Masters Degrees in Movie Production

This Feature Filmmaking course will give you an industry-focused education in the business and practice of modern, low budget feature film production.

Modern filmmaking is collaborative and we’ve tailored the course for aspiring writers, directors and producers. Throughout the process we’ll help you to develop your skills for a career working on feature length documentaries or fiction. We teach you how modern filmmakers make feature length projects, while offering you practical experience of trying to make them yourself.

COURSE STRUCTURE

We teach you how modern filmmakers make feature length projects, while offering you practical experience of trying to make them yourself.

You should graduate with:

• A range of professional contacts
• A showreel
• A fully developed feature film project
• The knowledge to get ahead in the film business.

This is an industry facing course; you’ll build and develop your creative and associated business skills. We believe filmmakers need a clear understanding of business and financial issues to achieve their full creative potential.

MODULES

This course consists of five modules:

Development introduces and explores practical and creative approaches to low budget feature production. It gives an overview of the issues and challenges, and develops key skills. Each student will refine their project during this module by learning and applying various strategies and techniques of feature film production.

The Finance module focuses on the historical development of business systems, procedures and models that influence the contemporary global film business. This module will also include contemporary analysis of the film funding policies and structures of European nations as well as distribution strategies and mechanisms.

In Pre-Production, students have the ability to further develop/rework/alter their main project in the light of the insights into low budget cinema techniques and how the international film business operates. Industry standard software such as Final Draft and Movie Magic will be taught during this module.

Audience will give students thorough grounding in the theory and practice of contemporary marketing as applied to film. The module will introduce traditional marketing theories and strategies regarding communications, consumer behaviour, direct and customer relations marketing.

In Production, students will turn greenlit projects into a feature length production, building on the insights they have learnt over the course. The projects will normally need to be completed to an ‘off-line’ standard. It is expected that most productions will involve a maximum 18 days for principal photography. The projects will then go into a period of editing of 10–12 weeks to arrive at a version of the film that is suitable for screening to distributors and agencies to seek further completion funding.

For more information on modules please visit our website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-feature-filmmaking/

TEACHING METHODS

You’ll be taught through a combination of intensive workshops and seminars. You’ll build on the your previous filmmaking experience and current professional practice.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

You’ll be assessed in a variety of ways, including scriptwriting, production folders, audience building strategies and a feature film project. You’ll need to demonstrate, through coursework, a detailed understanding of how micro budget features are made. You’ll also submit a portfolio of project work that shows a creative mastery which matches your grasp of the film business. Your final mark for the feature component of the assessment will depend on the creativity of your work, your commitment to the project and demonstrated ability in your role.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

This experience may lead some producers and directors into work on other films, TV drama or drama documentaries. Other students may wish to pursue academic work as lecturers or practitioners.

Another potential career route open to graduates will be to use their subsequent project as part of a PhD. Other careers can involve working with arts organisations.

For more information on opportunities please visit our website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-feature-filmmaking/

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This taught degree programme has a unique focus, offering training in all aspects of filmmaking, from concept and creative development through the filmmaking process and on to distribution and marketing. By the end of the degree, students will have developed a competition and festival-ready calling-card short film, together with transferrable skills in developing and marketing their product and an understanding of the nature of the film industry.

Teaching on this degree conforms to current industry practice, and includes training and mentoring in standard development documents, such as screenplay, treatment and storyboards, and in areas such as risk assessment and budget management. Visiting guest speakers from various areas of the film industry provide an essential context on changing practices, as well as offering useful information of their own experiences in film. The programme does not include training in basic production techniques, and successful applicants will have a first degree in Media Studies or a related discipline, and/or equivalent industry experience.

All students on this programme receive a production budget.

Modules:

The Film Industry: The aim of this module is to foster an understanding of the workings of the international film industry; film production, distribution, exhibition, marketing and consumption will all be examined. There will be an initial focus on the historical development of the film industry on an international scale, with a particular emphasis on Hollywood and its relationship with the rest of the world. Various aspects and traditions within the modern day film industry will be examined, including ‘independent’ and ‘world’ cinema, and the situation in the UK, as well as Hollywood today.

Concept Development: This module introduces students to the practical and theoretical aspects of developing concepts for film, as well as the craft of screenwriting including script formatting, style, structure, genre, plotting, characterisation and dialogue. Students will be encouraged to develop professional writing habits and to give and receive critically constructive comment and advice, as well an understanding of storytelling in visual media at postgraduate level.

Film Production: The micro short: This module aims to develop students’ knowledge of the technical aspects of filmmaking, including direction, camera-work, lighting, music and editing, with the aim of producing a high-quality two-minute short film. Students will also gain understanding of the economic forces that frame the film industry and an understanding of the role of technology in production, content manipulation, distribution, access and use.

Writing the Short Film: This module expands students’ practical experience of screenwriting, and advances core theories on the synthesis of creative and industry practice, as well as focusing specifically on the history, format, aesthetics and demands of the short film. Students will also learn how to present and communicate their concepts in industry standard documents such as beat sheets, treatments and storyboards, in order to facilitate the filming of short film screenplays in the latter part of the MA course.

Pre-Production: The short film: This module aims to develop knowledge on the practical and budgetary aspects of pre-producing a festival quality short film, including commissioning strategies, casting, rehearsals, risk assessment, location scouting, and the managing and co-ordination of a production crew. Students will also manage a production budget in order to understand the economic practicalities of filmmaking and the importance of the commissioning and funding structures of the creative industries.

