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BA (Hons) Digital Film Production

Welcome to Digital Film Production

The BA (Hons) in Digital Film Production offers a diverse range of modules designed to enable you to gain the knowledge and experience in a broad range of the production skills needed to pursue a successful career in a wide choice of professions within the film and television industries and beyond.

With an industry led curriculum this course will equip you for a career in film production. Our lecturers have research and industry experience and smaller cohorts mean more support to achieve your ambitions.

 

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Your profile

You are dedicated, innovative and enjoy bringing your ideas to life. You have a passion for visual storytelling and love big pictures and the small screen. Whether your focus is writing comedy, producing action or horror films, creating special effects, crafting eye-catching corporate films or exploring issues in documentaries, you want to learn the specialist skills needed to launch your career in film, television and new media.

Your subject

Film, television and online videos are produced all over the world and consumed in ever greater quantity. The industry is incredibly diverse, with new technologies allowing users to consume and produce films and videos through an ever-growing array of media, including on personal devices and through streaming services. Skilled and qualified graduates are needed to ensure supply continues to meet this growing demand.

Your course

The BA (Hons) Digital Film Production degree programme will advance your practical and technical skills in camera operation and lighting, while evolving your proficiency in the craft of digital film-making. The course has a strong focus on practical and technical skills in camera operation and lighting, editing and sound techniques, and follows a contemporary approach to the study of multi-platform production, distribution and audience interaction. As a student, you will learn to produce exhibition and broadcast quality work. You will undertake multiple short film projects in each year to broaden your creative abilities in scriptwriting and producing as well as marketing and distribution, and be taught by tutors who have research and industry experience. Through the study of Experimental and World Cinema, alongside British and American products, you will learn about film and TV as a global industry while learning professional practices and employment skills to provide you with a solid foundation for entry into this exciting industry.

Your future

The creative talent you will cultivate and technical knowledge you will develop during your degree will equip you with the diverse range of skills needed to excel in the media production industry. You could pursue a career as a director, film or television editor, producer, camera operator or studio floor manager, to name but a few roles. Previous degree and diploma graduates have been employed as production assistants, art directors, junior colour graders and film and TV studio technicians, teachers and content creators for YouTube. Many are working as freelancers in camera, lighting, sound, directing, editing and visual effects, while others now run their own video production companies.

Undergraduate courses operate on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Each module is worth a specified number of credits, with most modules counting for 30/40 or 15/20 academic credits (depending on the programme), with each credit taken equating to a total amount of study time which includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity.

Most full-time students will take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. A total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits are needed for an honours degree as a whole. Overall grades for the course and degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6.

Our teaching is informed by research, professional practice and industry engagement and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline.

You can choose to study full or part-time on this course. A part-time programme will allow you to fit other commitments around your study time but will include the same modules as the full-time course. A typical full-time programme will be split over three years. In addition, a stand-alone qualification can be awarded at the end of year one (Certificate of Higher Education in Digital Film Production) and year two (Diploma of Higher Education in Digital Film Production).

Course Overview Year One (Level 4) Year Two (Level 5) Year Three (Level 6) Module Schedule Structure

Normally a minimum of 96 UCAS points achieved through A Levels or a Triple Merit Diploma at Level 3 or equivalent. Applicants will be interviewed and should bring a showreel of previous work on DVD.

*UCAS Tariff points where shown, are for entry on to higher education programmes starting from September 2023.

International applicants

If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English Language qualification.

Additional requirements for International Students:

  • You must provide evidence of having been in general education for at least 10 years and of having studied within the last five years
  • a face-to-face interview is required before an offer is made.

Although this is a new degree programme, our previous degree and diploma students have been employed in the industry as production assistants, junior video editors, film & TV studio technicians, teachers, content creators for YouTube, working for film festivals and arts facilities, and many are working as freelancers in camera, lighting, sound, directing, editing, visual effects and some run their own video production companies.

Timetables: Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Part-time classes are normally scheduled on one or two days per week.

Teaching and Learning: You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and practicals. Seminars enable smaller group discussions to develop understanding of topics covered in lectures.

When not attending lectures, seminars and practicals or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-directed study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, learning zone or technical learning resources, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations

Assessment: The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.

There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and your final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

 Feedback: You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.

ApplyFull-Time
UCAS Tariff Calculator
BA (Hons) Digital Film Production - Full Time
LevelLevel 6
LocationColchester
Duration3 Years
UCAS CodeP313
Academic Year2023-2024
Study ModeFull-Time
Campus / Adult Skills CentreUniversity Centre Colchester
Start DateSeptember 2023
ApplicationsApplications for full-time and part-time programmes starting in September 2023 are open now
Fee(s)2022-23: £8,250 per year
Additional Cost Information

Students are recommended to purchase at least one external hard drive (approximately £40 for 1TB) to save and back up their coursework recordings and scores. There may be travel costs and entry costs for extra-curricular visits to concerts, gigs, performances and expos.

Awarding/Validation BodyUniversity of East Anglia
Course Overview

The BA (Hons) in Digital Film Production programme aims to advance both practical and technical skills in camera and lighting that enhance and evolve your proficiency in the craft of digital film-making. Work will be produced of exhibition and broadcast quality for use as means to progress into employment, self-employment or post-graduate study.

