Film & Media Sound Academy
Hey Sound Designers and Filmmakers!
Do you want to think and work out of the box?
If the answer is YES, then you are ready to learn from OSCAR®, BAFTA and EMMY winners.
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Under the mentorship of acclaimed industry leaders, you’ll refine advanced techniques and explore innovative solutions to complex audio challenges, setting new standards in your career.
The Film & Media Sound Academy operates in collaboration with the CARNET HUB – a hub for meeting and innovation, learning, and knowledge exchange about digital and multimedia technologies and their role and application in all spheres of education.
Our curriculum bridges the gap between academic theory and professional practice, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of sound design, production, and mixing.
The unique program offers specialized training across two semesters, covering everything from the history of film sound to advanced sound mixing techniques. Learn from industry giants and explore practical skills in our hands-on workshops.
Our courses are designed to prepare you for a successful career in sound design, providing insights into both the creative and technical aspects of the industry. Whether you’re aspiring to work on blockbuster films or innovative media productions, our program offers the tools and connections to launch your career in sound.
- World-Renowned Speakers: Engage with Oscar-winning sound engineers and leading experts who bring decades of experience and innovation.
- Hybrid Study Model: Flexibly designed courses combining online masterclasses with hands-on practical workshops with professional tools and equipment.
- Career Opportunities: From Hollywood studios to independent film sets, our program opens doors to diverse and exciting career paths in sound and media.
- Networking Potential: Connect with industry professionals and alumni through workshops, guest lectures, and collaborative projects, fostering significant professional relationships.
Lecturers
Mark Ulano – acclaimed sound engineer known for his Oscar-winning work on Titanic and nominations for Inglourious Basterds, Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His collaboration with Quentin Tarantino spans over 29 years, contributing to films like The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained. Ulano has served multiple terms as president of both IATSE Local 695 and the Cinema Audio Society, and he’s deeply involved in the sound community.
Patrushkha Mierzwa – known as one of the first women boom operators in Hollywood. Over her career, she has worked on a wide range of films, including notable projects like Pet Sematary and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Apart from her on-set work, she’s contributed to the film sound community through workshops, mentoring, and her book, Behind the Sound Cart: A Veteran’s Guide to Sound on the Set, which shares her extensive experience in the sound department.
Stuart Wilson – originally from Scotland, Stuart Wilson moved to London to attend The National Film & Television School, to study film-making and specialise in Sound for film. Wilson has worked with many of the great directors of our time including Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg, Bernardo Bertolucci, JJ Abrams, Wes Anderson, Bong Joon Ho, Michael Winterbottom, Fernando Meirelles and Sam Mendes. His work has ranged from major studio films such as Star Wars, James Bond and Harry Potter to smaller art-house films like Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, Sofia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette, Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People and In This World. Wilson has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and seven BAFTAs winning an Oscar and a Bafta for Best Sound for 1917.
Simon Clark – is an award-winning production sound mixer, educator and Co-Chair of the Institute of Professional Sound. His work includes major film, television and documentary productions, earning him a BAFTA Award for Wolf Hall and a BAFTA nomination for The Promise. He also spent seven years as Head of Production Sound Recording at the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS), combining extensive industry experience with a strong commitment to training the next generation of sound professionals.
James Mather – supervising sound editor known for his work in the film industry. He won an Academy Award for Top Gun: Maverick and received nominations for his work on Belfast and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Additionally, he was nominated for three British Academy Film Awards for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Top Gun: Maverick.
Michael Minkler – renowned sound re-recording mixer with three Academy Awards for Dreamgirls, Chicago, and Black Hawk Down. His career spans various significant projects, including Inglourious Basterds, JFK, Star Wars, and television programs like The Pacific and John Adams. He works at Todd-AO Hollywood and is the Managing Director of Moving Pictures Media Group.
Chris Munro – is one of the world’s most respected production sound mixers, with a career spanning more than four decades across some of the most acclaimed films in contemporary cinema. A two-time Academy Award winner, Munro received Oscars for his work on Black Hawk Down and Gravity, and has contributed to major productions including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Wonder Woman and The Martian. Known for combining exceptional technical expertise with a deep understanding of storytelling, Chris brings extensive real-world experience from complex international film sets to FMSA, offering students direct insight into the craft, decision-making and responsibility behind world-class production sound.
