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  Sound Design for Film and Television - MA


National Film and Television School    Masters Programmes

Full time January MA 2 years full-time
Communication & Media Studies (7) Creative Arts & Design (9)

FindAMasters summary

If you have a passion for sound design and want to make your mark in the world of film and television, our MA in Sound Design for Film and Television at the NFTS is the perfect choice for you. This programme combines technical skills with storytelling, allowing you to create captivating soundtracks that evoke emotion and enhance the viewer's experience. With access to industry-standard facilities, you'll learn all aspects of audio post-production and collaborate with fellow students on real projects. There are no strict entry requirements, as we value diversity and welcome applicants with different backgrounds and levels of experience. Apply now and take your sound design career to new heights!

About the course

Sound design is the emotional heartbeat of a film, TV show or game. 

A soundtrack has the ability to make you feel scared, to be uplifted, to bring you to tears, to build tension and release joy. At the NFTS, we marry together training in the technical skills of sound design with a passion for telling stories through sound.

Course Overview

At the NFTS, you’ll get to work in industry-standard facilities and learn all aspects of audio post-production, developing the techniques and creative awareness required to work as a professional sound editor, sound designer and dubbing mixer.

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Entry Requirements

We are looking to assemble a group of students with diverse and varied backgrounds. There is no 'typical' student or perfect candidate who conforms to a mandatory list of qualifications. Applicants are likely to have some industry experience, or training in their chosen field. Your background may be in the arts or other media, you might be looking for a further professional qualification or wish to broaden your knowledge of sound post-production, taking you to a higher level of work.


 Course Content

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Where will I study?

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Student Profile

Adrian Rhodes

Sound Mixer/Designer. Recent credits include: Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, Tabby McTat, and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

"The NFTS gave me the best start I could have asked for"

Scholarships

The NFTS is committed to ensuring it is open to students of genuine ability, no matter what their background or financial circumstances.

In the last year, 8 in 10 UK students received support, with more than £950,000 given out in total.

As an institution that develops the next generation of creative talent we feel a special responsibility to ensure our creative industries reflect the full diversity of our country. The NFTS awards more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK.

All long term resident UK students, once they are offered a place on an MA or full time Diploma programme, are invited to apply for an NFTS funding award. Awards may consist of either a bursary or a scholarship or a combination of both.

NFTS Scholarships are donated by individuals or organisations with a direct involvement in the film, games and television industries. They often include a mentorship and an individual donor may take in interest in your work.

The NFTS funding awards contribute directly to tuition fees and may be between £1,000 and £10,000. They are not re-payable by the student.
They are only available to UK permanent residents.

Value of Scholarship(s)

£1,000-£10,000

Eligibility

NFTS funding is only available to UK permanent residents.

Application Procedure

Students are invited to apply in both of the two years of the MA course. Some scholarships are intended to be for a particular specialisation, for female students, or awarded on ethnicity or according to the UK region of an applicant.


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The NFTS is committed to ensuring it is open to students of genuine ability, no matter what their background or financial circumstances. As an institution that develops the next generation of creative talent we feel a special responsibility to ensure our creative industries reflect the full diversity of our country.

The NFTS awards more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK.

So if you have the talent and the commitment, we want to give you the opportunity to fulfil your potential. We don’t want anybody to be put off applying for a place at the NFTS because of the cost. We will do all we can to help you make the finances work to come to the NFTS.Toledo Productions supports diverse new British voices and talent. The Toledo Scholarship was established in 2005 by one of the world’s most successful producers and NFTS governor Duncan Kenworthy (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) to enable talented newcomers from the UK’s ethnic minorities to fast-track their ambitions and join the British film industry. Since its inception, over 30 scholars have benefitted from £300,000 of funding including writer/director Shola Amoo (The Last Tree) and producer Kurban Kassam (Ginger and Rosa).

The NFTS funding awards contribute directly to tuition fees and may be between £1,000 and £10,000. They are not re-payable by the student.
They are only available to UK permanent residents.

Value of Scholarship(s)

See the website

Eligibility

The Toledo Scholarship is an NFTS scholarship specifically intended to enable talented newcomers from the UK’s ethnic minorities to fast-track their ambitions and join the British film industry.

