Film and Television Production with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Buckinghamshire New University

Do you have a passion for film and TV? Do you want bring stories to life? BA (Hons) Film and Television Production will see you developing your skills and knowledge of how films go from concept to screen. Work behind the camera and explore all aspects of production, from casting and scouting locations, to managing budgets and measuring the success of films.

You will spend the majority of your time studying at our High Wycombe Campus to develop the knowledge and skills you will need to seamlessly transition from university into employment. However, you may also have the opportunity to study at our teaching base at Pinewood Studios, putting you right in the heart of this world famous creative hub.

After your Foundation Year, this course has a shared first year across multiple specialisms. After your first year, if you want to study a different specialism you can choose to change between BA (Hons) Film Production and BA (Hons) Film & Television Production.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

During your time with us you’ll have the opportunity to learn hands-on practical skills to help you stand out to potential employers. You’ll get to grips with industry-standard equipment including cameras, lighting, sound and editing software. You can also benefit from live project briefs, master classes and plenty of networking opportunities. Our fantastic industry connections will contextualise your learning by presenting their first-hand appreciation of current industry problems, practices and priorities, and offering professional insights from different technical and creative perspectives.

You’ll hone your practical script writing skills with workshops and pitch your script to a highly experienced panel. You’ll cover camera, lighting, sound, editing and all elements of planning and pre-production, bringing them together to produce a range of fiction and non-fiction films.

In your second year, you will build on the skills acquired at Level 4 gaining advanced technical and creative skills. You may study virtual production technology. There are opportunities to create films to briefs for external clients, or a music video for a band or musician, as well as experimental films. You may learn the employable skills of live events production, including multi-camera operator and floor manager, whether for live music, or studio-based discussion programmes, or advanced script writing for fiction production. For the third year dissertation, you’ll choose between a creative production, a project in screenwriting or a written industry study. Additionally the third year is the time to advance your virtual production skills, or create original short films, or investigative documentaries.

Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health and wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.

What facilities can I use?

You will be studying at both our High Wycombe Campus and at our base at Pinewood Studios throughout the course. At both locations you will find state-of-the-art film equipment.