Commissioning Editor ZDF/ARTE; Head of Studies ESoDoc, Mainz (DE)
Sabine Bubeck-Paaz is commissioning editor at German public broadcaster ZDF for various documentary slots on ARTE, the European Culture Channel. At ZDF/ARTE, where she is deputy head of the department 'Thema', they are coproducing one offs, Theme Evenings, documentary series and cross-media projects. The topics Sabine Bubeck-Paaz is handling, range from culture, science and history to current affaires, human interest and sociopolitical issues. Her list of projects include award winning films like 'The Act of Killing' and 'The Look of Silence', 'Drone', 'netwars', 'Claude Lanzmann – Spectres of the Shoah', 'Ingrid Bergman in her own words'… Sabine Bubeck-Paaz started her career as a print journalist. As a tutor for documentary projects, she has been participating since many years in international pitching and training workshops. Since 2015, Sabine Bubeck-Paaz is, next to her job at ZDF/ARTE, also Head of Studies of ESoDoc - European Social Documentary, the training initiative for cross-thinkers and media professionals, who want to increase impact and outreach of their documentary projects.
Director of Photography (A. I. C.), Rome (Italy)
Born in 1961 in Tunisia. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, University of Tunis. Studied photography at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Rome, 1988-1990. Works as Director of Photography, and teaches at several film schools.
Films:
'Esercito più piccolo del Mondo' (2015) and 'Sul Vulcano' (2014), directed by Gianfranco Pannone; 'Kaspar Hauser' (2012) and 'Beket' (2008), directed by Davide Manuli; 'Palestine Stereo' (2013) and 'Laila's Birthday' directed by Rashid Masharawi, selected for the San Sebastian Film Festival (2008); 'Riparo' (2008), directed by Marco Simon Piccioni; 'Ce n'è per tutti' (2009) and 'Gas' (2005), directed by Luciano Melchionna; 'Pouppées d'Argile' (2002), directed by Nouri Bouzid; 'Latina - Littoria' (2001), directed by Gianfranco Pannone, winner: Best Documentary at the Torino Film Festival; 'Crudo' (2000), directed by Irma Immacolata Palazzo, nominated for a European Golden Globe Award; 'L'America a Roma' (1998), directed by Gianfranco Pannone, selected for the Locarno International Film Festival; 'Giro di luna tra terra e mare' (1997), directed by Giuseppe Gaudino, selected for the Venice Film Festival.
Director of Photography, Berlin (Germany)
Born in Erfurt in 1953. Following military service, studied camera at East Germany’s Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen, and with Deutsche Film AG. Left East Germany with his wife and daughter in 1982 for India, and the following year began work as a freelance cameraman in West Berlin. Further training led to work in documentary and docufiction. Teaches at film schools in Germany, Italy and Myanmar, where his focus is on fine-tuned observation of reality.
Pitching Expert, Erbach (DE)
Born 1958, since 1995 she works as communication skill trainer for production companies, producers and writers. For renowned national and international universities, and for film schools and academies, she teaches 'The Art Of Pitching'. In her intensive workshop sessions she enables producers, writers, directors to hone, fine- and time-tune their projects prior to pitching as well as gain insight into their own professional practice. Her book 'Pitch It' has been published in 2015 for the third edition. Her motto is: say, what you think - do, what you say, - be, what you do. Her focus is on project presentation, proposal development, dramaturgical doctoring, consultancy and personal coaching. Additionally she helps in project development through dramaturgical advice. Projects include all feature fiction, documentary, animation and children formats. Furthermore she offers communication skills and negotiation training as well as personal coaching, also for creative people in the fields of “Arts & Culture”.
Professor, editor, Certified Instructor Avid (ACI), Munich (DE)
After completing his degrees on Magister Artium (M.A.) in Sciences of Communication, Journalism, History of Art and Dramatics at the University of Munich, Bodo Klemz became manager of film and video production and postproduction for a famous advertising agency of political communications and a well-known bavarian media company for nearly 20 years. In 1994 he established his own Munich-domiciled certified training center for digital nonlinear film&video editing, named interBasics. Bodo Klemz was among the first ones of german editors who received the Avid Certified Instructor (ACI) by Avid Technology, Inc. Since 1994, he was assistant lecturer for digital film&video editing, montage, composition and supervisor at Munich University for Television and Film (HFF), Bavarian Academy for Television (BAF) and ZeLIG. Bodo Klemz is member of the Bavarian Association of Journalists (BJV) since 1980. www.bbklemz.de
Professor of Cinema and Audiovisual Culture, Berlin (Germany)
Graduated from the University of Utrecht, and published her dissertation 'Aller Anfang' on screenwriting and cognitive dramaturgy. Professor of Cinema and Audiovisual Culture at the University of Bonn. Was an assistant for the research project entitled 'The History of Documentary Films in Germany, 1945-2005'. Visiting professor of Film and Media Theory at the University of Vienna, 2011-2012. Co-edited (along with Christine N. Brinckmann and Ludger Kaczmarek) 'Motive des Films. Ein kasuistischer Fischzug' (2012). A member of the editorial staff of the magazine 'Montage AV'. She lives in Berlin.
