BA (Hons) Film Production

This course will enable you to develop an in-depth knowledge of key video production and filmic techniques; a systematic and critical understanding of the relationship between practice and theory.

It is envisaged that you will develop a comprehensive critical understanding of video production practice and film theory. This will enable you to critically analyse and effectively evaluate process and product in relation to video and film.

Upon successful completion of the course our aim is that you will be a creative and critical practitioner who could enter TV, film or any other moving image sector. As well as having a good understanding of a specialised area of your choice, you will also have an excellent overview of related areas of expertise, the media industry as a whole, and an understanding of a range of jobs and how they connect with one another. This will enable you to identify important relationships within this sector and give you deeper insights into effective team working.

The course will help equip you for a future as a creator of content, film/video journalist, writer, director, producer, director of photography, production designer, editor, digital image technician or a range of other film-related roles.

Award title, Exit Points and Progression

There are three levels of attainment, each consisting of six modules, with each module worth 20 credits.

Level 4+ Level 5 + Level 6 – Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours BA Film Production 360 Credits

Level 4 + Level 5 – Diploma of Higher Education Dip. HE Film Production 240 Credits

Level 4 – Certificate of Higher Education Cert. HE Film Production 120 Credits

Course Philosophy, Aims and Outcomes

This award aims to develop creative, communicative and reflective skills, as well as technical abilities. It also challenges students to reflect on their own practice, and the systems and conventions associated with film production.

It is this focus on the role of reflective practitioner that will inevitably enhance career prospects, as students develop a mature understanding of the pragmatic relationship between creativity, ethical concerns and current industry practice.

There are a number of key objectives which aim to enable students:

To acquire and apply detailed knowledge and critical awareness of theoretical approaches to film.

To develop an in-depth knowledge of key video production and filmic techniques; a systematic and critical understanding of the relationship between practice and theory.

To develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of video production practice. To critically analyse and effectively evaluate process and product in relation to video.

By drawing together both theory and practice elements in your BA Film Production course, you will be able to explore the subject in much more depth, broaden your range of skills and improve your overall experience in the various disciplines necessary to be successful in either context: The theoretician with vital practical knowledge - the practitioner with invaluable theoretical insight. It is this dual emphasis that sets our honours degree apart from a film school programme. Setting aside the obvious differences that centre on format and a few related technical issues, our imperative is to extend the scope of traditional courses by encouraging more academic enquiry as well as significant amounts of hands on practice with cutting edge technology - challenging convention and driving change.

Excellence, informed insight, exemplary communication skills, versatility, flexibility, perseverance and dogged determination: these qualities are at the very core of this diet of study, and as industry practitioners ourselves, these are what we value most highly. The course will enable you to nurture and develop the above qualities, and it is hoped, subsequently bring them to bear in a professional environment. Level 4

Knowledge and Understanding

Demonstrate a factual/working understanding of conceptual, theoretical and historical issues.

Show awareness of ethical debates in media and/or film and apply professional codes of conduct to their own work.

Intellectual Thinking Skills

Can analyse, synthesise, evaluate media content and apply competent interpretations to a range of work.

Subject Practical Skills

Demonstrate a basic ability to produce media content under guidance using specific, technical, administrative and collaborative skills.

Key Transferable Skills

Can work competently in a team or with some autonomy as appropriate.

Can communicate competently in appropriate formats.

Demonstrate appropriate levels of organisational skills in terms of planning, time management and problem solving.

Level 5

Knowledge and Understanding

Demonstrate a detailed awareness and understanding of conceptual, theoretical and historical issues.

Shows awareness of the wider social and environmental implications of film/media and is able to debate issues in relation to more general ethical perspectives.

Intellectual Thinking Skills

Can analyse information with minimum guidance and compare alternative methods and techniques to a range of work.

Subject Practical Skills

Demonstrate the ability to work in situations of varying complexity and predictability requiring application of a wide range of techniques with increasing autonomy.

Key Skills

Can work effectively in a team with limited autonomy, as appropriate.

Demonstrate appropriate levels of organisational skills in terms of planning, time management and problem solving.

Can communicate effectively in appropriate formats.

Level 6

Knowledge and Understanding

Demonstrate a comprehensive awareness and understanding of conceptual, theoretical and historical issues.

Show awareness of ethical debates in media and/or film and apply professional codes of conduct to their own work.

