Film and Media BA (Hons)
3-Year Bachelor's Degree
The total service fee for this program:
€ 499
Pre payment for this program:
€ 99
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ABOUT
Study film and the fascinating world of the media. Apply critical thinking and analysis and develop the transferable skills of problem solving, communication and presentation. Combine academic research with practical application, developing the talents to join an exciting and ever-changing industry.
Course overview
Love film and all aspects of media? Study both in tandem.
This distinctive course offers a rich and diverse range of exciting subjects. Study film and media theory alongside practical-based modules in film production. You’ll cover the historical contexts and contemporary debates in film, media and cultural studies, exploring and examining areas including film theory and analysis, screen genres, scriptwriting, the study of mass media, and cultural representation.
Work with established research-active academics at the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies and study alongside scriptwriters, film makers, and media practitioners. Share, discuss, challenge and explore your passion for film, TV and other aspects of the media with like-minded people!
Why us?
- Acclaimed independent production company Fulwell 73 – makers of Netflix show ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ – has launched a new regional office in our David Puttnam Media Centre. Get direct experience and insight into a leading production company and how it operates. Read more about Fulwell 73’s new regional office, Fulwell North.
- Masterclasses from BAFTA-winning and Oscar-winning film producers, writers and other experts
- Get experience. Take a work placement; get involved with award-winning Spark Sunderland; write for Sunderland’s daily paper, the Sunderland Echo; or work alongside BBC Newcastle journalists in our mediaHUB
- Our Media & Film Studies courses are ranked 11th in the UK (The Guardian University league tables, 2022)
- This course has 90% Overall Satisfaction (The National Student Survey, 2020)
- The course prepares students for a wide range of careers and provides an excellent foundation for masters level study and postgraduate research
Course structure
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, group work and e-learning. We encourage you to develop independent study skills.
As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also ongoing assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning.
Assessment methods include essays, reports, written coursework, projects, presentations and exams.
Part-time study
If you study this course on a part-time basis you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day time and you will be studying alongside full-time students.
Year 1 (national level 4):
Core modules:
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Understanding Media and Culture (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the role and importance of media and culture in contemporary life. Gain knowledge of the historical development of the modern media landscape and culture industries and develop analytical and evaluative skills through examining media texts and cultural practices. Finish the module with skills of analysis, academic argument and understanding the operations of power.
- Introduction to Film Studies (20 credits)
Discover the concepts, theories, methods and approaches that have shaped the discipline of Film Studies. Develop skills in hands-on film analysis, of a wide range of films: how to analyse a shot, editing techniques, narrative structures, relationships between image and sound and so on.
- History of Cinema (20 credits)
Explore cinema’s development throughout the twentieth century and beyond, tracing the major changes that have taken place within the film industry itself and the medium’s expanding cultural significance as it evolved from peep show to mass entertainment form. Examine the distinctiveness of early cinema before moving on to consider the shift to a more industrial, narrative-based approach to filmmaking. Consider the growing dominance of the American film industry (artistically and economically) alongside other important advances and points of resistance in world cinema. Analyse some of the underlying patterns and continuities that are a feature of the medium’s history.
- Contemporary Cinema (20 credits)
Explore some of the major developments within narrative feature films from around the world, including North America, UK, and Europe, examining the ways in which different countries are exploiting technical advances in filmmaking. Look at the institutional contexts of various international cinemas including the organisation of the industry, their major genres and stars, defining stylistic characteristics and leading exponents, highlighting works that have proved successful within the international arena.
- Introduction to Scriptwriting (20 credits)
Learn the key skills of storytelling through workshops on narratives and formats and use those skills to inform your work and your professional development. Work on the production of an independently written short script as well as a treatment and pitch. Learn how to develop an idea through to treatment stage, and finally into scripts suitable for short films, TV/streaming service, radio, or podcast. Cover genre, narrative structure, plot lines and character development and learn how to format a script for various forms. Develop your critical awareness in relation to your own work and that of others and develop your analytical skills and understanding of conceptual issues in relation to scriptwriting and the finished product.