Film Production - Dissertation: This module utilises the skills and knowledge developed during the previous modules on this MA; providing students with funding and the opportunity to recruit a crew from undergraduate students to produce a short film. Students will generate work that displays exceptional capability in operational aspects of media production technologies, systems, techniques and professional practices to produce a competition and festival-ready calling-card short film.

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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 project. The producer’s role has been transformed by the advent of globalization, digital technology and the multi-channel environment.

This course offers aspiring producers an opportunity to acquire the creative entrepreneurial skills required to enter a rapidly changing film and television universe. The course concentrates on developing creative, managerial, financial and legal capabilities for a successful career in production.

This Master’s degree reflects the global nature of the contemporary media marketplace but its main focus is UK film and television fiction, rather than factual production. It is targeted at those who want to follow a career path as producers, rather than as directors.

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

Why choose this course?

- The course benefits enormously from close links with the film and television industry. Tony Garnett (producer of Cathy Come Home and This Life), whose company World Productions has built up a reputation for challenging and innovative drama, was a guiding force in designing the course and has played a great part in the course's success.

- Professor Jonathan Powell (former Controller of BBC 1, Head of Drama for the BBC and Controller of Drama at Carlton TV), one of this country's most respected and experienced drama producers, now delivers the 'Role of the Producer' and ‘Script Development’ lectures as well as providing you with support and advice.

- You will normally undertake a full-time internship in a production company. In most cases this internship lasts about four weeks. You will be offered guidance and assistance in an effort to obtain industry internships.

- Students who have graduated from the course are working successfully in independent television and film production, for broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, and for distributors, exhibitors, talent agencies and entertainment lawyers.

- Regular networking events are arranged where former alumni can make contact with each other and with the current group of students.

Department research and industry highlights

- TRENT is an exciting and innovative collaborative project between the British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC) and Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Led by John Ellis the project brings together the nine existing online databases hosted and curated by the BUFVC which provide important film, radio and television material along with accompanying metadata and contextual information for academics, students, teachers and researchers. This project brings together all the material contained in these databases, yet Trent is not simply a master database. Instead it foregrounds creative searching through a common interactive interface using real-time ‘intelligent’ filtering to bringing disparate databases into a single search and discovery environment whilst maintaining the integrity and individual provenance of each.

- The EUscreen project is major funded EU project which aims to digitise and provide access to European’s audio-visual heritage. This innovative and ambitious three year project began in October 2009 and the project consortium is made up of 28 partners from 19 European countries and is a best practice network within the eContentplus programme of the European Commission. The Department of Media Arts at Royal Holloway’s is responsible for the content selection policy for EUscreen and those involved include John Ellis, Rob Turnock and Sian Barber.

- Video Active is a major EU-funded project aiming to create access to digitised television programme content from archives around Europe. It involves collaboration between the Department of Media Arts at Royal Holloway and Utrecht University, and eleven European archives including the BBC, to provide access to content and supporting contextual materials via a specially designed web portal. The team from the Department of Media Arts, who are John Ellis, Cathy Johnson and Rob Turnock, are responsible for developing content selection strategy and policy for the project.

- Migrant and Diasporic Cinema in Contemporary Europe is an AHRC-funded international Research Network, led by Daniela Berghahn, which brings together researchers from ten UK and European universities, filmmakers, policy makers and representatives from the cultural sector. The Research Network explores how the films of migrant and diasporic filmmakers have redefined our understanding of European identity as constructed and narrated in European cinema. The project seeks to identify the numerous ways in which multi-cultural and multi-ethnic presences and themes have revitalised contemporary European cinema by introducing an eclectic mix of non-Western traditions and new genres.

- Lina Khatib was awarded an AHRC Research Leave Grant to complete a book on the representation of Lebanese politics and society in Lebanese cinema over the last thirty years. The study focuses on cinema’s relationship with national identity in the context of the Civil War and the post-war period in Lebanon.

- Gideon Koppel was awarded an AHRC Research Leave Grant to complete his feature-length documentary portrait of a rural community in Wales, The Library Van, which has been partly funded by the Arts Council of Wales.

On completion of the course graduates will have:

- a broad and detailed understanding of the nature of film and television production; how the role of the producer impacts on the production as the creative and managerial driving force, and how the producer communicates meaning to the writer, director, film crew and to the audience

- advanced understanding of the process of producing a film and/or TV programme, from initial concept through distribution and sales

- advanced understanding of script development

- advanced understanding of the various stages of the production process and how to write a pitch, a treatment, business plan, make a deal, write a financial plan, re-coupment schedule and budget as well as all relevant production contracts and documents

- critical knowledge of the current genres and trends in film and television and how they have evolved in recent years

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

- a broad understanding of the group nature of film and television production and how the roles played by the key players shape and influence the creative as well as business outcomes of a project

- a clear understanding of management structure within the production company and film crew, hands-on experience of production in

- a professionally equipped television studio working with industry professionals as well as fellow students

- a broad understanding of health and safety, industry codes of ethics, best practice and legal undertakings

- an introduction to high quality industry software for budgeting and scheduling, and post production editing

- an understanding of film and television history

- an understanding of what creative and business skills are needed to be successful in the media industries.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including essays, script reports, treatments, pitching exercises, studio exercises, production papers, business reports and presentations.

Employability & career opportunities

Students who have graduated from the course are working successfully in independent television and film production, for broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, and for distributors, exhibitors, talent agencies and entertainment lawyers.

