This course will equip you with creative-content and production skills in the exciting field of children’s programming.
You will develop an in-depth understanding of what it is that children and young people want to watch, why they watch certain programmes, films and moving images, and how they view them. You will also learn how to apply your knowledge to the production of creative content for this age group.
Throughout your time with us, you will be encouraged to develop your own creative ideas to a professional standard. Being based in the heart of MediaCityUK, and next door to BBC Children’s, this course will provide you with many opportunities to learn alongside, and engage with, experienced industry producers and practitioners in children’s content production.
At the end of the course, you will have gained a thorough, practice-based knowledge of the media industry, with particular emphasis on children’s creative content production.
The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.
The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.
Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking.
They include:
Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.
Links with the BBC and other well-known and respected production companies could lead to work experience that will significantly enhance your CV. The course combines practical and theoretical elements that will appeal to a broad range of employers.
To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:
The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:
This course will equip you with a solid grounding in the specialist skills and advanced theory that apply to post-production practice.
During your time with us, you will tackle self-directed and team-orientated industry briefs. This will give you a practical understanding of the creative processes, production workflow and industry techniques looked for by employers.
The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.
The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.
Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking. They include:
Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.
This course is your route to careers across media. Roles could involve audio and video editing, special-effects work and audio dubbing. Past students have taken work placements with 360 Media, Granada, Sumners Post Production, Films @ 59, Flix Facilities and the BBC Natural History unit.
To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:
The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:
This innovative course examines the different ways in which broadcasting is organised around the world. It has a particular emphasis on the production techniques of British television, approaching them through a comparative international lens.
The course has regular visiting lectures from leading figures in the UK's television industry, including the department's own VIsiting Professors James Quinn (Commissioner for Sky Arts) and renowned producer, director and writer Tony Garnett. In the past, we've had visiting lecturers including Alex Graham (Executive Producer of Who Do You Think You Are), James Quinn (Documentary Commissioning Editor, Sky) and Karen Mullins (Project Manager for London Olympics, Rugby World Cup).
You'll study a major BBC drama series from conception through to scripting and production, such as the series Casualty, with time to visit the production base in Cardiff. You'll study with scholars with experience of TV industries around the world, and hear from guest lecturers from London's TV industry.
Core modules
Structures of Broadcasting
In this module you will develop an understanding of public service and commercial models of broadcasting. You will look at the organisation of broadcasting, considering the differing markets for TV programmes, and commission and production regimes around the world. You will examine the nature of global flows in programming, the market system that enables them, and the major broadcasting organisations. You will also explore the structure of the global programme sales and co-production markets.
Television as a Cultural Industry
In this module you will develop an understanding of the interrelation between the organisational forms of broadcasting and the programmes that they produce. You will look at the structuration of broadcasting texts and what makes them distinctive, and examine the major genres of TV production through international examples. You will also consider the nature of innovation in programme making.
Production Study
In this module you will develop an understanding of the key challenges of producing a long running, high-volume, British television drama series. You will look at the role such series play in the television landscape, and examine the organisation, management, funding, budgeting and scheduling of drama productions. You will explore audience profiles and see how these fit within the economic and cultural priorities of television. You will also have the opportunity to meet writers and directors from an ongoing drama series, and learn to use production software packages such as Final Draft Scripting, Movie Magic Budgeting and Movie Magic Scheduling.
Production Practice Dissertation
You will produce a short video or radio piece to UK industry-standards. You will will create work which communicates with its intended audience, and manage all aspects of the production process, including self-direction and the direction of others. On completion, you will refect on your production, using knowledge gained in other areas of the course to analyse its success.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including:
Televsion continues to be one of the most dominant global media forms, continuing to attract huge audiences and leading creative talent around the world.
You'll leave our course understanding television in different cultures and contexts and you'll be in a perfect place to find employment in those countries where the TV industry is rapidly growing - backing up your portfolio with knowledge of how programmes are marketed and sold, and how important they are to the creative industries.
We're based near London, so you'll have privileged insight into the UK television industry. You'll have the chance to get familiar with London production businesses – we have regular guest lecturers from production and management. Students from our department have gone on to work in independent television and film production, for broadcasters like the BBC and ITV in the UK as well as international media agencies such as CCTV and Hunan, and for distributors, exhibitors, talent agencies and entertainment lawyers.
