BA (Hons) Media Production (with Foundation Year option)

Core units

• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practise them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be the opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Collaborative Communication Project: The unit focuses on the centrality of communication, both as a process and as a project. Through the collaborative development of a communication solution to a specific communication problem, the unit aims to promote the principles and practices of team-based iterative project work. 
• Media & Current Debates: You will be introduced to a) the important role and responsibilities of the news media within democratic societies and b) the varied nature of reporting of key events, issues and debates within the contemporary 24/7 news cycle. You will gain an essential level of understanding of what constitutes news and what the work of journalists entails. You will also develop an awareness and appreciation of differing coverage of particular stories by a range of news organisations. 
• Media Work: You will become familiar with a range of profiles and career paths in the communication and media industries, and be inspired to reflect on and develop your own professional identity. Through case studies of seminal campaigns, programmes and artefacts, profiles of ground-breaking personalities, masterclasses from industry professionals, and guest talks from BU staff who have worked or currently work in marketing, PR, media production, journalism and communications, you will encounter and interact with diverse role models, career trajectories, and types of professional practice. 

Core units

• Media Scholarship: Here you will be introduced to the key scholarly approaches involved in studying media in higher education.
• Digital Film: In a group setting, you’ll explore the principles and practice of digital film production. We look at professional workflows throughout the pre-production, production and post-production process.
• Audio Production: The focus here is a critical awareness of the professional processes and practices involved in the creative experimentation, conception, planning, design and realisation of audio content.
• Scriptwriting: In this unit we examine the role of the script in media products. This will provide a foundation in the development of your scriptwriting skills for a range of platforms and formats such as film, television, radio and the web.
• Digital Media Design: In this unit you will consider the basic concepts and develop key skills for understanding, designing, and producing media content for web-based and interactive platforms.
• Understanding Media: Here you will develop your knowledge of the key scholarly concepts within the field, as well as how to apply these concepts in analysing media in a time of change. You will consider your own engagement with media as both producer and consumer.

Core units

• Media Perspectives: In this unit you will choose two from a menu of options as you engage with current industry debates and case studies within your discipline.
• Factual: Form & Content: Running in parallel with, and complementary to, Fiction, this unit focuses on factual content with the creative emphasis being online environments.
• Fiction: Form & Content: This unit will extend both your practical skills and your critical understanding of fictional forms and content, examining the similarities and differences in practice across media, with particular reference to audio and video content.
• Work in Media Industries: This unit will examine the current state of the media industries, their adaptive and evolutionary nature, and the implications of this transitional culture for the professional demands upon, and subjective experiences of, industry workers.
• Stories & Spaces: The emphasis of this unit is on ‘experience design’ and the use of physical spaces for media content, including event-led, live, and installation practices.
• Client & Audience: This unit focuses on understanding the client relationship, responding to a brief, pitching ideas, managing client expectations, and producing a solution to a specific communications challenge.

The placement element of the course is mandatory – but its duration depends on the length of your degree. You’ll have the option to complete either a four-week placement if you take the three-year version of the course, or a 30-week (minimum) placement on the four-year version.

The placement is a key feature in helping you develop your abilities and understanding of media production; it also provides a platform for successful entry into the profession following graduation.

Core units

• Industry Research Project: This unit aims to give students the opportunity to critically examine their chosen area of professional interest through the application of original research into a media industry organisation.
• Specialist Craft Skills: This unit will enable you to review, sharpen, and further develop your craft skills within an aspect of media production to inform your graduate project.
• Ideas Development & Research: You’ll explore turning ideas and concepts into commercially viable end products to be pitched, sold, defended and tested in the global creative media marketplace.
• The Graduate Production Project: You will individually produce a production project where you decide the mix and range of media to engage with, and the industry context it sits within. We encourage you to think of this as your ‘calling card’ for employment. See examples of student work
• Career Pathways: Here you will present and reflect on your work and learning so far, as well as construct a forward-facing career profile/plan.

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 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.

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator. 

They’ll help you plan your placement to make sure you get the right experience for you. That includes offering help and support if you need to move to another part of the UK – and even another country – to get the most out of your time.

We’ve also built close industry links over the years – so our network of employers that are keen to work with placement students is always growing. Or if you’d prefer to arrange your placement independently, we can offer advice on how to do that too.

• Warner Bros
• LoveLove Films
• Mambo Media
• Bright Button Productions
• New look
• Walt Disney

Sam Drake BA (Hons) Television Production student worked with RedBalloon on the Body Parts Exhibition, London.

"I joined RedBalloon in the summer of 2019 and was able to get involved with the Body Parts Exhibition, London. RedBalloon had created a documentary looking at the reality of living life as a Paralympian, to be showcased in London. I was a runner at the exhibition and got some hands-on experience liaising with clients and conducting interviews with some of the artists. Executive Producer, Stephanie Farmer, was aware I wanted to pursue the career of a Television Producer and gave me the opportunity to get involved with the filming of the event, discussing narrative points with me. Once back from London, I worked in the RedBalloon office editing suite to create a cut of the exhibition film. This was a challenging task, working under the guidance of Stephanie and the client to ensure the film accurately showcased the event.

"My time at RedBalloon was both enjoyable and challenging. I felt like I was getting involved in the production thoroughly, as opposed to being used to do menial tasks. I enjoyed the production of the Body Parts event in London as I got to try a selection of roles and work alongside talented professionals.

"RedBalloon has equipped me with invaluable practical skills and experience I can apply to future productions. Having an award-winning production agency enhances my CV, showing potential employers a strong work ethic with a reputable company. RedBalloon allows students to work with a professional production company to experience what working in the industry will be like. It is a great feature of the Media and Communications faculty at Bournemouth University, equipping students with skills beyond graduation."

Dimitra Margaritidou MA Sound Design for Film and Television student worked with RedBalloon as a sound designer.

"I worked in RedBalloon as a sound designer in two different projects. The first one was an animation with a battle scene taking place in a medieval castle. The second one was an augmented reality project in a tin mine with a focus on ambient sounds. My main role was to help source sound FX, record some additional Foley sounds, edit them and work with the professional RedBalloon editor to lay down the final mix.

"Working with RedBalloon was a great experience. I enjoyed being part of a professional team and developing my skills at sound design. Also, combining studying with a work placement helped me develop my time management skills. Furthermore, working in collaborative projects with students from other departments is a good way of having new contacts for future projects.

"While working for RedBalloon I developed my professional and communication skills as I was part of a professional project. Moreover, apart from the skills that I acquired, my CV is more enhanced.

"I believe that having RedBalloon in the faculty is very beneficial as it provides students with an insight of how the media industry works before they graduate. Also, it gives them the chance to actively participate in the field and get hands-on experience with working conditions.

"I would highly advise other students to look for opportunities offered by RedBalloon as they can gain relevant experience on their filed of interest whilst studying, work under a professional environment and enhance their CV at their same time."

Jemma Wood BA (Hons) Television Production had the opportunity to work as a mentor on the Breda University of Applied Science project (BUAS) as part of RedBalloon Productions.

"The BUAS project involved mentoring a group of 40 Dutch students from the University of Breda, completing one of their university units in BU’s live television studio. My role was to facilitate the students in any way I could as most of them hadn't been in a studio environment before. I supported them to source contributors and locations, assisted with paperwork in order to film field segments, helped them to buy props and advised in the studio.

"I really enjoy working for RedBalloon, it’s a great way to be able to get some really valuable experience and meet some amazing people at the entry level I am currently at. I enjoy being able to share my passion with other like-minded individuals. Throughout the project, I found taking a step back most challenging and letting the students learn from their mistakes. It was great after to help them understand why they made that mistake and how to prevent doing it again. It is also great making contacts with students from other countries, I have many of them on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch for the future." 

Jemma has also worked for RedBalloon as a Producer, creating a charity promo film for children who have survived brain tumour.

"RedBalloon is a great thing to have in the faculty, often in this industry getting work experience is very difficult as you have to have experience to be able to get experience. RedBalloon gave me the chance I needed to get some real experience and enhance my CV to help me stand out from the crowd. It's an amazing thing to get involved with at university, it could be the first ‘real‘ (production) experience you get which can lead onto further opportunities."

Students on this course will typically have a creative background and have had some work experience in media production, which may include video production, radio production, or networked media. Students will also have a proven ability to work creatively, in groups and individually.

We look for creative and innovative thinkers who have things to say, and are able to articulate and defend their ideas. Students will be familiar with some aspects of current media practice, and will not be afraid of technology.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

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, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications 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) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

This course has compulsory elements involving practical production activities. When required, students must complete a health and safety risk assessment to take part in these activities, for their safety and that of others. As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely. 

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible. You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application. We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need. Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans.

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety. If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

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

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

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 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.

Typical starting job roles for this course include:

• Producer
• Director
• Editor
• Scriptwriter
• Post Production Supervisor
• TV Researcher.

• TV
• Media
• Radio
• Interactive media
• Digital
• Creative.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces.
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Placement year funding information can be found on our website.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• Sport BU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Once you are have enrolled as a student at BU, there is a wide range of help and support available, depending on your particular needs.

• Library & Learning support
• Additional Learning support
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)
• Transport and travel.

The RTS wants the television industry to reflect the exciting, diverse, and talented voices of the Britain of today, and that starts by changing the industry from the inside out. The Royal Television Society Bursary Scheme is officially open for submissions. Applications will be accepted until the 29th June 2023.

Bursaries are awarded to talented students from lower-income backgrounds studying an undergraduate degree in the subject of Journalism, VFX, Television Production, Humanities and Social Sciences, and STEM-related courses. The RTS runs three pioneering schemes – the TV Production and Journalism Bursary, the Digital Innovation Bursary, and the Steve Hewlett Scholarship. What is important is an evident interest in pursuing a career in television, film, or related media industries.

The Bursary provides free RTS membership; industry mentoring; access to the latest events and lectures; and numerous networking opportunities. We also support our Scholars financially, awarding £1000 per academic year of study.

For more information about the bursary, how to apply and eligibility criteria, please see the RTS website.

Rebecca is an experienced producer director specialising in factual television, documentaries, current affairs and commercials. She has made many award-winning (Bafta, Emmy, RTS) television series including Brat Camp for Channel 4, Little Angels (BBC), That’ll Teach ‘Em (BBC), A Place in Italy (Channel 4) and The Hotel Inspector (Channel 5) for which she was instrumental creating the primetime format.

As a series producer at Al Jazeera, she was part of the network’s launch in 2006 and responsible for its flagship current affairs show. Rebecca has also worked on many high-profile television commercials including Johnnie Walker’s Personal Journeys: Keep Walking campaign broadcast globally on CNN and Discovery and Nissan’s Adventures on the 24th Parallel campaign produced by RSA Films and sponsor of TV drama 24.

Filming work has taken her all over the world and she has made documentaries and television commercials in French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Arabic.

Kathryn"s research, practice & teaching is centred around concepts of participatory media, broadcast talk, mediated interaction, community engagement, radio production, oral history & storytelling.

Before completing her PhD, Kathryn previously worked as a radio producer in independent production (documentaries, live events, awards, festivals, specialist music shows). She lectures across the undergraduate and postgraduate framework and is Level 4 Coordinator on the BA Media Production degree. She led the BA Radio course for 3 years and is External Examiner at the University of Salford. Kathryn is the Wellbeing Coordinator for the Media Production Department and currently a supervisor on two PhD projects.

Kathryn's research has focused on the historical and contemporary radio interview - particular interest in Desert Island Discs, the Radio Ballads, the 'confessional' phone-in and radio created/made for/about/by prisoners.

She is currently researching two areas: firstly, how radio can be used articulate the experience of motherhood inside prisons; and secondly how and why suicidal listeners might call into radio stations. Her paper on the early years of BBC Radio programme 'Desert Island Discs' will be published at the end of 2020.

Resh Somauroo is a Lecturer in Screenwriting at Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Media and Communication. His practice-based doctoral research focuses on storytelling, industry practices and ethics in relation to storytelling to children. Other research includes examining application of industry story/script development practices within Higher Education via the highly successful annual ‘Deep Dive’ initiative. Career highlights: BBC (Education Dept.), Channel Four Television (Programme Commissioning, helping oversee the development and production of over 30 programmes a year, plus responsible for his department’s drama development slate), UK Film Council (freelance Script-Editor) and LEGO (International Head of Development for LEGO’s Character & Story division charged with the development and implementation of original stories and characters for use with LEGO play-materials, international marketing campaigns and multi-media activities, helping win numerous international awards). Resh is also an active and full-voting member of B.A.F.T.A.

Evi works across theory and practice in the field of Audio Media. She studied classical music in Athens- Greece before moving to the United Kingdom where she gained a 1st class (Hons) BA in Media Production: TV & Radio from the University of Sunderland and an MA in Radio from Goldsmiths College. She gained her Ph.D. at the University of Sunderland, researching radio as an intimate medium, while also teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate Media courses there. 

Evi’s latest theory output is an interdisciplinary article on the concept of atmosphere in radio and architecture. Her latest practice output is Air Free, an audio installation artwork created as part of the Project Freiraum, an international collaboration with the Goethe-Institut - with the involvement of local stakeholders in Greece and the UK.

Isabel Forrest is a Senior Lecturer in Media Production.

I have taught film and television at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels here in Bournemouth since 2012, and led the undergraduate programme in Media Production between 2013 and 2017. I was previously Head of Twofour Learning, the education division of the Twofour Group, and served on the Board of Twofour Communications (2008-2010). Prior to that I was one of the company’s Executive Producers, working for clients ranging from broadcasters like the BBC and Channel 4 to a wide range of major brands.

Simon Perkins is an academic and design researcher in the Faculty of Media & Communication. He is a Pākehā, originally from Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) in Aotearoa New Zealand. His current research focuses on the form of the video cut-up as a contemporary means of meta-textual content production and cultural critique.

Simon has taught across both undergraduate and post-graduate levels; including PhD supervision. His teaching is primarily focused on contemporary cultural theory and creative practice, and in doing so has significance lecturing experience and dissertation and major project supervision in areas including: digital culture and theory; communication, information and graphic design; web software development and project-management; social media identity construction and performance; as well as short-form screenwriting and experimental film-making...

Brazilian-born filmmaker, Carolina Oliveira has been working in film and media production across the UK and Europe for over ten years. Carolina undertakes research in the areas of First Person Documentary, Social Activist Documentary, Latin American Cinema, Cultural Studies and practice-led research. As a practice-led researcher, Carolina produced a feature length, first person documentary film exploring Brazil’s recent history of social movements through the personal lens of her own emotional and physical journey as a transnational filmmaker.