Intellectual Thinking Skills Can critically analyse media content and apply effective interpretations to a range of work.

Subject Practical Skills

Demonstrate the ability to produce media content using creative, technical, administrative and collaborative skills.

Key Transferable Skills

Can work effectively in a team or autonomously, as appropriate.

Demonstrate appropriate levels of organisational skills in terms of planning, time management and problem solving.

Can communicate effectively in appropriate formats.

Course Outline

The QAA Communications, Media, Film and Cultural Studies benchmark statement recognises the diversity of media based courses across the UK but makes the following generic statement (www.qaa.co.uk):

Degree programmes within communication, media, film and cultural studies share the aim of producing graduates who have an informed, critical and creative approach both to understanding media, culture and communications in contemporary society, and to their own forms of media, communicative and expressive practice.

Whilst these programmes are committed to enabling students to meet the challenges of employment (including self-employment) in a society in which the cultural and communications industries play an increasingly central role, they emphasise that the fostering of employability requires the development of students' creative, intellectual, analytical and research skills.

In line with this vision, the BA (Hons) Film Production course has been designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of film theory, established industry conventions and new and innovative approaches to video production. Its design has been carefully crafted so that the theoretical film elements compliment and underpin video practice at every stage of the course. Students will develop a comprehensive critical understanding of video production practice and film theory. This will enable them to critically analyse and effectively evaluate process and product in relation to video and film, effectively driving the student to become a reflective practitioner and fostering the essential qualities of excellence, informed insight, exemplary communication skills, versatility, flexibility, perseverance and determination.

Upon successful completion of the course each student will be a creative and critical practitioner who could enter TV, film or any other moving image sector. As well as having a good understanding of a specialised area of their choice, they will also have an excellent overview of related areas of expertise, industries at large, and an understanding of all production roles and how they connect with one another. This will enable them to identify important relationships within this sector and give them deeper insights into effective team working. Drawing upon a broad range of creative, technical, theoretical and practical skills, graduates will be in a strong position to seek work as creators of content, such as film/video journalists, writers, directors, producers, directors of photography, production designers, editors and digital image technicians, film critics, or to teach digital film production or film theory at School, FE or HE levels.

Level 4

Semester 1

Documentary Production (Practical introduction to production practices, basic technology and group work)

Approaches to Narrative (Examine linear approaches to narrative in comparison to new, alternative, non- linear approaches to narratives that have been affected by the transition from analogue to digital media technologies and the accompanying globalisation of media connectivity in political and cultural networks)

Film Movements (History of cinema with analytical tools and basic theoretical concepts)

Shoot, Edit & Sound (Practical and creative module looking at production techniques in depth)

Fiction Production (Engage with storytelling skills through the form of fiction, placing emphasis on film language, research and employability)

Semester 2

Documentary Production (Practical introduction to production practices, basic technology and group work)

Film Theories (An introduction into the theorising and analysis of film through a variety of theoretical perspectives within the canon of film studies)

Level 5

Semester 1

Multi-Camera TV Studio Production (Core) (Project led practical and creative module where teams explore the studio environment)

Film Analysis (Core) (Developing critical approaches to reading and analysing films and visual media products)

Screenwriting (Optional) (Practical and creative module where each student writes a 10min screenplay)

Cinematography (Optional) (Practical module developing skills in camera and lighting)

Post-Production Workflows (Optional) (Practical module developing skills in offline editing and workflows)

Semester 2

Media as Industry (Core) (Theory and practice looking at contemporary trends, policy and career paths in industry)

Industry Experience (Core) (Industry-facing and at the core of the programme students are prepared and assessed through min 40 hrs first-hand experience)

Advanced Fiction Production (Optional) (Advanced module specialising in production roles and the production of a short narrative film)

Level 6

Semester 1 Project OR Dissertation 1 (Preparation module for a short film, feature script or dissertation.)

Audio-Visual Essay (Teach students the concept of practice-led research, critically frame their practice work through theoretical concepts, reflexively practising the social, cultural and political context of filmmaking.)

Identity & Difference (Optional) (Representations of 'race' and ethnicity in film and television)

Live Brief (Optional) (In this module you will explore the more varied applications and new uses of video in industry)

Semester 2

Project OR Dissertation (Shoot & edit of film or feature Script or dissertation).

