MA Directing Film & Television

at Bournemouth University

Core units
 

• Developing a Directorial Vision: Here, you will develop critical and practical skills for screen directing. Building on camera-use, screenwriting competences, you learn to directorially (de)construct your story, plant themes, avoid dialogue-driven plots, and articulate a directorial vision and “voice”. You also master collaboration with actors, cinematography, and editing, as well as the importance of production design, and genre to the director. The unit assignment is a portfolio of your works, including a short film, preparatory & reflection materials.

• Storytelling: This unit aims to examine concepts of storytelling across audio visual formats, cultures and production industries. You’ll engage with practice research methodologies to critically engage with a diverse range of narrative forms and approaches. 

• Crafting Visual Stories: Here, you learn directorial skills with critical attention to producers, screenwriters, target-audiences, publics, and investors. Thus, you advance directing skills for TV, and film, by developing professional pitching skills, as well as learn how target-audience(s) and publics influence story-development processes. You will direct a 10-minute drama, or documentary. Here, drama scripts are developed by collaborating with scriptwriters, and producers, while documentaries will be developed in collaboration with producers. Once again, in this unit, you also team up with MA students of Cinematography, Editing and Sound.

• Approaches to Industry: An introduction to key skills and knowledge you'll need for employment in the media industries. An opportunity to develop your ambitions and strategies for entering the creative industries wherever you choose.

• Media Production Masters Project: This project gives you the opportunity to develop and direct a production of your choice which gives you a ‘calling card’ in the field in which you want to work. In negotiation with, and mentored by your tutor, you will plan, shoot and post-produce your project.  Taking advantage of the Faculty of Media & Communication’s collaborative environment, you can work with scriptwriting students to make exciting drama scripts, as well as producers and, once again, cinematography, sound and editing students. You can alternatively produce a practice-based research artefact supported by a written analysis, or an individually or collaboratively written thesis.

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:
 

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent
• Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:
 

• IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing, speaking, listening and reading, or equivalent.

​Additional costs

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.
• 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 shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.
• Accommodation and living costs. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside 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) if this is part of your course of study. 
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• 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.

Some of our Directing Film & Television graduates are now undertaking roles as:
 

• Media Specialist
• Freelancer
• Producer
• Director
• Studio Director.