Zulany learned that fashion film is much more than TV commercials and runway shows

When Zulany Pacheco started at the exchange programme, she thought that she was going to learn about making commercials for clothing shops and film runway shows.

But she quickly found out that fashion film was much more than that. Now she knows a lot more about this genre in film, and about the clients and customers of the industry.

She lives in Toronto, where she is studying Film and Media Production at Humber College.

“The process of choosing to study in Aarhus started by me googling pictures of my options. So when I saw that Aarhus was ‘The City of Cafés’, I knew I had to come here. Plus, I loved the vibrant colours of the city. It was different scenery than what I was used to,” she says.

Some insights

Zulany feels that she has learned a lot through the exchange programme.

“I have gained more knowledge of visual storytelling, people’s motivation for buying, and the client’s mindset. During the production process, you must have the customer in mind from the very start. Some brands don’t know their audience, so sometimes our task as filmmakers include helping brands to define what they need”.

She expects to make use of her new skillset and understanding of the film industry, by incorporating film aesthetics and her fashion knowledge in future projects.

Future career

Zulany Pacheco is not entirely sure about what the future will bring. She is returning to Canada to resume her last semester of studies at Humber College.

“I see myself playing around with what I have learned here at VIA and incorporating that teaching into my future films, making a hybrid out of narrative film and fashion film”.

Advice for other students

Firstly, bring your winter coat and buy a bike from an international student. The bike can get you literally everywhere in Aarhus. My second piece of advice is to research the fashion film genre and to watch the videos on VIAs website.