Freelancing and Creative Business Management (This module provides students with an industry standard portfolio, founded in media and related creative industries, preparing them to transition from the role of an Undergraduate to an Industry ready Professional)

Creative Sound and Music for Film and Television (Optional) (Introduction to sound design concepts and practice by analysing artefacts, professional examples and relevant media.)

Online, Grading and VFX (Optional) (This is a practical and industry-focused module that introduces students to the role of colourists and VFX artists in film and television)

Course Diagram

Semester 1 Semester 2

Level 4 Fiction Production Film Theories

Shoot, Edit and Sound Approaches to Narrative

Film Movements Documentary Production

Core Core Level 5 Multi-Camera TV Studio Industry Experience Production Media as Industry Film Analysis Options Options Advanced Fiction Screenwriting Production

Cinematography

Post Production Workflows

Core Core Level 6 Project 1 OR Dissertation Project 2 OR Dissertation

Audio-Visual Essay Freelancing and Creative Business Management Options Identity and Difference Options Creative Sound and Music Live Brief for Film and Television

Online, Grading and VFX

Module Summary

Level 4

Semester 1

Documentary Production (Practical introduction to production practices, basic technology and group work)

Film Movements (History of cinema with analytical tools and basic theoretical concepts)

Shoot, Edit & Sound (Practical and creative module looking at production techniques in depth)

Fiction Production (Engage with storytelling skills through the form of fiction, placing emphasis on film language, research and employability)

Semester 2

Documentary Production (Practical introduction to production practices, basic technology and group work)

Film Theories (An introduction into the theorising and analysis of film through a variety of theoretical perspectives within the canon of film studies)

Level 5

Semester 1

Multi-Camera TV Studio Production (Core) (Project led practical and creative module where teams explore the studio environment)

Film Analysis (Core) (Developing critical approaches to reading and analysing films and visual media products)

Screenwriting (Optional) (Practical and creative module where each student writes a 10min screenplay)

Cinematography (Optional) (Practical module developing skills in camera and lighting)

Post-Production Workflows (Optional) (Practical module developing skills in offline editing and workflows)

Semester 2

Media as Industry (Core) (Theory and practice looking at contemporary trends, policy and career paths in industry)

Industry Experience (Core) (Industry-facing and at the core of the programme students are prepared and assessed through min 40 hrs first-hand experience)

Advanced Fiction Production (Optional) (Advanced module specialising in production roles and the production of a short narrative film)

Level 6

Semester 1 Project OR Dissertation 1 (Preparation module for a short film, feature script or dissertation.)

Identity & Difference (Optional) (Representations of 'race' and ethnicity in film and television)

Live Brief (Optional) (In this module you will explore the more varied applications and new uses of video in industry)

Semester 2

Project OR Dissertation (Shoot & edit of film or feature Script or dissertation).

Creative Sound and Music for Film and Television (Optional) (Introduction to sound design concepts and practice by analysing artefacts, professional examples and relevant media.)

Online, Grading and VFX (Optional) (This is a practical and industry-focused module that introduces students to the role of colourists and VFX artists in film and television)

Module Content

Level 4

Documentary Production – This module, designed as a practical foundation, aims to provide you with a working knowledge of film grammar and the established industry conventions, the basic concepts and fundamental disciplines necessary in production; techniques in pre-production planning; team-building; understanding narrative; digital cameras; lighting; sound & basic non-linear editing techniques. In this module you will learn documentary production techniques. You will work from original concept and pitch, through research, scheduling, pre-production, directing, camera, lighting, sound, editing, location permissions, managing crews and postproduction.

Film Movements – This module introduces students to the study of film. It is based around key themes - Film Language, Narrative, Genre, Authorship and Adaptation. Using a programme of screening, lectures and seminars (as well as individual study time set aside from the periods spent in the classroom), the module explores the historic, cultural and industrial dimensions of the filmic medium, exploring techniques for analysing the processes by which meaning is created, as well as the material practices that have shaped both as 'art' and as commerce in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Approaches to Narrative – The module will first define and analyse linear and classical approaches to narrative in fiction and documentary, to then compare them to trans-media, cross-media, interactive, multi-layered narratives that have been connected with the advent of new media - social media, virtual reality, mixed and augmented reality. It will connect these to examples existing in the history of fiction, documentary, experimental, hybrid film. The module will the investigate how social and digital media affect understandings of the self and contemporary social conditions and how new forms of narrative are negotiating with the changing media- scape. The module will touch upon techniques that deal with linear approaches to time and space as well alternatives techniques, such as disintegrated writing, multiple approaches to chronology; perspective; agency; point of view; exterior observation/ internal dialogue; multiple, reverse, multi-layered and expanded narratives; synchronicity.

