Antonio Vega grew up with a camera in his hands.  He saw the world through a lens and made his hobby into a way of life. He decided to study Audiovisual Communication at UIC Barcelona where he is studying to become a TV producer: after his Erasmus+ experience, he told us about what he expects from his degree programme and how he would like to put the theory he has learned into practice. 

You are a third year Audiovisual Communication student at UIC Barcelona, why did you take this degree as opposed to a different one? 
Because I am really interested in the audiovisual world.  I come from a family of photographers and my father has been teaching me to use a camera since I was young.  Since then I have become passionate about the world of images and communication. 

What area would you like to specialise in? 
I could never decide between being a director of photography for fiction or a non-fiction producer.  In the end I decided to become a TV producer.  

Why is that?
I really enjoy watching news and entertainment programmes on the television and thinking about directing them makes me feel enthusiastic.  

What has surprised you the most about the degree programme until now? 
I disliked nothing of what I learned because, even though I decided on non-fiction I still really enjoy learning about film.  I think that in the world we live in today, these two audiovisual branches have more in common with each other than ever before.  

You decided to do an Erasmus+ and chose the Catholic University of Portugal to do so, what made you decide on that particular university?  Was is the academic programme or life in Porto? 
My first choice was universities in the United Kingdom because it’s is one of the best places in Europe to get a degree in Audiovisual Communication.  I also wanted to improve my English.  However, since places were limited and there was high demand, I wasn’t admitted to any of them.  Therefore, since I thought it very important to be in a university where an audiovisual communication degree is taught efficiently, I searched for other options.  

And your search led you to Portugal? 
Yes, my search led me to the Catholic University of Portugal, in Porto.  I could see that it was a good university to learn what I needed, the city was also beautiful, and Portuguese, being similar in many ways to Spanish, seemed like a perfect new language to learn.  So really it was both things, the academic programme and also life in Porto, that convinced me and made me decide on this university. 

What did your experience in Porto offer you academically? 
It taught me how to create a team with other foreign people who I cannot speak my native language to, and how to work with them to carry out academic projects.  This is something that will be really useful for my professional future and I am very grateful for this. 

Learning subjects taught in a language I didn’t know very well also helped.  It forced me to work hard to be able to understand the teacher and the subject.  At the start it seemed like a bad thing but it helped me to learn the language and see my career from another point of view. 

Which subjects did you take and which were your favourite?  
I took six subjects:  Research methodology, Image, Musical culture, Audiovisual languages and technology, Interactive sound design, and Modelling and 3D texture for videogames and virtual reality. Out of all of these my favourite was Modelling and 3D texture because I thought using the Maya program was very interesting and entertaining. 

Beyond the personal experience of living in another country, what do you think an Erasmus+ will add to your CV? 
It will mean I am able to say that I have lived in a foreign country for a period of time.  In terms of future jobs, it will demonstrate that I can move to where the job is, if necessary. 

How do you see your professional future?
I think very positive since due to the situation in Spain many young people have to go and work abroad, and now I’ve had an experience of what it would be like, I would be very comfortable to do so if necessary.  

Are there any companies or areas of the media that you would be particularly interested to work in?  Why is that?
I’d like to work as a TV producer on a news or entertainment programme.  I am not aiming for a specific company yet, although if I could choose one now, I would like to work for Atresmedia since I like their channels so much, as well as the programmes they broadcast. 

What do you think this degree offers to society? 
People in society like to hear stories to help free themselves from the chains of routine; they like to feel like they are in the shoes of people they see via a screen, empathise with them...and be entertained by TV programmes and films.  People need to wind down and audiovisual communication provides the stories that people need to hear.