Filmmaking, BA (Hons)

Course summary

Students write, plan, and shoot their own short movies on this practical filmmaking course. We teach hands-on production techniques while simultaneously delving into film history and theory, preparing you for an exciting career in the film, TV, and broadcast industry.Join other students with a passion for the screen and a commitment to filmmaking. This degree course has a strong focus on production, supported by watching, investigating, analysing, critiquing, discussing, and thinking about film to discover your own identity as a filmmaker. Working in small production teams with other passionate filmmakers, you will take an active role in all stages of development and production. You will learn various skills required for directing and managing actors, producing, cinematography, lighting, sound, editing, production design, storytelling, and scriptwriting. Learning and teaching are supported through filmmaking practice - in the studio, on location, in seminars, film screenings, production meetings, class discussions, industry talks, and study trips which have included film festivals. Educational visits and trips can take a variety of forms including physical and virtual experiences.Our students enjoy creative freedom and can pitch and initiate filmmaking projects across a wide range of productions, from fiction to documentary, advertising to music video. You will develop skills such as self-promotion, knowledge in finance and distribution, and learn to commercialise practical experiences. Your broad knowledge will give you the skills to successfully navigate the film and screen industries by the end of the course.

Year one – Begin by exploring the role of filmmaker and the process of filmmaking. You will work across roles and gain experience to frame your understanding of the production process. Films are produced in small teams, and as a class, we watch our work in regular screenings with discussions. The craft and range of skills involved in the filmmaking process are underpinned by film history. You will watch, critique, and discuss some of the great filmmakers, movements, and practices of the last century. Year two – You will start to specialise and focus on specific production areas, forming more specialist production teams to support complete production cycles each semester. You will produce a wide and varied body of work across different disciplines, including fiction, documentary, and advertising. Year three – You will consolidate the practices of the previous two years, with a focus on industry practice and the specialisation of skills. You will work on larger scale productions during this year and collaborate across a production team, but also across multi-disciplinary teams. In addition, you will prepare an impressive portfolio of your work, methods of distribution, screenings, and workshops to support your successful transition into this exciting industry.