"ESoDoc is a creative system, deeply rooted in human values and taking in the freshest air of digital media innovation. It is fascinating to see how workshop participants and tutors are equally driven by their curiosity to develop together new ways of storytelling for participatory documentary projects of all different forms and for all platforms … always wishing them to evolve as tools for social change and better understanding between people."
“Soon I celebrate 20 years of teaching at ZeLIG! What can I say about the virtues and reputation of this truly European school for documentary-makers in Bolzano, Alto Adige-Südtirol? It was founded more than a quarter century ago. It’s professional, solid, successful, constructively visionary. ZeLIG is known and respected for its international approach to learning. Graduates receive certification from the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. The excellent teaching staff is made up of professionals from all over the world. When it comes to film schools, ZeLIG is a sure thing. Too bad there was no ZeLIG when I was beginning my own professional studies. I surely would have applied.”
Independent - committed - creative
ZeLIG’s three-year program is designed for people interested in all forms of documentary cinema – the entire spectrum of the visual and sound experience. ZeLIG seeks people with passion and talent, who are strongly motivated to make a career out of these gifts.
The program is geared toward people who look at the world with interest and creativity; people who are flexible, who freely express themselves and are willing to take chances. People who can adapt to different roles to make their contribution to an audiovisual production.
Applicants must be hungry to learn, and develop their own creativity and the ability to recognize creativity in others; they must seek to acquire knowledge and technical skills, improve social skills and focus on working in groups.
Applicants must be committed to work in a responsible and cocreative way, and be dedicated to learning and growing together – both as professionals and as people.
3,300 hours of training – of which 3,000 in classes and 300 in work experiences, full-time and with compulsory attendance
The study course 2019-2022 starts on 4. November 2019 and ends on 1 July 2022.
The study course is structured into introductory, intermediate and specialising modules with classroom teaching, hands-on experience and group work. We strongly encourage active involvement in co-creative work. The students have access to the premises and the equipment outside of study hours in order to enable them to work independently on their projects.
First year
During the first year, the emphasis is on the basic elements of analysing and understanding audio-visual language and the general principles of film production. The students are also taught the basics of how to plan and make a documentary. The general introduction is followed by intermediate courses on the contents in phase two, ending with a practical exercise: short documentary films, produced in a group and independently developed.
The first year is also aimed at identifying motivations and talents of the individual students for one of the three specialisations (Directing/Project development, Photography/Light, Editing/Post-production). The exam at the end of the year assesses the general level of learning, followed by assigning a specialisation.
Second Year
The second year is divided into “vertical modules”, which are different for each major, and focus on developing the skills in each of the three specializations offered; and “horizontal modules”, which involve all students, regardless of their majors. As in the first year, seminars that focus on theory are accompanied by hands-on activities, including the making of a short documentary, in which each student participates in a group initiative based on his or her area of specialization.
Upon conclusion of the second year, students take part in internship programs based on their majors.
Third year
In the third year the students produce a professional documentary film of medium or feature film length. This involves research, a written abstract with storyline, visual and editing concept, a pitch with two-pager and teaser, a project dossier, pre-production, budgeting, production, post-production and delivery. During the production the students work according to their specialisations and as a team on all other aspects.
Diploma exam
The third year concludes with the diploma exam, assessing the didactical results at the end of the triennium.
Internships
During the training the students take part in work experiences between the first and second and/or the second and third study year, in line with their specialisation.
The aims of training are to provide students with the basic technical skills and know-how to be able to work as professionals upon graduation, in various areas of audiovisual production, and specialized skills and know-how in the three majors offered: Direction/Project Development, Photography/Lights and Editing/Post-Production.
Students who graduate with a major in Direction/Project Development will demonstrate a capacity for working autonomously and assuming responsibility, as they contribute creatively to the conception, research and writing of the documentary. They will also have the skills and know-how to create dossiers for film projects, and pitch those projects. From there, they direct the making of films, in terms of narrative and artistic development, and technical direction of the other professionals involved.
Students who graduate with a major in Photography/Lights will demonstrate a capacity for translating the idea and subject of a documentary into images. They will also have the skills and know-how to work with directors, or autonomously, as they contribute to the conception of visual ideas for films. They are responsible for the photography of documentaries, in line with the subject and story, from filming phases to post-production.
Students who graduate with a major in Editing/Post-Production will demonstrate a capacity for working autonomously and assuming responsibility in the construction of the documentary’s story line through the creative use of images and sounds recorded during filming. They are responsible for the editing phase in its entirety; along with directors, they are in charge of the post-production process, and the realization of documentary films based on the techniques agreed upon with the production staffs.
Practise-oriented – open-minded – multilingual
ZeLIG training is well suited to the labour market.
The teachers bring different cultures, styles, perspectives and work procedures to ZeLIG and are all highly qualified professionals. Coming from all over the world, they hold classes of one or several weeks in Bolzano during which they pass on the latest developments in the media.
Technical and content know how is taught with a practical orientation. Students are introduced to different narrative forms and stylistic means. They are supported and guided in their quest for their very personal paths.
At ZeLIG the spoken languages are German, Italian and English. Student, teachers and staff are free to express themselves in any which one of these language and which is best suited to transmitting their ideas. This creative approach to linguistic variety opens the gates to the international markets and to future opportunities.