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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Introduction
The MA in Film Production is a 1 year full-time programme that begins in October of each year, and offers graduate students opportunities to undertake intensive study in production skills in 16mm film and video.
The programme provides instruction in sound recording and design, camerawork, lighting, editing, scriptwriting, budgeting and directing.
The Department of Media is housed in a purpose built complex with professionally designed studios, cutting rooms and editing facilities.

Course Description
This MA Programme is aimed particularly at people who have a good first degree in a subject such as film, television, or media studies but who have limited practical experience. Good honours degrees in other subjects, together with evidence of a serious interest in film and video production outside a formal academic context, may also be appropriate.

This MA Programme will suit people who want a general introduction to all areas of pre-production, production and post-production within 16mm film and digital video. Although some degree of specialisation is possible this MA should be seen as a general introduction to all areas. One of the advantages of this approach is that all our MA students are encouraged to write and direct their own films.

During the first term of the programme (October - December) students undertake a number of familiarisation exercises in film and video, developing pre-production, production and post-production skills. These exercises include 4 short 16mm productions and a number of video productions. These are carried out in small teams and it should be noted that teamwork is a major focal point of this MA.
In the second term (January - March), the programme concentrates on the further development of skills in scriptwriting, cinematography, directing, sound design/dubbing with ProTools, editing with Avid and compositing with After Effects. During this term students carry out the pre-production for their assessed film/video.
This is then shot and edited in the final term (April - June). A budget of up to £500 is provided to cover the basic costs of production. Students receive support through individual tutorials, group seminars and studio classes.


The MA in Film Production is predominantly practical but it should not be seen only as a vocational preparation. Its important theoretical component is related to the practical side and a weekly two-hour session covers theoretical issues such as narrative style, representation or national identity. In addition, students are obliged to attend weekly screenings and playbacks in the final year undergraduate courses.
During July, August and September students research and write a 12000 word dissertation on the theory underpinning their assessed film.

Resources
The Department's video equipment includes DVC-PRO video cameras (equivalent to Digibeta), tracks, doorway dolly, jib, specialist lighting gear, editing on AVID Xpress Pro, sound dubbing in a digital dubbing suite using ProTools, and software such as Photoshop, After Effects and Flash. There is also a newly equipped 3 camera TV Studio using digital widescreen cameras, gallery with digital desk and sound room with 32 channel mixer.

Our film resources offer fully professional 16mm and Super 16 opportunities, using Arriflex, Aaton and Bolex cameras, Nagra sound recorders, solid state recorders, a fully equipped studio and portable lighting kits for location work.

Outside the Department there is a student run campus radio station, in which many students participate. BBC regional radio (Radio Kent) also operates a studio in the Media building and offers student involvement with professional broadcasting.

Student Destinations
Students who successfully complete the MA have gone onto a wide range of Media related careers often starting at the assistant level and moving up from there. A number of ex-students work within Camera Departments, Producing and Feature Film Editing. Lecturing within Further Education and Higher Education has also been a particularly successful employment route.

Funding
Significant funding may be available for UK and EU students who have a good academic background [e.g. a first class or 2.1 honours degree] from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (A.H.R.C.) Please see their website for application details (http://www.ahrb.ac.uk/) Please note that this application process takes some months with a completion deadline in April.

See our website http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/arts-humanities/media/courses/ma_media-production.asp for more details.

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If you work freelance, in a media production company, or want to set up your own creative business, this film producing course will develop your skills and subject knowledge to the high level required to succeed in the film industry.

The University of South Wales’ film producing course will give you the skills to set up your own production company and offers valuable assistance to enter the film, television and media industry.

You will consider the creative role of the producer throughout the production process, from working with the writer during development, the director and heads of department during pre-production, production and post-production, and the producer’s role as fund-raiser and financial manager of the entire production.

You can study full-time over one academic year or part-time over two years. There are two exit points before the full MA Film Producing award for extra flexibility. Successful completion of Stage One leads to a Postgraduate Certificate in Film Producing and Business Management, and successful completion of Stage Two leads to a Postgraduate Diploma. You will need to complete a final project for the full Masters qualification.

If you do choose to study on a creative postgraduate course at the University of South Wales, you will also benefit from being part of a vibrant international student community.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/141-ma-film-producing

What you will study

Selection of modules include:
- Understanding Producing
- Business Planning
- Understanding Film Finance
- Aspects of Film Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
- Media Entrepreneurship
- Research Methods (optional)
- Histories and Theories (optional)
- Masters Project

Common Modules:
The Faculty understands the importance of a strong grounding in research knowledge and skills, enterprise and innovation as part of a balanced postgraduate education.

We also recognise that each student has different requirements of their postgraduate experience.

You can choose to study one of the following three, 20 credit common modules. Each of these has a different focus, enabling you to select the module that will be most beneficial to you.

- Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship
This module aims to develop your knowledge of the methods to identify, develop and manage enterprise and innovation in the creative sector. It will then help you apply this to your own entrepreneurial project.

- Research and Practice in the Creative and Cultural Industries
The focus of this module is on the development of research knowledge and skills, while also encouraging critical engagement with approaches to creative practice. You will also explore ideas, debates and issues in the creative and cultural industries.

- Research Paradigms
This module focuses on research paradigms and their theoretical underpinnings. It also looks at key conceptual tools drawn from a wide range of subject areas relevant to postgraduate research in the creative industries.

