The Unfolding of Artistic Activity in Film Education: A Case Study

Abstract

This article addresses the challenge of assessing artistic growth in film students, a largely unexplored area in the field of art education. Drawing on insights from art psychology, cognitive science, and educational philosophy, it proposes a tentative framework rooted in the interdependence of experience and perception. The framework is exemplified in a semi-longitudinal review of student exercises in filmmaking at the Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School. Through this analysis, the article examines the development of perceptual thinking, the creation of perceptual forms, and the acquisition of cinematic representational skills over the course of one semester. This study fills a gap in existing literature and provides insights for educators and institutions seeking to support the artistic growth of aspiring filmmakers.

Author Biographies

Maarten Coëgnarts, University of Antwerp / LUCA School of Arts & University of the Free State

Maarten Coëgnarts is assistant professor in film studies at the University of Antwerp, researcher in the arts at LUCA School of Arts and research fellow at the University of the Free State. He is co-author of Embodied Cognition and Cinema (Leuven University Press, 2015), author of Film as Embodied Art: Bodily Meaning in the Cinema of Stanley Kubrick (Academic Studies Press, 2019) and co-editor of Projections: The Journal for Movies and Mind.

Elen Lotman, Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM) Tallinn University

Elen Lotman is the Associate Professor of Film Arts at Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM) of Tallinn University and curates the artistic research branch in BFM PhD studies. Elen was elected co-President of the European Federation of Cinematographers (IMAGO) after serving as IMAGO Board Member and also Diversity and Inclusion Committee co-chair. She defended her PhD thesis titled “Experiential Heuristics in Fiction Film Cinematography” with laudatur in 2021.

Published
2025-12-29