- Single Camera Production (20 credits)
Gain an introduction to the procedures and techniques of single camera video production. Learn the technical practices and creative skills required to produce a video. Originate, develop, script, shoot and edit a production of three minutes in length, working in a production crew.
Year 2 (national level 5):
Core modules:
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Interrogating Factual Media (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the role and importance of fact-based media output across multiple platforms, from broadcast content to diverse internet-based publishers. Gain analytical and evaluative skills through analyses of media discourses impacting upon public knowledge and the effective functioning of democracy while exploring a range of relevant contemporary topics and theories. Complete the module with a robust understanding of the interplay between the construction of media messaging, their communicative value and effectiveness, and the public’s response.
- Film Theory and Criticism (20 credits)
Engage in an in-depth analysis of the major areas of film theory and criticism and gain a heightened capacity for critical thinking and an ability to analyse film ‘texts’. Focus on recent and contemporary film theories such as feminism, psychoanalysis, postmodernism, and post-structuralism.
- Screening Nations (20 credits)
Explore geopolitical and geocultural identities and landscapes as they appear on global screens. Use a range of theoretical approaches to critically examine notions of nationhood, as well as more localised presentations of socio-political selfhood. Assess terms such as ‘world’, ‘global’ or ‘third’ cinema as critical categories. Explore topics that will encourage critical engagement with a culturally diverse range of production styles and topics as well theoretical perspectives.
- Film and Society (20 credits)
Examine a range of different approaches to studying the social significance of films from the USA and Europe in the late 20th and into the 21st century. Watching screenings of films and learn about contextualising these with reference to such things as the conditions of production, historical and social factors pertaining at the time the film was made and released, critical reception and subsequent readings, interpretations and writings about the films by commentators and historians. Focus on the ways that films can be understood to carry significant social meanings and reveal key aspects of social history, such as the way in which societies have been demarcated by inequalities of class, race, gender, sexuality and ethnicity or how film has been used to articulate and, in some cases, challenge these inequalities.
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Researching Media in Theory and Practice (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the history and growth of media research and the importance of continuing to examine media use in contemporary life in the midst of rapid technological change. Gain knowledge of media research and ‘hands-on’ research skills through detailed case studies of past research into media use and a practical research project of your own or a placement should you wish to arrange one. Complete the module with a firm grasp of the complex relationships between ordinary media use and the formation of identities, beliefs and practices and gain useful, practical research and problem-solving skills.
Optional modules (choose one):
- Screenwriting (20 credits)
Understand the concepts and techniques employed in writing drama or comedy suitable for television or steaming service such as Netflix or Amazon. Learn how to develop an idea through the treatment stage, and finally into a script.
- Shoot. Edit. Share. (20 credits)
Develop your video production skills and gain an introduction to the procedures and techniques needed to produce and self-shoot a short form video for a unique consumer. Examine how broadcasters and content marketing industries are using these elements to engage audiences in social spaces.
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Ready Player One: Operating within the Streaming Industry (20 credits)
Develop both a practical and critical understanding of one of the fastest growing media sectors in the 21st century: the livestreaming economy. Research the live streaming economy and create content for a unique product through a variety of pre-recorded and live stream videos. Complete the module with an understanding of the importance of the relationships between content creator and intended audience, effective branding and planning, as well as a critical awareness of ethical practices and broadcast regulations.
- Documentary Production (20 credits)
Devise, develop and deliver a short documentary in groups. Analyse the documentary form and further develop production skills such as planning, organisation, production management, camera, lighting, sound, digital workflow, and post-production techniques.
Final year (national level 6):
Core modules:
- Media Research Project (40 credits)
Undertake a piece of independent-led work, the content of which will vary from student to student and will be based on theoretical or empirical approaches, or a combination of these. Complete the module with a specialist understanding of your chosen area of research.
