Programme Specification
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PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Course record information Name and level of final award BA Honours Film BA Honours Film with Professional Experience The Film BA Honours degree is Bologna FQ-EHEA first cycle degree or diploma compatible. Name and level of intermediate Diploma of Higher Education awards Certificate of Higher Education Awarding body/institution University of Westminster Teaching Institution Status of awarding body/institution Recognised Body Location of delivery Language of delivery and English assessment Mode, length of study and normal Three years full time, September start starting month Four years full time with optional placement year QAA subject benchmarking Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies group(s) Professional statutory or regulatory ScreenSkills body https://www.screenskills.com/ Date of course 1976; reviewed 1990, 1996, 2001, 2007, 2013, 2015 validation/Revalidation Date of programme specification December 2020 approval Valid for cohorts 2021/22 onwards Course Leader Tania Diez UCAS code and URL W900 westminster.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate Westminster course code BATFM01F HECoS code UKPASS code (PG only) Admissions requirements There are standard minimum entry requirements for all undergraduate courses. Students are advised to check the standard requirements for the most up-to-date information. For most courses a decision will be made on the basis of your application form alone. However, for some courses the selection process may include an interview to demonstrate your strengths in addition to any formal entry requirements. More information can be found here: westminster.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/how-to- apply. Recognition of Prior Learning Applicants with prior certificated or experiential learning at the same level of the qualification for which they wish to apply are advised to visit the following page for further information: westminster.ac.uk/recognition-of-prior-certified-learning. Aims of the course Film has been part of the history of the University of Westminster (formerly Regent Street Polytechnic) for many years. In 1896, Quintin Hogg rented out the theatre (which is now the Regent Street Cinema) at the Regent Street Polytechnic for a screening of the Lumieres' newly invented Cinematographe, ensuring the Polytechnic’s place in the history of Cinema. The Polytechnic first offered Cinematography as a 24-week evening course in 1913. During world war two it offered technical film-making and the training of projectionists, contributing to the war effort. Both the Polytechnic of Central London and the Harrow College of Art were offering film as part of three year diploma courses by the 1970s, before merging under the umbrella of the University of Westminster. BA Film is now one of the best-known film and television courses in the country. As production methods, technologies, society and ideas evolve, so do we. We have an international reputation, with collaborative storytelling at the heart of the curriculum, focussing on preparing undergraduates for the challenges of working in the film and television industries. We support students in their professional and creative ambitions by providing extensive industry level facilities and experiences, operating from a large, purpose- built studio in Harrow with two film and television studios, a set construction workshop, a 3D workshop, as well as celluloid and digital post production facilities that include two dubbing theatres. The Regent Street Cinema remains part of the University in central London and is used for student screenings. We believe in developing diverse, creative film-makers, who can collaborate proficiently as they develop a high level of competence in specialist areas, and who have something to say to the world, and about the world. We encourage the telling of untold stories that aren’t afraid of challenging expectations and existing perceptions. We expect students to reach high standards in all aspects of their creative, academic and practical work and to synthesise concepts and practices from across the curriculum. We ensure that they understand current debates and the realities of working in the film and television industries so that they are well prepared for their chosen future careers. Programme Specification: BA Film Version: 2021 1 Short film productions are a vital part of the course, and it is expected that all final year productions in documentary and drama, will engage audiences and be produced to a professional standard. Student films from the University of Westminster have done well in national and international Film Festivals and competitions in recent years, having won awards in festivals in Moscow, Beijing, Singapore, Bucharest, and London, and have been screened regularly all over the UK and the world. In 2020 alone there were six awards won at the Kodak Commercials Awards, seven nominations and three awards at the Royal Television Society, and the Nahemi Undergraduate Film of the Year went to one of our Second Year productions. In film practice, students have the opportunity to explore different disciplines such as editing, sound, production design, screenwriting, cinematography, producing and directing before specialising in the second year. The emphasis is on group work, with small groups in the first year, larger groups in the second year and in the third year students may work on full scale productions with large crews. The BA Film is oriented towards single camera production for both the small and large screen; the practical element has a significant emphasis on short fiction and documentary productions, and theory deals with film and television aesthetics, criticism and history, with an emphasis on the analysis of film and television texts. The academic side of the course is assessed through presentations and coursework essays that build in complexity through the levels. This includes a research project in the final year which may take the form of a dissertation or alternative research format. First year modules provide students with the tools to observe film as a multi-layered discipline, and to transfer those insights into their own practical work. Second year modules are more specialised, with options to choose roles, learn technical specialisms in-depth and select areas of interest in theory. Formative feedback is at the centre of our teaching, and students are expected to work independently, creatively and reflectively to incorporate feedback and theoretical concepts as they develop their projects in all areas. The third year focuses upon advanced film-making and preparation for moving into the industry through production of a short form film and major project as well as professional development. Through the interplay of a range of carefully designed modules in film and television practice and theory, the course aims to give students: ● The ability to work as reflective “thinking” filmmakers in collaborative storytelling; ● The ability to explore diverse ideas and communicate collaboratively across disciplines within film and television; ● A specialist skill within the area of film and television production, and an understanding of the requirements of entry-level work in that area; ● An understanding of the cultural and economic contexts in which film and television operate, of business aspects in film, and of the opportunities for employment or further study; ● An advanced critical understanding of film and television, and of a specific subject within theory or practice; Programme Specification: BA Film Version: 2021 2 ● The ability to work in an autonomous and entrepreneurial way, choosing appropriate strategies and techniques to solve complex problems with minimum supervision. ● The opportunity to understand contemporary issues, enabling them to offer fresh perspectives and contribute to dynamic change within the film and television industries. ● The ability to reflect upon, negotiate and set their own criteria for developing professional and interpersonal networking and communication, and make informed choices about the direction of their studies and subsequent careers. What will you be expected to achieve? Learning outcomes are statements on what successful students have achieved as the result of learning. These are threshold statements of achievement the learning outcomes broadly fall into four categories: ● The overall knowledge and understanding you will gain from your course (KU). ● Graduate attributes are characteristics that you will have developed during the duration of your course (GA). ● Professional and personal practice learning outcomes are specific skills that you will be expected to have gained on successful completion of the course (PPP) ● Key transferable skills that you will be expected to have gained on successful completion of the course. (KTS) Level 4 course learning outcomes: upon completion of level 4 you will be able to: L4.1 Develop and apply creative ideas in response to a range of standard film and video production techniques in producing short form films and incorporate formative feedback in your working process. (PPP) L4.2 Propose, create and present work in the artform, creative practice or discipline of study; (KU, PPP) L4.3 Negotiate collaborative working practices with other students, and critically evaluate their own performance and that of their peers. (KTS) L4.4 Work flexibly and creatively on complex tasks, showing awareness of your own capabilities through guided reflection, and evaluating your learning in terms of skill, knowledge and future plans.