BA (Hons) Television Production Management

Summary 2012/13

• Learn production techniques from experts whilst conducting an academic study of TV;
• Gain the skills you need to succeed in the world of Television Production Management;
• Benefit from practical projects and a work placement which will be attractive to future employers.

Designed and developed in conjunction with the BBC, this degree allows you to focus on the business and administration side of television production management within a creative setting while undertaking an academic study of television. It offers the opportunity to practise production techniques, such as camerawork and editing, and to examine the television industry from a global perspective.

With ongoing collaboration from an industry panel, the degree covers areas from location research, casting, media law, gallery skills and professional industry practice. Its broad nature ensures you are provided with a range of business management skills employers are looking for.

2012 Entry Requirements

280 UCAS tariff points, preferably to include creative arts subjects. The production of a creative arts portfolio can be credited with contributing 80 UCAS tariff points towards the total. The selection process normally includes an interview workshop.

Summary 2013/14

• Learn production techniques from experts whilst conducting an academic study of TV;
• Gain the skills you need to succeed in the world of Television Production Management;
• Benefit from practical projects and a work placement which will be attractive to future employers.

Designed and developed in conjunction with the BBC, this degree allows you to focus on the business and administration side of television production management within a creative setting while undertaking an academic study of television. It offers the opportunity to practise production techniques, such as camerawork and editing, and to examine the television industry from a global perspective.

With ongoing collaboration from an industry panel, the degree covers areas from location research, casting, media law, gallery skills and professional industry practice. Its broad nature ensures you are provided with a range of business management skills employers are looking for.

2013 Entry Requirements

280 UCAS tariff points overall, preferably to include creative arts subjects. The production of a creative arts portfolio can be credited with contributing 80 UCAS tariff points towards the total. The selection process normally includes an interview workshop.

Details

Who is this course for?

This programme is for people who want to enter the field of production management in the creative industries, particularly film and television. For further details of the work of a production manager please refer to the relevant Skillset section at www.skillset.org/tv/jobs/production/article_5481_1.asp.

What will I study?

The programme is designed around three core strands: production skills, practical skills, and academic study. Each year includes all the core themes but a different emphasis is placed on them as you progress through the course.

Year 1 covers a variety of modules surrounding production as well as broadcast law and policy.

In Year 2, you will study the practical skills and techniques of production management and examine the concept of the audience. You will also focus on the changing technologies in the industry and look in-depth at digital film and TV practice. You will work on one practical project, chosen from a selection of topics.

In Year 3 you will move onto advanced production management and look at emerging technologies in film and TV production and the issues and debates around them. You will also complete a dissertation and a personal project on a film or television specialism of your choice.

In this final year you will also complete a Professional Industrial Practice module with tutors and visiting media professionals. This includes workshops on employment, interviews, networking, funding, freelance work and finance.

How will I study?

Learning will be theoretical and practical. You will be supported by a range of resources including library materials, IT and internet access, computer hardware and software to industry standard and by a range of media and digital multimedia. A work placement will help you to build up your experience and links within the industry.

Placement

On the practical side you get to undertake a TV research project and there is a work placement between Years 2 and 3.

Who will be teaching me?

Staff are actively involved in both production and television research and have recently set up an academic research forum for Culture and Media. You will be taught by an experienced team of staff with research interests that cover a wide variety of topics including audiences, the relationship between film, television and the cultural industries, business skills and product placement.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is by written assignments, research projects, individual and group projects and presentations.

What are my career prospects?

The emphasis on management, communication, critical analysis and reflective thinking will open up a range of careers in film, video, television and new media production management.

A Great Study Environment

Edge Hill offers many opportunities for developing your TV and film production skills. The CMIST building, where you will do most of your production work, features a state-of-the-art Mac Lab with edit stations and edit suites currently running Final Cut Pro. The Learning Innovation Centre houses our state of the art television studio and post production facilities including Avid editing facilities.

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 1,400 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.

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/apply 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:

• Peter Berry, Media Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 584862
• Email: berryp@edgehill.ac.uk

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

Modules

Year 1

MED1210 Production Co-ordination introduces the principles and concepts that are central to the role of a Production Coordinator within television. As well as gaining an understanding of the production process, you will be introduced to some of the key elements associated with the role, namely research, finance, health and safety and a range of administrative tasks and duties.

MED1221 Media Law introduces the key issues and debates that relate to the cultural industries in terms of defamation, obscenity, copyright and the protection of intellectual property in a digital world. A basic understanding of media law is an essential element for any graduate seeking work in the media industries.