- Media and Society (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the industrial links between Advertising and Branding and Quality Television Drama (and many other types of media) in terms of their historical development and production. Gain analytical and evaluative skills by examining the current issues and debates about the impact of media on society. Finish the module with a robust knowledge of the intertwined concerns of creating content, creating profit and the necessity for analysis of media output and industrial systems to maintain a healthy, democratic society.
- Engaging Screen Audiences: Music, Performance and Genre (20 credits)
Explore what makes watching films such a compelling emotional experience and how such experiences affect interpretations of key ideological discourses. Focus on the role played by music, performance and genre in the evocation of emotion on screen. Examine how texts encourage audience identification and empathy, especially in films dealing with sensitive, or contentious topics. Consider the emotional power of all media texts and recognise feeling as a vital part of the overall fabric of our experience of watching and listening.
Optional modules (choose two):
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Popular Music Cultures (20 credits)
Chart the historical evolution of key popular musical genres and the cultures they both reflect and sustain. Focus primarily upon two of the largest markets that produced and shaped mainstream popular music since the 1950s, namely the US and the UK, but the success and impact of musicians from outside of these regions will also form the basis of analysis. Cover topics spanning multiple genres including rock, reggae, punk, rap, and dance music and explore the socio-political dimensions of the music. Produce two feature articles for an online music publication as part of your assessment alongside an end of module essay.
- Loving The Alien: Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Television (20 credits)
Examine the historical roots of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres, from its literary origins, through to its subsequent appearance on radio, film and more specifically television. Explore several key theoretical approaches to the study of the genre, including fan cultures, representation and dystopian/utopian futures. Cover a chronological overview of the genres, from the 1950s to the present day, exploring British and American science fiction and fantasy television.
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Film Studies Special Topic (20 credits)
Focus on a specialist area of film studies, drawing upon the research expertise of the teaching team, for example, ‘A Festival of French Film’, focusing on French Cinema from the 1930s to the present.
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Film, Horror and the Body (20 credits)
Chart the emergence of body horror cinema in the late 20th century before proceeding to explore different historical and contemporary examples across a range of international contexts. Consider other filmic forms that feature the body undergoing changes that may be horrific or challenging but yet may not be considered to adhere to the horror genre. Employ ideas from both film studies and cultural studies and address questions of bodily fascination, from puberty and issues related to sexual desire through to explorations of bodily disgust and repulsion.
Facilities
The David Puttnam Media Centre is a thriving place to study and experience media. Rub shoulders with BBC Newcastle and Tyne & Wear TV, who are both based in the building. Volunteer with award-winning Spark Sunderland, write for one of our suite of websites or edit Spark Magazine in our mediaHUB. Get hands on in TV and Radio Studios, Journalism and Digital editing suites. Learn from experts in this centre of excellence for training.
Career ready
Build transferable skills and gain experience, to get career ready. Open job opportunities such as teaching, consultancy, TV and film production, new media, marketing and research, PR, advertising and more.
Career destinations
Recent graduates from Sunderland have gained jobs with employers such as BBC (including Radio 1), Channel 4, Sky TV, MTV, The Guardian, I Daniel Blake, Capital North East, regional newspapers and PR companies.
You could choose to continue your studies on one of our Masters degrees such as MA Media Production (Film and Television) or MA Journalism.
Work placements
We actively encourage you to gain relevant work experience while at university. In every year of your course, you’ll be guided and encouraged to gain meaningful experience that will fit around your studies.
You can choose to undertake a number of practice modules throughout your course, which can include live briefs from clients from outside the University. Get the opportunity to gain production experience with independent production company Fulwell 73 and build up a portfolio of work to show future employers.
Practical experience
Many students get involved in Spark Sunderland, a community radio station based at the University. Students are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising. Spark has won many awards including four golds at the Student Radio Awards 2012, and holds the Nations and Regions Award for Best Radio Station in the North-East.
