BA (Hons) Film Production & Cinematography

UCAS Code:
PW36
Institution:
B50
Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

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This course, delivered at Wiltshire College and University Centre’s Salisbury campus, is the perfect blend of academic study and practical assignments. It will prepare you for work in the film or TV industries as it gives you the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, from music videos and adverts to dramas and documentaries.

As well as getting the opportunity to produce, direct and edit a host of projects both on your own and as part of a team, your lecturers will encourage you to evaluate and critique film and TV productions, to develop your understanding of key concepts and ideas within the contemporary media environment.

As a result, you’ll graduate with a wealth of experience in the area of film production, allowing you to go on to work in a variety of exciting roles within the industry. Visit the course Vimeo channel to have a look at some of the student work produced throughout the degree, including The Manor, produced as an ‘end of year’ non-assessed project by students:

Shot on 35mm film, The Manor was produced by students from all three years and has won a number of awards.

Visit us

Open Days for this course are held at Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury, where this course is delivered. Visit their website to book onto an Open Day.

Image description — Wiltshire College students collect their Student Drama award for The Manor at Royal Television Society’s Professional and Student Awards 2018

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, September 2020

Location:

Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury

Duration:

3 years (with a 4 week work placement) or 4 years (with a 30 week work placement) full-time

Entry requirements:

For 2019 entry: 112-128 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM. For more information check out our 2019 entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each component or equivalent. For more information check out our International entry requirements.

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.

Course details

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, and you will also undertake group work and written exams. The assessment methods for each unit can be found in the programme specification for your course.

Download the programme specification (pdf 704kb)

Year 1

Media Concepts and Contexts: You'll produce a self-authored, narrative film, whilst demonstrating an interest and an understanding of images, narratives and audiences as applied to film production.
Professional Development Plan: You will research a particular area of industry practice, with a view to developing your own individual career path.
Introduction to Production Skills: You will learn the fundamentals of film making - sound, lighting, camera and production management. Working on location, you will work in small groups developing key production and technical skills.
Applied Production Skills 1: Working on location, you will apply key production and technical skills to a range of production projects.
Collaborative Project: In a group you'll create a production of a narrative film through which you'll develop an understanding of a wide range of technical and production skills.

Year 2

Professional Studies: It's intended that industry contacts will be developed by you throughout the remainder of your course and can then be used as an on-going link upon graduation.
Media Theory: Critical study of film form with particular emphasis on the centrality and importance of narrative. You'll be asked to focus in on one key media theory and reflect upon the implications of the theory in your practice.
Applied Production Skills 2: This unit centres on the production of an individually authored documentary or fiction film. You will develop your own creative voice and demonstrate a flair and ability for film making.
Research Methods: Here you'll hone your research skills, drawing upon various methods to carry out your own piece of independent research.
Film Production and Cinematography Project: Press, media, new media and photography; you'll discover the impact of the full range of new and traditional media on the production, distribution and marketing of film.

Placement year

Final year

Concept Development: Development of a film project and accompanying marketing and distribution strategies. This experience will initially grow through a work placement you will undertake.
Graduate Project: Production of a film including the implementation of marketing and distribution strategies. You will need to demonstrate knowledge of industry-standard production techniques and cinematography skills, you will also need to recruit and manage a team of people to produce a minor film project.
Dissertation: You'll produce a significant piece of written academic critical work, the subject matter of the dissertation will be decided through consultation with your course tutor and will relate in some way to the genre or style of the practical work undertaken throughout the course.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placements

We recognise that placements are extremely valuable and can give you a head start when it comes to your future career; therefore we now offer every new student the opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of their course.

Find out about BU students’ experiences on placements All you need to know about placements

How placements benefit you

Placements provide a great opportunity to make your first career steps and enhance your employability while you’re completing your studies. You’ll get the opportunity to:

Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider
Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

How long will your placement be?

Your application

This course will suit applicants who:

Demonstrate both intellectual and creative abilities
Show an understanding of film making principles
Have an appreciation of cinematography
Possess a strong awareness of different film genres and histories
Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills.

How to apply BU Academic Excellence Scholarship

What we’re looking for

Students on this course will typically have a creative background and either qualifications or experience related to film and cinematography. Students will also be media aware and have a proven ability to work creatively, in groups and individually.

We look for creative and innovative thinkers who are familiar with current film making practice and want to apply it. We would encourage applicants who are interested in new ideas, can express themselves well in writing, work well in groups and can demonstrate a wide range of interests.

Selection methods

How we’ll assess your application

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, predicted grades, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview/selection test.

If you meet one or more of our contextual data indicators for educational disadvantage (such as being in care, living in a low participation neighbourhood or in an area with less advantaged socio-economic characteristics), your offer could be between 8-24 points below the published tariff.

Our offer making process

Our offer making will typically be based on your most recent graded qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications on the UCAS tariff tables when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) and the rest of the application to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will still confirm your place.

Our Unconditional Offer Scheme (2019 entry)

Applicants who are predicted to achieve strong academic results will be eligible for BU’s Unconditional Offer Scheme in recognition of their academic performance and potential to succeed at university. If you are selected for the scheme and commit to us as your firm choice of university, then we will match this commitment by making your offer unconditional, which will guarantee your place at BU.

You will receive a standard conditional offer based on the entry requirements for your course via UCAS Track and your offer letter – it will advise that you are eligible for the Unconditional Offer Scheme. We will then update your offer to unconditional should you choose BU as your firm choice on UCAS Track.

We believe that unconditional offers reduce pressure on applicants who will continue to strive to achieve the best grades possible. If you achieve ABB or above at A-level or equivalent, you’ll also be eligible for our Academic Excellence Scholarship.

Visit our Unconditional Offer Scheme FAQ page

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff points

We use the UCAS Tariff to show our entry requirements and will accept a combination of grades from your qualifications. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to tariff points.

For 2019 entry: The entry requirements for this course are 112-128 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM.

Excluded subjects: This course does not accept General Studies.

GCSEs: This course requires a minimum of GCSE English and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications.

Numeracy and literacy: We need to be sure that you can express yourself in written English and have basic numeracy skills. We look at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework, which includes, but is not limited to, GCSEs, iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills Level 2. If you do not have formal qualifications to this level or have alternatives, we may still be able to consider your application – please contact the Future Students Enquiry Service to find out more.

Other qualifications: We have outlined below other qualifications that we consider for this course. If you are studying a qualification that is not listed, please contact the Future Students Enquiry Service – it may be that we can still consider it.

Access courses: 112-128 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades.

BTEC qualifications:

Extended Diploma: This course requires Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 tariff points)
Diploma: 112 tariff points (Grade D*D*)
BTEC National Foundation Diploma/90-credit Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent
BTEC National Extended Certificate/Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

Cambridge Pre-U Diploma: 112 - 128 tariff points including a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects.

Cambridge Technical qualifications:

Extended Diploma: This course requires Distinction, Merit, Merit (112 tariff points)
Diploma: 112 tariff points (Grade D*D*)
Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent
Introductory Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

International Baccalaureate (Diploma): 30 - 32 overall including grade H5 from 2 Higher Level subjects.

Scottish Highers: 112 - 128 tariff points including a minimum of 2 Scottish Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

Extended Project Qualification: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with the Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if it’s included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider applicants for deferred entry.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each component or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course. Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement, without the need to re-take IELTS.

Academic entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students’ page.

We offer a number of preparatory programmes through the Bournemouth University International College. These courses offer you progression from High School in your home country to a Bachelor’s degree at BU.

Careers

Film and TV production has become ever-more sophisticated over the years and you need to be versatile with a good understanding of the industry and the latest technology to get ahead. We have an excellent reputation within this competitive industry and our graduates consistently go on to work on high-profile TV and film projects.

Our graduates have worked on productions such as The Bourne Identity, James Bond, The Blue Planet, BBC and ITN News, Alan Partridge, Eyes Wide Shut, Casualty, Formula One Motor Racing, Survivor, Dark Shadows, Avengers, Dr Who, Downton Abbey, Last Tango In Halifax and many others.

Careers advice, resources, events and job opportunities

Typical starting job roles

Industries worked in

This is a degree that’ll prepare you for roles in the areas of film, television, media and creative – but the capacities in which you can take on such positions are numerous.

You could use your passion for your work in documentaries or entertainment, original drama or marketing and campaigning. There are countless contexts in which visual storytelling can make a difference.

Further study

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise.

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that staff can change.

Course changes

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
19/02/2018	Change: English language requirements have changed to IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component. Previous text: IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
14/11/2017	Where the change was made: Fees Change: After an annual review of the placement year tuition fee, a price increase in line with current inflation, equating to 3% has been introduced. Previous text: £790
25/10/2017	Where the change was made: Key facts and English language requirements Change: English language requirements have changed to IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component. Previous text: IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
06/09/2017	Where the change was made: Key facts and 2018 entry requirements Change: 2018 entry requirements have changed to 112 - 128 tariff points including a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM. Previous text: The entry requirements for this course are 120-128 tariff points from 3 A-levels. BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM.
06/09/2017	Where the change was made: 2018 entry requirements Change: 2018 GCSE entry requirements have changed to this course requires GCSE English and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications. Previous text: This course requires a minimum of 4 GCSEs grades A* - C (or grade 4 or above in the newly reformed GCSE grading) including Maths and English or equivalent qualifications.

What our students say

Ryan Denham

The BA (Hons) Film Production & Cinematography is not so much a course, but more a film-making community.

Hear from our staff

Andrew Smith

BU delivers industry focused TV and Film courses. All our tutorial staff have industry experience with credits ranging from ‘Game Of Thrones’ to ‘Blackadder’.

What employers think

Dave Kirkwood

...he was a joy to be with. I would willingly recommend him for further work. The job would not have been possible to do without him.