Editing and sound techniques are developed through collaborative and individually produced short films with productions in each year providing a continuous development of creative abilities from script-writing to production and from marketing to distribution.

The course programme takes a contemporary approach through the study of multi-platform production, distribution and audience interaction. An appreciation of film and TV as global industries is encouraged through the inclusion of World Cinema texts alongside British and American products.

Professional practices and employment skills are covered throughout the course to provide a solid foundation for entry into the industry.

The various contexts in which film and television product is produced and consumed are an integral part of study in the first two years. The final year expands study into areas of factual and experimental film and television through the development of research based study.

Course lecturers are working practitioners in a variety of areas of the professional media production and education industries.

Year One (Level 4)

BA (Hons) In Digital Film Production Modules offered:

Year One

4a Script and Story (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

Visual storytelling and scriptwriting; Building a sizeable film project into the first year will allow you to check your practice through each stage via the relevant module outcomes and create value outcomes for the end of the first year, setting (yourself) a higher benchmark for future productions.

What do I learn?

You will learn the technical and artistic skills needed to plan, revise, refine and produce engaging narrative for different types of film project.

What’s the assignment?

All 4 practical modules will result in one inter-linked film project. Your portfolio will show the development of your script, your influences and evaluative rationale.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

4b Digital Production Practice (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

Digital pre-production principles, blogging, social media and how to plan (and cope with) digital workflows under pressure.

What do I learn?

You will learn to organise your time, budget, equipment and personnel through digital pre-production and planning tools.

What’s the assignment?

All 4 practical modules will result in one inter-linked film project, evidencing your pre-production portfolio.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

4c Film Hisotry and Audience Theory (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

A linked understanding of film history and audience theory in context, which will examine the various ways in which audiences have responded to the cultural, artistic, technological and ethical changes in film and TV history.

What do I learn?

The module also serves as an introduction the necessary academic skills required for Higher Education. You will develop your methods of academic research, analysis, writing and presentation.

What’s the assignment?

A proposal and video presentation featuring a study of an appropriate selection of audience theories, relating it to the contexts of at least two eras in film/TV history.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

4d Working in the Film Industry 1 (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

The first industry module of the degree will provide you with an overview of the film industry coupled with the opportunity to explore specialist areas. The aim will be for you to build rapport with local professionals.

What do I learn?

You will research local industry contacts with a view to interviewing them and building rapport with local professionals.

What’s the assignment?

A video presentation and evaluation of your chosen Film/TV job and employment opportunities in the industry.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

4e Editing (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

The module is designed to further introduce you to the key skills of editing within the field of digital filmmaking e.g. Editing techniques and post-production practice.

What do I learn?

You will be trained in the preparation and organisation of moving-image materials, the conventions of editing for narrative realist (continuity editing) and non-narrative filmmaking, understanding of the main digital formats and codecs for import and export of moving-image files. There will also be an introduction to the principles of audio editing and colour correction.

What’s the assignment?

All 4 practical modules will result in one inter-linked film project, demonstrating your editing skills with an analytical understanding of technical and artistic choices.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

4f Cinematography and Lighting (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module is designed to introduce you to the fundamental skills in digital film production: Camera techniques and principles linked to creating a final major project film.

What do I learn?

In addition to practical production skills, you will also learn the fundamentals of film language and an understanding of how film techniques are used to communicate narrative information and evoke emotional response.

What’s the assignment?

All 4 practical modules will result in one inter-linked film project, showcasing your lighting and camera technique.

Year Two (Level 5)

5a Applying Digital Film Production Skills (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module will allow individual you to create a range of different skills to expand their own practice and build responsibility with a small production team.

What do I learn?

You will develop an aesthetic and stylistic approach whilst furthering your technical knowledge. You will build on your previous experience in the areas of pre-production, production and post-production in planning, organising, filming and editing to a near professional standard.

What’s the assignment?

Principles of filmmaking in all forms, 4 practice films and 1 final film.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

5b Marketing and Distribution (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

The module is designed to introduce and cultivate an awareness of the roles played by marketing and distribution within the commercial film sector, specifically in the UK, but also internationally with emphasis on the Hollywood model and on how the independents survive and flourish within this environment. It will include traditional and contemporary strategies including crowdfunding.

What do I learn?

You will discover the changing world of film and video in order to be aware of the commercial potential of your own projects. This requires a sophisticated understanding of how best to reach the target audience in a world where technology is advancing relentlessly and viewing habits are changing.

The module also serves as an introduction to the necessary academic skills required for Higher Education. Methods of academic research, analysis, writing and presentation will be introduced and applied.

What’s the assignment?

After gaining an insight into the financial and business side of filmmaking, you will develop a case study with your own film concept to be tested out as a crowdfunding campaign, which can then be used for the Collaborative Film Project.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

5c Working in the Film Industry 2 (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module will begin with you connecting with their student mentor (as identified in Year 1) to shadow or assist them in their practice.

What do I learn?

This professional practice alongside in-depth research into one practical job role and introduction to freelance working practice will allow you to contemplate stepping into the market as active junior film professional.

What’s the assignment?

In addition to a planning work placement, you will submit a blog or journal to evaluate your personal development planning.

5d Foley and Sound Design (BA Music for Media) (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module will introduce sound design, sound effect creation and editing whilst building upon the studio recording techniques.

What do I learn?

You will develop the art of Foley performance, synthesis and the process of recording, sourcing, referencing and designing sound effects to create a soundtrack for a short film excerpt.

What’s the assignment?

A portfolio of two mixed Foley tracks for a visual stimulus comprising original FX and sound design.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

5e Factual Programming (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module provides you with a thorough contextual understanding of the development of factual programming within the UK film and television sectors and how content and form has adapted and changed to reflect cultural changes in society from generation to generation. You will appreciate how the emergence of digital technology and the internet has affected output and shaped delivery taking into account consumer interaction.

What do I learn?

You will then put this understanding into practice by developing your own factual programme and will develop the full range of skills needed from researching and planning through to the production process. The module builds on preproduction and proposal writing, production and production management skills and provides opportunities to develop advanced specialist skills such as interview and presentation techniques and the professionalism required when working with the public.

What’s the assignment?

A portfolio showing your research methods and preparation in order to produce a short documentary or factual programme, which you will film, edit and screen.

5f Collaborative Film Project (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

The Collaborative Film Project will require you to form relationships with students from other departments and professionals outside the university to create a project, which they will have to self-manage.

What do I learn?

You will develop your transferable (“soft”) skills, communication, organisation and networking. Those who will have successfully raised money through crowdfunding will be able to utilise this to get access to paid professionals or to cover extra costs.

What’s the assignment?

A final major project film as a culmination of the modules in Year 2 with supporting evidence.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

Year Three (Level 6)

6a Innovative Technologies (BA Computer Games) (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This module researches and explores the development and application of technology for games and media e.g. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Motion and Performance Capture and the latest technological advances.

What do I learn?

You will develop autonomous learning techniques, research and practical testing methods to fully explore and analyse the practical and conceptual elements of new and varied technologies.

What’s the assignment?

You will demonstrate your understanding through a digital portfolio of audio and visual components and a reflective report.

Option 1 6bi Directing Drama (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

Collaboration with professional and student actors as a director.

What do I learn?

Through interactive workshops with student and professional actors and reflective practice, you will develop the skills to become a confident and professional director and demonstrate this in a practical setting.

What’s the assignment?

The planning, delivery and evaluation of two acting workshops.

 Option 2 6bi Production Management (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

Developing leadership skills and strategies in the digital media workplace and production location.

What do I learn?

Through interactive workshops and reflective practice, you will develop the skills to become a confident and professional team leader and demonstrate this in a practical setting.

What’s the assignment?

The planning, delivery and evaluation of pre-production, production and post-production student work teams.

OPTION 3 6biii VFX and Animation (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

This pathway allows you to explore the technical and artistic challenges of using motion graphics, text, 2D or 3D modelling and animation and visual effects to enhance your film product.

What do I learn?

Technical skills in visual effects and 2D/3D modelling and animation using a variety of software.

What’s the assignment?

A portfolio of technical and artistic elements that can be applied to your film projects, with supporting evaluation of two guest demonstrations / lectures or workshops for students.

6c Entering Employment (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

Work experience in the media industry and career planning for self-employed or employed work.

What do I learn?

You will undertake and extensive or more formalised work experience placement in the third year and develop self-reflective practice.

What’s the assignment?

In addition to a professional work placement, you will submit a blog or journal with an evaluation of your career action plan and/or small business start up.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

6d Experimental Cinema (20 Credits)

What’s it about?

The module is designed to provide you with an awareness and understanding of experimental and avant-garde ideas and methods, and how they have been introduced and developed in film since 1900.

What do I learn?

You will consider alternatives to mainstream cinema and appreciate how experimentation has helped shape film history and contemporary film making. The module also serves to cultivate and develop objective critical appreciation as a necessary academic skill required for Higher Education.

What’s the assignment?

A research document will prepare you for your final film showing artistic and technical creativity and collaboration opportunities with other performers and creatives.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

6d Final Major Project (40 Credits)

What’s it about?

The culmination of your technical and artistic skills, enabled through a professional level of planning, leadership and teamwork.

What do I learn?

For your filmed projects, you will be supported by the staff team to develop your project leadership and management skills as you develop your own film production companies, audition actors, negotiate with locations and use the existing pre-production paperwork templates to risk assess and plan their projects in line with industry best practice.

What’s the assignment?

A professional quality film with supporting evidence of planning and evaluation.

Want to know more?

To see the module description, please click here.

Module Schedule Structure

Structure of 3 years full time, 2 years intensive and 4 years part time:

Semester 1 (Trimester 1)Semester 2 (Trimester 2)Trimester 3
3 years full-time

 

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2 years intensive

 

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4 years part-time

 

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Disclaimer

All Fees and prices shown on the website are for courses starting in the 2021-22 academic year and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.

The course information describes programmes offered by University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.

The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.

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