Masters Degrees (Film)

This course is currently under suspension for the current academic session. However, it may return. Please see the website for updates: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/

Aberystwyth University’s MA in Film Studies focuses upon the advanced study of cinema. Normally, you will already have attained a degree of expertise in film studies or in a cognate area before starting the course and you will be ready to study film at a more advanced level by mastering theoretical, historical and empirical approaches to the subject.

This MA in Film Studies course is designed to give you a comprehensive overview of the development of film and film theory, taking in the development and intersections of both Hollywood and European cinemas and popular and 'alternative' cinemas. You will also have the opportunity to study specific movements within cinema, such as the changing manifestations of German Expressionism, American film noir and avant-garde movements; you will do so by studying philosophical, aesthetic, social and cultural influences.

This course will enable you to interrogate a wide range of factors which inform the production, distribution and reception of film, including a range of cultural and aesthetic contexts, the representation of class, ethnicity and gender, changing and shifting film marketing and distribution practices, and the study of a range of film fans and audiences. You will also receive a thorough grounding in key theoretical traditions and research methods within film studies which will prepare you for the production of a 15,000 word dissertation (on a topic of your choice) at the end of the course.

The MA in Film Studies will provide you with essential research, historical and analytical skills designed to support your future career progression either in the cultural and critical industries or in academia. Throughout the MA, staff will be happy to advise you on potential progression, after your MA, to PhD study. For profiles of previous MA Film Studies students, which outline their experiences on the MA and their subsequent career progression, see: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/tfts/study-with-us/masters/former-ma-profiles/

The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth is the highest rated Arts and Humanities Department in Wales, according to the results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, with 60% of research submitted being rated world-leading.

See the website http://courses.aber.ac.uk/postgraduate/film-studies-masters/

Suitable for

This degree will suit you:

- If you wish to engage in the advanced study of cinema.
- If you are ready to take on the subject in theoretical, historical and empirical terms;
- If you aim to pursue a career in film journalism, criticism or analysis, film historical work or arts administration, or if you wish to progress to PhD study;
- If you wish to sharpen your academic rigour and develop a cache of critical evaluative, communication, and time and project management skills.

Course detail

The MA in Film Studies focuses on the importance of film within an ever-changing global environment. As a student, you will be encouraged to investigate the ways in which technologies and social changes have impacted, and continue to impact upon different aspects of film, including filmic representation and the ways in which film has been taken up within broader cultural contexts. You will also receive a thorough grounding in key theoretical traditions and research methods within film studies, and will be alerted to the historical developments that have marked film as a medium, focusing on historical case studies in order to think about changes and continuities throughout film history. While you will be introduced to a broad array of filmmaking traditions, you will focus particularly on the interrelations between Hollywood and European cinemas.

The MA will introduce you to different ways of understanding film: as entertainment, as art, as an industry, and as a cultural medium through which identities, histories and ideologies are both represented and negotiated. You will be taught by active researchers in the field of film studies, with a broad array of expertise and knowledge particularly in British, French, Russian and Hollywood cinemas, avant-garde, experimental and cult film, film history and representation, film genre and star studies, and fan, audience and reception studies. As such, the MA aims to enrich your knowledge of film’s importance through different methodological and theoretical approaches to the subject, and to sharpen your own research and study skills in the process.

The MA in Film Studies is run by the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, one of the largest and most significant departments of its kind in the UK, and has a particularly vibrant postgraduate and research culture (including an annual postgraduate conference). Based in Aberystwyth University’s Parry-Williams Building, the Department boasts superb facilities including: 36 digital and HD editing suites; over 40 industry standard HD and digital cameras: a new HD, digital television studio; three fully-equipped theatre spaces (seating approximately 100 people each); and much more. We also maintain close links with Aberystwyth Arts Centre's digital 3D cinema. The cinema has a vibrant and lively film programme including the annual Abertoir horror film festival of Wales.

Format

The course is taught over one year (if taken full time), and three years (if taken part time). The MA encompasses a total of six (out of a choice of seven) taught modules (120 credits in total) covering film theory, research methods, film history, film representation, documentary and avant-garde film, film marketing and distribution, and film audiences. In order to complete your MA, you will then apply your learning in the individual dissertation worth an additional 60 credits. The dissertation is a substantial piece of scholarly research totalling no more than 15,000 words. It will be on a subject of your own choice, informed by discussions with your designated dissertation supervisor in the Department.

Assessment

The taught part of the course is delivered and assessed through lectures, seminars, oral presentations and essays. Successful completion of your dissertation leads to the award of an MA.

Employability

Every aspect of the Aberystwyth Master’s in Film Studies programme is designed to enhance your employability. The benefits of the course for employment are twofold: not only will you possess first-rate, subject-specific knowledge of film history and theory, but you will also be equipped with widely applicable skills and abilities that will suit many employment contexts.

Alongside the development of your subject-specific knowledge, an especially noteworthy strength of this course is its emphasis on group discussion and individual student presentations (which will enable you to develop your team work and communication skills). As an emerging film academic your strengthened research and critical faculties will make you a strong candidate for any post where ideas and topics need research, analysis, discussion, expansion and classification. The pattern of research and analysis you will undertake in this course creates highly marketable skills which will, upon graduation, stand you in excellent stead for entry into employment. The course will also provide you with the training and skills you will need if you decide to progress to PhD study.

The dissertation element of the course will enable you to develop and demonstrate an array of professional qualities and skills. You will do this by reflecting on the methods and approaches you have encountered in the study programme and then identifying and creating appropriate methodologies for your own research work. Success in this area of study proves to prospective employers that you take the initiative to develop and improve your research and project management skills.

Find out how to apply here https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/

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The MA Film with Practice is a taught programme suitable for graduates in film, practitioners who want to advance their practice in an intellectually stimulating environment and non-film graduates with a passion for film practice demonstrated though amateur filmmaking.

The programme is taught by award-winning filmmakers, internationally recognised film scholars and includes masterclasses from film industry professionals.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/343/film-with-practice

About the Department of Film

The Film Department at the University of Kent is known for its excellence in research and teaching. Arts at Kent (including Film) was ranked 1st in the UK for research power in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). One of the largest European centres for the study of film, it has an established reputation going back 35 years. Approaching film as a dynamic part of our cultural experience, we encourage thinking about film as it emerges at the intersections of art, document and entertainment. Through theory and practice, individual research, student-led seminars and visiting speakers, we promote an environment in which postgraduate students are able to engage with the continuing vibrancy of cinema.

Studying film as a postgraduate at the University of Kent will give you the opportunity to experience our rich resources of academic expertise, library facilities and a campus-based film culture. We currently offer expertise in North American, European and Latin American cinemas. Our research and teaching will engage you in a dialogue with aesthetic, conceptual and historical perspectives, as well as with digital media and practice by research.

In 2014, the University opened a new 62-seat cinema named after the pioneering female film director Ida Lupino, which students can enjoy as part of their experience during their studies. The Lupino has state-of-the-art digital projection and sound, and has been created to provide an intimate atmosphere for film viewing.

Course structure

This programme includes two dedicated film practice modules and a dissertation by Film Practice that includes the making of a fiction film. You also choose two modules from the existing Film MA to create a practice-theory mix that accommodates your own interests.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

FI819 - Digital Film Practice: Key Skills (30 credits)
FI820 - Independent Project Development (30 credits)
FI812 - Advanced Film Theory (30 credits)
FI813 - Film History (30 credits)
FI815 - Film and Modernity (30 credits)
FI811 - Conceptualising Film (30 credits)
FI899 - Dissertation by Film Practice (60 credits)

Assessment

Assessment at MA level is 100% course work: that means you will be assessed through essays, treatments, project proposals, seminar participation and a dissertation by film practice.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

- Develop the understanding and skills possessed by students entering the programme to a notably higher level of sophistication and achievement (appropriate to an M-level award) than would be expected at degree level, such that all leave the programme with a substantial analytic, critical and practice-based understanding of Film.

- Develop the ability of students to think independently, argue with clarity and force, initiate and complete creative work and to discern areas of research and practice-led research within the field.

- Provoke reflection on practical, critical and theoretical approaches to Film and its context.

- Nurture intellectual and creative skills through written work (essays, dissertations, treatments, scripts), creative practice (DV films) as well as in the context of interpersonal interaction (seminars, research papers, supervision, filmmaking processes).

- Develop existing and new areas of teaching informed by and in response to developments in film practice, research and scholarship.

- Provide an excellent quality of higher education

- Attract outstanding students irrespective of race, background, gender, and physical disability, from both within the UK and from overseas.

- Support national and regional economic success by producing graduates in possession of key knowledge and skills, with the capacity to learn.

- Provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication and research skills and other key skills appropriate for both graduate employment in industry or further study.

- Provide learning opportunities that are enjoyable experiences and involve realistic workloads, based within a combined research and practice-led framework

- Offer appropriate support for students from a diverse range of backgrounds

- Provide high quality teaching in a supportive environment with appropriately qualified and trained staff?

Research areas

Research in both theory and practice is currently centred in five broad areas:

- national cinemas – form and history: North American, European, Latin American
- the moving image in a digital context
- documentary film
- film aesthetics
- avant-garde and experimental cinema.

Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Film and the Moving Image
The Centre draws together scholars from across the University who use film and the moving image as an integral part of their research. We are open to ideas that extend the reach of the Centre and seek to support projects that promote collaboration between individuals and other research centres. Our aim is to produce a more proactive engagement with other disciplines, to open new lines of communication and to produce innovative knowledge formations through the activity of pioneering research projects.

Careers

Arts graduates have gone on to work in a range of professions, from museum positions and teaching roles to film journalists and theatre technicians. Our graduates have found work at Universal Pictures, the London Film Festival and other arts, culture and heritage-related organisations, as well as in film production, as editorial assistants and as web designers.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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MA Film & Television at Falmouth University reflects and interrogates the highly fluid nature of the contemporary screen media environment.

Our MA is distinguished from traditional courses in that it specifically addresses the diversity and crossover of today's film and television culture with the aim of producing adaptive thinkers and highly creative practitioners. Our academic focus engages and interrogates film and television's status in the 21st century, which is often defined in terms of the digital age and digital culture.

On the course you will be required to examine, interpret and contest the notion of digital culture historically, socially, politically and artistically through both your research and creative practice. You will interrogate the increasingly blurred boundaries between film and television, art and technology, production and consumption, with the outcome being a fracturing of traditional categorisations. We reflect an era in which screenwriters Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom, The West Wing) and Lena Dunham (Girls, Tiny Furniture) experiment with dialogue and narrative, while conceptual artists Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy, Love You More) and Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Shame) have shifted from the art gallery to the cinema. Directors such as Ben Wheatley (A Field in England, Sightseers) and companies such as Curzon and Film4 are making use of multi-platform release schedules, and brands including HBO, Amazon and Netflix are shaping the very nature of not only what, but how, we watch. MA Film & Television understands this fundamentally shifting zeitgeist.

In examining industrial structure and visual form you will theorise the shifting dynamics of an age where anyone with a phone and a laptop has the ability to record, edit and disseminate visual projects. Such 'democratisation' has arguably made both creative uniqueness and clear industry pathways less discernable, but has provided a new and fruitful framework for those who have the ideas, talent, dedication and adaptability to embrace such immense transitional potential. However, despite these multitudinous transformations attributed to digital culture, the ethos of our MA contends that fundamental skills remain the basis of both sound academic work and creative practice. Rather than being fearful of what is to come, or nostalgic for the past, this course gives you the confidence to look at film and television critically, and acquire cutting edge creative skills in order to produce intelligent, innovative and inspirational visual work.

Our philosophy is one of flexibility, so you'll shape the curriculum around your own interests, whether in theory, creative practice, or a combination of the two. Drawn from the fundamentals of history, theory and criticism, our theoretical strand develops tomorrow's cineastes, cultural commentators, journalists and academics. This also underpins our approach to practice. The most successful film and television makers are students of their chosen medium, highly knowledgeable of historical legacy and social-political context. You'll not only learn how to develop, write, produce, shoot, record, direct and edit well, but why, philosophically and creatively, your ideas are worth being made.

Visit the website https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/film-television-ma

How the course is taught

Our passion is reflected both in the teaching and research track record of our academics, our industry connections and visiting speakers, and the quality of our film and television professionals. Crossing disciplinary areas such as cultural studies, sociology, journalism, English, philosophy and, of course, film and television studies, our MA offers academically-minded students comprehensive supervision and guidance for moving onto PhD research.

Industry and academic links

We have a strong visiting lecturer programme with recent guests including critics Dr Mark Kermode, Professor Linda Ruth Williams and Dr Will Brooker. Our practice tutors are active writers, producers, directors, editors, sound designers and cinematographers who create substantive work across all screen media. We have a wide range of contacts and industry specialists who contribute to the course, including Tony Grisoni (writer of Southcliffe, Red Riding, and How I Live Now), Mary Burke (producer of For Those in Peril, Berberian Sound Studio and The Midnight Beast), and James Henry (writer for Campus and Green Wing).

Falmouth University also recently hosted the Channel 4 Talent Day and we are active in developing work placements and internships for our students. We have sent many of students to Warp Films and TwoFour since 2009, and regularly update our webpages with work experience opportunities and jobs. Our graduates have proceeded to further study and jobs across the film and television industry, for HBO, Sky, ITV, Disney and have worked on major feature films, most recently including About Time (Richard Curtis, 2013) The World's End (Edgar Wright, 2013), The Double (Richard Ayoade, 2014) and Disney's forthcoming Cinderella (Kenneth Branagh, 2015). Falmouth University's MA in Film & Television is for students who to place themselves at the cutting edge of screen culture.

Course outline

The course is divided into three semesters of 15 weeks. Each semester offers the fundamentals vital to every academic and practitioner, and elective choices so you can shape your own learning.

What you'll do

- Study block 1
Foundation
The first semester consists of three core units, offering a diverse entry point to all aspects of the study of film and television, and the interrelationship of theory and practice:

Theorising Contemporary Film & Television Culture (Theory)

In this module you will explore the theoretical conceptualisations of film and television in the context of contemporary academic thought and popular discourse around the concept of digital culture. We will start from a point of questioning the multi-layered and contested effects of digital culture on film and television as discrete forms. You will consider the interrelationship and fusion between media in terms of production, distribution and exhibition examining the advent of new forms of representation and interaction. But we will also look at how traditional notion of film and television are being preserved and even being popular as a reaction to the effects of the digital. The module will also assess and interrogate the economic and technological developments of a more integrated and interactive media environment in terms of the cross-pollination of form and content, and socio-cultural effects on contemporary audiences.

Film & Television Industry Case Study (Theory/Practice)

In this module you will explore the industrial parameters of contemporary film and television based around the experience and expertise of current professionals. The module will utilise the School of Film & Television's many industry links to bring in guest speakers from the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, TwoFour Broadcast, Warp Films, Sheffield Doc Fest, Cornwall Film Festival, Doc Heads, BFI, Pinewood Studios, Dogbite and EngineHouse VFX. You will then have an opportunity to question these professionals about their respective sectors as a basis for a case study. Alternatively, you can investigate the sector/practitioner of your own choosing, with tutor support. The module will also contain workshops on the fundamentals of creative industry research and methodology. The module is designed so that you learn both the challenges and values of networking, and researching specific job roles and industry backgrounds in order to effectively plot your own career trajectory.

Creative Practices (Practice)

This module will engage you in the production workflow, focusing on how creative, professional and technical roles shape a final film or television project. Your weekly seminars and workshops will guide you through pre-production, production and post-production processes, enabling you to devise, develop and produce a short filmed project as part of a small crew of four to six students. You will, therefore, develop your technical skills and production practices in order to devise and deploy modes of creative practice which may include, but are not limited to, research and development, screenwriting, production management, producing, directing, cinematography, lighting, editing and the recording and design of sound.

- Study block 2
Specialisms
The second semester gives you the opportunity to specialise, choosing from a ranging of theory, practice or combination modules. Assessment of combination modules is either through an academic essay or a practice project. Potential optional modules include:

- Cultural Studies to Digital Sociology (Theory/Practice)
- Screen Futures (Theory/Practice)
- Globalisation in Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Factual Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Screenwriting for Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Work Placement (Theory/Practice)

- Study block 3
Expertise
Depending on your chosen specialism, in the third semester you'll produce either:

- Dissertation (Theory)
- Film & Production Portfolio (Theory/Practice)
- Conceptual Project (Theory/Practice)

Facilities

The purpose-built film school facilities include:

- 116-seat cinema, with Christie M Series HD projection (as used in Vue cinemas) and 7.2 surround sound

- Equipment store with a range of Blackmagic, Red, Panasonic, JVC, GoPro, Canon DSLR and C100 cameras and lenses, jibs, tracks and dollies

- Digital production suites equipped with Final Draft (screenwriting), Movie Magic (production management) and a range of edit software, including Adobe Creative Cloud/Suite, Final Cut and AVID

- Avid Unity MediaNetwork Edit server

- Recording and sound edit studios equipped with Pro Tools audio editing and Foley traps

- 14x8m TV studio with three studio cameras, full gallery facility, Chromatte grey screen, blue/green screen and full lighting rig

- Centroid 3D (Pinewood-networked) Motion Capture studio/research lab

- Virtual Studio using the latest technology

- 23,500-title TV and film library

Experience you'll get

- Highly flexible, student-focused curriculum

- Mentoring with industry professionals

- Opportunities for placement and work experience

- Creative environment for collaboration

- Using industry-standard software

- A vibrant visiting speaker programme

- Student experience-centred ethos

Assessment

- Continuous assessment with no formal examinations
- Core theory based on written assignments
- Core practice assessed on visual project and accompanying portfolios
- Elective modules all with theory/practice options
- Dissertation and/or major project in final semester

Careers

- Research, teaching or postgraduate study in art/humanities subject areas

- All technical/creative roles linked with direction, production, cinematography, editing, sound, lighting; writing for the screen; film and television criticism; research for film and TV

- Film and TV marketing, distribution and sales – digital and social media content/distribution

- Film festival and arts curatorship – media-based project management

Find out how to apply here - https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/apply

Visiting Us

We hold open days throughout the year so you can meet current students and staff, view our campuses and facilities, and find out more about studying at Falmouth.

Find out more - https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/open-days

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The programme offers a thorough grounding in postgraduate-level film and is suitable both for graduates in the subject and those new to it.

It is taught by experts in Film and seeks to engage you with the key elements that make up the diverse nature of film and moving images.

The programme allows you to spend your first term at our Canterbury campus with full access to its excellent academic and recreational facilities, before relocating to our Paris centre for the spring term, studying in the heart of historic Montparnasse.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/19/film-paris

About the Department of Film

The Film Department at the University of Kent is known for its excellence in research and teaching. It was ranked second in the UK for research power in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). One of the largest European centres for the study of film, it has an established reputation going back 35 years. Approaching film as a dynamic part of our cultural experience, we encourage thinking about film as it emerges at the intersections of art, document and entertainment. Through theory and practice, individual research, student-led seminars and visiting speakers, we promote an environment in which postgraduate students are able to engage with the continuing vibrancy of cinema.

Studying film as a postgraduate at the University of Kent will give you the opportunity to experience our rich resources of academic expertise, library facilities and a campusbased film culture. We currently offer expertise in North American, European and Latin American cinemas. Our research and teaching will engage you in a dialogue with aesthetic, conceptual and historical perspectives, as well as with digital media and practice by research.

In 2014, the University opened a new 62-seat cinema named after the pioneering female film director Ida Lupino, which students can enjoy as part of their experience during their studies. The Lupino has state-of-the-art digital projection and sound, and has been created to provide an intimate atmosphere for film viewing.

Studying film as a postgraduate at the University of Kent in Paris will give you the opportunity to experience our rich resources of academic expertise, library facilities and a campus-based film culture. Our research and teaching will engage you in a dialogue with aesthetic, conceptual and historical perspectives.

Modules

During the first term, you take two 30-credit taught-course modules from your chosen MA pathway. You then spend the second term in Paris, studying two modules from a choice which varies from year to year.

Modules available on this programme may include:
FI812 - Advanced Film Theory (30 credits)
FI813 - Film History: Research Methods (30 credits)
FI821 - Film and Modernity (Paris) (30 credits)
FI998 - Dissertation:GPMS (60 credits)

During the spring term you are free to construct your own programme from across the range of modules available, making it as focussed or as inter-disciplinary as you like. You have plenty of time during the autumn term to make informed decisions about your programme of studies in Paris.

You are encouraged to make full use of the city’s cultural resources and to integrate these into your studies which means you will be able to explore and discover connections between history, literature, the visual arts and other media.

Assessment

Assessment is by coursework and the dissertation.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

- develop your understanding and skills to a notably higher level of sophistication and achievement (appropriate to an Master’s level award) than would be expected at degree level, such that you leave the programme with a substantial analytic and critical understanding of film and film studies

- develop your understanding and skills to the level necessary for entry into a research programme in film

- develop your ability to think independently, argue with clarity and force, to discern areas of research interest within the field and be able to frame viable research questions

- allow you to spend your first term in Canterbury, studying modules in film, and to spend your second term in Paris developing your interest in cinema within the context of city often seen to be central to the aesthetic developments of filmmaking and critical approaches central to the history of the discipline

- consider the impact of French critics and filmmakers on the wider discipline of film

- provoke reflection on areas of critical and theoretical approaches to French cinema and its context

- nurture the intellectual skills cited above in the context of written work (essays and dissertations) as well as in the context of interpersonal interaction (seminars, research papers, supervision)

- provide access to enhanced intercultural awareness and understanding through the opportunity to study in Paris

- provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication and research skills and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in industry and in the public sector.

Research areas

Research in both theory and practice is currently centred in five broad areas:

- national cinemas – form and history: North American, European, Latin American
- the moving image in a digital context
- documentary film
- film aesthetics
- avant-garde and experimental cinema.

Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Film and the Moving Image
The Centre draws together scholars from across the University who use film and the moving image as an integral part of their research. We are open to ideas that extend the reach of the Centre and seek to support projects that promote collaboration between individuals and other research centres. Our aim is to produce a more proactive engagement with other disciplines, to open new lines of communication and to produce innovative knowledge formations through the activity of pioneering research projects.

Careers

Arts graduates have gone on to work in a range of professions, from museum positions and teaching roles to film journalists and theatre technicians. Our graduates have found work at Universal Pictures, the London Film Festival and other arts, culture and heritage-related organisations, as well as in film production, as editorial assistants and as web designers.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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The programme offers a thorough grounding in postgraduate-level film. We will be pleased to consider applications from applicants with either a background in Film or a related humanities subject.

It is taught by experts in Film and seeks to engage you with the key elements that make up the diverse nature of film and moving images.

The Film MA can also be studied between Canterbury and Paris, with the first term at our Canterbury campus and the spring term at our centre in Paris. It is also available in Paris only where you spend the entire year in the French capital.
https://www.kent.ac.uk/paris/programmes/index.html

About the Department of Film

The Film Department at the University of Kent is known for its excellence in research and teaching. It was ranked second in the UK for research power in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). One of the largest European centres for the study of film, it has an established reputation going back 35 years. Approaching film as a dynamic part of our cultural experience, we encourage thinking about film as it emerges at the intersections of art, document and entertainment. Through theory and practice, individual research, student-led seminars and visiting speakers, we promote an environment in which postgraduate students are able to engage with the continuing vibrancy of cinema.

Studying film as a postgraduate at the University of Kent will give you the opportunity to experience our rich resources of academic expertise, library facilities and a campusbased film culture. We currently offer expertise in North American, European and Latin American cinemas. Our research and teaching will engage you in a dialogue with aesthetic, conceptual and historical perspectives, as well as with digital media and practice by research.

In 2014, the University opened a new 62-seat cinema named after the pioneering female film director Ida Lupino, which students can enjoy as part of their experience during their studies. The Lupino has state-of-the-art digital projection and sound, and has been created to provide an intimate atmosphere for film viewing.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

FI811 - Conceptualising Film (30 credits)
FI812 - Advanced Film Theory (30 credits)
FI813 - Film History (30 credits)
FI815 - Film and Modernity (30 credits)
FI998 - Dissertation:GPMS (60 credits)

Assessment

Assessment is by coursework and the dissertation.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

- develop your understanding and skills to a notably higher level of sophistication and achievement (appropriate to an Master’s level award) than would be expected at degree level, such that you leave the programme with a substantial analytic and critical understanding of film and film studies

- develop your understanding and skills to the level necessary for entry into a research programme in Film Studies

- develop your ability to think independently, argue with clarity and force, to discern areas of research interest within the field and be able to frame viable research questions

- provoke reflection on areas of critical and theoretical approaches to cinema and its context

- nurture the intellectual skills cited above in the context of written work (essays and dissertations) as well as in the context of interpersonal interaction (seminars, research papers, supervision)

- attract outstanding students irrespective of race, background, gender, and physical disability, from both within the UK and from overseas

- develop existing and new areas of teaching in response to the advance of research and scholarship within the subject, as well as new developments in filmmaking practice.

Research areas

Research in both theory and practice is currently centred in five broad areas:

- national cinemas – form and history: North American, European, Latin American
- the moving image in a digital context
- documentary film
- film aesthetics
- avant-garde and experimental cinema.

Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Film and the Moving Image
The Centre draws together scholars from across the University who use film and the moving image as an integral part of their research. We are open to ideas that extend the reach of the Centre and seek to support projects that promote collaboration between individuals and other research centres. Our aim is to produce a more proactive engagement with other disciplines, to open new lines of communication and to produce innovative knowledge formations through the activity of pioneering research projects.

Careers

Arts graduates have gone on to work in a range of professions, from museum positions and teaching roles to film journalists and theatre technicians. Our graduates have found work at Universal Pictures, the London Film Festival and other arts, culture and heritage-related organisations, as well as in film production, as editorial assistants and as web designers.


Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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The Film: Theory and Practice MA provides you with a sophisticated understanding of films as systems of meaning. Your study covers areas such as film-making, historical cinema, screenwriting and narrative.

The course will advance your knowledge of the musculature of cinematography and editing, and the nerve system of narrative conventions, authorship, genre, power, aesthetics, stardom and nationality. You can specialise in areas of film theory, or in film practice; the latter including screenwriting, film-making and cinema management.

You will develop your own scholarly approaches to film through exploring a range of positions in film studies, and a range of historical periods and national/transnational cinemas.

By the end of the course you will have acquired knowledge of a range of analytical and theoretical principles in film studies and an array of national/transnational cinemas, including:
-British
-Chinese
-French
-American
-North African
-Spanish and Latin American

If you choose to work in film production you will usually have a finished film within 12 weeks.

Our graduates have progressed into a variety of careers, including: academia, media and journalism, cinema management, and film production. Many of our MA students go on to PhD research.

The study of film has a long history at Newcastle. Our community of film scholars shares specialisms in:
-Film genre
-Film stardom
-Gender and ethnic identities in cinema
-Writing on film

Our research interests also range widely in Anglophone, French, Hispanic, East Asian and Middle Eastern cinemas.

Award-winning film-makers, Tina Gharavi and Ian MacDonald, bring a wealth of professional experience to the teaching of film production. We collaborate with the Tyneside Cinema to provide work experience opportunities and in-depth knowledge in film exhibition and distribution.

We have a thriving research culture in film. The Research Centre in Film and Digital Media organises a diverse range of activities such as visiting speaker series, student or staff-oriented conferences and symposiums, and Chinese and Spanish film festivals.

Work experience

In two optional modules: Exhibition Culture and Professional Placement, we collaborate with the Tyneside Cinema in providing opportunities for work experience.

You will also have the opportunity to get involved in the organisation of conferences and film festivals.

Facilities

You will have the opportunity to use Culture Lab, a complex for creative practice which includes a stock of film cameras and editing suites, as well as motion-capture, animation and sound-mixing technology.

The Language Resource Centre and Robinson Library hold large collections of international films and film magazines. You will also have access to a dedicated postgraduate suite including computers, workspaces, a kitchen and showers.

There are fantastic local film facilities including the Tyneside Cinema and British Film Institute Mediatheque. You will also have guided access to Tyne and Wear Archives.

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Explore and make creative connections between film analysis and film practice.

Our course has a distinctive focus on international, alternative, and documentary cinemas, while also providing a solid foundation in key elements of film history and theory, including Hollywood. This critical appraisal of such a wide range of genres gives you a solid understanding of what makes film work well, enabling you to improve your own production skills in camerawork, editing, lighting, screenwriting and production management.

You gain a strong sense of independent filmmaking practice, and learn to apply your academic knowledge of film through exploring topics including:
-The formal, social, cultural and political dimensions of films from both within and beyond Hollywood
-Fiction film production, including pre-production, camera, lighting and sound
-Classics of the documentary form , docufictions and mockumentaries
-Collective and individual filmmaking projects
-Storyboarding and editing

You also benefit from a series of masterclasses conducted by invited industry professionals which focus on the craft of filmmaking: developing your technical understanding of cinematography, directing and editing/postproduction.

These also introduce you to potential employment routes and industry career pathways, from setting up your own production company, to identifying and tapping into distribution networks, and preparing and marketing your completed films.

We are ranked Top 20 in the UK (Times Good University Guide 2015), and three-quarters of our research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2014).

This course is also available on a part-time basis.

Our expert staff

Our intensive modules are taught in small groups by expert academic film specialists and professional filmmakers.

The Centre for Film and Screen Media at Essex is part of a vital departmental unit that offers talented students the support and confidence to respond both critically and artistically to the study of film. This distinctive environment is possible because we are a community of award-winning film-makers, scholars, and media specialists; our staff over the years have included Oscar winners and BAFTA winners.

This course features academic staff who specialise in a wide range of production and critical areas, including producing, screenwriting, documentary, film theory, Soviet cinema, US cinema, films of the Asia and Pacific regions, modernism and the avant-garde, adaptation, and silent cinema. Production staff have extensive experience with organisations such as the BBC.

Our Department has a distinguished history of combining critical and creative work, and we have long been home to poets, novelists, translators, dramatists and actors, alongside literary critics, drama scholars, filmmakers and film theorists.

Specialist facilities

For your film production modules, you have priority use of industry-standard editing facilities, two state-of-the-art studios, and a range of cameras and other filmmaking equipment. You also gain experience using professional film production software including Avid and Final Cut; everything you will need to produce films to an expert standard.

You also have access to our other departmental facilities:
-Show off your work on our Vimeo channel
-View classic films at weekly film screenings in our dedicated 120-seat film theatre, equipped with digital HD projection facilities and surround sound
-Borrow DVDs from our substantial departmental collection
-Join student film societies and the Centre for Film and Screen Media film series, which screen and discuss both recent blockbusters and less mainstream arthouse films
-Hear writers talk about their craft and learn from leading specialists at weekly research seminars
-Our on-campus Lakeside Theatre has been established as a major venue for good drama, staging both productions by professional touring companies and a wealth of new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students
-Improve your playwriting skills at our Lakeside Theatre Writers workshops
-Our Research Laboratory allows you to collaborate with professionals, improvising and experimenting with new work which is being tried and tested
-Write for our student magazine Albert or host a Red Radio show

Your future

We actively encourage and assist you to find appropriate internship and work placement opportunities during your studies, allowing you to practice and develop your skills and experience as well as enhancing your graduate employment prospects.

A number of our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers as scholars, university lecturers, teachers, publishers, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, drama advisers, filmmakers, film editors and translators.

We also offer supervision for PhD, MPhil and MA by Dissertation in different literatures and various approaches to literature, covering most aspects of early modern and modern writing in English, plus a number of other languages.

Our University is one of only 11 AHRC-accredited Doctoral Training Centres in the UK. This means that we offer funded PhD studentships which also provide a range of research and training opportunities.

We work with our Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Dissertation: MA Film Studies
-Research Methods in Literary and Cultural Analysis
-Film and Video Production Workshop
-Critical Moments in the Theory and History of Film
-Adaptation (optional)
-Advanced Film and Industry: Production and Industry (optional)
-Documentary and the Avant-garde: Film, Video, Digital (optional)
-Women Filmmakers (optional)

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MLitt in Film Studies

• The opportunity to study Film Studies at an advanced level.
• An emphasis on international and transnational cinemas.
• Both core and specialist modules are assessed by essay.
• Two specialist modules provide you with the opportunity to transfer and apply the theoretical knowledge and research skills acquired in the core module to a more concrete level of intellectual investigation, focusing on the creation of meaning and aesthetic value in the context of global dynamics of cultural production and distribution.
• The specialist modules vary annually and reflect current staff research interests. Emphasis throughout the year is placed on individual research.

Features

* Film Studies was ranked first in Scotland for world leading and internationally excellent research in the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014.

* Senior expertise of high profile scholars, such as Professor Robert Burgoyne, Professor Richard Dyer, Mr Jean Michel Frodon and Professor Dina Iordanova, all internationally known and respected leaders in the field .

* Regular visits from high-profile film critics, film. The most recent have been celebrated Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán, who in April 2015 visited the Department and attended a screening of two of his films, followed by a Q&A session.

* The new programme in Global Cinema: Managing and Cultural Curation, is offered out of the Institute for Global Cinema and Creative Cultures (IGCCC: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/globalcinema ) which capitalise on achievements, global connections and on our reputational advantages as leaders in the study of global culture, film circulation and film festivals.

In learning and teaching, St Andrews sets the highest of standards and attracts students from all over the world with understandably high expectations. In its first five-yearly review in 2009, the Department’s teaching provision achieved the highest possible commendation. Teaching and research are closely co-related, and postgraduate teaching is informed by the staff’s research activity.

At St Andrews, we investigate cinema as a key form of cultural output and as the dominant type of creative expression. Focusing on the global dimension, our programmes cover key aspects of Film Studies through the lens of transnational cultural studies.

Film Studies at St Andrews is committed to questioning the traditional view of what is ‘normal’ cinema. We attempt to uncover the agendas (be they national, ‘western’, cultural, commercial, industrial, and so on) that define how we think about cinema, both in terms of the kinds of films we watch for pleasure, and those we study at university. There is much to be learned by studying what is produced at the margins of dominant societies, in addition to the canonical films of Hollywood and the European art house. We are interested in exploring the ways in which racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual subcultures conceptualise their identities. Similarly, we are keen to look at films produced at the periphery of established nations, co-productions between smaller players struggling to survive in the global marketplace and popular genre films often deemed unworthy of high-brow critical attention. Similarly, we
look at films that focus on transnational communities or appeal to international markets that deal with lesser-known histories and are made in foreign languages but are nonetheless worthy of critical examination and intellectual engagement.

Studying film at St Andrews will help you master a range of advanced research skills and acquire knowledge related to the construction and analysis of the moving image, the past and present day realities of various national and regional film traditions, the dynamics of the global film industry, and the theoretical approaches related to film.

Facilities and collections

The Department is housed in its own buildings, in North Street. They are within easy walking distance of the University Library, local cinema and town centre. The Department is well resourced with a dedicated teaching room. Recently the Department has started to use the wonderful facilities at the nearby Byre Theatre for most of our seminars, and for other film-related activities. MLitt classes are usually held at the Byre. A Film Studies Postgraduate Study Centre houses a DVD collection, postgraduate workspaces, viewing stations and off-air recording facilities.

At St Andrews you will be exposed to a rich and diverse film programme. Regular course-related film showings take place in a custom-built theatre. In addition, a range of screenings takes place across the University during term time, featuring films related to anthropology, international relations, and history.

St Andrews has excellent library provision, with book, journal and other information resources in Film Studies at a level consistent with an international centre of excellence. The Main Library hosts one of the best collections of international cinema on DVD and video (over 9,000 titles). The Library also holds over 1,000,000 print monographs, over 32,000 electronic books, and substantial journal title holdings in print and over 33,900 full-text electronic titles. Well over 2,000 monographs are classified under Film Studies and related subjects. There are holdings of approximately 100 film, television and media-related journals, of which about 65 are available electronically; there is also networked access to various databases, including Box of Broadcasts, Film Indexes Online and Film & Television Literature Index Full-Text.

Careers

In our media saturated culture, the opportunities for Film Studies graduates are remarkably diverse. Directly related are careers in academia, creative industries, development, distribution, film festival/cinema programming, and arts administration.

A Film Studies degree opens doors to many other spheres, including media management, film and TV research, journalism, publishing, advertising, cultural entrepreneurship, nongovernmental organisations, marketing, public relations and education. Recent destinations include: Junior Assistant Producer, European Tour Productions (IMG Media); Adjunct Instructor, SUNY (State University of New York) at Oswego; Consultant for Propel London Media.