Fiction Production – This module will engage in storytelling skills through the form of fiction, placing emphasis on film language and audio-visual narrative concepts, editing, cinematography, sound, mise-en-scene, basic screenwriting. The module will also include research and development skills that cover primary and secondary research, as well as production management. The module also focuses on employability, including presenting and pitching fiction film projects, critical analysis, communication and teamwork.

Shoot, Edit and Sound– This module, designed as a practical foundation in production techniques, aims to provide you with a full knowledge of film grammar. You will extend your knowledge of the rules and craft of narrative techniques of the moving image. You will apply this assimilated knowledge working in production teams to professional standards, producing a range of challenging short video films to specific briefs. By the end of the module you will need to demonstrate that you understand and can utilise the basics of film language and work successfully as a member of a production team. The module has a “hands on “ practical approach designed to give you an understanding and critical awareness of a range of practical film roles through the creative process.

Film Theories – This module serves as an introduction into the theorising and analysis of film through a variety of theoretical perspectives within the canon of film studies. It will introduce students to key theoretical approaches for analysing moving image texts, including textual analysis, formalism and realism, apparatus theory, psychoanalysis, narratology, cognitive film theory, phenomenology, representation, cinema as spectacle and sound theory. Research methods, including academic writing, will form integral part of the content. Weekly screenings of key films and their in-class discussions will provide students with the opportunity to apply the above theories and establish links to their own practice.

Level 5

Film Analysis Building on the previous modules “Film Movements” and “ Film Theories”, this module consolidates and expands the students’ knowledge towards the study of particular case studies with regards to format, genre, national cinema and representation. This grounded approach to film analysis enables students to dissect films in terms of film practice, especially cinematography, editing and screenwriting. Thus, they are encouraged to socio-culturally frame their filmmaking, which addresses issues of spectatorship and exhibition. Research methods, including academic writing, will be consolidated Cinematography This module is one of a series of skills-based options available to students at L5. The scope of the module covers the following:  Composition principles relating to visual grammar: the rule of thirds, the Golden Mean, use of diagonals, headroom, looking space, eye lines etc  Familiarisation with different types of video camera operation incl. deep and shallow focus cameras basic video cameras, DSLRs, Super 35 cameras, using fixed and zoom lenses  Familiariation with a range of technical camera set-ups exploring video codecs – S-log, resolution, data rate, codecs  Use of a range of lighting solutions incl. LED lights, Dedo Lights, Kinoflows, Tngsten, HMIs etc  Familiarisation with a range of lighting techniques incl. 3 point lighting, background lighting, negative fill, use of gels, scrim etc  Workflows and the role of the Digital Imaging Technician

Post-Production Workflows This specialist module provides comprehensive tuition in the art, technique, technology and industry role of postproduction. Students not only learn about offline and online editing, but also about the crucial interface between production and postproduction, manifested in the role of the DIT. Thus, the module offers students the opportunity to specialise in postproduction and/or DITing and adopt either as a potential career path.

Advanced Fiction Production This module offers the opportunity to really understand the craft and techniques required to produce a successful short fiction film. It enables students to understand the complex relationship between the creative vision and treatment and how this is translated into a successful fiction film through a broad range of technical strategies and collaboration. During the module, students will work in groups of approximately 4-6 and will be introduced to the process of development, moving on to creative preparation methods beginning with script analysis, then storyboarding, designing, planning and casting. It will focus on how to work effectively and creatively with camera/lighting, production design, sound and actors and how the post-production phase can draw all elements together into a coherent and creative finished film.

