BUV students explore the professional film and media production ecosystem 

What goes on behind a film, television programme or livestream before it reaches the public? During the field trip, students from the School of Communications & Creative Industries (SoCCI) at British University Vietnam (BUV) explored the many moving parts behind a professional visual production – from camera and live production systems to post-production, colour grading and the final screening experience. 

The trip took students to Magic Link & Blackmagic Studio, VEJO and White Light Cinéhub, each offering a different perspective on the creative production process. Together, the visits helped students see how equipment, technical expertise, and creative decisions come together at different stages of bringing a visual product to its audience. 

Behind the scenes: from production equipment to the finished frame 

At Magic Link Studio, students were introduced to professional cinema and broadcast cameras, livestreaming equipment, and the workflows used in film, television, and digital content production. Rather than seeing the equipment as standalone tools, they explored how different systems work together as part of a professional production workflow. 

A livestream, for example, involves much more than simply pointing at a camera at an event. Signals from multiple sources need to be received, processed, and managed, while visuals, sound, graphics, and broadcast feeds are coordinated at the same time. Seeing the setup in action gave students a clearer understanding of the preparation and teamwork behind productions that appear to happen seamlessly in real time. 

One of the highlights of the visit was the colour grading suite at the studio. Here, students heard from the post-production team behind Mưa Đỏ and gained a closer look at what happens to a film after shooting wraps, from editing and colour grading to working with the director and reviewing footage on the big screen before the final cut reaches audiences.  

The experience also gave students a better sense of creative thinking behind post-production. Far from being simply a technical step after filming, post-production is where visual elements such as colour, lighting, pacing, and mood are carefully refined to support the story. Even subtle changes in colour temperature or contrast, or the way one scene moves into the next, can shape how an audience feels and responds to a film. 

For students interested in communications and the creative industries, seeing this process first-hand offered a more realistic understanding of what it means to work as part of a production team. Knowing how to use the tools is important, but so is understanding how each role fits into the wider process and how individual decisions affect the final product. 

From post-production to the big screen: seeing the industry from different perspectives 

From the production systems at Magic Link Studio, the journey continued to VEJO, where students explored the people and skills behind post-production. Students had the chance to observe professional workflows using DaVinci Resolve, a widely used tool across film, television and advertising, and gained a closer look at how aspiring editors and colourists can develop their skills and build a career in the industry. 

The visit to VEJO also highlighted how post-production requires both technical ability and a strong visual sense. An editor does more than put shots together; they work with the footage to shape the rhythm, structure and focus of a story. A colourist, meanwhile, works with colour, light and visual consistency to establish the look and atmosphere of a production.  

Sharing his own experience in the industry, Tô Quang Định, DI Colorist and Blackmagic Design Certified Trainer at Magic Link, emphasised the importance of getting to know a profession in depth. For students starting out, he suggested that there is no need to wait until they have found a role they immediately feel passionate about. Sometimes, it is through doing the work, exploring its different aspects and gaining experience that they discover what genuinely interests them and what they want to pursue.  

These insights also encouraged students to think more seriously about their own career paths: where to start, which skills to build, and how to keep learning in an industry where technology and professional practices continue to evolve. 

“You do not have to have everything figured out from the beginning. What matters is understanding your strengths, setting realistic goals, and taking things one step at a time. Real change comes from making the effort and taking action.” shared Trịnh Đức Phương Linh, Co-founder, CEO and Leader Mentor at VEJO.  

The journey came to a close at White Light Cinéhub, where students explored the screening room and experienced a film on the big screen. It was a chance to see the final stage of the creative process unfold, the moment when a production moves beyond the work of its makers and finally meets its audience. 

Seeing the work on a different scale also showed students how factors such as colour, lighting, detail and contrast can shape the way an image is perceived. More importantly, it helped them connect the technical and creative decisions made behind the scenes with the experience ultimately created for audiences on screen. 

The field trip was not about turning students into post-production specialists overnight. Instead, it gave them a more grounded understanding of what working in the creative industries involves and the skills, standards and collaboration it demands. By observing, questioning and experiencing the industry first-hand, students could begin to turn creative curiosity into a clearer sense of where they want to go next.