MED1212 Script to Screen – Location, Casting, Scouting examines the principles of finding suitable locations and the procedures involved in casting for a production. You will gain a basic understanding of location scouting and casting and have the opportunity to investigate these important production considerations and understand the procedures involved in all areas.

MED1208 Moving Image Production covers moving image production practices including the origination, development and refinement of ideas, the stages of pre-production, production and post-production and the basics of camera operation, lighting and editing. It will also acquaint you with the issues of resource and budgetary constraints and introduce a range of creative, commercial and industrial contexts within which production may take place.

MED1207 Media and Society studies the complexity of factors that shape the relationship between media, culture and society. You will become aware of media representations of reality, identity constructions and the relationship between media producers and users. The module will also look into how reality is produced, reproduced, maintained and transformed by the media, the way media content is produced, distributed and received by audiences, as well as its contribution to culture and social progress.

BUS1004 Work Management and Organisational Behaviour. Contemporary management issues arise from a historical and international relationship between management, organisation and society. The module provides both an introduction to the functions and activities of management and organisation and a framework for understanding their consequences for people within the workplace and for society at large. You will develop skills associated with academic enquiry, writing and debate.

Year 2

MED2200 Work Placement enables you to apply the theoretical and practical skills they have acquired during the first and second years of study by undertaking an initial placement in a professional environment. They are fully prepared for the workplace by professional staff at Edge Hill University, they seek out a placement, either with industry or a voluntary organisation, or are set an alternative project, and following completion they compile a reflective report illustrating what they have achieved from the placement.

MED2221 Production Management develops your knowledge of planning and identification and management of resources for a professional production. There is an emphasis on budgetary control, expenditure, logistics and the development of higher level communication skills associated with the role of the production manager. The module will develop your knowledge of the relationship between production values and budgetary concerns. The skills acquired at Level 4 are developed within this module and, in addition, skills relating to budgetary control, expenditure, logistics and the development of higher level communication skills associated with the role of the production manager are explored.

MED2215 Analysing Audiences engages you with a variety of approaches and methodologies to studying audiences. You will encounter a range of theorisations of audiences. The module allows you to engage with key media theories in relation to audiences, critically evaluate them in their historic context and design and develop their own approach. By doing this, the module also offers you the chance to engage with key PDP skills such as conducting primary research, interview skills and research development.

MED2222 Crisis Management looks at a number of theoretical models relating to how crises develop, to the analysis of crisis situations and to the management of crisis. It focuses on reputation management and related concepts of organisational image and identity. The module includes analysis of past examples of crisis management and workshops simulating reactions to hypothetical crisis scenarios.

BUS2005 Graduate Enterprise enables you to contextualise and evaluate theoretical perspectives in a practical setting whilst at the same time informing their own future learning processes and outcomes. Work related learning is recognised as a key element in the provision of management programmes at undergraduate level.

CIS2105 Usable Hypermedia has been devised in response to the rapidly changing nature of the web. It is a synthesis of the traditional fields of hypermedia and usability. The module focuses on the structuring, organising, labelling and managing of hypermedia content, were information architecture and information management remain particularly significant. The module embraces established methods and skills, which can be employed, systematically, to inform a high degree of functionality in the design of navigation for web content.

FLM2027 Censorship and the Cinema introduces the concept of film regulation and censorship. You will study its history in Anglo-American cinema, the theoretical debates surrounding the subject and several key films that have been contested throughout motion picture history as relevant case studies. In this way, the module provides a historical, contextual, academic and theoretical knowledge which will inform your own opinions and attitudes towards censorship.

MED2202 Television Drama focuses on the form and function of television drama, its commercial and technical demands, and the creative potential of the TV studio for drama production. Studying the form and function of television drama are key elements of this module together with the more practical skills of developing a script, pre-production planning, and working with actors. The elements of post-production (trailer making) and marketing will also be considered.

MED2203 Multimedia Sport develops awareness of the industry trend towards a multi-platform delivery of product generated from original and library material. Increasingly source material is post/produced in different formats such as live broadcast of the event, highlights, news footage, analysis material, sound broadcast, podcast and streaming material. You will develop skills in the filming and editing of sport events, as well as an understanding of the production process of convergent media and multi-platform delivery.

MED2204 Music Video gives you a firm grounding in the academic study and production practices of music video. By synthesising your understanding of the industrial contexts in which music videos are produced with the development of technical skills gained in year 1, you will produce music videos appropriate to an agreed creative brief which will satisfy the various needs of multi-channel, niche-audience music television. You will study the form, structure and craft of music video production and will demonstrate your creative ability to apply this to enhance the creativity and professionalism to your work by satisfying a creative brief.