Roland Vajs – a Serbian/American Sound Designer working between New York, LA and Lisbon. He is known for his work on Free Solo, Manchester by the Sea, Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of, Lust, Caution, Chocolat among others. He has worked with a broad range of film directors, artists and producers including Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, Michael Moore, Larry Clark to name a few. He is a six-time Emmy nominee for his outstanding sound work and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of and Free Solo. In 2019 he received a Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA for his work on Oscar winning film for best Documentary Free Solo.
Who Should Apply
The Film & Media Sound Academy is ideally suited for a diverse group of individuals passionate about the art and science of sound. Here’s who should consider applying:
Film and Media Graduates: Recent graduates or current students of film, media, or related fields who want to specialize in sound to enhance their skill set and employment opportunities in the film industry.
Audio Professionals: Those already working in audio roles such as music producers, live sound engineers, or broadcast technicians who wish to transition into film and media sound or deepen their knowledge and skills in sound design and mixing.
Creative Artists with a Technical Interest: Creative individuals who have a knack for technology and are interested in exploring how sound impacts storytelling in film and media.
Career Changers: Professionals from other fields looking for a dynamic and creative career change that combines technology with artistic expression in the burgeoning media production industry.
The program’s hands-on approach, combined with theoretical studies and opportunities to learn from industry leaders, makes it an excellent choice for anyone serious about a career in sound design and production.
The Academy is strategically designed to enhance careers in sound and media through a curriculum that blends expert instruction with practical experience.
Students benefit from learning under industry luminaries, gaining invaluable insights into advanced sound techniques and industry trends. The program emphasizes hands-on training through workshops that simulate real-world challenges, ensuring that students are well-prepared for professional demands. Networking opportunities with seasoned professionals and peers alike open doors to potential job offers, collaborations, and mentorships.
Completing the program with a capstone project allows students to showcase their skills and knowledge in a tangible form, serving as an impressive portfolio piece for prospective employers.
The Film & Media Sound Academy provides a comprehensive curriculum aimed at developing the next generation of sound professionals for the film and media industries.
With ten extensive courses, the program delves deeply into both production and post-production sound techniques, fostering innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. Students gain practical experience through hands-on learning and direct sessions with Oscar®, BAFTA, and Emmy-winning experts.
This immersive educational approach ensures that students acquire the necessary skills to thrive in the dynamic field of sound production, emphasizing real-world applications, industry-standard practices, and the challenges currently facing the industry.
A significant part of the program is delivered in person at the University of Dubrovnik Campus, offering a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to work closely with world-renowned, Oscar®-winning sound designers and filmmakers. This program provides flexibility, allowing students to engage with course materials and lectures remotely before applying those concepts during the in-person field study sessions.
The field study component of the Film & Media Sound Academy program in Dubrovnik is an integral part of the curriculum. It offers students hands-on experience in real-world environments, utilizing professional filmmaking equipment. Conducted both at a university and in studio facilities, this portion of the program enables students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios.
Additionally, students can benefit from fully interactive live online lectures, enhancing their learning experience and allowing for real-time engagement with instructors and peers.
The 2026/2027 academic year begins 4 – 13 November 2026 with an intensive in-person learning session at University of Dubrovnik Campus, address Branitelja Dubrovnika 41, 20000 Dubrovnik.
Throughout the year, participants combine online learning and collaborative project work with three further one-week residential sessions in Croatia, held in March, April and May 2027.
The programme concludes in June 2027 with the completion of the final projects and programme assessment.
Tuition
The Film & Media Sound Academy (FMSA) has opened its International Call for Expressions of Interest for tuition scholarship support for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Through this call, FMSA aims to provide tuition scholarships to a selected number of participants, subject to the available scholarship funding. The call was open until 31 July 2026.
Prospective participants interested in joining the first full academic year of the Academy are invited to submit their Expression of Interest in accordance with the published application guidelines.
For full details, eligibility criteria and application requirements, please visit the News section on our homepage.
Q. How do I start the application?
A. You can start your application by filling the Register form on our web site.
Q. What happens after I Register?
A. We will contact you to provide all necessary additional information to complete your application. Once this step is finalized, your application will enter the evaluation stage. At this point, we will review your qualifications to assess your fit for the program. You will be kept informed about the status of your application and advised of any further steps required.
Q. What are the courses and their schedules?
A: Get in touch with us and we will send you the full study programme.
Q. Who can I contact in case of further questions?
A. You can connect with Marijana Glaser at mknezoci@dreamaker-productions.hr
Have a question, request the full curriculum
