The Student Room Group

What film university? Help!!!!!!

Okay,
So I'm looking around for Unis for 2015. so far I've looked at
AUB - Film Production
Bournemouth - Tv and Film
Portsmouth - TV and Film
Westminster - Film Production

I was very disappointed with them all other than AUB and Westminster, and discovered that it was due to the fact that the other two include television, and the Television aspect was putting me off.

Anyone know any other good Film university? Im going to look at Norwich, But yeah?
Thanks
We have the exact same choices lol and the television aspect is actually quite good because at the end of the degree, you'll get work due to the learning both film and television.

have you started a portfolio or personal statement yet
Reply 2
Original post by Theblackguy
We have the exact same choices lol and the television aspect is actually quite good because at the end of the degree, you'll get work due to the learning both film and television.

have you started a portfolio or personal statement yet





Ahhhhh really? :redface: Hmmm, I've had such a long debate about what area I wanted to go in, and tbh I'm still not sure...But I'm currently doing a BTEC film and television course at the moment, and all the uni courses that are doing film and television kinda sound like they follow the same, and i feel that i may not learn anything....But i get where your coming from, and i hadn't really thought of that!

No not yet:redface: I really need to get my ass moving! Im just so stuck on what to put in my portfolio:redface:
Yeah, AUB is my first choice, tbh all these course's have different aspects even though their under the same name so you really need to look at the modules on each one and just compare.

yeah, it can be hard knowing where to start, i finished my personal statement but i just know the teachers gonna tear it apart but yeah, i started writing screenplays (scripts) they help your portfolio even if your show reel ins't strong enough.
Original post by KarenzaJ
Okay,
So I'm looking around for Unis for 2015. so far I've looked at
AUB - Film Production
Bournemouth - Tv and Film
Portsmouth - TV and Film
Westminster - Film Production

I was very disappointed with them all other than AUB and Westminster, and discovered that it was due to the fact that the other two include television, and the Television aspect was putting me off.

Anyone know any other good Film university? Im going to look at Norwich, But yeah?
Thanks


Hi Karenza,

I would like to introduce you to Ravensbourne University.

We are an industry focused digital university, offering a wide range of creative courses, and we are situated right next to The O2 arena.

We have a fantastic Film Production degree course. Here is the link to the Digital Film Production course page for more information.

I hope this helps with your decision and wish you all the best for starting your courses.

- Ravensbourne
(edited 9 years ago)
May I ask why do people do these degrees? What is your intention? Will it secure you a job in the entertainment industry?
Original post by KarenzaJ
Okay,
So I'm looking around for Unis for 2015. so far I've looked at
AUB - Film Production
Bournemouth - Tv and Film
Portsmouth - TV and Film
Westminster - Film Production

I was very disappointed with them all other than AUB and Westminster, and discovered that it was due to the fact that the other two include television, and the Television aspect was putting me off.

Anyone know any other good Film university? Im going to look at Norwich, But yeah?
Thanks


Hi! I'm also applying for filmmaking for 2015 and my top five are Anglia Ruskin, Bournemouth, Norwich university of the arts, university of the west of England and Chichister! I think unistats is an amazing website to compare courses and universities. Norwich is my absolute favourite and AUB was my second until I checked their unistats. With something like 48% overall student satisfaction I bumped it off my list of Chichister which had 97%. I'd definitely check out unistats before you commit!


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Darkwarrior23
May I ask why do people do these degrees? What is your intention? Will it secure you a job in the entertainment industry?


People seem to forget that EVERYTHING on TV has been filmed and edited mostly by media and filmmaking majors. I've come across a lot of people at my school since were all encouraged to be doctors and go to Cambridge who think it's a useless course but it's great!

Not everyone wants to be behind a desk all day, filmmaking takes you all over the world doing amazing creative things and if you're good your salary can be much higher than the average doctor or dentist. It can be a VERY well paid career that can take you to many places. Even big shot companies need a marketing team and those teams need to make persuasive recruitment videos and I doubt any economics majors can handle a £60,000 camera.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Very well said and too add to that, don't you wanna enjoy your job, instead feeling your doing this just for status and money?
A degree does not increase your chances of employment in the TV or film industry. It is all about experience and working your way up from the bottom. Just because you have a degree does not mean you can jump straight into a producer/director/editor etc. role.

My advice is to start gaining experience now, and a driving license is more important than a degree.
Original post by KBradders
A degree does not increase your chances of employment in the TV or film industry. It is all about experience and working your way up from the bottom. Just because you have a degree does not mean you can jump straight into a producer/director/editor etc. role.

My advice is to start gaining experience now, and a driving license is more important than a degree.


Well if you have a degree and you do practical filmmaking at uni, you're getting experience AND a degree at the same time since most good universities for film now actually have you work with actual clients making adverts/docos/short films that they actually use so...

Obviously working up from the bottom is a good way to get into film but it'll take just as long if not longer to get anywhere rather than if you already have a dozen amazing quality films done in three years.

I don't think anyone here is dumb enough to think you're going to be a director fresh out of film school? Were all applying to university, we're not naive.




Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by livvydibby
Well if you have a degree and you do practical filmmaking at uni, you're getting experience AND a degree at the same time since most good universities for film now actually have you work with actual clients making adverts/docos/short films that they actually use so...

Obviously working up from the bottom is a good way to get into film but it'll take just as long if not longer to get anywhere rather than if you already have a dozen amazing quality films done in three years.

I don't think anyone here is dumb enough to think you're going to be a director fresh out of film school? Were all applying to university, we're not naive.




Posted from TSR Mobile


Student films are nothing compared to a commercial production. Yes you can do work experience on a lot of degree courses now, but everyone else will have the same experience. How is that going to make you stand out of the crowd and make someone employ you?

Nothing is wrong with a degree, just saying a media production degree won't give you an advantage over others when entering the workplace. You need to do more than just your degree. You will still start at the bottom and work your way up even with your degree.

An Economics student still has the same chances of bagging a job in the industry, they can do filmmaking as a hobby and get work experience in the industry off their own back and still come out with a solid degree.
Reply 12
Original post by Ravensbourne
Hi Karenza,

I would like to introduce you to Ravensbourne University.

We are an industry focused digital university, offering a wide range of creative courses, and we are situated right next to The O2 arena.

We have a fantastic Film Production degree course. Here is the link to the Digital Film Production course page for more information.

I hope this helps with your decision and wish you all the best for starting your courses.

- Ravensbourne




As much as i fell in love with Ravensbourne uni when i went to visit it, the prices of Halls put me off so much!
Over £180 PER WEEK!
And then you have to think how living accommodation will work after the first year.
Reply 13
Original post by KBradders
Student films are nothing compared to a commercial production. Yes you can do work experience on a lot of degree courses now, but everyone else will have the same experience. How is that going to make you stand out of the crowd and make someone employ you?

Nothing is wrong with a degree, just saying a media production degree won't give you an advantage over others when entering the workplace. You need to do more than just your degree. You will still start at the bottom and work your way up even with your degree.

An Economics student still has the same chances of bagging a job in the industry, they can do filmmaking as a hobby and get work experience in the industry off their own back and still come out with a solid degree.



However by going to uni you will learn a whole range of skills rather than trying to gain experience in a specific job role, such as camera operator.
I feel that by going to uni you are able to still try out all the jobs roles available, and this is key for people who are still unsure on the road in which they want to take.

I know that i have the same chance as getting a job as i do with someone who decided to go for experience rather than uni, however when your at uni you make contacts, especially if you go to AUB, Which can help you to produce films for film festivals which help you get your name out there,
Original post by KarenzaJ
However by going to uni you will learn a whole range of skills rather than trying to gain experience in a specific job role, such as camera operator.
I feel that by going to uni you are able to still try out all the jobs roles available, and this is key for people who are still unsure on the road in which they want to take.

I know that i have the same chance as getting a job as i do with someone who decided to go for experience rather than uni, however when your at uni you make contacts, especially if you go to AUB, Which can help you to produce films for film festivals which help you get your name out there,


Of course you can learn the skills at university and gain contacts, but just not in a professional workplace. However you can gain contacts through Facebook and networking events.

That person who did decide to go straight from school/college to work will be years ahead of you if you have just graduated. You will have just delayed the time when you decided to start working from the bottom if you haven't been gaining experience yourself whilst at university.
Original post by KBradders
Of course you can learn the skills at university and gain contacts, but just not in a professional workplace. However you can gain contacts through Facebook and networking events.

That person who did decide to go straight from school/college to work will be years ahead of you if you have just graduated. You will have just delayed the time when you decided to start working from the bottom if you haven't been gaining experience yourself whilst at university.


Everyone at university is gaining experience? You can do a year in the industry on some courses, work for clients at their offices, in their 'professional workplace' at all courses. If you're not at university obviously you can develop the skills yourself but uni will help you develop them faster since you don't have to work it out on your own.

And I'm not saying that you're guaranteed to get a job fresh out if university, but at the top film schools, they have a really high after six months employment rate. If you don't got to uni and you don't have a degree than you're a lot less likely to find a stable job.

Plus, don't really understand why you're acting like university is a waste of time? When actually a lot of what you've said about not being able to gain experience at university is hugely presumptuous?

From when I was at The Met, ALL of the film instructors there had either been to university before they got 'professional experience' or after they got experience. Either way they all went to university because they ALL said a degree is just a great thing to have.

They're all filmmakers, run their own companies so, a degree wasn't too bad for them was it.



Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by livvydibby
Everyone at university is gaining experience? You can do a year in the industry on some courses, work for clients at their offices, in their 'professional workplace' at all courses. If you're not at university obviously you can develop the skills yourself but uni will help you develop them faster since you don't have to work it out on your own.

And I'm not saying that you're guaranteed to get a job fresh out if university, but at the top film schools, they have a really high after six months employment rate. If you don't got to uni and you don't have a degree than you're a lot less likely to find a stable job.

Plus, don't really understand why you're acting like university is a waste of time? When actually a lot of what you've said about not being able to gain experience at university is hugely presumptuous?

From when I was at The Met, ALL of the film instructors there had either been to university before they got 'professional experience' or after they got experience. Either way they all went to university because they ALL said a degree is just a great thing to have.

They're all filmmakers, run their own companies so, a degree wasn't too bad for them was it.



Posted from TSR Mobile



I never said a degree is a bad thing. You don't seem to understand the fact that industry runs on experience rather than who has a degree. You can still have a good job without a degree, and a lot of experience is out there without a degree. You have just got to search for it.
I have spoken to a few in the industry, and trust me they don't care where you got your degree from. I know people in the industry who have never heard of these so-called top-institutions. I am about to start TV Production at Bournemouth, and trust me, no one gives a damn. I am doing it because I enjoy it, and I have to get work off my own back. That has been possible before I start my degree.
Yes but getting the expierance is the hard thing, you have to know people in high places and people like me and many others (working class) don't know those types of people, so uni is really are only hope.

Plus no one is gonna respect you, if you came up due a parent friend giving you a hand out
Original post by Theblackguy
Yes but getting the expierance is the hard thing, you have to know people in high places and people like me and many others (working class) don't know those types of people, so uni is really are only hope.

Plus no one is gonna respect you, if you came up due a parent friend giving you a hand out


I am from working class. I knew no one in industry, and live in a rural area. You can hunt for opportunities online. It is hard, but it will still be hard once graduated.
Original post by KBradders
I never said a degree is a bad thing. You don't seem to understand the fact that industry runs on experience rather than who has a degree. You can still have a good job without a degree, and a lot of experience is out there without a degree. You have just got to search for it.
I have spoken to a few in the industry, and trust me they don't care where you got your degree from. I know people in the industry who have never heard of these so-called top-institutions. I am about to start TV Production at Bournemouth, and trust me, no one gives a damn. I am doing it because I enjoy it, and I have to get work off my own back. That has been possible before I start my degree.


As a general fact, a degree is better than not having a degree whenever you get it. As long as you have one, you'll be more stable than if you don't have one. I'm not specifically saying in film since I think everyone who's applying to film school knows experience is just as valued as a degree but surely if you have both it's better. I know that, so don't try to patronise me. I've had a lot of experience in film and spoken to a lot of filmmakers who have given me a lot of advice so please do not assume that because my opinion is different to yours that I know nothing or 'don't understand'.

Obviously you're very proud that you're in uni off of your own experience and whatever but to be honest, everything you're saying seems hugely narrow-minded. Not every single person in the film industry has done it with no degree and just experience and to say 'no one gives a damn' is bull****. I for one know what just experience can do for you and I know it can be just as good as having a degree but just having any degree, whether it's in film or radio or whatever can open so many doors rather than not having a degree.

In today's economy, a degree AND the experience that comes from it is better than just experience. A degree opens a hell of a lot more doors if you're looking outside the film world which we all should because limiting your options is just stupid. I'd love to do a job I love but I'd also love financial security.

Excuse us for wanting to get straight into uni and get all of that rather than struggle straight out of school. Uni hands you amazing opportunities on a plate, don't patronise us because we take them.




Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply