The Acting Head of Video Technology Department at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Dr Lance Lutge was conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy in Visual and Performing Arts at the DUT 2025 Autumn Graduation Ceremony, held at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Tuesday, 20 May 2025.
Dr Lutge (40) from Morningside in Durban was honoured to receive his PhD from DUT, marking a remarkable transition from being an alumnus to being an academic and filmmaker, aiming to make a meaningful contribution in his field.
“My academic journey with DUT began in 2004 when I enrolled in the National Diploma in Video Technology. After a two-year break to gain industry experience, I returned in 2009 to pursue the BTech in Video Technology. Upon completing the BTech, I continued my postgraduate studies with a Master’s degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2010. In 2018, I returned to DUT in a full-time lecturing position, which reignited my academic path and eventually led to the registration of my PhD in 2019,” shared Dr Lutge.
He described his journey as having been both challenging and deeply rewarding. According to Dr Lutge, balancing academic commitments with professional responsibilities demanded discipline, adaptability, and continuous growth. He indicated that it pushed him to manage his time more effectively and to engage with his work in increasingly innovative and reflective ways. He credited the guidance and encouragement of his supervisors and peers for playing a significant role in shaping both his academic and professional development.
He is currently the Acting Head of the Video Technology Department at DUT. In this role, he oversees the academic and administrative operations of the department, including strategic planning, staff coordination, resource management, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality teaching and learning. He also leads curriculum development and quality assurance processes to ensure their programmes remain aligned with industry standards and emerging technologies. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he continues to lecture, supervise student productions and research projects, and facilitate practical training in film and television production, ensuring a strong connection between academic theory and professional practice.
The title of his thesis was: Examining ‘2D Experimental Short Film’ Versus ‘Virtual Reality’ Experimental Short Film: A Comparative Analysis in the Immersive Film Methods Applied When Creating Film in Virtual Reality Versus in 2D – Mina Kanye Nawe 2D (2020) and Mina Kanye Nawe VR (2021).
“The inspiration for this thesis stemmed from my dual identity as both an academic and a filmmaker deeply invested in the evolving landscape of immersive storytelling. Having worked extensively with traditional 2D filmmaking, I became increasingly intrigued by the creative possibilities and challenges posed by emerging virtual reality (VR) technologies. I wanted to critically explore how these two formats, one well-established and the other still developing, shape the viewer’s sense of immersion, engagement, and emotional connection. The creation of Mina Kanye Nawe in both 2D (2020) and VR (2021) provided a unique opportunity for practical and scholarly inquiry. By producing two versions of the same narrative in different mediums, I was able to conduct a direct, experience-based comparison of the immersive techniques employed in each,” explained Dr Lutge.
In addition he shared that his inspiration also arose from a desire to contribute to the relatively under-explored academic discourse on live-action VR film production, particularly from a South African perspective. He believes his thesis became a way to merge his creative practice with critical research, allowing him to interrogate not only how stories were told, but how they were experienced across evolving cinematic platforms.
His goal is to continue developing as both an academic and a creative practitioner. Now that he have completed his doctorate, Dr Lutge feels he is well-positioned to pursue a Senior Lectureship and, in the long term, work towards becoming a Professor.
Pictured: Dr Lance Lutge.
Simangele Zuma