Media as Industry The module introduces a range of critical threshold concepts that will change students view of media as an industry, from the central necessity of attracting audiences to the different means used by each sector (film, television and online provision) to distribute content, measure their audiences and collect revenue. The guiding principles of the module are then revisited in a pitching, budgeting and scheduling exercise that shows these ideas in action. The content includes; Media, markets and money (overview of film, television and online media sectors); Media economics and competition (media ownership: supply, demand and scarcity; Creating value (the critical role of intellectual property); Clients; Specialization – a key feature of media industries (overview of available roles); Broadcasters and online media providers (the battle for mass audiences); The rise of the UK independent production sector; The pre-production process unpacked; Anatomy of a factual-entertainment production (real case study); Why ‘live’ television is so important; Rules and regulations – media’s regulatory environment.

Screenwriting – This module offers a close study of Screenwriting techniques. You will be introduced to the terms, ideas and craft which surround the creation of scripts. You will explore the screenwriting process to gain a thorough understanding of narrative and its building blocks. Through workshop exercises, you will learn and self-reflect on how to access creativity and improve their craft. You will present work to colleagues in workshops, and be expected to give analytical peer feedback and a critical script report in the role of a script editor.

Multi-Camera TV Studio Production – You will acquire an in depth knowledge of television studio production techniques, from script to screen, covering technical, production and creative skills including green screen. You will work collaboratively on short exercises building up to a multi-camera magazine show production, also featuring musical inserts. You will be encouraged to innovate rather than emulate.

Industry Experience – This module is your first opportunity to formally engage with the media industry. You will be guided by your tutor in putting together CVs, Covering Letters, analysing interview technique etc in preparation for applying for a work placement within the industry. You will undertake a minimum of 40 hours industry placement within a relevant professional media context. The main assessment is based on a report on your own work placement(s). The module is closely supported by our dedicated Work Placement Officer, Lisa Fender-Jack together with Maggie Danquah and other colleagues from the Careers Department. On successful completion of their placement, students are encouraged to build on their relationship with their employer and in some cases this grows into regular employment.

Level 6

Double Project – In this pair of modules – one in each semester - you will research, develop, write, pitch, shoot and edit a 10 minute film in a genre of your choosing (drama, documentary, experimental or a hybrid). For dramas, this will usually be in teams of 8 – 12 people, but less for smaller projects such as documentaries. You may also work individually as an artisan filmmaker if you have pitched a manageable idea which does not require additional crew. You may also collaborate with some crew from outside UWL – we have a growing number of skilled freelance alumni who are always good to work with.

OR You may write at least two drafts of a 50 minute script, plus supporting reflective paperwork.

Whether you work on a production or a script, you will be allocated a supervisor who will guide you through the entire production process.

OR - Dissertation – The dissertation is a 10,000 – 12,000 word research project which individual students will produce with support and advice from an academic member of staff – their supervisor. You will be allocated a particular supervisor according to your chosen topic. Supervisors and students will meet for a limited number of one-on-one tutorials in the course of researching and writing-up the dissertation. The purpose of these sessions is for students to receive guidance and feedback about their particular research project. In addition there will be a series of lectures/research sessions where students will receive more general advice on how to prepare and present the dissertation.

At induction to level 6 you will be asked to decide whether you would like to pursue the Project or Dissertation options. Tutors will take into account your progress through the course and consider your strengths as a student so far and counsel you accordingly.

AV Essay – The major aim of this module is to teach students the concept of practice-led research. As such, it has three objectives. Firstly, it consolidates a wide range of practical and theoretical skills acquired during the L4 and L5, and it introduces the students to more experimental film forms that expand the scope of the experimental film module at level 5 (though that module is not a prerequisite module) .Secondly, it makes students critically frame their practice work through theoretical concepts, not just theorising but reflexively practising the social, cultural and political context of filmmaking. These first two objectives equip students with an essential creative and critical outlook that enhances their chances to find work in the industry and establish themselves as iconic auteurs. The third objective is to encourage students, who intend to embark on an academic, artistic or pedagogical career, to successfully progress to post-graduate courses, or undertake any other practice-led research endeavours.

The tentative contents of the module could include:

- the tradition of audio-visual essays and journals (e.g. inTransition, Screenworks, etc.) - experimental ethnography (concepts of disability, feminism, queer theory, gender theory, post-colonialism, anthropology etc. applied to the filming of ‘other’ people and communities) - practice-led visual anthropology - meta-filmic critique through compilation films (e.g. the ‘supercut’) - the essay film – subjectivity as social critique - audience ethnography (the filming of audience reception) - social media and film practice (e.g. ‘songifcation’) - Audience divergence

Some of the above content has been discussed in previous, theoretical modules, but now students can turn that theory into practice.

Identity and Difference – This module will concentrate on representations of 'race' and ethnicity in film and television. This module will challenge received notions of Euro centrism - one of which is the naturalised, taken-for-granted view that whiteness is the norm from which other differences are marginalised or constructed as deviant. The module offers an opportunity to watch a wide range of film and television programmes, some of them mainstream and some more marginal, all of them tackling fundamental issues in representation.

Live Brief – In this module you will explore the more varied applications and new uses of video in industry. With reference to the historical context of video, avant- garde filmmaking and its development, video and installation art, interactive television, new forms of delivery such as streaming and DVD authoring, the module hopes to encourage active research, creative and technical experimentation in a particular chosen area. Experimental Film & Video is project-based with equal emphasis on process and product. Students will be required to work in teams to produce a video artefact in one of the above areas – in consultation and with agreement of the tutor – this must be supported by a substantial research and production portfolio.

Freelancing and Creative Business Management – This module provides students with an industry standard portfolio, founded in media and related creative industries, preparing them to transition from the role of an Undergraduate to an Industry ready Professional. Their portfolio will contain work and artefacts spanning: PR, Marketing, Web Design and implementation, SWOT analysis, Business planning, Budgeting and Finance, selling their ideas as well as employer engagement and the production of an extensive feature piece of their chosen format (text, audio, tv or film).

Students will be assessed on: generating and selling ideas, devising a strong business plan and associated business tool-kit which positions them in their chosen field, advertising strategy and finally their product – an in-depth feature artefact which becomes their calling card.

Taught by industry freelancers and SMEs, students will receive a strong and contemporary grounding in work ethic, leaving them employable and ahead of the pack.

Creative Music and Sound for Film and Television – The module content will be delivered through lectures and tutorial work in progress sessions. Lectures will introduce sound design concepts and practice by analysing artefacts, professional examples and relevant media. Students will also learn about processes and techniques, associated workflows and considerations by means of in-class demonstrations. There will be a focus on work in tutorials and development of student work in progress.

Grading, Online and VFX - This is a practical and industry-focused module that introduces students to the role of colourists and VFX artists in film and television. Contents tentatively include:

- colour theory - primary colour correction - secondary colour correction - fixing shots (white balance, focus, wire-removal, dirt-removal, lighting, etc.) - compositing (keying, masking, etc.) - basic animation - advanced titling - use of graphics (e.g. turning a 2D still into 3D) - round-trips between offline editing application and related applications (e.g. DaVinci Resolve, Photoshop, After Effects, etc.) - applying LUTs - monitoring grades through video scopes - the use of stock materials (e.g. Digital Juice, Digital Artbeats) to create compositing effects and animations - the industry and job of the colourist and VFX artist (strategies for finding jobs and professional development) - the technology of grading (formats, compression, equipment setup, etc.)

Learning, Teaching and Assessment Learning and Teaching Approaches

The BA (Hons) Film Production is a 3-year full time course. Each year consists of two semesters, with three modules taught across each semester.

An essential aim of the course is that students are supported to develop and practice as independent learners. A comprehensive range of teaching and delivery patterns will be used, designed to enhance knowledge and practical skills in order to enhance enthusiasm for the subject area. Module study involves lectures, seminars, group work, and practical sessions in the TV studio and computer labs, as well as demonstrations of creative and practical skills and educational visits and trips. Critical analysis is developed through self-evaluation both in the form of critical commentaries and personal reflection, in addition to constructive criticism of peer work.

 The core aims of the course focuses on:

 Creativity and Core Skills

 Research-Informed Learning, Teaching and Assessment

 Employability

 Applying Useful Knowledge

 Technology-Enhanced Learning

 Engagement

 Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment

Learners engage in subject specific attributes related to the creative and media industries alongside developing methods and contextualisation to engage in film and media theory. Transferable skills are encouraged through all levels of the degree. In addition, in a course with a requirement for a high level of practical application of student learning, it is expected that the documentation of discussions in lectures, seminars and tutorials, will be seen as an effective means of monitoring progress.

A tutorial system, personal and module based, ensures that students have ample opportunity to discuss and record their personal progress throughout the course and is a means, by which they can monitor, build and reflect upon their personal development. The tutorials identify areas of strength and needing improvement as a means by which the student and tutor can agree a strategy for improving current skills and knowledge.

