BA (Hons) Film Studies with Film Production

Summary 2012/13

• Immerse yourself in the culture of film and see the industry from both sides of the camera;
• Develop your understanding of film while learning to write, shoot and edit your own unique productions;
• Make the most of an academically acclaimed programme and some of the best facilities in the country.

This course offers you exciting opportunities to explore more than 100 years of film while learning to write, shoot and edit your own productions. It is distinguished by its emphasis on film and television practice, and gives you the opportunity to develop scriptwriting, lighting, camerawork, sound and post-production skills.

2012 Entry Requirements

A typical offer is expected to be 280 UCAS tariff points.

Details

Who is this course for?

You don't need any prior knowledge of film or film production so this course is for anyone with a love of film and a commitment to learning about film production.

What will I gain from this programme?

Taking a Film Studies degree at Edge Hill University offers you much more than the prospect of three years' academic study; it encourages you to immerse yourself in a culture of film.

The addition of Film Production over approximately a third of your time also allows you to apply your learning to a range of production work, which will give you high level technical, creative and professional skills, vital for pursuing further study or a career in film production.

You will also develop communication skills and fluency in argument and expression as well as time management, project management and self-governed study which will give you an advantage in the job market.

What will I study?

Year 1 offers modules which give you the language and skills needed to examine, interpret and write about films. You will examine different films each week, gradually developing your skills in critical analysis. You will also discover the rich history of film and be introduced to several important critical concepts such as auteurism, genre theory, Marxism, feminism and postmodernism.

The modules in Year 2 develop and broaden your understanding of film by examining the nature of film genres, the concept of the film author, and representations of gender, race and sexuality on the big screen. You will also study the documentary form and produce your own four-minute short video as part of a small team.

In Year 3, you will conduct an in-depth study of film adaptations and how a range of texts are translated into film. You will have the opportunity to compose a dissertation on a topic of your own choice, working with a supervisor throughout the final year of the degree, or select from a range of modules, such as Cult Cinema, Animation and the Cinema, Cinema and National Identity or Non-Western Cinema Case Study. In addition, you will conduct a supervised large scale production project to demonstrate your organisational and production skills.

How will I study?

Lectures, seminars, workshops, presentations and group work are supplemented by a number of guest speakers (directors, editors, writers, producers), a dynamic programme of screenings, and cinema and studio-related field trips. Every student is allocated a personal tutor, who will offer you as much support as you require.

Who will be teaching me?

Our programme is staffed by dedicated and enthusiastic film lecturers and tutors, who are not only actively publishing or producing their own work but are also continually revising their modules to ensure they reflect the latest research.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments are varied, ranging from traditional essays to film reviews, film and television production projects, practical readings of film extracts under exam conditions, and oral presentations.

What are my career prospects?

Graduates of Film Studies with Film Production are well placed for careers in independent filmmaking, TV production, journalism, project management, the media industries, teaching (further training required) or marketing. Alternatively, you may choose to apply to specialised film schools on graduation or engage in further study or research at University.

Related Programmes

If you are interested in studying Film Studies without the practical element, our BA (Hons) Film Studies degree may be for you.

A Great Study Environment

Edge Hill offers many opportunities for developing your love of film. For example, Iris, the student film review magazine, gives you the opportunity to see your writing in print. Then, as well as multiple film screenings that form part of your studies, you also have the Short Cuts Film Society at Edge Hill's Studio Theatre, which screens seasons of great films on a big screen at incredible low prices.

The Learning Innovation Centre will help you hone your TV and film production skills. You will have access to analogue editing suites, which allow you to examine films in detail while familiarising yourself with older videotape editing practices.

The CMIST building, where most of your production work will be undertaken, features a state-of-the-art Mac Lab with edit stations and edit suites currently running Final Cut Pro, industry standard Sony camera, a special effects booth and training rooms.

Based in 160 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ormskirk Campus is a unique and inspirational place to study. Industry standard resources and cutting edge technology combine to make an interactive and highly advanced teaching and learning environment. Everything you could want is on one site with 25 acres of sport and leisure facilities, more than 1,000 rooms in halls of residence and fantastic modern spaces in which you can study and socialise.

The University library gives you access to thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision. You'll get all the support you need to succeed, reflected in Edge Hill University being ranked in the top two in England for students' personal development, and the top three in the country for assessment and feedback, in the 2011 National Student Survey. The University is also featured in the top four in England for graduate employment.

How do I apply?

Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.ac.uk.

See our How to Apply pages for more information on the application process and our Admissions criteria.

Fees and Finance

For academic year 2012/13, Edge Hill University will charge £9,000 for full-time BA, BSc and LLB degrees. Eligible students will not have to pay upfront for their tuition. The cost of tuition will be paid by a loan which you will only start to repay once you have finished the course and are earning over £21,000.

Eligible full-time students can also apply for a maintenance grant, subject to household income, and a non-means-tested loan to help with living costs.

Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships for prospective full-time students. These include £2,000 Entrance Scholarships rewarding determination, commitment and achievement in creative arts, performing arts, sport and volunteering. Eligible entrants with outstanding grades are recognised through the £1,000 High Achievers Scholarship.

The University will also be offering awards, worth £3,000 in cash benefits and fee/accommodation waivers for academic year 2012/13, to eligible prospective full-time students through the National Scholarship Programme.

For more information on scholarships, including eligibility criteria for each award, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.

