During the second year of the Animation and Photography programs at IDarte, students have the opportunity to produce a short film. Situated between the courses “Audiovisual Language and Technology” and “Screenwriting and Narrative Structure,” the project focuses on the various stages of pre-production, production, and post-production involved in creating a short film. 

Starting with the initial idea, moving through the literary script, the technical script, and the filming and editing of the material, in this course students from both programs have developed two outstanding audiovisual works. Each project brings together ambitions and concepts with great narrative, metaphorical, and visual potential. 

The short films will be presented at festivals. For this reason, we are not yet able to make them available for viewing on the school’s channel. Despite this fact, we would like to talk a little about these short films, about their meaning, and discuss the various collaborations that made them possible. 

Let’s start with EZ IREKI ATEA. Photography students Ane Machicote, Garoa Zubikarai, Lucía Flores, and Jone Carbajosa are the driving force behind this project. The team included Irati Mancisidor, a student from last year’s photography program, who participated as an actress. The cast is rounded out by Chantal Lacoste, from the BIZIE school (Bilboko Zine-interpretazio Eskola), and Ibon Enciso. The music was generously composed by Tristan Iñiguez (AURYN STUDIO).

So, what is EZ IREKI ATEA about? Without wishing to limit the film’s potential for creating different meanings, we can say that in the face of adversity and difficult situations, it is encouraging to trust and believe in empathy and the power of action. In this case, moreover, it stems from a connection and bond between women.

And how is the story conveyed to us? With a cold aesthetic and a radical cut, two young women find a way to escape. Surely, toward a better future!

Let’s continue with GOIKO PISUKO TARTEA. Estefanía Quilchano and Sofía Velasco are the animation students who produced this short film. They filmed scenes in Garaio, Gasteiz, the surrounding area, and inside the school. We must mention Mel Arranz’s involvement in the production, who served as a sound assistant during the production phase.And what does GOIKO PISUKO TARTEA tell us? Well, it’s hard to summarize. A fragmented narrative, woven together by a story from the past, draws us into a mysterious and symbolic atmosphere. We warn viewers that aquatic radio waves will be vital for diving into the story. Humor will also be important.

Next, we would like to conceptually outline the different phases that make up the creative process between these two subjects. First, the idea takes shape during the pre-production phase, which follows a divergent and convergent methodology. In this initial divergent phase, brainstorming is free and open. Little by little, the idea takes form through convergent thinking. 

The idea is followed by the literary script. It is not merely a matter of writing the story, without fanfare. Here, the story’s genre and tone are defined. The literary script tells what happens within the story and does so in a concrete and specific way. And how beautiful that is! When words evoke images and the reader is able to see with their imagination, for example, a character’s gesture. 

Next comes the technical script. If the literary script tells us what happens in the story, the technical script explains how the story is told. In other words, this is where the audiovisual narrative conventions are defined, interpreting the literary script into visual language: scenes, shots, and actions.

We move on to the production phase. Based on all of the above, particularly the technical script, which also defines the shooting instructions, the recording phase begins. Image and sound, of course. To carry out the work, IDarte has a fleet of high-quality cameras. It also has sound equipment. Among other equipment, various types of microphones, boom poles and recorders, artificial lighting, flags, and reflectors…

Once we have all the material, the final phase of the process begins: post-production. French director Jean-Luc Godard understood editing as a rewriting of the script. In other words, editing is a dynamic flow, and it is precisely there that the film’s meaning is born. This is what the post-production phase consists of: working on the rhythm and order of the shots to tell the story.

The school’s goal is to promote work of the highest quality, offering a space for audiovisual experimentation where students explore audiovisual narrative conventions and the various techniques that produce them. In other words, it is important for the department to provide students with the necessary tools so they can decide what they want to tell and how they want to do it.