From start to finish producers are the driving force behind the film and television industry. They generate new projects and ideas, secure finance, manage production and strategically market the result. The producer’s role has been transformed by the advent of globalisation, digital technology and the multi-channel environment. Now more than ever, the entertainment industries need creative leadership.
Our Masters offers aspiring producers the opportunity to acquire the creative and entrepreneurial skills required to enter the rapidly changing universe of film and television. You will learn to create script ideas, work with writers and directors, manage a production thoroughly and market across platforms, we'll teach you how to navigate the financial and legal aspects of the industry, too.
The course is taught from our creative hub at Royal Holloway's central London campus, 11 Bedford Square. Our proximity to the media industry means that we can draw upon professionals for outstanding master classes, industry panels and careers events. Students are encouraged to attend The London Film Festival, MIPCOM, Berlin, and Cannes international festivals. You will also try out interning at a production company or work on the crew of a professional production.
You will learn from top talent and practice what you learn by making films, and TV programmes. The ‘Role of Producer’ and ‘Script Development’ courses are taught by Professor Jonathan Powell, one of the UK's most respected and experienced drama producers, having previously worked as Controller of BBC1 and Head of Drama for the BBC. The course leader is award winning producer and executive, Gillian Gordon who brings thirty years’ experience in Hollywood and the UK to teaching ‘Producing Workshop’.
Through master classes, industry internships and alumni partnerships, students are provided with opportunities to network with international talent and expertise, as well as building links with current Royal Holloway students and academic partners.
Core modules
The Role of the Producer
In this module you will develop an understanding of the role of the producer as the driving force in creating, managing and selling film and television products. You will look at how the independent sector works, and consider how to programme and pitch ideas. You will also examine approaches to working with creative talent.
Script Development
In this module you will develop an understanding of how to write an industry standard script report. You will learn how to analyse both film and TV scripts, and produce reports that constructively engage writers with the process of script development. You will consider the analysis of structure, character, dialogue, genre, and how to transfer feedback verbally.
Producing Workshop
In this module you will develop an understanding of how to create and pitch ideas to film, television and new media executives and financiers. You will learn the basics of script development, set procedure, scheduling, camera work, audio equipment and post production. You will consider how to develop and identify viable fiction projects and lead and manage the production of a short video, . You will work with creative talent, writers, directors, casting agents, and key craft team members, and examine how to finance and market your short film. You will put together a viable presentation package and pitch to a panel of industry professionals.
International Media Business
In this module you will develop an understanding of the global film and TV business. You will learn how to plan and conceptualise the creation and management of a sustainable media enterprise. You will examine the critical issues affecting the success or failure of film and television businesses, considering the role of financial planning in the life-cycle of visual media projects. You will also explore the wider context of finance in the development, marketing and distribution of film and television to investors, partners and government bodies, with a focus on the challenges faced by business startups.
Production Management
In this module you will develop an understanding of basic production accounting and the line management skills needed for film, TV and transmedia production. You will learn how to set-up a production company and budget, schedule, manage cash flow, and supervise a quality fiction production. You will consider how to manage 'below-the line' deals on a drama production and identify financial issues and their implications for day-to-day management. You will also examine how to manage a film crew and supervise the daily operations of a production team, and manage production costs, equipment and facility deals.
Marketing and Media Law
In this module you will develop an understanding of media marketing and promotion in film and television distribution and exhibition. You will look at social media and new trends in the global marketing of films and media projects, including cross-platform marketing. You will consider the fundamental principles of media law, including contract and intellectual property law, and examine issues of content and regulation.
Dissertation
You will produce a 10,000 word dissertation or media project on topic of your choice. You will carry out an investigation that has a clearly defined aim of study and arrive at a carefully argued set of conclusions derived from original research covering print, internet and first hand interview sources.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including essays, script reports, treatments, pitching exercises, studio exercises, production papers, practical film-making, business reports and presentations.
Our close links to the film and TV production industry make this a practical course – and one that gives you building blocks for your future.
While you're on the course, we'll encourage and guide you into work placements and internships. Past students have secured placements with industry leading organisations including:
Graduates from the Department of Media Arts have gone on to work in independent television and film production, for broadcasters like the BBC and ITV, for distributors, exhibitors, talent agencies and entertainment lawyers.
This course will equip you with innovative creative skills in the exciting field of TV Drama Production.
During your time with us, you will learn specialist production crafts and gain a detailed knowledge of the fiction form.
You will receive informed, professional guidance throughout the course. To unlock your full creative potential, you will also collaborate with other students on production projects and team-up to form production teams.
The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.
The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice, and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.
Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking. They include:
Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.
Past students have gone on to senior producing and commissioning jobs within television, while others now work as researchers, directors, producers, camera operators, editors and sound designers. The course has strong links with leading media organisations, including ITV, Channel 4, the BBC and the independent production sector.
To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:
The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:
The Master in International Screenwriting and Production is a graduate program that aims at creating professional scriptwriters, story editors and producers, providing them with a thorough understanding of the audiovisual industry and a strong knowledge of the storytelling techniques, which are the heart of every project of feature film and television series.
The MISP is a full-time intensive course, with a maximum enrollment of 42 students. The diploma, issued by Università Cattolica, is recognized as a first level Master’s degree by the Italian Government.
The MISP will allow students to acquire the required knowledge to work in the entertainment industry, both as writers and/or professionals working in production or distribution companies, TV networks, talent agencies or as production assistants.
Students will receive a comprehensive and high level training which effectively combines the academic expertise of university professors with the professional know-how of high-ranking professionals with international profiles.
Graduates from the MISP are exposed to a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates have both the theoretical knowledge and the methodological tools suited to pursue professional and managerial careers as:
● Screenwriters or creative producers of television series and feature films;
● Authors of TV entertainment programs and documentaries, copywriters, creators of video games and web series, writers of comic books and novels and fiction editors in publishing companies;
● Story editors and script consultants;
● Supervisors of evaluation, acquisition and programming of TV shows;
● Professionals working in different areas of the television and film industry (physical production, distribution, acquisition, product placement, etc.)
Here is a list of some Professors and Guest Lecturers:
● Eleonora Andreatta - Director TV series and TV dramas for Rai Fiction
● Luca Bernabei, CEO Lux vide, Rome
● Armando Fumagalli, Director of the Master, professor of Semiotics and History of Cinema, UCSC; script consultant for Lux vide
● Robin Lyons - Animation Writer and Producer – Calon (UK)
● Luca Manzi - Writer for novel, theatre and television, and co-founder of the Master Program
● Cristiana Nobili - Director, Original Live Action Production, Disney Europe, Middle East and Africa (London)
● Paolo Sigismondi, professor of Global Entertainment, Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
● John Truby - Screenwriter and script doctor for Disney, Universal, Sony Pictures, Fox, HBO, BBC
● Screenwriting theory (8 ECTS/ CFU)
● Script analysis and project evaluation (8 ECTS/ CFU)
● Writing techniques for audiovisual products (12 ECTS/ CFU)
- Screenwriting practice: treatments, scenes and dialogues, scripts, pitches.
- The writing of genres and adaptation.
- Writing for different formats: comic books, novels, documentaries, entertainment TV shows, advertising, the web, mobile media, and transmedia projects.
- Screenwriting and production of animation projects.
● The audiovisual industry (4 ECTS/ CFU)
- Industries and audiences.
- TV acquisition and programming and film distribution
- The physical production: pre-production, shooting, post-production, contracts and budgeting.
● Communication ethics (4 ECTS/ CFU)
Three months before the end of theoretical classes, the students will have to choose between one of the following careers: screenwriting or production. The students, who choose the screenwriting career, will have to write and deliver a final project from which the writing abilities developed during the program should emerge. Typically,the final project takes the form of a script for a feature film, which can either be an original idea or an adaptation.
The final project can be written in English, Italian, French or Spanish. The students, who choose the production career, will have the opportunity to undertake an internship within an established production or distribution company, a TV network, an advertising agency or on a film set.
The MISP aims at providing its stu- dents with the adequate knowledge, wide-ranging skills and contacts to meet the requests of an increasingly global and varied audiovisual industry.
In previous years, alumni from MISP (which, until 2015, was taught in Italian: Master in Scrittura e produzione per la fiction e il cinema) have been working as writers and producers for top rating TV series and highly successful feature films, or as writers of best selling novels, published in many countries; many of them have been working in high-ranking audiovisual companies such as Cattleya, Disney, Endemol, Focus Features, Freman- tle, Lux Vide, Mediaset, RAI, SKY, among others. They work not only in Italy, but also in London, Los Angeles, Madrid, New York, Paris, etc.
Graduates from the MISP are exposed to a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates have both the theoretical knowledge and the methodological tools suited to pursue professional and managerial careers as:
All scholarships are assigned on a merit basis and will be mostly given to students who apply by the priority deadline. Some scholarships may also target specific geographic regions.
Scholarship value: €4500
This course provides the opportunity for you to develop as a thinking practitioner of film-making or television programme-making, someone who is able to innovate while questioning and interrogating existing values and traditions. The emphasis is firmly on practical film-making and television production work, underpinned with contextual theory throughout, engaging with contemporary issues and emerging trends in film and television production, as well as established film/television theories and practices.
The first two semesters of study provide a range of modules which will allow you to develop your film/television “craft skills” – this may include work with camera, lighting, sound, editing, directing and producing – while working on short film/TV projects of your own devising. There will be opportunities to collaborate with other students, and you will be encouraged to make contact with, and work with, contributors (e.g. interviewees, actors) from outside of the university. You will also develop your skills as an academic researcher by carrying out research which feeds directly into your film projects.
The course culminates in the Masters Project, where you will be the key creative leader of a film or television production, taking on the role of producer or director.
In a typical week, a full-time student on this course will have up to ten hours of class time which will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical workshop sessions. Most course modules will blend these different teaching methods within a given timetabled session, so there will be plenty of variety.
In lectures, you will typically be given ‘food for thought’ in relation to your own project ideas. In workshop sessions you will get to practice film-making techniques related to your own project work needs. In seminars you will share ideas and discuss with tutors and fellow students. In tutorials you will have one-to-one or small group discussion about your works in progress.
The general flow of the course for a full time student is to start with production skills, research skills and scriptwriting in the first semester. In the second semester you move on to a small personal project which will combine all that you have learned from these three areas. In the final semester, you bring it all together in a personal film/TV production project which is seen as the culmination of your studies.
Part-time students experience exactly the same course modules and course content, but necessarily broken down into smaller groups of modules.
Opportunities:
The course is built upon negotiated production work, which means you get to propose and develop your own ideas for film and television. The teaching staff are experienced with production across documentary, drama and social action production, and will guide you according to your ambitions, skills and needs.
There is always the opportunity to work on ‘live’ project briefs, which can be used as the basis of a module project, or alternatively as an extra-curricular experience which informs your development on the course and allows you to network with students on related courses.
The course is taught in the School of Media, which houses a three-camera live television studio, fifteen editing suites with Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro X and other professional software packages, and a sound-recording/foley production suite. It also has an equipment store from which you can borrow all the camera, sound, lighting and other equipment you need to produce your work.
Who will teach you on this course?
The course teaching team includes four active doctoral or postdoctoral researchers – Adam Kossoff, Tracy McCoy, Phil Nichols and Gavin Wilson – whose interests include documentary film, social action video, screenwriting and adaptation, and cinematography. They are all qualified higher education teachers, and have many years of experience of teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. They are also experienced film and programme makers.
Our students and graduates have a track-record of success in competitions and festivals, such as the prestigious Royal Television Society Student Awards, the Midland Movies awards, and the Business Disability Forum's Technology Taskforce Film Festival.
Film-maker and editor Andrew Webber has had his films screened at international festivals in the UK, Jamaica and West Africa. He says, “The University has been extremely supportive, through my studies and after graduation.”
Niki Gandy has pursued a teaching career, and now teaches photography and art in a High School. Calling herself a “proud graduate” of our related undergraduate course, she says, “I chose it for its practical content and which helped furnish me with numerous transferable skills necessary to forge my career in teaching. Almost a decade on, my lecturers continue to provide me with support and guidance - I feel certain that my relationship with the university will continue for many years to come.”
Actor and director Brian Duffy, creator of TV series Small World – a comedy series about a group of deaf flatmates which has been shown on TV and online – says, “Studying at the University of Wolverhampton helped me with networking and organisation – especially as filmmakers came to Wolverhampton for Deaffest, the UK’s leading deaf film and arts festival. My lecturer could also sign which was a great help and a huge weight off my shoulders – I could talk to her one-to-one. That’s something I never had the pleasure of pre-university.”
Lauren Shinner has been working in media production ever since graduating. She says, “My time at the University was invaluable, I wouldn't be where I am today without it. The tutors were always helpful and push students to do their best with plenty of support and understanding and the course prepares you well for your prospective career. I've gone on to work as a video editor in education, ran my own media business and have done videos for high end charities and new bands, and am now working in media in another area. Without my degree, none of this would have been possible.”
If you are attracted to an exciting international career reporting on global finance, are passionate about consumer affairs, or interested in investigating money stories this is the programme for you. Most students don’t have any background in finance but are interested in working as financial journalists. The programme also attracts working journalists who want to specialise in financial journalism, and graduates with a background in the financial sector who want to work as journalists. We welcome applications from UK/EU graduates and non-EU graduates with good English skills.
The MA in Financial Journalism is unique in its international reach and includes the chance for overseas travel. The course teaches the skills needed for financial journalism. Supported by the Marjorie Deane Foundation the course aims to develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to work in a multimedia environment…
Through the generous support of the Marjorie Deane Foundation for Financial Journalism, the MA Financial Journalism degree offers two unique features:
Many media organisations approach the MAFJ course with requests for interns. All students are encouraged to seek work experience while they study on this course. Internships can be undertaken full-time during the six-week winter break and the summer, as well as part-time during the spring. This programme does not grant academic credit for any work experience undertaken. Some internships, particularly those by large media organisations over the summer, are paid. Examples of the kind work experience students on this programme have successfully arranged:
Additionally, several media organisations have offered dedicated paid internships exclusively to students on MA Financial Journalism course, including Argus Media and AFP, subject a separate application process. These have often led to full-time job offers.
Visits to Media Organisations
Throughout the course there are opportunities for you to visit and gain inside understanding of the application process at a number of leading media organisations including: Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal.
In 2014 we completed a £12m development projects for our Journalism facilities. These facilities were developed in consultation with experts from the BBC and ITN, and were praised by the BJTC. Our facilities include:
The MA Financial Journalism is currently led by Tom Felle, a former international foreign correspondent. Module tutors include The Sunday Times Banking Correspondent Aimee Donnellan, former senor Reuters journalists Roger Jeal and Anne Senior. Recent guest speakers have included Financial Times interactive editor Martin Stabe, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler, and economist Jim O'Neill. Guest lecturers from the highly rated Cass Business School also provide tuition on specialised topics in business and financial journalism.
The programme includes an online live production day reporting on the UK Budget, producing a web-based special report, and a TV production week during which you will produce a half-hour current affairs business television programme.
This pathway is taught by professors, senior lecturers and lecturers, with industry practitioners as Visiting Lecturers, and a number of key industry visiting speakers. Activities include lectures, practical work in groups and individually, personal tutorials, and independent learning
Assessments vary from module to module but include coursework, practical work both in groups and individually, a Final Project, and essays.
By the end of the course, you will have had extensive training in the best professional practice of reporting business and financial news, working across television, radio, print and online media.
You will develop professional skills in
You will have a firm grounding in corporate, financial and economic reporting, the ability to understand and manipulate financial data and to critically analyse announcements by companies and government departments.
You will also complete a final project which demonstrates their ability to write a longer piece of written journalism or a broadcast video to a professional standard.
All of our MA Journalism students must undertake underpinning core modules in Ethics, Rules and Standards and a Final Project.
Teaching hours are between Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.
Core modules
Electives
Three quarters of our Alumni are still working in London, with others located in major financial centres like New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Singapore. In 2014, nearly all our students had received job offers within three months of graduating from the programme.
On this course, you will learn how to research and produce original television documentaries.
During your time with us, you will receive expert instruction and guidance on the concepts, techniques and processes key to the documentary form. And you will produce your own documentaries, collaborating with your fellow students in production teams.
With opportunities to engage closely with industry, the course develops the skills and techniques required to work in the media, while encouraging independent creative content production.
The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.
The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice, and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.
Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking. They include:
Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.
In previous years, a large number of graduates from this course have moved into broadcasting jobs as camera operators, editors, sound assistants, researchers and assistant producers. Former students are currently employed at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and independent companies across the UK.
To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:
The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:
Edinburgh College of Art: Postgrad study in Art, Design, Architecture, Music, History of Art