To find out more about fees, grants and loans for academic year 2012/13, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradfees2012.

Please note, the above information is for UK and eligible EU students only. International students should check the fees and finance information at www.edgehill.ac.uk/internationalfees2012.

Not got the entry requirements?

Students returning to education may present their previous experience in work (paid or unpaid) to support their application.

Students with relevant study through either a professional body or appropriate academic course can apply to join the programme at an advanced stage.

For personalised advice based on your circumstances, please contact us or come to an event.

Where can I find out more?

If you would like to receive a copy of our prospectus or be kept updated about forthcoming events, contact the Course Information, Advice and Guidance Team by emailing study@edgehill.ac.uk or calling 01695 657000.

If you want to attend one of our open events held throughout the year, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays to book your place.

You will also find Edge Hill University staff at many national careers fairs and UCAS events.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about this course, please contact:

• Dr Jenny Barrett, Department of English and History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 584093
• Email: barrettj@edgehill.ac.uk

Overseas students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk for further information.

Modules

Year 1

How to Read a Film: Sound and Image gives you the language and skills needed to examine, interpret and write about films, examining a different film in depth each week. It is full of truly valuable activities, advice and guidance in becoming an efficient reader of film.

How to Read a Film: Approaches takes you a step further into critical, analytical and theoretical spheres, examining films in close detail and discovering some of the many significant academic and critical approaches to the cinema. You will be introduced to several important critical concepts such as structuralism, post-structuralism, Marxism, feminism and postmodernism.

Cinema in Context: 1895-1945 introduces you to the major film movements and moments in cinema's rich international history, beginning pre-1895 and concluding at the end of the Second World War, enabling you to see film in its political, social and cultural context.

Cinema in Context: 1945 - Present concentrates on significant moments, movements and styles of post-war cinema to the present. You will consider a range of films and eras from American, British and European cinema.

Moving Image Production is an introduction to moving image production, specifically conventions, skills and contexts. You will learn and practice a broad range of practical processes including marketing, funding, pre-production, production, post-production, distribution and more.

Year 2

Film Genre explores a range of genres in order to discover how genre operates, how it is recognised and, importantly, what genre films communicate to us about our world. In the second semester, you will study a specific genre case study, currently the horror film.

Film Authorship. Auteurism is a common approach, or attitude, to cinema and its 'artists'. This module investigates the concepts of the film author and asks if we really can find the artist in the film.

Realism and the Cinema asks some fundamental questions about realism in film, what makes a 'realistic' film, what the key realist film movements are and what we understand 'real' to mean.

Identity and Representation: Race, Gender and Sexuality. This challenging and provocative module studies how certain identities have been represented on the screen throughout cinema's history, highlighting both prejudice and groundbreaking resistance to the norm.

Censorship and the Cinema. Through the course of this module, you will learn about and debate the power relationships between industry, audience and censor during such happenings as the imposition of the Production Code in Hollywood during the 1930s and the Video Nasty scare in Britain in the 1980s.

Documentary: Reality-Based Short Video Production. Over the course of a year you will explore the diversity of documentary forms and work in a team to produce a four-minute documentary video. You will continue to develop your skills of organisation, problem-solving and video production.

Year 3

Text to Screen. A large proportion of film is the result of adaptation of a novel, a short story, a graphic novel, and so forth. This module examines a range of examples, looking at the influences, restrictions and motivations in the adaptation of stories to the screen.

Cinema and National Identity builds upon knowledge and skills from throughout your degree to investigate and debate issues of national identity and representation. Currently, the cinemas examined are Australian and New Zealand cinemas, and debates cover both theoretical and cultural concerns including gender, race and landscape.

Dissertation. You will have the opportunity to spend a whole year on an academic project of your own choosing, demonstrating your learning and skills attained over the course of your degree. A successful dissertation is often an indication of your suitability for further postgraduate study or research in film.

Cult Cinema introduces you to films that are often marginalised in academic film discourse as a consequence of their modes of production, content or manner of consumption. It explores theoretically the interrelated concepts of 'cult', 'trash' and 'exploitation' cinema. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module.

Non-Western Cinema Case Study. In your final year, your studies will progress to a more specialist level and you will be studying in a more self-directed manner, taking responsibility for more independent research to aid you in your learning and assessments. This module explores an example of non-Western, non-English speaking cinema - currently Japanese cinema. It investigates cinematic, textual and ideological factors of Japanese films, both old and new, and considers global influences and effects.

Contemporary Film Culture and Future Cinemas offers a space for you to discover, discuss and assess new and evolving media technologies and their relationship to cinema. Core contemporary issues are debated, including globalisation, digitisation and conglomerisation, each of which affects traditional modes and understandings of cinema in significant ways. The module also looks ahead to impending changes and their potential effects on the viewer, such as increasing interactivity in narrative cinema. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module offered that year.

Animation and the Cinema provides a critical and historical overview of animation on film, encompassing mainstream, political and avant-garde forms and styles. The module encourages an appreciation of diverse animations from around the globe. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module offered that year.

Professional Industrial Practice (Film and Television). The marketplace for media employment is a highly competitive environment. It is particularly important that media graduates are aware of, not only, the available routes into employment but also the specific requirements and expectations of employers, clients and funding bodies. This module is designed to facilitate your progression from undergraduate to graduate, ensuring you complete your degree with a competitive edge to secure that graduate job or postgraduate opportunity.