Film Production BA (Hons)

Practice-based and geared to meet the ever-changing demands of industry
Graduates have gone on to work on major blockbuster movies and TV shows
Famous alumni include Loki director Kate Herron

Course overview

If working on movies and high-end TV is your dream, then our BA (Hons) Film Production degree course at UCA Farnham will give you the visual skills and vital business knowledge to forge an exciting career in film production.

Graduates have gone on to work on the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible series’, as well as major TV shows like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Disney+ series Loki.

Our course is predominantly practice-based – we believe in learning through doing. We are also geared to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry, and you’ll get to learn how to best use virtual reality, visual effects, and post-production technologies as you work.

Right from the outset, you’ll be part of a close-knit creative team, making films on industry-standard cameras. You'll learn about the business of film, explore the production process from beginning to end, and develop crucial networking and communication skills.

You’ll also have the chance to have your work screened at national and international festivals and competitions giving you the chance to make an early impact in your career.

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

Accredited by:

CILECT

The Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision (CILECT) was founded in France, in 1954, and is committed to developing and promoting high standards of education, research and training for film, television and related media.

BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity, supporting emerging and established talent within the creative industries.

albert

Founded in 2011, albert supports the global Film and TV industry to reduce the environmental impacts of production and to create content that supports a vision for a sustainable future.

British Film Institute (BFI)

The BFI is a charity and the UK’s leading organisation for film and moving image. It promotes and supports British film from newcomers to established makers, and cares for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive.

ARRI

ARRI is a leading designer and manufacturer of camera and lighting systems for the film, broadcast, and media industries. The ARRI Certified Film School accreditation is awarded to institutions that meet rigorous standards of technical excellence, creative education, and professional development.

Course talk with Charis Coke

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Integrated foundation year (if undertaken)

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

Integrated international foundation year (if undertaken)

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Foundation Year, based at UCA Farnham to bring students from around the world to one hub of creativity.

This year of preparatory study is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and the English speaking and writing skills you’ll need to succeed.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated International Foundation Year

Year one

Launch Week
You’ll begin by taking part in a series of interdisciplinary workshops and seminars based around ideas generation, creative practice, and development. This week will help students develop their understanding of creativity and different sources of inspiration via different approaches, concepts, and mediums.

Encounters: Screen Fundamentals
You’ll learn the essential skills of documentary film production and go outside of your familiar surroundings to encounter new people and places. You’ll explore different approaches to factual filmmaking while investigating the ethical and practical issues of the representation of people. Working in a small group, you will undertake research leading to the production of a short film that presents a portrait of an individual or a group.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The unit provides an opportunity for you to explore what is meant by equality, diversity, and inclusion and the implications of these concepts for creative practice. It will equip students to understand how our social identities (such as gender, race/ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, and religion) contribute to the inclusion and/or exclusion of individuals in creative spaces.

Screen Storytelling
In this unit, you’ll explore the practice of screen storytelling, addressing the fundamental question: how do filmmakers go about telling stories on screen? At the core of this module is the analysis of fiction film to gain familiarity with core components of screen fiction storytelling - character, goal, journey, conflict and resolution. You’ll be challenged to write a detailed treatment for a short film, and make a short video essay that reworks an existing fiction film, to demonstrate your familiarity with the grammar of screen fiction.

Opportunity Week
This week will help you develop your understanding and appreciation for fast-paced idea generation while working within a team. You’ll work to create an idea, develop your concept and produce a short film in 24 hours.

Screencraft: Narrative Film
Working within a group, you’ll create an imaginative non–sync narrative fiction film, through the entire production process, beginning with the development of story and script, creating characters through writing and working with actors, and creating an appropriate story world through camera, production design and sound. Between you, you’ll also run an online blog that will be used to share the research that will inform the project.

Industry Presence
You’ll reflect on your learning throughout the first year of the course, beginning to prepare you for the world beyond university and in readiness for the second year of your degree. You will begin to build the foundation for your CV and online presence and to develop your confidence in presenting yourself and your work to the industry. You’ll work with the careers department, and undertake training in areas such as interview skills, sustainability in production and further your awareness of equality and diversity in film and television production.

Experimental Film
You’ll be introduced to key works, ideas and debates in experimental film, from the historical up to the present day. An emphasis is placed on the critical contribution this expressive filmmaking form offers to contemporary ideas in visual and material screen cultures. You’ll be challenged to produce a short experimental film with a research portfolio of visual material and the recording of the creative process informing this production.

