commission determines the general cultural level of a person, as well as the degree of his knowledge in various fields of art. At the same stage, the creative works of the applicant are analyzed, which must be attached to the documents when sending. These works are some of the most successful photographs taken by a person, a biographical sketch, as well as a story about an interesting case in life.
The second stage is a creative test. It also represents a written work, but this time the applicant writes it on the proposed topic in the building of the institute. No more than 6 hours are allotted for the work.
The third stage is a professional test. This phase consists of two parts. The first is the reading of an excerpt from prose, poem, and fable. The applicant chooses the source texts independently. The second part consists of various creative tasks that will help determine the degree of development of creative thinking of the applicant. It is impossible to describe these tasks, since they can be absolutely anything, but the common thing in them is that in any case you have to be creative and think outside the box.
That's all. After the applicant has gone through these 3 stages, he can only wait for the results.
Actors
Despite the fact that VGIK faculties graduate specialists mainly in the field of cinema, the acting department also trains theater artists.
The term of study at this faculty will be 4 years. During this time, students go through all the stages of becoming a professional actor, starting with the drawing of small studies, and reaching large performances and films. The basis of the training is the methodology of the famous Russian theater and cinema leader K.S. Stanislavsky.
Students of the acting department study not only professional subjects, such as stage speech or stage movement, but also general education, which include the history of world cinema and theater.
How are exams
Enrollment in the acting department also takes place in 3 stages. At the first stage, applicants pass photos and video tests in order to demonstrate their ability to stand in front of the camera.
The second stage is a creative test - reciting by heart a poem selected by an applicant, a passage of prose, and also a fable.
The third stage is an interview. It is carried out in order to determine the general cultural level of the applicant. Members of the commission ask a variety of questions, one way or another relating to the themes of art and acting.
After carrying out all three stages, the commission determines the list of applicants for the acting faculty and recommended for budget places, that is, those who scored the most points.
Cameramen
The cameraman plays a huge role in the perception of the picture by the viewer, because it is he who is responsible for how expressive the frame will be, and how much the viewer can understand from it.
The work of the operator is complicated not only creatively, but also technically, because modern cinema equipment is at a very high level and not everyone can cope with it.
Graduates who graduated from the cinematography department of VGIK come out of the institute as real professionals. They are able to create beautiful videos and photos, and they also have the opportunity to participate in major film projects and make themselves known to the whole world.
The term of study is 5 years, and during that time students are engaged in both theoretical and practical work, honing their skills in photo and video.
Admission process
For admission to the operator’s faculty, as well as to the other faculties of VGIK, it is necessary to send a folder with documents, but in addition it is necessary to attach a portfolio of the most successful photographs, after which the commission evaluates these works and conducts a number of additional tests. If the applicant copes with all technical tasks, he is invited to an interview, at which the commission determines its final decision.
Finally
There are not many universities in the Russian Federation that train specialists in the field of cinema. This is mainly due to the fact that the profession does not require a large number of people who are ready to just work for money. It requires a creative approach, a deep understanding of their work and a high level of professionalism. And they teach all this at a leading Russian cinematographic university, we examined VGIK faculties as part of this article.