Through the process of negotiation students will be able to identify a specific area of study and to engage in research, design and creative development relevant to their chosen balance of study. This negotiated element of the course offers flexibility tailored to recognize and develop strengths, enabling students to produce portfolios, which reflect the breadth of the course and the requirements of specialised areas of potential employment.

The BA Film Production course conforms to the strategy worked out for the School as follows:

 Clearly defined Learning Outcomes are attached to all modules and supported, in every case, by teaching activities which ensure student engagement and assessment criteria which validates the achievement of such outcomes.

 Students are given a balanced workload reflected in a diverse range of assessment methodologies.

 Students are facilitated by academic guidance and supervision supported by key skills development and personal tutors.

 Feedback will be timely, formative and transparent in a format appropriate to the module. Assessment will be subject to internal moderation and scrutiny.

 Students are made aware of programme structure and content in the course handbook and in individual module study guides

Specialist accommodation and resources are provided to reflect vocational and practical aspects of the course.

Assessment

The Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy notes that a key aim is to ‘foster critical and independent learners’. The course ensures that this is made possible by providing clearly defined learning outcomes, teaching designed to engage students specifically with such learning outcomes, and a mode of assessment that incorporates individual and team-based assignments.

These include:  essays / reports  projects – usually films  presentations  portfolios  research evidence  critical evaluations / reflections / commentaries

There is coherence between assessment, and teaching and learning methodologies. Assessments will be varied but always relevant to the nature of the activity / enquiry being carried out and to the expected outcome. This may involve presentation of research by written, visual or verbal means, written essay or portfolio, or demonstration of practical and manipulative skills. A variety of assessment types are used, including:

 Module and assignment reports  Peer / group assessments  Individual or group presentations  Reflective journals  Technical records  Portfolio reviews

All assessments provide the opportunity for students to measure their personal progress, identify obstacles and constraints, and evaluate strengths and weaknesses. This profile of current achievement is key in enabling students to improve or extend their profile with the support and guidance of their tutors.

Both formative and summative approaches to assessment are used extensively on the course:

. Formative assessment is built into modules / assignments at midway points. Any grade projected at this stage is advisory in nature and is intended to help students improve their performance and eventual grade. These feedback sessions are typically driven by the tutor, but peer feedback provides an important additional dimension in this process. Peer review enables students to consider a range of perspectives, identifying where consensus emerges, then which being guided to make mature, measured decisions for adaption of their original plans prior to finalisation of their films. An example of this can be seen in the L4 Documentary Production module where students are given formative feedback on mid- module documentary exercises. This feedback, and the student’s response to / reflection on it, then forms part of the final Production Portfolio that makes up the summative assessment of the module. In addition, the course wide summative grading criterion Professional Practice incorporates mark allocation based on the student’s adherence to formative assessment guidelines, including deadlines.

. Summative assessment occurs at the end of an assignment or module; when a module consists of more than one assignment the assessment is weighted, marks for each assignment are then aggregated to provide the module classifications. Summative assessment classifications are reported to the Module Assessment Board at the end of each Semester and contribute to the award of a final grade, once reported to the MAB assessment grades cannot normally be changed.

Resits and Resubmissions take place when a student fails to submit an assignment or does not meet the minimum required pass mark of 40%. For resubmissions, students are given an alternative assignment comparable with the original.

You will be required to submit all of your summative work electronically. It will also be marked online, and your grades and feedback made available to you electronically. Details of the submission mechanism and assessment dates will be provided via Module Study Guides.

Assessment Schedule for your course

Provisional dates for all your assignments on the course are provided in the table below. In the exceptional case where a date has to be changed, you will be notified in advance. The university standard is for assignments to be handed back to you fifteen working days after the hand-in. This gives time for your work to be marked, and checked before returning.

