Film Studies and Screenwriting BA (Hons)

The University of Winchester

• Develop as a critical film scholar and a gain a solid grounding for careers in TV, film and media
• Enjoy the freedom to study your favourite genres and periods of cinema while discovering lots of new forms, faces and fields within film
• Watch a lot of terrific films – and discuss and debate them at lively, interactive seminars
• Hone your creative writing skills and deepen your understanding of the craft of scriptwriting and screenplay development
• Take advantage of outstanding industry-standard facilities to learn practical film techniques and skills at our on-campus Multimedia Centre

Behind every film and TV programme is the creative mind that wrote the screenplay. Could that person be you? Is your dream to pen a Hollywood blockbuster, a BAFTA-winning TV drama, or a quirky, independent film? Our Film Studies and Screenwriting course is ideal for you if you are passionate about film and determined to produce creative work within the industry.

On our three-year degree programme you acquire the foundational knowledge with which to analyse film and film scripts within relevant and informing historical, cultural, national and institutional contexts

Watching, discussing and studying a wide spectrum of film genres, from Hollywood blockbusters to French art-house classics, gives you a deep appreciation of the creative process. By engaging critically with film texts, you deepen your appreciation of narrative structure, technique and aesthetics, and your understanding of how filmmakers represent class, race and sexuality. At the same time, analysing the art and practice of screenwriting develops your writing skills and capacity to critique the quality of your own work.

You undertake practical work which develops integrated knowledge of a wide range of theoretical concepts. It also gives you the ability to employ methodological skills and tools relevant to careers in scriptwriting, screenplay development and other creative text production roles in the media/film industry.

You are taught by a team of film specialists and industry professionals with different backgrounds, whose diverse research expertise is reflected in the breadth and scope of the curriculum.

In the first year, you take core academic Film Studies modules, such as Reading Film and Film Criticism, as well as core Screenwriting modules, including Creating Short Screenplays and Script Report Writing.

By Year 2, you are ready to deepen your understanding of the writing process with core modules on research skills, Screenwriting, and Scriptwriting for Mainstream Television. You also have the flexibility to choose five optional modules which may include Telling True Stories, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Contemporary European Cinemas.

In the last year, you choose at least three Film Studies and three Screenwriting optional modules, as well as a subject for your dissertation. Film Studies options may include Film and the City, and Cult Film and Art Cinema. Screenwriting options may include Film Script Development, and Advanced Screenwriting.

Many of our graduates go on to creative careers in film or television, as writers and script editors. Others find work in production, journalism, teaching, and other professions requiring advanced communication skills.