ATOM Activities
ATOM activities are tiny pieces of individual learning that facilitate interdisciplinary exposure across the university. Collectively they form a small fraction of your curriculum that is determined through your own personal choice and interest.

PLE Digital Outcome
In this unit you will collate a digital record, reflecting on your learning journey through the first year of your degree. You will be identifying key points and developments within all units undertaken. We are interested in seeing a detailed account of your academic, technical and creative progress and development.

Year two

Launch week
A series of interdisciplinary seminars and workshops on how to evaluate your own work and recognise your points of strength. This week will investigate how creative risk-taking, invention and experimentation helps to develop your work.

Fiction Filmmaking
You’ll take on responsibility for a crew role in the development and production of a short fiction film to a given brief. You’ll be required to engage with research, script and production development, to engage with potential festival strategies, identify your potential audience and participate at a professional level with onset protocols and project management.

You will also begin to develop collaboration and negotiation skills outside of the university environment through such activities as fundraising and securing locations as well as developing creative relationships with collaborators such as actors and composers.

The Conscious Practitioner
This unit aims to promote progressive values and attitudes to diversity and inclusion in creative practice. Students will have the opportunity to explore global perspectives and influences on creative practice, drawing upon interactions with varied identities, cultures, politics, and histories. The unit will explore how beliefs, values and attitudes drive behaviour and practices. Students will reflect on the development of their own creative influences, perspectives, practices, and sense of belonging as developing creative professionals in global and contemporary spaces.

Opportunity Week – Game Jam
This week consists of a series of interdisciplinary seminars, screenings, and workshops on creative game-building subjects through the lens of a ‘Games Jam’ event. You’ll see the possibilities and potential of what you could create in a short space of time, with the influence of their individual practises and subjects.

You’ll explore further innovation, technique, and technology in production, distribution and exhibition of a fully functioning and playable video game.

Documentary
You’ll undertake a documentary journey that reveals unexpected realities about the world we live in. Integral to this is the exploration of cultural, critical, theoretical and historical contexts in which selected filmmakers from a variety of international contexts have responded to real-life events. Working in groups you will research and produce an original documentary project. You’ll develop your documentary understanding through a variety of camera, editing, idea and research lectures. Before your production is greenlit, you’ll pitch your idea in front of a panel and produce a sizzle reel that shows proof of concept of your film idea.

Live Brief
From a set industry brief from either a commercial client or a charitable organisation, you'll work alone or in small production teams to understand and identify the needs of the brief, plan all aspects of the project and its unique needs, and fully address the requirements of the client.

ATOM Activities
This unit is an extension of your Year 1 ATOM Activities.

PLE Digital Outcome
You’ll build your industry community and professional networking footprint, creating a digital folder evidencing that you are actively engaging in sustainable professional development. You’ll showcase current and newly established professional networks and identify common interests.

Elective units
You'll also undertake two elective units across the year - choose from:

Animation: Industry and Technology – you’ll learn about the development of animation from early cinema to the contemporary, considering both technological shifts and the role of animation studios.
Transmedia Worlds - This unit brings together the concepts essential to the understanding of film, media and the performing arts through a consideration of adaptation and transmedia worlds.
Audio World building: Sound for Moving Image - The unit will give you the opportunity to explore different forms of sound in relation to genre, and develop your understanding of recording Foley and environments, directing voice artists, and mixing sound.
Immersive Production: Developing an Experiential Concept for Film and Television Production - The unit will give you the opportunity to explore cutting edge and future focused technology so that you have a broad comprehension of the expertise and skills required if you want to delve further into immersive media production
The Individual Performance Project – You’ll create a short live performance comprising at least two different elements, including things like a monologue, a piece of storytelling, a poem, a piece of dance/movement or a puppet show.
Theatre Production – You’ll work together with students from a wide range of courses to make a live theatre production.
Applied Music - In this unit you will deliberately expand who you share and create music with to include a wider sense of community.
Film Production – You’ll work together with students from a wide range of courses to make a short film, which could also include animated material or a game component.
Industry Insight: Crewing Up – Delivered at the Maidstone Studios, this unit gives you insight into the many roles in moving image production.
Shakespeare Festival - In this unit you will embrace the language of Shakespeare, staging performances of his work in in an outdoor festival setting at sites around UCA Farnham.
Showreels for the Creative Industries - This unit is designed to help you identify your career aspirations within the creative industries, and to build a professional showreel that best showcases your work.
Verbatim - you will learn about the history of Verbatim techniques in theatre. You will explore Verbatim texts and performance practices including ‘headphone’ theatre and documentary theatre practices.