MED2205 Welcome to the Real World – Documentary Production offers the opportunity to research, develop and produce a short documentary film that could be considered for submission to a festival or competition or for exhibition over an alternative platform. The module provides crucial experience of the technical, creative, organisational and administrative demands involved in documentary production. You will be encouraged to experiment with techniques and will attend workshops that focus on the development of creative practices and processes..

MED2206 Client-Led Brief centres on the key relationship between client (commercial company, commissioning editor etc.) and the production team. You will apply your creative and professional knowledge and skills in response to the brief set by the client. You will also develop your knowledge of and apply key elements of marketing and public relations to the promotion of their own product. As such this module provides you with the skills to operate at a professional level within the media marketplace.

MED2207 Children’s Television provides the opportunity to produce work aimed at this increasing market. The module is also particularly relevant as the BBC are moving their Children’s Department to Salford. There are some complex issues involved in generating product for consumption by children and this module will examine the problems that may be encountered in production.

MED2208 Television Light Entertainment explores the historic and changing light entertainment industry and its importance within contemporary television. Consideration of light entertainment audiences, production values and participants (for example presenters and contestants) will engage you with the theory and creative practice of the format. You will be expected to adopt a professional approach to whichever format they develop. As is now common practice, a series of short trailers for the production will need to be produced in addition to the programme.

MED2209 Digital Shorts develops your knowledge and experience of the technical, creative, organisational and administrative demands involved in film production. The overarching theme of this module is the development of the creative processes in relation to film production. The digital short genre gives filmmakers the opportunity to test out ideas or tell a story within the confines of a limited run-time. The relationships between technical, creative, and aesthetic choices will be considered in relation to the ‘real-world’ issues of budget constraints and financing. Students may adapt an existing story or work from an original idea, and the option to work outside of a tutor-directed brief is designed to give opportunities for creative autonomy and expression.

Year 3

MED3211 Advanced Production Management develops the skills and knowledge associated with advanced production management. You will develop a commercial awareness across sectors of the creative industries and become proficient in advanced levels of negotiation and decision making skills. This module will also develop your knowledge of the commercial imperatives of the creative industries and the inter-relationships of finance, audience, technology, content and delivery. This module develops your production management skills by introducing the more advanced elements of negotiation, commercial demands, technological developments and how the various elements of production inter-relate.

MED3202 Dissertation involves undertaking an in-depth personal research project, under supervision, where you will explore a range of research methodologies and presentational formats appropriate to the project. You will gain a thorough knowledge of your chosen subject area and will be expected to shape that knowledge to produce a final submission that demonstrates your ability to locate the material within the wider contexts of your discipline. The project will require a consideration and discussion of methodological and epistemological issues. The dissertation will allow you to work independently to explore areas of contemporary academic interest, consider issues of current industry practice and critically analyse case studies or products within specific cultural and social contexts.

MED3203 Showreel Production is focused on the production of an industry standard showreel which provides graduates with the opportunity to present their best work in formats suitable for potential employers to judge. It is designed to provide you with a means of demonstrating production skills to potential employers or funding bodies.

MED3058 Media Policy and Political Communication provides a critical excursion into the role of media within modern democratic politics. The module gives a good grounding in political theory, the role of power and counter-power at national, European and global levels, the communication strategies deployed by political actors, and the outcomes of the consultation and decision-making processes in the creative industries. You will critically assess the shift from national to transnational level in media policy making, in direct relationship with the development of media and communication technologies. The module concludes with an investigation of the delicate balance between consumer autonomy and corporate interests.

MED3212 Professional Industrial Practice (TV Production Management) encourages you to identify and reflect upon your personal profile and potential. Using the subject-specific Personal Development Plan (PDP) as a tool to facilitate reflection and assessment, you will work independently, and with tutors and media professionals, to plan and prepare personal profiles and strategies. The module includes key workshops on issues such as employment, interviews, networking, funding, freelance work and finance.

MED3057 Event Management looks at the organisational reasons for holding events and the techniques needed to manage these successfully. It will also look at how appropriate events are chosen and how venues are selected. This is a specialism which requires a high level of attention to detail and you will be expected to research relevant regulations, such as disability and health and safety rules. Events can be key tools in the marketing communications mix. They range from small highly targeted evenings for key stakeholders to major national conferences. All have key messages and defined audiences.