Learning and teaching methods

Each module is delivered by lectures and seminars, and you need to spend a substantial amount of time reading and preparing for assessments.

The style of coursework, set at 6000 words or the equivalent, varies for each module, ranging from portfolios, presentations to research-style papers or essays.

The Masters involves overseeing an actual production project (a short film).

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

USW’s MA Film Producing degree will give you the skills to set up your own production company and offers valuable assistance to enter the film, television and media industry.

Assessment methods

Learning Through Employment:
Learning Through Employment is a University of South Wales framework that offers students who are already in employment the opportunity to gain credits towards a postgraduate qualification.

The programme is structured so that the majority of learning takes place through active and reflective engagement with your work activities, underpinned by the appropriate academic knowledge and skills. As such, it has been is designed for practising professionals to provide them with the tools to succeed in the workplace.

This truly flexible approach means that projects can be based on an agreed area of work, benefitting students and employers, and because the majority of the project is carried out in the workplace, it can potentially be undertaken anywhere in the world.

Facilities

Our purpose built ATRiuM Building at our Cardiff Campus features state-of-the-art facilities for audio and video production and editing, graphic design, studio recording and more. The building is an engine room for the next generation of media practitioners and thinkers.

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This ground-breaking course is for those who want to turn their ideas and aspirations into success. Whether you plan to manage the next generation of film and television programmes, shape a career as a researcher, associate producer or production manager, or even run your own independent production company, the course will give you the practical training and theoretical grounding to help you to achieve your ambitions in the dynamic world of media production.

You will learn how to develop your ideas as viable projects and sell them in a highly competitive marketplace. Thanks to expert tuition from professionals with experience from across industry, you will become accomplished in managing productions as a producer, production manager, location manager and first assistant director. You’ll be working from a base room which provides a production office environment for planning work and seminars.

Working collaboratively with other students in related subjects, you will plan and produce your own projects and learn how to work collaboratively within a creative environment. The final production project will serve as evidence of your abilities to develop, plan and manage a project from concept to screen, and there is also an option to develop an alternative research-focused project if you prefer. The course has been awarded the ‘Creative Skillset Tick’, the industry kitemark of quality, which is awarded to practice-based courses which best prepare students for a career in the industry.

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Prepare for a career as a high quality sound design professional.

Overview

This course is ideal if you want a solid grounding in the latest postproduction systems and techniques as well as a rich understanding of digital sound design creation and audio for film, television and interactive media.

You can choose to focus on production-orientated work and apply for this MA degree. Alternatively you can focus on formal research into the technologies behind postproduction systems and apply for the MSc Postproduction with Sound Design. We run this course in parallel with our masters in Postproduction with Visual Effects which will allow you to work with others as you learn, giving you a well-rounded understanding of the postproduction process.

Throughout the course you'll receive powerful scientific and technical training combined with hands-on experience of sound design, program creation and artistic decision-making. Many of our graduates work in the industry, from film to television companies, and some of our graduates have gone on to study for PhDs in sound-related areas.

Course content

This course aims to help you develop a knowledge of the theories and technologies that are central to professional production and postproduction of sound in film and television. You'll be able to develop the practical skills that a professional in the film or television industry needs. This course is also ideal if you want to prepare for further research in postproduction systems.

Your understanding of professional production values and aesthetics will be enhanced through technical analysis and critical evaluation. You'll also work on creative and technical collaborative projects with others studying related courses. This will allow you to develop a range of skills, such as time management, working to objectives and team work which you'll find useful in the film and television industries as well as elsewhere.

Most of our students study full-time for one year, but you can also study this course part-time over two years.

You'll study a total of 180 credits. 80 of these will be through taught modules in the first two terms. You'll then go on to take a further 100 credits as part of an extended research project in the third term.

Term 1
1. Digital Production and Postproduction Workflows (20 credits)
2. Languages of Film and Television (10 credits)

Term 2
1. Group Projects (20 credits)
2. Audio Effects Design Lab (10 credits)
3. Spatialized Audio and Surround Sound (10 credits)
4. The Business of Production and Postproduction (10 credits)

The final term is dedicated to the design and development of individual project work.

Careers

The film and television industry is highly competitive and there is a constant demand for sound designers with a solid knowledge of current software and postproduction techniques. There's also demand for sound designers who possess a firm grasp of story and understand how technology can enhance the audio-visual experience.

There's also an increasing demand for researchers, in both industry and academia, who have a firm understanding of postproduction tools and how they can be applied to create the next generation of postproduction technologies.

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Our Postgraduate course in Film Production combines practice, theory, enterprise skills and personal and professional development. The theory is embedded in the practical teaching, so that for every new skill and convention learned the reason for its application is also explored

MA Film Production aims to emulate a real working environment in which practical learning allows you to ‘learn on the job’ by performing roles in a film production team. This ‘real word’ environment is further enhanced through student collaboration on productions of narrative drama or documentary, using high-end production methods and equipment. Alongside drama and documentary productions, postgraduate Film Production allows you to develop subject specific research skills and apply those to practical work.