Professional practice year (if undertaken)

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Year three

Launch
Through interdisciplinary seminars, screenings and workshops, Launch Week focuses on ground-breaking, creative work that has had surprised, shocked, and changed the way we view the world. This will help you see the possibilities and potential of what you could create and achieve in your final year.

Extended Research Project
Emphasising the personal development of critical writing, you’ll research and complete an independently generated and illustrated Extended Research Project.

Final Major Project: Pre-Production
You’ll take on pre-production tasks relevant to your crew roles for the Final Major Project unit. You will also successfully contextualise these roles and the projects for life after graduation, building on technical, collaborative and professional skills you have learned so far.

Opportunity Week
This week comprises a series of interdisciplinary lectures, seminars and workshops centred around life after graduation. This week will help students develop their understanding of the creative industries, working professional environment and what they can expect after graduation.

Final Major Project: Realisation
You’ll further develop your chosen role(s) and complete the projects started in the Final Major Project: Pre-Production unit through production and into post-production and final screening. You are expected to work with a high degree of professionalism in a crew role(s,) and be challenged to further your technical and creative skills throughout.

For the assessment you will be expected to complement the on-screen work with an individual portfolio containing a critical reflection, documenting the strengths and weaknesses of the project work and your contribution, demonstrating the ability to contextualise your work in wider screen culture, and a contextual, creative and technical research folder.

Study abroad

This course offers the opportunity to study abroad for part of your second year. To find out more about studying abroad as part of your course please see the Study Abroad section:

Study abroad information

Industry placement
offer

Preparing graduates for successful careers underpins everything we do, and all students on this course may be offered support to identify and prepare for an industry placement according to their individual needs. We’ll draw on our wide range of contacts within the creative industries to help provide you with opportunities that align with your interests and future career aspirations.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Fees

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

Integrated Foundation Year - £9,250
BA course - £9,250

EU students:

Integrated International Foundation Year - £9,250 (see fee discount information)
BA course - £9,250 (see fee discount information)

International students:

Integrated International Foundation Year - £16,950
BA course - £16,950

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2023 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850 (UK students) and £3,390 (International students). You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

Financial support and scholarships

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources.

Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

You'll find everything you need to know for your level of study on our scholarships page.

Additional costs

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

BA Film Production Showreel

BA (Hons) Film Production - Schmetterling

Preview of Graduation Film - Schmetterling

BA (Hons) Film Production - Closed Doors

Preview of Graduation Film - Closed Doors

Preview of Graduation Film - Flora

Preview of Graduation Film - All I See (Music Video)

Preview of Graduation Film - Mascult

Facilities

Facilities include two purpose-built film studios with dedicated technical support; sound editing, 7.1.2 surround sound mixing as well as digital and analogue editing suites. Software includes Avid Media Composer, Symphony, Baselight, Nitris and Pro Tools. Production kit also includes high end cameras, lighting and sound kit, which is available on campus from the Equipment Hire Department on site.

View 360 virtual tour

Film studio, UCA Farnham

Foley sound studio, UCA Farnham

Film editing suite, UCA Farnham

Film and performance studio, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

Industry links

Our industry connections include:

Avid
Kodak
BKSTS
BECTU
NAHEM
Envy
The Royal Television Society
The Guild of Television Cameramen
Tangram Post Production
Warp Films
Working Title
BBC
Picture Productions
Paramount Pictures
ITN
Mainframe
Big Minded TV

We've hosted a number of visiting lecturers, including:

Alex Garland, novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director with titles including The Beach, Ex Machina, Dredd, Sunshine and 28 Days Later
Barrie Vince, editor of Get Real, A Private Function and Moonlighting
Gustavo Costantini, Argentinian sound designer, musician and Professor of Sound Design at the University of Buenos Aires
Joe Martin and Danielle Clarke, director and producer of documentaries Win a Baby, Going Straight, Scientologists at War and Britain's Young Soldiers
Julie Noon/One World Media, Julie made Syria's Torture Machine, The TA and the Taliban, and Cooking in the Danger Zone
Philip Ilson, directs the London Short Film Festival
Sean Bobbitt, cinematographer of 12 Years a Slave (amongst many others)

As well as coursework, our students are supported in external projects and have made professional level film work for organisations including:

Alive & Well
London Life
Royal Marsden Hospital
Sailability
The March Foundation
Who Needs Heroes

Our students have undertaken work experience on major blockbuster films and award-winning features, such as:

Lilting
The Favourite
Snow White and the Huntsman
Thor: The Dark World
Anna Karenina
Game of Thrones

Careers

Our graduates have worked in various roles on big budget productions, including:

James Bond
Black Sheep
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Loki
Sex Education
Mission: Impossible
Rogue Nation
Star Wars: Episode VII
Thor: The Dark World
Fast & Furious 6
Anna Karenina
Pride.

A number of our graduates are working for range of high-profile organisations, such as:

The BBC
ITV
Channel 4
RSA Films
The Challenge Network
Roast Beef Productions
Art4noise
Channel 5
E4
Splice Media
Blindeye Films
Flex Film
Passion Pictures
Seventh Art Productions.

The types of roles our graduates go on to achieve include:

Director
Editor
Producer
Production designer
Camera operator
Sound designer
Location manager
Location sound recordist
Independent film maker
Screen writer
Distributor
Exhibitor
DIT operator.

Further study

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.

Explore our Gradshow

Visit our 2022 grad show site to see the incredible work created by our graduating students

Visit the 2022 Gradshow

Hannah Cole

"The course was an amazing experience. I can’t believe how much confidence I’ve gained. To go from an incredibly shy, reserved person to standing in front of a lecture theatre and pitching an idea is an amazing achievement."

Read Kate's story

Film Production alumni Kate's a real Marvel

Read Craig's story

UCA alumni's script becomes Tom Hanks blockbuster

Entry & portfolio requirements

UK

BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year

The standard entry requirements* for these courses are one of the following:

112 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
Merit at UAL Extended Diploma
112 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
27-30 total points in the International Baccalaureate Diploma with at least 15 IB points at Higher level, see more information about IB entry requirements.

And four GCSE passes at grade 9-4/A*-C including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).

Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply.

Portfolio requirements

For these courses, we’ll need to see your portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.

More portfolio advice

BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year

The standard entry requirements* for these courses are one of the following:

64 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
Merit, Pass, Pass at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
Pass at UAL Extended Diploma
64 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
24 points from the International Baccalaureate, see more information about IB entry requirements.

And four GCSE passes at grade 9-4/A*-C including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).

Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply.

Portfolio requirements

These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course.

*We occasionally make offers which are lower than the standard entry criteria, to students who have faced difficulties that have affected their performance and who were expected to achieve higher results. We consider the strength of our applicants’ portfolios, as well as their grades - in these cases, a strong portfolio is especially important.

International and EU

BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year

The entry requirements for these courses will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:

Non-UK equivalent qualifications

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

For these courses, we will need to see your portfolio for review. We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. If you are unable to attend an Applicant Day you can upload a portfolio digitally, there is also the option to submit it online via your UCA Applicant Portal. Further information will be provided once you have applied.

BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year

For these courses you need to have completed 12 years of schooling (with good grades) and show strong evidence of your ability to successfully complete the programme and progress onto your chosen degree.

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course.

English language requirements

To study at UCA, you'll need to have a certain level of English language skill. And so, to make sure you meet the requirements of your course, we ask for evidence of your English language ability, please chcek the level of English language required:

English language requirements

Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?

You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

Chatto a student

View all students

Our Staff

Mostafa Nagy

Programme Director, Film

Stephen Featherstone

Programme Director Film Production

Dr Stephen Connolly

Senior Lecturer in Film Production

Zoe Sale

Lecturer Film Production and TV and Media Production

Simon Aeppli

Lecturer Film Production

Paul Whatton

Lecturer Film Production

Carol Walker

Senior Lecturer Film Production

Noski Deville

Lecturer Film Production

Dr Roz Mortimer

Senior Lecturer Film

Apply now

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

My location

I am interested to start in

I would like to study for

Get in touch

Course statistics

BA (Hons)

BA (Hons) with Professional Practice Year

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year

BA (Hons) with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year

Search

Popular Searches

Course overview

Course entry options