What you will study
At the heart of the course is an emphasis on developing visual storytelling and vivid characters through script development.
You will be able to use high-definition 4K digital cinema cameras, DSLRs and Macs running Adobe Premier and Creative Cloud to apply classical and independent principles with contemporary technology. The course focuses on the collaborative nature of the film making process and sharing stories from communities outside the mainstream.
You'll be expected to complete 180 credits across five modules, including a film making dissertation.
Modules
You will study the basic principles of film making, develop an understanding of the nature and potential of visual storytelling, and discover the importance of sound, lighting and the screenplay. You will also gain a sound knowledge of theories and ideas that can help in the interpretation of your own work and that of other filmmakers. You will produce a portfolio of moving-image projects to illustrate your technical ability in cinematography, sound recording, editing and writing/direction.
Core modules
Film Making 1
30 credits
Film Making 1 introduces the basic principles of film making through the three phases of pre-production, production; and post-production. It is particularly aimed at students who have a high level of visual literacy but limited practical film making experience. The module utilises the tools of digital film making technology. These tools have operating systems that are broadly similar to the wide range of communication devices most students are already familiar with and this similarity is used to ease them into becoming comfortable with equipment. Links are then identified with the classical techniques of film making that have remained consistent across the analogue and digital periods. In pre-production clarity and simplicity of describing action are fostered to communicate complex ideas with a production team. In production, focus and attention to technical detail provide quality raw material. During post-production organisational and mixing skills are developed in order to refine the raw material during the crucial editing phases.
Film Making 2
30 credits
This module will build on the experience gained in the modules in teaching block 1 and provide instruction in non-fiction film making techniques at an intermediate level, drawing on classical and experimental modes of documentary practice to allow students to make a short non-fiction film in small groups.
Practical demonstrations in documentary film making techniques will be accompanied by a series of lectures/seminars on the evolution and ethical dimensions of documentary practice and contemporary modes of non-fiction film making.
Film Making 3 (Dissertation)
60 credits
This module places a direct focus upon light weight, mobile production techniques, underlining the relation between technology/budget and aesthetics. The central principle is the inherent nature of film making as a collaborative art form, providing an opportunity for the genuine expression of individual ideas and a forum for the development of unique voices.
You will apply the skills developed in previous modules to plan and produce a substantial final film project, as a culmination of the masters programme. You will be expected to synthesise your critical viewing experience, technical aptitudes, and critical faculties in writing, filming and editing to produce a film of broadcast quality. Support will be provided through production and practical problem-solving workshops, intensive editing classes. You will be encouraged to critical reflect and self-evaluate their progress throughout the project.
Film Writing
30 credits
This module foregrounds the critical importance of a clear understanding of the specific nature of writing for moving image productions. It develops an appreciation of the craft and art of presenting factual and fictional stories in a genuinely cinematic style and develops a facility in the technique of producing original and adapted screenplays.
By analysing the historical development of the form, an awareness of the principles of screen writing is introduced and then developed through a series of intensive group-based and individual exercises in seminars and supporting workshops. Students are taken through the various forms of screenwriting - the draft screenplay, the treatment, the step-outline, the synopsis, the script, the shooting script, the schedule and the pitch in a series of practical exercises that culminate in the submission and presentation of an original screenplay or documentary script.
Sound and Vision
30 credits
This module enables students to communicate their visual and aural ideas in a coherent manner using technology to design, capture and display sound and cinematography.
As filmmakers we produce meaning for the viewer by creating a blend of images and sounds, which generate emotional and intellectual responses. Clarity of communication and transmission of meaning are the two greatest challenges facing any filmmaker. Through combining cinematography, sound, and editing we will explore the technical and historical processes that enable us to explore and produce images that viewers can perceive and understand.
Vision – Cinematography
We will explore the theory and practice of motion picture photography. The term Photography is used in the most comprehensive sense to include the principles of stills photography, cinematography (moving images captured on film) and videography (moving images recorded electronically and stored on hard or soft ware of various forms including tape, memory cards, and drives). As a result the module provides a grounding in the principles which inform the range of techniques applied in recording images of the actions and events that take place in the world and encourages students to learn through their own practice and experimentation supported by modular tutors.
Sound – Sound Recording & Design
We will provide practical instruction in the use of sound technology. It will encourage the application of knowledge and experience to the production of a film sound design. This will be done by foregrounding the development of skills in using sound to tell stories and create atmosphere. The module will also explore the use of music and of sound design both practically and creatively.
It is also our intention to spend time simply listening. We wish to reflect on soundscapes, found sound, chance encounters with sound; as well as developing the ability to conceptualize sound for our work as film makers, from script to distribution, making the visual and aural interpretations of our sound world a much richer experience. We will work intensely on Film Sound Design and by the end of this part of the module all participants will have a greater knowledge both theoretical and practical of the things that go bump in the night.