INDUSTRY LINKS

Staff maintains links with Warp Films, Arri media, Made Up North, Northwest Vision and Media and many more regional and national production companies and agencies.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

Most modules are delivered at the Preston campus, with the main production modules based at the Media Factory, UCLan's £15m purpose built media powerhouse, with outstanding facilities and excellent technical and academic support. Students have access to a range of High Definition production equipment including advanced camera rigs and camera support rigs. The Media Factory also offers ample studio and recording spaces including motion capture, green screen, TV studio, audio recording and mixing studios, dedicated edit suites and many more shared facilities, all of which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Assessment is by submission of films produced and written and oral presentations of research outcomes. Students have to meet a set of learning outcomes appropriate to masters level study to pass their modules

GRADUATE CAREERS

Students typically move into production related areas, many of them regularly in the credits of major cinema and TV releases. Some choose to embark on careers in directing, camera or writing.

Students can sit technical undergraduate workshops and seminars as required and have to take part in enterprise based activities run by Futures and Northern Lights.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Based in the £15 million, state-of-the-art Media Factory you will have access to a range of high definition production equipment including advanced camera rigs and camera support rigs. The Media Factory also houses studio and recording spaces including motion capture, green screen, TV studio, audio recording and mixing studios and dedicated editing suites.

UCLan’s postgraduate Film Production course benefits from excellent, regional and national links with film production companies. Experienced industry professionals, academics and external, high profile, guest speakers deliver the course.

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Immerse yourself in hands-on filmmaking and real production budgets on this unique course.

Creativity and collaboration are at the heart of our teaching, which takes place in our very own Northern Film School (http://www.northernfilmschool.co.uk/), giving you access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Designed to mirror real international, independent film production, this course gives you the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge of seven main areas - producing, screenwriting, directing, cinematography, production design, sound and editing.

The course is driven by filmmaking itself, but you will also focus on theory - we want you to think, research, discuss and watch films. We encourage ideas based around independent filmmaking and look for inspired stories and concepts on which to base our productions. We will also supply funding for your masters' project.

Whether your passion lies in making fiction, documentaries or experimental films, you will have the support of a teaching team with ongoing and extensive industry experience.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: 38% of our research was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent in the Communication, Culture and Media Studies, Library and Information Management unit.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/filmmaking_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

Our course aims to give you a competitive edge in a challenging industry. We offer a route into film and television through working with tutors, mentors and visiting professionals and by developing your own creative abilities and work. We promote our graduation films on the international festival circuit, as well as giving you the opportunity to attend film festivals during the course.

- Creative Producer
- Cinematographer
- Screenwriter
- Director

Careers advice:
The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

As film financing, production and distribution move away from old models our course prepares you for an industry that expects you to be self reliant and self-employed.

You will be taught by practising filmmakers with experience across documentary and fiction, from cinematography to editing, some of whom can boast BAFTA and Oscar nominations. As a consequence of relationships between staff and the industry, you will have the opportunity to learn from visiting filmmakers during guest lectures and workshops. The Northern Film School (http://www.northernfilmschool.co.uk/) is also a member of The International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT), an organisation of only the best film schools worldwide.

The School is the first and only film school in the UK to receive JAMES accreditation, in recognition of the professional expertise of our staff, the professional level of our facilities and the opportunities for our students to crew on professional shoots. JAMES represents creative and technical organisations across the media industries sector such as the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), the Music Producers Guild (MPG), UK Screen and UK Drama. On our JAMES approved course, you will be studying the latest in industry practice and gain access to professional contacts and work experience opportunities. JAMES described us as 'a benchmark against which all other film courses need to be measured'.

At the Electric Press in Leeds city centre where the School is based, you will have access to an impressive range of facilities. These include both 16mm and digital production equipment, two production studios, professional level edit suites, production offices, screening facilities, a props store and film and script archive.

Keith Dando

Senior Lecturer

"Our course aims to empower you to not just get into the industry but to 'be' the industry on a creative as well as business level, and to leave the course having made long lasting collaborative relationships."

Keith’s career has included work on short and feature films, television series and computer games in projects for the BBC, Channel Four, Channel Five and many independent film and TV companies. Keith has also co-written screenplays that have reached the finals in the prestigious Zoetrope and Final Draft screenwriting contests, and worked with upcoming and respected filmmakers such as Clio Barnard and Penny Woolcock.

Facilities

- Film Studios
Based in the Electric Press, our two expansive production studios, East and West Side enable the building of substantial film sets. This affords film students the opportunity to fully explore set design and prop building.

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Broadcasting Place
Broadcasting Place provides students with creative and contemporary learning environments, is packed with the latest technology and is a focal point for new and innovative thinking in the city.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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“Science fiction, fantasy, musicals, and period films offer the most obvious platform of eye-catching design, but it should be remembered that even if the subject is contemporary, or the style emulates documentary, we are still witnessing an illusion which has been designed.”
Peter Ettedgui — Production Designer

The MA Film Production course is for gifted and emerging filmmakers seeking to learn on the job, to go beyond the short film, to define themselves as artists within a working film production crew, and to gain that vital production experience demanded by the industry.

Work Placements | In line with the courses’s emphasis on industry experience, you will be encouraged to undertake, seek out short-term work opportunities in your field. These can occur when your pathway is normally not involved in a particular production stage, for example with production designers during post-production. This opportunity is available for all students, Home/EU and for International, details can be found on our Working during and after page. The experience you and other students gain through this work out in the industry enhances and -compounds the learning and collaboration on the course.

