This hands-on programme covers all aspects of photography and moving image production.

It will provide you with the knowledge and skills required for any career in professional photography, video production, moving image or related fields.

Through workshops, real-world projects and engagement with industry professionals, you’ll develop technical and industry skills across a variety of areas such as camera expertise, and post-production and editing.

You’ll also start to build your professional skills so can feel confident when responding to briefs and working to deadlines.

Plus, you’ll learn from experienced tutors who work part-time in the industry and enjoy access to our industry-standard studios and editing software and equipment.

Graduates will achieve the New Zealand Diploma in Digital Media and Design (Level 5).

What you will study

This programme combines practical skills in both still and moving image production across a variety of contexts including advertising, portraiture, fashion, events, news media, web TV, documentary, live streaming and vlogging.

You’ll learn about:

• Camera expertise including still images, video production and moving images, recording sound
• Lighting
• Post-production and editing
• Image analysis and criticism
• Iterative design processes
• Workflow and process management
• Interpersonal skills including teamwork, collaboration and networking
• Business skills including licensing, permissions and copyright, Health and Safety laws and practices, analysing web data
• Professional skills including working independently, research and problem-solving, working intuitively, responding to briefs and working to deadlines

This diploma consists of six, four-week project courses running consecutively and one longer project at the end.

Courses

Photographic Techniques 1: The Image

Learn how to apply practical skills of lens-based content creation in portraiture principles.

• Meet a client brief in relation to portraiture.
• Select and apply appropriate tools and processes to meet a client’s brief.
• Reflect on photographic processes and outcomes in relation to meeting the client’s brief.

Photographic Techniques 2: The Studio

Learn how to apply the practical skills of lens-based content creation in a controlled environment.

• Respond to prescribed objects with appropriate tools and processes.
• Document and reflect on photographic processes and outcomes of work.

Photographic Techniques 3: On Location

Learn how to apply practical skills and principles to the creation of location-based imagery.

• Design and plan location-based imagery, incorporating relevant sustainable and cultural principles.
• Apply appropriate tools and processes to implement the design.
• Document and reflect on processes and outcomes of location-based imagery.

Photographic Techniques 4: The Event

Learn how to apply relevant lens-based approaches and strategies to a dynamic environment.

• Respond to a dynamic environment by adapting tools and processes to obtain effective outcomes, incorporating relevant sustainable and cultural principles.
• Reflect on the effectiveness of chosen lens-based approaches in relation to dynamic environments.

Photographic Practices 1: The Tableau

Learn how to apply practical skills and principles to the creation of a composed scene.

• Design and plan a tableau for a fixed vantage point.
• Work in a team to implement tableau designs.
• Document and reflect on processes and outcomes of tableau designs.

Photographic Practices 2: Reportage

Learn how to capture live action in order to give an account of events.

• Plan a strategy for capturing live action, incorporating relevant sustainable and cultural principles.
• Execute a plan to capture live action to present an account of an event.
• Document and reflect on processes and outcomes of the live action account.

Photographic Practices 3: Storytelling

Develop a client-driven or self-initiated project that tells a story to an audience.

• Research, plan and produce a narrative project, incorporating relevant sustainable and cultural principles.
• Document, present and analyse processes and outcomes of the narrative project.

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Workload

This is a full-time programme with approximately 20 hours per week contact time and around 15 hours self-directed study.

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Career opportunities

Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge for various entry-level positions in many areas within creative industries. With a focus on digital content creation in photography, video and sound, areas can include:

• Advertising
• Food
• Fashion and editorial
• News media, photojournalism and documentary
• Sports and events
• Weddings and portraiture
• Post-production editing
• Travel and vlogging
• Corporate and commercial
• Stills and video in the film industry

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Entry requirements

• Applicants under 20 must have completed a Level 3 qualification in a related field OR demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. For applicants 20 years of age and over there are no minimum academic requirements.
• All applicants are also required to submit a portfolio.
• In exceptional circumstances, an applicant under the age of 20 who doesn't meet the academic requirements may be granted entry to the programme where they supply evidence of their ability to succeed in the programme.‍

‍If English is not your first language, you must provide:

• New Zealand University Entrance OR
• Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
• Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS.