BA (Hons) Film

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 practice 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 communicaiton, 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 constitues 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 profressional practice. 

Core units

• Film Language: You will investigate the fundamental components of film production, the shots and edits, from both a critical and a practical perspective. You will explore film texts and film languages from across a range of historical, social and geographical contexts, to discover the potential of cinematic language to transcend national and political boundaries.
• The Film Industries: The purpose behind this unit is to encourage you to explore filmmaking as a process of manufacturing. You will look at the organisational structures of people and businesses, and explore the historical motivations behind why the industries are arranged the way they are today. This will include world cinema markets, such as Nollywood and Bollywood to improve global awareness.
• Principles of Storytelling: In an era when people are watching cats on Youtube or sharing six-second Vines on Twitter, this unit aims to empower you with the skills to identify and utilise various tools to construct and deconstruct stories through various mediums.
• Film Language 2: In this unit you will explore some of the concepts within the language of film, including intertextuality and ideology, as well as introductions to theories of realism, structuralism and spectatorship, from both a critical and a practical perspective. You will also explore film texts and film languages from across a range of historical, social and geographical contexts, to discover the potential of cinematic language to transcend national and political boundaries.
• Creative Collaboration: You will be introduced to the process of effective collaboration through a series of exercises and workshops designed to explore and examine how creative people work together.
• Understanding Experimental Film: This unit aims to encourage you to actively question the existing language of film, and develop a culture of ‘testing’. You will learn about certain research methods and conduct an experiment into filmmaking practice.

Core units

• Producing: During this unit you will explore film from the perspective of intellectual 'property' - the idea, the script, the film and the merchandise. You will learn about licensing, marketing, the historical development of intellectual property and contemporary issues such as piracy.
• Film Story Structures: This unit aims to address the fundamentals of film genre, and encourage you to recognise the skills and techniques that can be used to create effective storytelling in film.

Option units (choose four):

• Documentary Practice: Explore the different modes of documentary and the relationship between fact and fiction. This unit is designed to give a different perspective on the filmmaking process.
• Media Perspectives: This unit aims to further develop your academic and analytical skills, relative to methodologies and approaches. These options foreground transferable ideas within media theory, and whilst they are not film-specific, will encourage you to reflect upon the implications of such theories for your practice.
• Production Management: You will explore the management of the production phase of filmmaking, from scheduling to budgeting via location scouting and resource management.
• Production Design: This unit focuses on the specialist field of production design including, but not exclusively, costume, props mastering and the principles of set design.
• Location & Post Sound: You will explore the specialist field of location and post sound, including, but not exclusively, sound design, sound acquisition, mixing and mastering.
• Acting: This unit explores the process of screen performance within filmmaking. You will engage in professional practices and demonstrate your understanding with a portfolio that showcases your ability to effectively manage productions.
• Directing: You will explore the principle of directing on both sides of the camera. You will explore techniques and approaches to motivating and negotiating with creative collaborators and encouraging conditions that are conducive to creativity.
• Camera & Lighting: You will explore the specialist field of camera and lighting, including, but not exclusively, camera technology, grip and the principles of lighting.
• Editing: You will explore the specialist field of editing, including, but not exclusively, post-production workflow, advanced editing techniques and principles of grading.
• Script Skills: The unit aims to explore techniques and approaches to script writing, script editing and script supervising.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

You'll have the option to complete either a short 20 day placement or a 30-week work placement during the course, working in a professional environment. The placement provides you with an opportunity to enhance your personal development and future employability.

Core units

• Development for Graduate Film Project: During this unit you will prepare and develop the plans for your graduate film..
• Graduate Film Project: You will have the opportunity to work together or individually to produce a film of your choice, package it appropriately and develop a critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses.

Option units (choose four):

• Independent Research Project: This unit aims to give you the opportunity to critically examine a research question of your choice, using original primary research. The aim is for you to engage with a question that is pertinent to you, and learn the skills of how to research it effectively.
• Understanding Distribution: Specifically focusing on film distribution, you will explore the issues around marketing, theatrical exhibition, festivals and the available platforms for filmmakers.
• Entrepreneurship for the Creative Industries: The cultural and creative industries are increasingly dependent on new forms of economic engagement, while creative individuals increasingly expect to have ‘portfolio careers’. The aim of this unit is to explore some of the tools, skills and strategies that can be utilised to build a career as an independent producer or freelance worker in the contemporary creative industries
• Docudrama: This unit introduces students to the history and evolution of the ‘docudrama’ genre by expanding their theoretical and practical understanding of dramatised storytelling based on real events. The unit delineates the genre’s function as an accessible mode of filmmaking that contributes meaningfully to socio-political and socio-economic discussions both past and present. A particular focus of this unit will fall on exploring practically how such narratives are constructed as analytical investigations seeking to comprehend complex historical realities.
• Film Futures: This unit brings together the ethos of the Film Programme and the expertise of the teaching team. Students will be asked to examine the current and historical contexts of film in all its forms with a view to exploring the future pathways of film. This will be explored by critically interrogating areas around archival research, distribution, AI collaborations and representations. 
• Film Festivals for Makers & Curators: Arguably the first step for many graduates in the marketplace will be a film festival. This unit aims to inform you of the role of the festival and the strategies for succeeding at them.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Our BA (Hons) Film course predominantly focuses on location filmmaking as opposed to studio, and so you’ll often film away from the campus. You’ll use contemporary digital film cameras (such as Canon C300/ Panasonic GH5) and editing programmes (Adobe Premiere and Avid). You will also be able to access cameras/audio equipment/laptops all throughout the year.

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.

If you choose to complete a placement as part of your course, it will begin after completion of your second year of study, and you'll have the option to complete either a short 20 day placement or a minimum of 30 weeks.

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

They’ll help you plan your placement so 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.

• Reel Figures
• George Malsbury Films
• Signal Productions
• NorthLight Media
• Curtain Calls Production.

Many BU courses have partner universities around the world, offering opportunities for you to apply to study abroad for between one month and a year of your degree. There are usually no additional tuition fees, and the Turing Scheme at BU can often provide grants to support with travel and living expenses*.

As a student studying BA (Hons) Film you can apply to study abroad at these international partners:

• United States: Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey
• Netherlands: Breda University of Applied Sciences, Breda
• Norway: Volda University College, Volda

Further information can be found here.

*Funding is subject to an annual successful bid and information will be shared with students in the Autumn

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."

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.

We have recently reviewed this course to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry. As the aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, teaching, learning and assessment methods may have changed as a result of the review, you can find the relevant information for your year of entry in the appropriate programme specification.

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.

The course is designed with optional specialisms that enable you to go deeper into areas such as production management, camera and lighting, location and post-sound, editing, production design, distribution or festival administration. This means you can shape your learning based on your career aspirations.

Our graduates are not limited to ‘getting a job’ in the competitive field of film production, but will have a variety of transferrable skills that ensure they are prepared for an engaging career in a constantly dynamic workplace.

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.

Research degrees

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong communication & media research foundation within our Department of Media Production and through a number of research centres,including our Experimental Media Research Centre (EMERGE) which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Faculty of Media & Communication and the funding options available. 

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 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
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• 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.

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.
• 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 shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in 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). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

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.

Laura's research interests include national identity, British film, nostalgia, postmodernism and post-colonialism. Her specific areas of interest are on British spy fictions, particularly on film and television. She is currently researching aspects of nostalgia culture in contemporary Cold War fictions as part of a wider research project.

Laura is founding co-editor of 'Routledge Studies in Espionage and Culture' (Routledge) and is part of the BAFTSS Special Interest Group on British Film and Television.

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. The form centres on the process of generating creative works through appropriating, reinterpreting and re-authoring existing published material. In doing so such video cut-ups represent a direct challenge to accepted concepts of authorship, ownership and copyright as well as further exposing the divide between high culture and popular culture (where despite the significant number of video cut-ups being created, such works are easily dismissed as amateur cultural-production and therefore tend to be seen as a purely cultural and not a critical phenomenon).

Catalin Brylla is Principal Lecturer in Film and Television in the Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University. He teaches and researches in the areas of film spectatorship, cognitive media theory, stereotypes, representation, disability and gender. His research aims for a pragmatic understanding of audiences with regards to embodied experience, empathy and narrative comprehension.

Catalin is an editorial board member for the Journal of Media Practice and Education and for Screen Bodies – An Interdisciplinary Journal of Experience, Perception and Display. He is fellow of the Higher Education Academy, holds a PhD in Media and Communication from Goldsmiths, University of London, and he is external examiner for media degrees at Coventry University and the University of Sussex.

Dr Guilio Olesen is a media historian, with primary research interests in the areas of Italian cinema and history, cinema and social conflict, and genre studies. His area of expertise concerns the cultural and historical significance of Italian exploitation cinema.

Dr Olesen holds a Ph.D. in film studies where he addresses Italian police thrillers produced in the 1970s. The thesis explores intermedial features of the genre by addressing its link with and use of news media. The films were addressed as historical documents of the negotiation of the blame for state inefficiencies in the struggle against criminality and political violence.

Claudy Op den Kamp is Principal Academic in Film, and faculty member at the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management. During the 2022 Spring semester, she was a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. In 2023, she will be a Fellow at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History.

She holds a PhD (Art & Media) from the University of Plymouth on the relationship between copyright ownership, access to archival film, and film historiography. She is a graduate of the University of Amsterdam (Film & Television Studies) and the University of East Anglia (Film Archiving).

She was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Intellectual Property at Swinburne Law School in Melbourne, AU, and has worked as Haghefilm Conservation’s Account Manager (NL); as a Film Restoration Project Leader at the Nederlands Filmmuseum, and as a senior research assistant in the DIASTOR film digitisation research project at the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zurich.