BA (Hons) Film Production with Foundation Year

Why study this subject?

‘Tax reliefs for film, high-end television and animation have made production in the UK more attractive than ever.

As of August 2020, there were 300 British films completed in 2019-20 which claimed Film tax relief (FTR), with UK expenditure of £2.5 billion. These figures are likely to increase as more claims are received by HMRC. Since the relief was introduced in 2007, 3,470 films have made claims, accounting for £18.4 billion of UK expenditure.’ (https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/site-content/industries-tv-film-tv-film-why-the-uk)

Increased industry demand means employers need graduates with practical skills and hands-on experience. From audio-visual production for film or tv or creating films for the web, to location manager, editor or sound technician.

You could turn your passion for film into a rewarding and successful career with the right teaching and hands on learning experiences.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Buckinghamshire New University is a great place to start. When you’re surrounded by so many creative students and lecturers, you can’t help but be inspired to dream big. You will get the chance to collaborate with other BNU courses that make up the team that sit behind creating a film, such as Performing Arts, Dance, Hair and Makeup and Costume Design.

During your time with us you’ll learn hands-on practical skills to help you stand out to potential employers. You’ll get to grips with industry-standard equipment including cameras, lighting, sound and editing software, ensuring upon graduation you are prepared for your first role.

You’ll also benefit from our expert-lecturers who have a wealth of knowledge and experience within the industry, many of whom have written and produce award-winning films and TV shows.

Expect plenty of guest speakers, visiting lecturers and workshops. Our fantastic industry connections will contextualise your learning by presenting their first-hand appreciation of current industry problems, practices and priorities, and offering professional insights from different technical and creative perspectives.

And with London only 30 minutes away, you’re also close to some of the world’s top creative organisations and access to a huge range of networking opportunities.

This course is developed with both academics and industry professionals. And, by constantly focusing on your future, we’ll ensure you leave us as one of the most employable graduates around.

What facilities can I use?

At both our High Wycombe Campus and teaching base at Pinewood Studios, we have all the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment you need to kick-start your career.

Our Green Screen studio, video studios and editing suites are all kitted out with the professional-standard equipment you need. Our audio-visual editing suites include Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Final Cut Pro X, Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve and Avid Media Composer. The suites are acoustically treated and sympathetically lit.

Whilst studying with us you will also use our BucksAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. BucksAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

We’ll start the course by exploring the key theories and skills you need to analyse and deconstruct films. You’ll look at Hollywood cinema, documentaries, independent and art cinema, and more, as well as the impact of streaming.

During your time with us you’ll explore the ins and out of industry. We’ll cover different areas from directing, to visual effects and sound design. At the same time, you’ll hone your practical script writing skills. We’ll run workshops and you’ll pitch your script to a highly experienced panel. They’ll analyse it for creativity and production viability.

As well as this you will explore production design, art directing and more. We’ll help you understand the complexities of visual storytelling with specialist modules on film forma and storyboarding.

How will I be taught and assessed?

A hand-picked team of experienced professionals are eager to pass on their expertise to the next generation of budding filmmakers and will share insider knowledge throughout the course.

Throughout your time studying you will be assessed in a range of different ways, including;

• essays where you will be required to present research material in specific subjects and edit it to fit desired outcomes as well as write in depth about particular topics
• reports where you will be encouraged to document your entire learning progress throughout the degree
• portfolio which is an essential part of the course in order to present yourself visually to prospective employers. You will be taught on the different processes involved in producing industry-standard portfolio and assessed on the outcomes
• practical skills which is one of the most important elements of the degree and you will be assessed on the quality of your finished pieces throughout the course.