NAMED AWARDS AVAILABLE IN

MA Film Production (Producing)
MA Film Production (Directing)
MA Film Production (Production Design)
MA Film Production (Cinematography)
MA Film Production (Editing)
MA Film Production (Sound Design)
MA Film Production (Documentary)
MA Film Production (Screenwriting)

Mirroring the working patterns of film production these named awards also reflect the degree of physical production engagement for these disciplines. With Producers, Directors and Documentary makers taking their films through all the stages from first idea, through to development, pre-production, production, post, and on right through to delivery to the audience. Whilst the disciplines of Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Design, and Screenwriting, over that same time period, will be engaged in the physical production, post of two or more films.

For the Portfolio Short Films made on the course, the budgets are seed funded. For other units, all the basic costs of materials and equipment are covered.

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On the MA Film Production, the learning experience is built around practical production modules, underpinned by theory that explores key developments in the history of cinema.Our aim is to nurture filmmakers who can critically reflect on the form and content of both their own work, and the work of others in the field

Course detail

The course is predominantly practical, with almost 70% of learning geared towards enabling you to produce documentary and experimental films. For those whose interest is academic, there is also the possibility to replace the double project practice module with a dissertation. The course closely tracks contemporary developments in digital cinematography and sound design, actively encouraging students to create transformative cinematic responses which cross the boundaries between documentary, experimental and fictive forms. This includes:
• lyrical
• Montage
• self-reflexive
• guerrilla
• poetic
• drama-documentary
approaches which challenge the existing output of broadcast, festival and on-line exhibition. Students produce several video sequences, plus two short films and one longer film.

The course examines the 'founding' traditions of documentary and experimental fiction associated with the Lumiere Brothers and Melies and explores overlaps and points of contact between them. The learning experience is built around practical production modules, underpinned by theory exploring key developments in the history of cinema. Our aim is to nurture filmmakers who can also critically reflect on the form and content of both their own work and the work of others in the field.

Modules

• Documentary Practice
• Film Theory
• Experimental Film and Video Practice
• Film and Media Cultures
• Project or Dissertation.

Format

The course blends theory and practice and is designed to help you build creative and critical bridges between the two, so each area of study informs and supports your other learning.

Almost 70% of the course is made up of practical workshops. These typically combine an examination of relevant film clips and approaches with discussions relating to their pros and cons. You will receive regular feedback with discussion on work in progress, test viewings with peers and staff, exhibition visits, and production of a final major piece of work. Throughout these modules, you will receive regular technical input and support.

Theory modules combine a range of approaches, including lectures, visits to the London Film Festival, student-led seminars, presentations and class discussions.

Assessment

The course combines elements of formative assessment with summative approaches, so you can draw insights from peers and tutors.

Career and study progression

Our alumni have gone on to showcase work and win awards in film festivals in the UK and internationally and secure broadcasts of their work in a range of territories.

In recent years many alumni from the course found work with production companies, broadcasters or as independent filmmakers, either in the UK, in their own country or elsewhere. We encourage our alumni to be involved with students and staff on the course and have developed a detailed database of student and alumni production expertise, to facilitate networking and the formation of crews for professional and student productions.

We also offer students the opportunity to pursue more in-depth research interests by undertaking a PhD with us.

How to apply

Click the following link for information on how to apply to this course: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/how-apply

Scholarships and bursaries

Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found here: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/scholarships-and-bursaries

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On this programme, students develop a practical and critical approach to the relationship between film production workflows, digital film technology, and creative practice. The programme seeks to develop students' creative abilities to a high professional standard, preparing them for employment in increasingly dynamic film and media sectors, and to facilitate film projects that foreground the importance of practice-based research, expertise and experimentation.

The MA route allows students to refine a critical approach to creativity in areas such as writing, directing, and producing; the MSc focuses on creative technological agendas in areas such as cinematography, editing, and VFX. To find out more about the MA/MSc in Film Production visit our blog at http://blogs.gre.ac.uk/filmproduction.

From October to April, you will attend three core courses (Cinematography 1, Production Practice, Film Research Workshop) and choose four courses from the following options: Cinematography 2, Film Screenwriting, VFX, Directing Screen Performance, Sound Design and Editing. From May to September you will undertake a final project.

You will use digital camera equipment current in the industry, including RED, Canon C300 and Arri Alexa systems. Teaching takes place in brand new film production facilities in the Stockwell Street building, which includes studios, post-production suites, and a sound studio.

Visit the website http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/pg/ft/filmprod

Film and Television

This subject offers students the chance to develop creatively and technically. It affords the opportunity to acquire both the latest techniques and traditional skills in working with digital media, in television and film production and post-production. This course allow for original and creative minds who want to explore specialist areas of these professions and develop their portfolio.

What you'll study

Core courses:

Film Research Workshop (30 credits)
Cinematography 1 (15 credits)
Production Practice (15 credits)
Major Project (60 credits)

Four options from:

Film Screenwriting - compulsory for MA (15 credits)
Directing Screen Performance - compulsory for MA (15 credits)
Cinematography 2 - compulsory for MSc (15 credits)
VFX - compulsory for MSc (15 credits)
Sound Design (15 credits)
Editing (15 credits)

Fees and finance

Your time at university should be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is important that it is not spoilt by unnecessary financial worries. We recommend that you spend time planning your finances, both before coming to university and while you are here. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.Find out more about our fees and the support available to you at our:
- Postgraduate finance pages (http://www.gre.ac.uk/finance/pg)
- International students' finance pages (http://www.gre.ac.uk/finance/international)

Assessment

Students are assessed on their film project work and creative portfolios.