Level Module Assignment Hand-in date Feedback date

4 Approaches to Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days Narrative after deadline

4 Documentary Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days Production after deadline

4 Film Movements Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline

4 Shot, Edit and Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days Sound after deadline

4 Fiction Production Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline 4 Film Theories Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline

5 Media as Industry Essay 1000-1200 Week 6 15 work days words after deadline

Pitch, Budget and schedule (3min pitch Week 14 and supporting documents) 5 Film Analysis Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline

5 Screenwriting Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline

5 Multi-Camera TV A1 – 5-minute 3- Week 6 15 work days Studio Production camera studio show: after deadline 25%

A2 – 15-minute 4- Week 13 camera studio show: 75%

5 Industry A1 – CV, Covering Week 6 15 work days Experience Letter & Interview: after deadline 20%

A2 – Reflective Week 14 Report: 80% 5 Cinematography Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline

5 Post-Production Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days Workflows after deadline

5 Advanced Fiction Portfolio – 100% 15 work days Production after deadline

6 Project 1 A1 - Workshop DVD, Week 14 15 work days Pre-Production after deadline Portfolio: 100% 6 Dissertation 1 A1 - Blog: 10% Week 9 15 work days after deadline A2 - Proposal: 10% Week 14

6 Directing Fiction Portfolio – 100% Week 15 15 work days after deadline 6 Project 2 A2 - Drama Video, Week 13 15 work days Post-Production after deadline Portfolio: 100% 6 Dissertation 2 A3 - 10,000-12,000 Week 13 15 work days Word Dissertation: after deadline 80%

6 Audio-Visual AV Essay (10mins + Week 14 15 work days Essay 1500 words) - 100% after deadline

6 Live Brief Portfolio - 50% Week 15 15 work days after deadline Presentation - 50% Week 12

6 Freelancing and Online Webfolio: Week 14 15 work days Creative Business Feature, Business after deadline Management Plan, Networking, SWOT, Finance/Budget Website Design, Business identification - 100% 6 Creative Sound Clip Presentation - Week 5 15 work days and Music for Film 25% after deadline and Television Pitch Presentation - Week 9 10% Creation of audio Week 12 piece - 25% Sound Design and Week 14 Music for clip - 40% 6 Online, Grading Portfolio - 100% Week 14 15 work days and VFX after deadline

BA Film Production uses a standardised feedback and marking sheet that details how well you have done against each of the grading criteria. This allows you to be able to see what areas you need to improve on. Below is an example of a generic grading template:

Grading Upper First Lower First Upper Lower Second Pass (40- Fail (20-39) Fail (0-29) Bands (85-100) (70-84) Second (50-59) 49) Inadequate Very Poor Exceptional Excellent (60-69) Good Adequate Very Good Outstanding Innovative Well- Appropriate Adequate Weak Very weak Innovative Original developed Sound Acceptable Incomplete Confused Sophisticated Complex Focused Largely relevant Descriptive Lacks Dis-jointed Exceptional Comprehensive Substantial Some reflection Limited relevance Irrelevant Very Very reflective Meaningful Competent Sufficient Descriptive Very sophisticated Very strong Reflective Effective Satisfactory Poor incomplete Extensive Flawless Analytic Mostly accurate Lacks Incoherent Incoherent research Engaging Accurate Limited coherence Some Minimal Flawless Coherent reflection Partially confusion Very (G) Group Fully Generally flawed Incomplete limited Mark relevant coherent Appropriate Inaccurate (I) Individual Substantial Mostly relevant Some Limited Mark under- knowledge No standing Some reflection irrelevance Criterion 1 () % Criterion 2 () % Criterion 3 () % Criterion 4 () % Criterion 5 () % Overall Upper First Lower First Upper Lower Second Pass (40- Fail (20-39) Fail (0-29) Band (85-100) (70-84) Second (50-59) 49) Inadequate Very Poor Exceptional Excellent (60-69) Good Adequate Very Good

The University of West London Graduate Attributes

The University defines the UWL Graduate Attributes as representing a set of abilities acquired by students during their period of study at UWL that go beyond simple acquaintance with a subject. They reflect the University’s approach to education which includes developing graduates who are well prepared for employment, adopting a definition of ‘employability’ that includes creative and enterprising attributes, lifelong learning attitudes, and an awareness of the global context since educational and working experience are necessarily anchored in the context of the wider world.

Graduate Attributes are embedded in the subject and involve a preparedness and the confidence to analyse; question; categorise; interpret; see relations; explain; theorise; and reflect with reference to the broader context.

Graduating at the University of West London means that you will be developing the following Graduate Attributes and become:

 A creative and enterprising professional  A reflective and critical lifelong learner  A globally aware individual

Follow the link below for an interactive representation of these attributes: http://hermes.uwl.ac.uk/grad_attributes/