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A ground-breaking new MA delivered in partnership with the BFI to prepare students to build successful careers in film exhibition, programming, criticism or archival work.

‘I wholeheartedly support courses like the NFTS Film Studies MA. Finding and developing talented individuals who can programme unforgettable content is priceless.’ - Efe Cakarel, Founder, MUBI

-The course is delivered in partnership with the BFI (the leading body for film in the UK) who will also provide hands-on placement opportunities across a range of curatorial and critical activities.
-The course is delivered by film professionals in film exhibition and distribution, festivals, archives and film criticism, alongside academics and film makers
-Students on the course will attend film festivals.
-Students learn how to conceptualise film work in terms of idea, form and style, as well as understanding the relationship between film and audience.
-Students will learn about the practicalities of film exhibition, distribution and preservation in the changing digital landscape.
-Students will study the practice of film criticism and comment, including reviewing and critical writing about films, filmmakers and the broader culture.
-Students have the opportunity to mount festivals, pop up screenings and other events.
-Access to NFTS's Masterclasses led by major creative figures from film, television and games.

We welcome EU/EEA Students. Those accepted onto courses starting in 2018 will have their fees guaranteed at the UK rate for both years of the course. Postgraduate students can apply for a loan to help with their studies via the Student Loans Company Loans. A £ 10,000 loan is available to contribute to course and living costs. The Post Graduate Loan is only open to EU/EEA and UK Students who normally live in England. It is not currently available to Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Students. Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/fees-funding

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course commences at the end of January each year.

The National Film and Television School’s Film Studies Programming and Curation Masters delivered in partnership with the BFI is designed for students who wish to make a career in the wider film and media culture, whether in the fields of curation, exhibition, criticism, archives, preservation or restoration. The course provides a detailed understanding of the concepts, contexts and critical thought that have shaped the production and reception of film as a basis for engagement with rapidly changing contemporary film and moving image culture. A rigorous academic framework is combined with real world applications enabling each student to develop their own skills, knowledge and understanding to provide a strong basis for a career in film and media.

The philosophy of this course is to give students a theoretical, historical and critical understanding of film, which they will apply practically in the fields of film curating and programming, distribution and archiving.

With all the resources of the National Film and Television School available to them, students on this Master’s programme benefit from working alongside a new generation of filmmakers, encouraging creative dialogue between makers and curators/critics.

'NFTS curating students are so full of energy and passion. I'm full of admiration for the NFTS which nurtures the talent that will build a future for film exhibition and filmmaking.' - Clare Binns, Director of Programming & Acquisitions, Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd

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This programme takes a project-led, practice-based approach to studying for an MA in Film Directing (Documentary) which integrates practical film making with analysis of contemporary film practice. Students choose to make a creative documentary or a non -fiction film which defies genre definition and pushes the boundaries of narrative. We develop these through workshops and tutorials. Our students work within an integrated framework that helps them question the form of their films and enables them to find the right language for their storytelling.

The programme encourages ways of working as a film community that foster the important exchange of ideas, with inspiration from international visiting film makers through Scottish Documentary Institute and support from our team of documentary practicioners. All tutors are top professionals currently working within the industry as directors, producers, editors, cinematographers or sound designers. A newly built Avid edit teaching space, and a new screening space helps us encourage a fresh approach to emerging technologies.

Graduate films do well internationally regularly winning BAFTAs, RTS Awards and awards at international festivals. Over the last five years students have received an Oscar nomination for an MA film made here and an Oscar shortlist for a film made by a recent graduate. We work closely with the Scottish Documentary Institute, the University’s internationally-acclaimed research centre in documentary film making.

The aim of the Film Directing programmes at ECA is to:

• challenge boundaries, encourage original thought, and develop intellectual and critical approaches to making films
• combine the contemporary energy and discipline of current creative approaches to film practices with the professionalism of industry practices, in order to produce innovative and grounded work
• facilitate the interrelationship between different cultural traditions, traditional and emerging screen technologies, and classical and non-traditional cinematic genres and conventions.
• provide postgraduate education in film making that constitutes a clear progression from undergraduate education whilst maintaining distinctiveness from industrial training- that gives scope for taking risks
• foster filmmakers able to work and compete internationally

Programme structure

This programme is project-led and delivered through workshops and regular individual tutorials. It integrates practical studio work with theoretical and written studies from the Screen cultures course (see separate description) which is run independently from the Film Department.

The first semester, Design Studio is organised round a series of micro-films which lead to a growing awareness of film language and enhancement of technical skills to creatively support filmic vision. Cinematography and sound workshops are delivered by visiting lecturers. Directorial voice is built up also through tutorials in which an idea for a graduating film is developed and evolved. Awareness of current international documentary practice is built through regular seminars and screenings, collaborations with Film Festivals such as Take One Action and also supported by Scottish Documentary Institute. This is also to inspire students to push boundaries in their approach to narrative structure and visual language and not to get locked in conventional approaches. We want to encourage bold work that takes risks. At the end of the first semester all students pitch their films using a trailer or short excerpt from their research material. They also develop a treatment with feedback from tutorials.

Semester two is spent preparing and shooting the graduate film and is backed up with edit tutorials as well as project support from weekly meetings with a tutor. Students also receive seminars in production process including contracts.

Semester three is when the film is edited and finished with input from group crits, tutorials. Students also attend or often volunteer with Edinburgh Film Festival and the Edinburgh Pitch in order to observe and engage with key players from the international documentary world through hearing feedback from commissioning editors.

Alongside the ECA learning structure, students also have a pool of potential collaborators from Screen Academy Napier including the possibility of working with cinematographers, editors and producers.

Career opportunities

Our students go on to a wide range of roles, including producer, director, writer, production or location manager, researcher, editor, assistant director, cinematographer, or journalist. Graduates have found work directing for the BBC and making work internationally for top broadcasters and film funds. Related fields include advertising, community films, academia or film development agencies.

Creative Skillset

MA/MFA Film Directing has been awarded the Creative Skillset Tick, the industry kitemark of quality, following a rigorous assessment process by experts working in the Creative Industries. The Creative Skillset Tick is awarded to practice-based courses which best prepare students for a career in the industry. Screen Academy Scotland is one of only 3 Screen Academies in the UK along with National Film School and London Film School.

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This course has been designed for students who want to deepen their knowledge of the world's cinemas and is taught at the leading centre for Film Studies in London. It offers and extensive range of options covering all aspects of film style, representation, spectatorship, and philosophical approaches.

Our perfect location close to BFI Southbank (including the BFI Library) Southbank Centre, and Tate Modern means you will be studying in the heart of London was access to fanastic resources. The course is ideal for careers in the Media Arts and related Culture Industries, or preparation for further study.
Key benefits

- Internationally renowned staff.

- Focus on cutting-edge ideas and developments in film culture.

- Ranges across European, American and World cinema from highbrow to lowbrow.

- Film & Philosophy pathway available.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/film-studies-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

Contemporary film studies is a diverse, interdisciplinary field, incorporating a variety of approaches to the analysis of film and film culture. The MA Film Studies at King's College builds on the research strengths of its distinguished faculty to offer modules that examine a wide range of cinemas and approaches to studying film.

The MA Film Studies can be taken as a one-year full-time programme or as a two-year part time programme. The programme runs from September to September. It consists of five taught modules and a dissertation, together with a training programme, guest seminar series and student organised conference. Full time students will take the compulsory core module, four other taught modules and a dissertation. Part time students will take the compulsory core module and two other taught modules in the first year, and two other taught modules and a dissertation in the second year.

- Course purpose -

The MA in Film Studies has been designed for students who want to deepen their knowledge of the world’s cinemas and the very latest approaches to studying them. Graduate students at King’s participate in a number of regular research activities, including a programme of lectures by nationally and internationally distinguished scholars, international conferences, twice weekly 35mm cinematheque screenings, a focused graduate training programme, and a student organised work-in-progress conference in May.

Many graduates of the MA Film Studies go on to pursue careers in media arts or a PhD in Film Studies. Past graduates have gone on to PhD programmes at Harvard University, the University of Iowa, the University of Essex, the University of Stirling, the University of Westminster, and other University of London Colleges (including King’s), among others.

- Course format and assessment -

Taught core and optional modules assessed by coursework plus a compulsory dissertation.

Career Prospects:

Many of our students go on to pursue research in film and other areas of visual studies at the MPhil/ PhD level; others have developed their skills in careers in the media arts and related activities, including film festival work and media literacy training.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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Our MA in International Film Business aims to train the next generation of innovative executives for the international film industry. We will teach you about film finance and sales, distribution and marketing, creative management and development, digital strategy and festival curation and programming.

You will learn about the impact technology is having on the industry and gain insider access to a range of events including the Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market.

The London Film School is a world leading postgraduate filmmaking school and you will have the opportunity to access their extensive expertise, attend master-classes and industry events organised by the school as well as the opportunity to benefit from working with an industry mentor as part of the dissertation.

As you might expect from a ground breaking programme of study, assessment will be more than just essays. Instead you will give presentations, pitch ideas, and take on negotiation exercises. During your first term at the University of Exeter you will design, promote, and deliver a pop-up cinema event in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

If you’re serious about pursuing a career in the film business this MA will give you the chance to develop the key business skills and networks you will need, and benefit from mentoring by leading UK and European industry professionals.

Learning and teaching

As an MA International Film Business student you will have access to the world-renowned expertise of the London Film School and the academic excellence and research resources of the University of Exeter.

Your first term will be taught by leading film and business academics at Exeter where you will undertake a global survey of international film production, distribution and exhibition strategies and trends, and study business strategy, accounting and finance, intellectual property and entertainment economics. You will have the opportunity to examine innovative business models and the rapidly changing digital landscape of independent film.

At the London Film School you will take part in talks, master classes and question and answer sessions with film makers, as a graduate of the MA you will have access to the knowledge and contacts few programmes can offer their alumni. You’ll study the entertainment value chain through seminars delivered by London Film School staff and industry professionals, and a further series of intensive full-day seminars exploring film business innovation.

While there is no requirement to make a film as part of the MA, you can take the initiative in the second and third term to work independently, outside of the programme, with other LFS students who are studying on the MA screenwriting or filmmaking.

Field trip

In your second term you will take part in our field trip to the Berlin International Film Festival, including access to the European Film Market, which is a business to business event not open to the public.

The Berlinale takes place in February and is one of the world's oldest and most important international film festivals. About 400 films from all around the world are screened each year at the festival, most of which are international or European premieres.

As well as the excitement of premieres and the films in competition, the Berlinale is an important place for film industry executives to do business. The Berlinale hosts both the European Film Market and the International co-production market, where around 400 companies are represented. The festival also organises a variety of workshops, panel discussions and film programmes.

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Giving you a critical and evaluative understanding of film within an interdisciplinary context, this programme encourages you to understand the role of film and cinema within a range of socio-cultural arenas.

Exploring the links between film theory and film practices, cultural politics and state or foreign policy, it will also allow you to assess the notion of film as a social process engaging with issues of representation, production and consumption.

The programme is modular and offers a structured approach that includes taught core and optional modules such as Cold War Film, Death and the Moving Image, and Film and Television Authorship.

Alongside this you will undertake training in research skills, culminating in an independently researched 20,000-word thesis.

You will gain a firm grounding in different approaches to the analysis of film, a broad knowledge of the history of cinema and developments in film studies, and the ability to evaluate these in relation to films and film cultures.

You’ll also automatically become a member of - and contribute to - B-Film: The Birmingham Centre for Film Studies. This multidisciplinary hub for research activities on film at the University coordinates various events like visiting speakers, film screenings and international conferences.

We have internationally-recognised research expertise in the fields of European, American and World Cinema, film theory, ethics and aesthetics, queer theory, television studies, children’s media, film and television authorship, performance and audience studies, documentary, digital media, social action filmmaking, film festivals, film production and screenwriting.

The Department brings together the expertise of our Film Studies and Creative Writing staff, opening up exciting new opportunities for postgraduates to benefit from synergies between the two fields.

We enjoy excellent collaborative relationships with professional partners in film, television, theatre, literature and new media.

About the School of English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies

"Welcome to the School of English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies, in the College of Arts and Law. This is one of the largest Schools in the College, and variety is our watchword. We offer one of the most extensive ranges of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the country. Our research expertise is equally diverse, and we welcome students and researchers from all over the world." - Professor Andrzej Gasiorek, Head of School.

We particularly encourage creative thinking, with a range of pioneering programmes including Masters opportunities in Creative Writing, Film and Television and Shakespeare and Creativity. Our creative offerings are also strengthened by the development of our Department of Film and Creative Writing – established in 2015 – which has opened up exciting new opportunities for postgraduates to benefit from synergies between the two fields.

Our well-established Departments also provide an excellent environment for postgraduate study. The Department of Drama and Theatre Arts has a highly respected national and international reputation for excellence in teaching and research. We are also one of the leading centres for the postgraduate study of English in the UK, spanning language and literature. The Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics is a world-leading centre of excellence for both teaching and research in this field.

We are also proud to be home to the world-renowned Shakespeare Institute, based in Stratford-upon-Avon. Situated within walking distance of Shakespeare’s birthplace, school and grave, and the theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), the Shakespeare Institute offers postgraduate students and scholars an academic experience unrivalled by any other university.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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This unique MA programme is based in a university but run by leading film practitioners, ensuring that you not only receive the highest-quality practice-based learning, but you do so in a university research environment where you learn to understand the world we live in.

Degree information

Students will learn to devise a visual research project; to apply anthropological and social science approaches to documentary film work; to think critically about the relationship between form and content in ethnographic/documentary practice; to master the technical skills needed to produce different kinds of films of different lengths for varied audiences; and to critically view and review film material.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of 1/2 core module(s) (45/60 credits), 2/3 optional /elective modules (30/45 credits) and a project/diary (90 credits).

Core modules
-Practical Ethnographic and Documentary Filming and Editing
-Students without a social science background at either undergraduate or Master's level also take Social Anthropology or another social science foundational module in Term One as agreed with the tutor.

Optional modules - students choose two of the following:
-Anthropology and Photography
-Documentary Film and the Ethnographic Eye
-The Story and I - Finding the Form and/or Time and the Staged Index
-One of the practical film-related options offered as part of Film Studies MA according to provision.
-One of the film history modules taught in the School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES), or Departments of History or English, (for example, Russian Cinema in SSEES), details to be confirmed.
-An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.
-An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.

Dissertation/report
A major practical film project and diary allowing the students to demonstrate their mastery of the skills of documentary film-making in a film of 20–35 minutes.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of practical tutorials, seminars and masterclasses and assessed by camera and editing exercises and a written piece.

Placement
We facilitate two types of placements. Firstly, we will enable short-term internships at the film companies with whom we already have relationships through Open City Docs. Secondly, we will offer all our students the opportunity to work on the collaborative film-making projects linked to MyStreet Films, such as the Doc in a Day workshops that have proved so successful.

Careers

The programme equips students for careers in:
-Mass media including broadcast, cinematic and web-based moving image.
-Film and TV industry as camera operators, producers, directors, editors, researchers.
-Academia – ethnographic research, visual media and culture.
-Marketing and research.
-Communication and other media.
-Archives, as well as cultural heritage organisations.

Employability
The increasing demand for social and scientifically trained moving image specialists in the years ahead will continue, if not accelerate. Many of the graduates of our existing programmes now work in organisations such as Ipsos Mori film unit, BBC World Service and BBC Education.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This MA will allow you to benefit from UCL’s unique position in the heart of London, and from the many activities in film within the Department of Anthropology. The programme is unique in using professional film-makers to teach within a truly pan-disciplinary university research environment.

UCL now houses London’s Global Documentary Film Festival, Open City Docs Fest, created by Professor Michael Stewart. You can participate in the curation and delivery of this festival; gain experience in the delivery of a major public arts event; and benefit from established partnerships with world-famous institutions such as the the Science Museum and the British Film Institute.

This degree will from 2017 provide three strands: the existing non-fiction cinema and reportage based documentary will be joined by a 'Future Docs' strand (including VR and interactive documentary production).

Other admission requirements

Applicants with prior technical knowledge of film making are asked to send a video portfolio of up to 20’ duration (Vimeo link recommended). Applicants without a video portfolio are asked to complete a photo essay. Please see our guidelines on how to make a visual essay. You can submit either by post - a maximum of twenty 20cm x 25cm (8'x10”) stills – or by link to an external site.

All shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a proposal for a film or video project - to consist of no more than four sides of A4, typed and double-spaced. This should include: an outline of what the film is about; the characters and other elements crucial to the narrative and the film structure/narrative. (You are not committed to the proposal for the final project.)

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PLEASE NOTE: This course will run in September 2016

This is an innovative course, taught over four, week-long residential retreats over one year (full time) and will commence in September - some of these are in Central London, others in beautiful Egham Campus near Windsor.

Between retreats the course is run via distance-learning with a website, chat room and e-tutorials. This makes it possible for those living outside the UK, and those with busy working lives, for instance freelancers and those in the film and TV industries, to take time out to attend. We have a wide variety of students on the course including established actors, comedy writers, editors, producers, novelists and many others.

During the MASTFiR course (MA in Screenwriting for Televion and Film - Retreat) you will cover writing for feature film and television as well as new developments such as web drama. You will develop a range of ideas, then go on to write film and television outlines, and several drafts of a feature film screenplay, a TV single drama, or a TV series or serial bible and sample episodes. You will be immersed in a creative atmosphere conducive to concentrated learning and group interaction; a core unit is the Development Lab, where you will present your work in progress to the group for criticism and feedback, and experiment with co-writing.

You will also meet and work with industry and independent producers, directors, agents, writers and actors to provide a production context. We have recently had guests from Working Title, Channel Four, the BBC, Script Factory, Blake Friedmann Agency and many others.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/mediaarts/coursefinder/mascreenwritingfortelevisionandfilmretreat.aspx

Why choose this course?

- in the fast-changing world of digital drama, new media and new film markets, you will become skilled in producing strong and original fiction writing.

- the course director is Ivan Levene, a practising screenwriter and script editor with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He currently has two produced feature films, and has been involved in the development of numerous other film and TV projects, including a recent major international release. Before this he worked in acquisitions and development, advancing over £15m of film and TV production from inception to marketplace. Current commissions include a supernatural thriller with Matthew Rhys, and a biopic set in Gilded Age New York about Harriet Hubbard Ayer - socialite, proto-feminist, and the first person to create an international cosmetics business.

- teaching television is screenwriting lecturer Adam Ganz, whose TV credits include Pillow Talk and Murder Without Motive; and guest lecturing in television are Gillian Gordon and Jonathan Powell.

- despite the first students only graduating in 2008, we have already had a host of successes with many of our students finding success in the industry.

- you will meet and work with industry and independent producers, directors, agents, writers and actors to provide a production context. We have recently had guests from Working Title, Channel Four, the BBC, Script Factory, Blake Friedmann Agency and many others.

Department research and industry highlights

- the MA Screenwriting for Television and Film Retreat course (MASTFiR) only began graduating students in 2008 but already we have had a host of successes - Janice Hallett's feature screenplay Retreat is now being shot in Canada with a star cast; Olivia Wakeford has a writing credit on the feature film Baseline (2009) and several writers have gained agents and development commissions. Kay Stonham has work commissioned by the BBC and two of our younger writers are working on a C5 youth drama series. Adam Rolston has had a highly successful musical on Doris Day's life performed at a variety of London venues. Many students have won festival awards for their short films.

Course content and structure

You will study four core course units.

Core course units:
Script Craft
This unit will focus on the acquisition of basic writing skills, and is a gateway to the ‘Story and Theme’ unit. You will explore the specifics of scene and dialogue construction, formatting and issues around research and around adaptation from source materials – e.g. plays, novels and news stories.

Story and Theme
This unit teaches the essential components of story and structure, the specific language of film storytelling and genre. It will include lectures, screenings of films and extracts, and individual and group analysis of films. You will produce ideas, formal outlines and a feature-length screenplay or TV series bibles and episode.

Development Lab
This is a discussion forum to which you bring the work above, where it is critiqued and debated from a number of points of view including aesthetic, generic, marketing, audience and budget. Development Lab is interactive and is at the core of the course; it replicates many of the development processes you will face in the film and television industry.

Contexts: Current British Film and TV Practice
This unit covers current aesthetic and generic trends in British film and television. There will also be lectures and seminars on budget, schedule, commissioning, finance, contracts, casting and marketing, and you will explore the production and marketing implications of your own screenplay projects.

On completion of the course graduates will have:
- the ability to discriminate between project ideas, present ideas and drafts to others effectively, and both give and receive constructive criticism

- the understanding of the aesthetic and economic conditions of the marketplace, how their work may be viewed in terms of budget and audience, and the stages a screenplay will go through in development and production

- a broad and detailed understanding of the nature of the film and television screenplay- how it signifies, how it communicates meaning to the film producer, director, actor and to the audience

- advanced understanding of the processes of writing a screenplay, from initial concept to final draft

- advanced understanding of the various stages of script development and how each is documented- outlines, treatments, pitch documents and so on

- critical knowledge of the current genres and trends in film and television and how they have evolved in recent years, particularly in the context of economic and market developments in these industries

- an understanding of the UK film and television industries, including their structure, institutions and working practices

- a broad understanding of the group nature of writing and development, and how the roles played by the various parties- producer, script editor, director and so on- shape and influence the screenplay.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including script outlines and scenes, a completed feature film screenplay and/or TV series episode and ‘bible’, and marketing and pitch documents.

Employability & career opportunities

On graduating, you will be well prepared for careers in television and feature film screenwriting and script development.

Our recent graduate successes include:

Janice Hallett's feature screenplay Retreat is now being shot in Canada with a star cast; Olivia Wakeford has a writing credit on the feature film Baseline (2009) and several writers have gained agents and development commissions. Kay Stonham has work commissioned by the BBC and two of our younger writers are working on a C5 youth drama series. Adam Rolston has had a highly successful musical on Doris Day's life performed at a variety of London venues. Many students have won festival awards for their short films.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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