Career options

This programme is aimed at students preparing to make the transition from education to employment in the film industry. The film sector needs graduates with specialist expertise, but also creative thinkers who are deadline-driven and project-minded; capable of managing digital workflows in an enterprising manner, and taking initiative. This is the kind of approach we encourage and help our students to develop.

Find out how to apply here - http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/apply

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The MA Filmmaking (Producing) will provide you with a thorough training in all aspects of producing – from the conception of an initial idea through to development, financing, production and release- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-filmmaking-producing/

This Masters, a pathway of the MA Filmmaking, provides excellent training for a successful career as a producer. As part of the programme you'll have the opportunity to specialise in either development, where you will work with writers and directors to develop new ideas, or line producing, where you will focus more on how to run a production and a crew, and how to also take a production manager or assistant rirector role.

What we offer

The programme is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the art teaching spaces including film and photography studios equipped with Arri lighting and Greenscreen, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Film Editing, Animation, Digital Special Effects, Pro Tools Audio Postproduction and Foley suites.

Our studio spaces, and extensive production facilities and informal rehearsal and meeting spaces create an environment where you can discuss and collaborate with scriptwriters, actors, directors, other producers and your shoot team. We also have established relations with casting directors, agents, production designers and other professionals who will both advise you and provide their skills to enhance your productions.

You work on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition to your specialist area, you attend classes in related disciplines such as Film Directing and Editing and collaborate with students across specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

Our students say...

"I never thought it was possible to learn so much in a year."
"I am treated with a lot of respect when people know that I am a Goldsmiths graduate! They look up to this institution, for many reasons."
Specialist teaching
You will have specialist teaching on the larger role of the producer:

How projects are found and developed and taken to market

How to work alongside agents, financiers, marketers , legal and rights specialists, publicists and exhibitors
How to adapt this macro-model to all levels of shoot – from a self-shot indie web documentary to full feature-scale drama
Industry links
Your studies will be guided by experienced tutors and guests from major industry players including Channel Four, British Film Institute, FilmFour, BBC Films, Film London, Shooting People, Future Shorts and a host of production and distribution companies.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Media & Communications

Modules & Structure

For two terms you will spend a full day a week in specialised contact with your specific programme convenor, plus a further day in Screen Lab working with colleagues across the programme in a Talent Campus-style project-led learning structure with:

Masterclasses
Pitches
Role-plays
Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations
You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options.

The third term will be taken up with your final substantive project, and in writing up a process paper on your work and research over the year.

Screen Lab

You will also advance your collaborative skills by working in teams with fiction and documentary producers and directors, cinematography and sound students, on a variety of projects and at least three scheduled films across the year.

You will leave the programme with a diverse portfolio of moving-image work that may span a variety of formats – music video, web series drama, documentary, campaign/commercial, experimental art pieces and short fiction films.

Screen School options

As well as your Editing specialism, you will undertake three short courses to enhance your other skills and critical approaches.

Skills & Careers

If you are passionate about fashioning an exciting career for yourself as a filmmaker in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this course is for you.

On completing the programme, you will have the confidence, skills and hands-on experience to work in the film, television and online industries in the production field, navigating your way through production management and assistant directing roles.

In addition, you will find yourself in a media world that relies heavily on self-starting projects, you will be able to drive innovative new ideas into both established and new formats, strategise funding and marketing, and bring new and exciting opportunities to your creative team.

Possibly the most important skill we will provide you with is the rigorous discipline of working collaboratively under pressure as part of a creative team.

In addition to your practical filmmaking skills, we enable you to develop a variety of transferable intellectual, organisational and communication skills to equip you for a broad range of employment opportunities across the arts and media landscape (film, television, online, the creative arts, advertising and related hybrid forms).

Our graduates

Our producing alumni have gone on to win awards at major international film festivals (including a nomination for Best Short Film Oscar) and are active in the film, media and cultural industries around the world as fiction and documentary producers and production managers.

Other entry requirements

Please note that unless you are exempted (Please check your status with our Admissions Team: [email protected]) overseas students require an English language qualification of IELTS 7.0 in order to be considered for a place on the MA Filmmaking programme.

If you have not yet achieved IELTS 7.0, we advise you to sit your IELTS exam at the earliest opportunity and to submit your application immediately after receiving your result. The annual IELTS deadline for the programme is April 30th.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Overview

Got a passion for filmmaking? Want to improve your professional showreel and boost your employability? Southampton Solent’s MA Film Production programme is ideally suited to students who want to learn advanced filmmaking techniques, working in professional studios and collaborating with expert tutors on a range of projects.

- Students study both fiction and non-fiction filmmaking techniques, developing their own unique style of cinematography.
- Southampton Solent’s media academy offers a comprehensive media loans scheme, giving students free access to a range of modern film-making equipment including high-definition (HD) video cameras and DSLR full-frame cameras. Students are also able to access a wide range of top-quality lenses and lighting kits.
- Students will work with Solent TV and Solent Productions, our on-campus production houses, to create work for their professional showreels.
- Investment into 4K technology has already begun, giving students access to the latest professional standards.
- Solent's media academy is home to three green screen studios, a large visual recording studio with capacity for 200 seated audience members and a range of industry standard post-production facilities.
- Southampton Solent University was voted for by students as one of the UK's top creative universities (Which? University student survey, 2014).
- Solent Creatives, our on-campus creative marketing agency, provides students with the opportunity to pitch for work on professional projects.
- Students will end the course by completing a master’s project, demonstrating the range of skills that they have learnt throughout the year.