Work alongside BBC Newcastle Journalists in our mediaHUB, home to student-run websites covering sport, news, entertainment, fashion and Spark online magazine.
Sunderland’s daily newspaper, The Sunderland Echo, has a weekly page called ‘On Campus’ that is written entirely by students at the University. It’s an opportunity to find and research your own stories, take photographs, meet deadlines and see your name in print.
Throughout the course, we invite guest speakers to run workshops and master classes that allow you to relate your learning to real-life opportunities.
Creative Industries Week
Creative Industries Week gives everyone in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries the opportunity to participate in a range of projects, workshops, talks, industry visits and career events. This exciting week encourages interdisciplinary working, broadens your experience, to build your confidence and help develop your career path.
If English is not your first language you should have at least one of the following qualifications (or equivalent) as a minimum.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
You need an overall score of 6.0, with at least 5.5 or higher in each component: reading, writing, listening and speaking. An alternative approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) will also be accepted if the applicant’s element scores are equivalent to those required for IELTS. After 6 April 2015, you must take your IELTS exams at one of the test centres listed on the UKVI website.
Pearson Test of English Academic
You need an overall score of 59 with no less than 59 in each skill.
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
You need grade C or above.
Cambridge Certification in Advanced English (CAE)
You need grade C or above.
Deadlines
26 January 2022 – UCAS deadline
Applications for all UCAS Undergraduate courses, except those with a 15 October deadline, should arrive at UCAS by 6pm on 26 January 2022. This is the ‘equal consideration’ deadline, which means course providers must consider all applications received by this time equally.
25 February 2022 – UCAS Extra opens
If you’ve used all five choices, and you’re not holding any offers, you can add another choice using Extra.
19 May 2022 – University decision deadline
If you applied by 26 January and you’re still awaiting a decision from one of your choices, we have until today to decide whether we’re making you an offer. Any choices that are still outstanding after this will be made unsuccessful.
9 June 2022 – Deadline to reply to offers
If you receive all your university decisions by 19 May, you must reply to any offers by today (except if you are using Extra to find a place), otherwise they’ll be declined.
30 June 2022 – Final day to make an application to five universities
You can still apply with up to five choices until 6pm today. After this, your application will automatically be entered into Clearing.
4 July 2022 – Final day to apply for a course in Extra
This is the last day to add an Extra option to your 2022 application. If you don’t hold any offers after this, you will be able to add an additional choice using Clearing.
FREE VISA SERVICE
One of our very suitable solutions for applicants is to provide free visa services to study in this field from a pleasant country. If you need to receive free visa services, let us know your request
Expenses (GBP)
13000
Application Fee
0
Program expenses
University & General Expenses
accommodation
The university offers three different student residential buildings, all of which are within walking distance from the university campuses. All students that are residing in these buildings can take advantage of the free transport that the university offers. What is more, all the dorms are equipped with facilities like fridge, Shower, toilet facilities, Wi-Fi, bed Wardrobe, Washbasin and mirror, as well as car parking and bicycle storage.
The first student residence of the university is called Scotia Quay that costs up to £95.50 per week. Each room is suitable for up to 5 students. the second one is named Panns Bank costs about £77.79 a week and is also suitable for families of four. Lastly, Clanny House also costs around £77.79 per week and is suitable for couples as well as single students.
After Graduation
All the students have the opportunity to seek help from The Careers and Employability Service, a team dedicated to helping students find proper and suitable employment either during or after their education.
Students are encouraged to take on part-time vocational roles in order to gain perspective on the reality of the labor market and also earn extra cash. As a matter of fact, the university helps and guides them during this process. It helps students find part-time jobs that do not impact their studies or temporary jobs that can be done during vacations and breaks. Students also have the chance to take part in paid or unpaid internships and job placements that are related to their field of study.
The Careers and Employability Service also helps students with finding employment after graduation. They help students with the resumes, CVs, job applications and job interviews.