Application Procedure

Application is made in the same way as all other NFTS scholarships but candidates will need to identify themselves as an UK ethnic minority candidate in order to be considered automatically.


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The collaboration with the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery, will help support more applicants from under-represented groups to access highly sought after places on the School’s world leading MA and Diploma courses through bursaries and scholarships. Funding provided by the BFI will directly help students to train at the NFTS by generously supporting their tuition and maintenance outgoings.

The new partnership with the BFI will also financially support emerging filmmakers from under-represented groups to undertake the hugely popular entry-level NFTS Certificate in Filmmaking.

Eligibility

BFI scholarship funding is available for NFTS MA and Diploma courses.

Application Procedure

Apply for the course of your choice and if you’re successful at gaining a place, you will be contacted by our funding team with details on how to apply for a scholarship.


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We are committed to supporting UK disabled talent and being a catalyst for meaningful change to issues faced by disabled talent within the UK screen and games industries. As part of our commitment to making the creative industries more accessible to disabled talent, we are providing dedicated funding to help to support UK students with disabilities to access our world-class training.

Five bursaries will be available for UK students applying to study on full time MA and Diploma courses from September 2024, providing up to £5,000 per annum each. Additional bursary support is also available for UK students applying to study part time Diploma and Certificate courses from September 2024 of up to £1,000 each. UK Students studying courses supported by NFTS scholarship and bursaries will also be eligible to apply for further funding from the School to help with tuition fee costs.

The funding aims to assist UK students who face significant additional costs because of the nature of their disability.

The bursary could be used to help with costs such as:
- Accessible accommodation
- Carers accommodation
- Additional heating and electricity costs
- Travel expenses
- Specialist and mobility equipment

The National Film and Television School is keen to take additional steps towards a more inclusive film, television and games industries and will continue to develop and secure additional support for those who need it.

Value of Scholarship(s)

£1000-5000

Eligibility

Candidates must have been permanently resident in the UK for the last three years and hold a British passport in order to be eligible.

A learning difference (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, or AD(H)D)
A visual impairment uncorrected by glasses (e.g. blindness or partial sight)
A hearing impairment (e.g. D/deafness or partial hearing)
A physical impairment or challenges with mobility or dexterity
A social, behavioural or communication impairment (e.g. an autistic spectrum condition or Tourette’s Syndrome)
A long-term illness/health condition which may involve pain or cause fatigue, loss of concentration or breathing difficulties

Application Procedure

As with all NFTS funding opportunities, on receiving an offer of a place on one of our courses, applicants will be invited to apply for funding. Applications will be assessed by a panel comprised of NFTS representatives and the School’s Disability Advocate.

Applicants will need to provide medical evidence of their disability (from a GP, consultant or specialist practitioner) and provide information on how the funding will be used. Applications will be assessed by a panel comprised of NFTS representatives and the School’s Disability Advocate.


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The Crown, a globally acclaimed Netflix series, stands as a testament to the power of craftsmanship in storytelling. For over a decade, a dedicated crew, including over 60 NFTS alumni, meticulously brought this masterpiece to life on screen.

The Left Bank Pictures – The Crown Scholarship programme, fuelled by a once-in-a-lifetime auction of 450 props, furniture, and costumes from all six seasons of The Crown, will give a host of new students the opportunity to receive world-class training and follow in our alumni’s footsteps.

The proceeds from the auction will support at least 50 students to train at the NFTS over next 20 years on fully funded scholarships with additional living expenses covered, allowing them to train on a wide range of our specialist film and television MA and Diploma courses.

If you're eager to pursue a career behind the camera in a specialist craft discipline, we encourage you to apply to become one of the first Crown Scholars and begin your journey shaping the future of the industry.

Eligibility

Open to students studying full time MA and Diploma courses. Eligibility is limited to candidates who have been permanent residents in the UK for the last three years and hold a British passport.

Application Procedure

To become a Crown Scholar, prospective students need to follow a straightforward application process by applying for the course of their choice (listed above.) Upon receiving an offer of a place, applicants will be invited to apply for funding.


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