The industry -

The UK film industry as a whole continues to go from strength to strength, with the number of companies involved in the film industry growing by 32% since 2009. As online video content becomes more and more popular, video production skills have become increasingly sought after by employers.

Many past students are running their own production businesses, working as in-house practitioners or securing budgets for creative projects through crowd-funding. This course will help students prepare for careers in video production, post-production, directing, producing and cinematography.

The programme -

This exciting course focuses on independent film-making and current practices in the film industry. Students will experiment with creative ideas from the outset, taking advantage of our industry-standard facilities, training and equipment.

Along the way students will be challenged to develop their own personal style of filmmaking, exploring new ideas and collaborating with other postgraduate students. Up-to-the-minute teaching and instruction help students to build on these skills and work towards their chosen career.

Students studying in the School of Media Arts and Technology benefit from a schedule of high calibre guest speakers and visiting fellows. Recent talks have been given by Anne V. Coates (Oscar winning editor), Paul Franklin (Oscar winner for visual effects on Inception), Brian Tufano (cinematographer on Trainspotting, Quadrophenia and Billy Elliot) and Sir Alan Parker (director of Fame, Evita, Bugsy Malone, The Commitments and Mississippi Burning).

Course Content

Programme specification document - http://mycourse.solent.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6152

Teaching, learning and assessment -

The course is taught through workshops, individual tutorials, seminars and research sessions.

Work experience -

You’ll have the opportunity to gain work experience through our two production houses: Solent Productions and Solent Creatives, which work with a wide variety of clients and media organisations.

You could be involved in writing, researching and producing work, as well as in practical film production in the studio and on location.

Assessment -

Assessment is through practical production projects, group and individual research, pitches and portfolio work.

Our facilities -

Our facilities and equipment are cutting-edge. They include:

- Three fully equipped digital studios, including a full HD studio (with 200 seats)
- Extensive Final Cut Pro HD editing stations
- Fully equipped multi-track sound studios
- HD cameras.

Study abroad -

Field trips may involve visits to film festivals in Rotterdam, New York, Berlin, London and Sheffield, and to the British Film Institute.

Web-based learning -

Solent’s virtual learning environment provides quick online access to assignments, lecture notes, suggested reading and other course information.

Why Solent?

What do we offer?

From a vibrant city centre campus to our first class facilities, this is where you can find out why you should choose Solent.

Facilities - http://www.solent.ac.uk/about/facilities/facilities.aspx

City living - http://www.solent.ac.uk/studying/southampton/living-in-southampton.aspx

Accommodation - http://www.solent.ac.uk/studying/accommodation/accommodation.aspx

Career Potential

Our graduates pursue a wide range of careers. Suitable roles for graduates include:

- Production
- Publishing
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Teaching.

Links with industry -

We have well-established industry links with ITV, the BBC, Talent TV, Glastonbury and Creamfields, giving our students access to industry professionals and up-to-the-minute experience.
Past students have worked on projects for B&Q, Fat Face, Ikea, Glastonbury, Cowes Week and Camp Bestival.

We also welcome regular guest lecturers from industry. Previous speakers have included directors Michael Apted and Alan Parker, producers Claire Lewis (7 Up) and Nik Powell (The Crying Game), cinematographer Brian Tufano (Trainspotting), editors Alex Mackie (CSI and Downton Abbey) and David Gamble (Shakespeare in Love) and television and radio presenter Zoë Ball.
We host key events for Southampton Film Week, which gives students the chance to meet and network with other industry professionals.

Transferable skills -

During the course you’ll develop a range of skills, encompassing research, creative thinking and problem-solving, along with experience in teamwork and working individually.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees for the 2016/2017 academic year are:

UK and EU full-time fees: £6,695

International full-time fees: £11,260

UK and EU part-time fees: £3,350 per year

International part-time fees: £5,630 per year

Other Costs -

Film Production- £300

Graduation costs -

Graduation is the ceremony to celebrate the achievements of your studies. For graduates in 2015, there is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £42 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost.
For more details, please visit: http://www.solent.ac.uk/studying/graduation/home.aspx

Next steps

Think you’ve got what it takes to craft a career in film? With professional facilities, expert teachings teams and a strong focus on employability, Southampton Solent University’s MA Film Production programme could be the perfect next step towards your dream career.

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[UBC Film Mandate]]
At the UBC Film Production Program, our objective is to develop the student’s intellectual, creative and technical skills as they prepare to embark on professional careers in the film industry. Courses provide students with core disciplines and filmic knowledge as well as practical experience in filmmaking. BFA and Diploma students produce and work on several films while in the Program. As their thesis, MFA students make an original film.

The Film Production faculty is made up of dedicated working professionals who maintain strong connections to the Vancouver film, television and new media industries.

MFA

The MFA in Film Production Program focuses on the areas of directing, screenwriting and producing for students who already have a comprehensive background in filmmaking and wish to pursue a specific creative or intellectual vision in an academic environment.

The Program is very small. Normally only 2-3 students are admitted per year. This total includes students in the Joint MFA in Film Production and Creative Writing. There are normally 30-40 applications for these positions.

The MFA is a two-year course of resident study. However, many students find it may take 3-4 years to complete the thesis requirement, as students must fund their thesis films entirely on their own.

Quick Facts

- Degree: Master of Fine Arts
- Specialization: Film Production
- Subject: Creative and Performing Arts
- Mode of delivery: On campus
- Program components: Coursework + Thesis required
- Faculty: Faculty of Arts

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