Pointing out that the Dublin Institute of Technology is a "major centre for film and video studies", Dr Ellen Hazelkorn, director of DIT's faculty of applied arts, says DIT "produces more students than any other educational institute in the country".
With the DIT offering courses in film and broadcasting since the 1980s, Dr Hazelkorn also points out that, over the years, DIT School of Media graduates have contributed largely to the growth of an independent film and video production industry in this State. They have won prizes, too, at national, EU and international film festivals, and other competitions.
The School of Media at the DIT faculty of Applied Arts certainly offers an enviable and varied range of courses in film, broadcasting, multimedia and media studies.
Choices vary from a BSc communications (film and broadcasting), to a postgraduate diploma in film production (which is currently being upgraded to an MA), a European MA in interactive multimedia, a certificate in media production and a postgraduate diploma in media studies - also in the process of being upgraded to an MA.
At the DIT School of Media they've got together a wide range of multi-disciplinary educational and research programmes in film and such related areas as photography, multimedia, media studies and audio which are open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The School has links with the film industry and some courses offer students periods of work experience. It is also in the process of developing a number of short, specialised, postgraduate-level courses in film and multimedia.
Servicing all of this are the school's state-of-the-art film and television studios, production and recording facilities, as well as those facilities needed for film and video editing.
Innovative moves within the school include the setting up of R & D centres, like the Digital Media Centre (DMC) and the Media Production Unit (MPU).
The latter is a member of Filmakers Ireland, associated with the major film companies and is developing a number of professional level training programmes in association with the National Film and Television School (UK) and RTE.
All this activity apart, the MPU is committed to encouraging co-productions, especially when they provide useful training and experience for recent graduates and young professionals.
In the DIT School of Media they are busy, too, developing links with the film industry and European academic institutions.
The DIT certificate in media production is a two-year programme providing the student with the basic technical and operations skills needed to produce creative and commercial media productions.
The BSc communications is a four-year, full-time course in the techniques and processes of audio-visual media, particularly film and video/broadcasting.
The postgraduate diploma in film production is a year long, full-time programme in the theory and practice of making films, while the European MA in interactive multimedia is a one-year (48-week) full-time programme offered jointly in a number of European national centres of media education and research.
