Bond University Prepares Students for Success with Avid

Internationally recognized

Bond University in Queensland has a vision to be recognized internationally as Australia’s leading independent not-for-profit university. Since welcoming its first 322 students in May 1989, Bond has made significant strides toward realizing that vision. Recently, the 2012 Good Universities Guide gave the university more five-star ratings—in multiple categories including staff qualifications, student to staff ratio, and graduate satisfaction—than any other university in Australia.

Today, Bond has 4,500 students, both undergraduate and graduate. With the rise of its state-of-the-art Film and Television curriculum, which boasts a wide array of industry-standard Avid audio and video solutions, Bond is attracting even more students, both domestically and internationally.

Building an international film school on Australia’s Gold Coast

Nearly 120 of the 4,500 students are enrolled in its Film and Television curriculum within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Film and Television department’s role is to be an international film school of the highest quality. From screenwriting to post production, dramas to documentaries, movies to TV shows, internet to corporate communications, and from Australia to Hollywood and beyond, Bond graduates are making their mark in the world.

“We draw students from all around the world, and we’re developing a network of graduates who are working and succeeding in many countries and cultures,” says Dr. Michael Sergi, Director of Film and Television at Bond University. “The Avid range of products continue to be the preferred post-production tools of the international professional film and television industry. Our close relationship with Avid allows us to equip our students with the skills and knowledge to build successful careers.”

The Avid angle

When it comes to the most used creative tools in the professional film, television, and audio production industries, the choice is invariably Avid. Bond’s Film and Television program is an Avid showcase. The department houses 48 seats of Media Composer and Pro Tools, several Mbox audio interfaces connected to a variety of Macs and PCs, a Avid VENUE | SC48 Remote System live sound system in the university’s television control room, a Pro Tools ADR suite, and a 5.1 surround mixing suite with a C|24 audio console.

In addition to the Avid equipment, all other pieces of gear students use in the program are also top notch. For example, first year students capture video with Panasonic full 1080p HD digital cameras. A year later, they move up to 16mm and 35mm film and Sony F3 and F65 digital motion picture cameras. At any given moment, it’s safe to say that Bond Film and Television students are well trained on the professional-level tools they’ll need to know to succeed—for both the task at hand and the career that awaits them.

Intensive hands-on learning meets creative practice theory

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences offers both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in a wide range of communications and media disciplines, including film and television, advertising, journalism, public relations, corporate communications, game, and multimedia design. Every curriculum balances intense hands-on experience with carefully selected theory and technique.

In the Film and Television curriculum, the program is focused on training students in multiple disciplines, including directing, producing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound production, and post production. Classes are taught by staff members who have genuine professional experience in the Australian and international film and television industries.

An important component of both undergraduate and post-graduate curricula is internship and work experience opportunities in fields including television, movie production, music videos, television commercials, and corporate communications. Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools sit within the very foundations of the curriculum, and underpin the post-production workflows within the program.

State-of-the-art facilities and tools

From the iconic campus center Arch building, designed by famed Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, to the digital audio and film production facilities within the Film and Television program, Bond is dedicated to state-of-the-art values. The university’s film and audio production suites are equipped with all of the latest industry standards.

“When we buy equipment and software, the first question we ask is, ‘What is the industry using?’” says Daniel Murphy, technology and studio manager of Bond’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Avid solutions are what we provide for our students. Our primary interest is to educate our students using the very best professional equipment available to us so they are ready to step into real-world production and post-production environments.”

Putting the technology to work

Each year, Film and Television students create more than 400 individual film and audio productions. Measured another way, those 400 productions add up to over 150 terabytes of rushes. For students enrolled in the program, hands-on learning means very busy hands, where creativity flourishes all year round.

Bringing up the next generation

In an effort to promote the teaching of film and television tools and techniques at the high school level, Bond conducts master classes for high school media teachers. It also tours high schools around the country to provide introductory film and television education and promote a very special awards competition.

The Bond University Film and Television Awards (better known as BUFTA), recognizes the best short films created by 11th and 12th grade students from all across Australia. Prizes are awarded in six media categories—drama, music video, experimental, comedy, documentary, and animation—as well as in various disciplines, including directing, editing, sound production, cinematography, and screenwriting. The winner is awarded a full tuition scholarship to study film and television at Bond. An added benefit of the BUFTA program is that current Bond students produce and stream the awards show live over the Internet, from preproduction planning to live streaming to the post-show wrap.

Stars of film and television

Bond film and television graduates are forging successful careers from Australia to Europe to Hollywood and beyond. A couple of prime examples are Tommy Wirkola and Samantha Strauss.

Tommy Wirkola, a Bond film and television graduate from Norway, has written and produced several successful Hollywood films, including Kill Buljo, Dead Snow, and the upcoming Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. His films have been critical and commercial successes (most notably in Europe) and have won several awards internationally.

Australian, Samantha Strauss is the creator, writer, and a producer of the hit kids television show Dance Academy, which has been running on ABC in Australia and ZDF in Germany. The show has won numerous international awards and was nominated for an International Emmy in 2011.

“My time at Bond was fantastic because it was so practical”, Strauss recalls. “I worked on as many different projects as I could in all sorts of capacities. I remember that we worked hard, pulling all-nighters by hiding from the security guards in the editing lab so that we could keep cutting our films.”

Where to find a Bond graduate

Bond University is intent on ensuring that its Film and Television graduates make their mark on the media world—and both the university and alumni are succeeding. Which is to say, you might find a Bond graduate just about anywhere in the world where first-rate films and television shows are being made.