Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Where to study Film Production at Degree?

Hey!
So I'm 19, currently undertaking foundation in art and design at home from a local art college, but I've known for several years that I want to study film production at degree level; cinematography if possible really.
Problem is, I don't know which course.

The difficulty first of all arises with the film studies/film production divide. I don't want to do film studies, I'm bored of watching and analysing and want to learn more about my craft in a hands on way- but I'm an academic person. I achieved A*, A*, A, A at A2, in Film studies, Photography, Eng lit and RS, I want somewhere inspiring and stimulating that will stretch me, and (probably quite unfairly) I'm looking at entry requirements to gauge that. They all seem exceedingly low. That worries me.

The second difficulty is television. I don't want to study television, my interest lies in short, feature and documentary feature. I need a course that caters to that.

The third issue is I live in the back of beyond. I want to move to a city. And a proper one. Cardiff, Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester, London's expensive to live in but the point is I'm not picky. I want a big place with plenty of work experience and life experience to be had.

I just don't know. For some reason, I don't think I'm being picky, and I haven't found a single course to match what I want. I went to Farnham to look around, but it's tiny, as if the course run at the Salisbury Campus at Bournemouth uni. I don't want to keep on living in the middle of nowhere.

Please somebody tell me what I'm missing or where I need to compromise. Careers departments have been routinely useless, I have no idea where to turn. Thanks in advance xx

EDIT: the people at the BFI film academy people are telling me to look into BSC- HELP MEH!

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

nonswimmer

Original post by inmediares

The second difficulty is television. I don't want to study television, my interest lies in short, feature and documentary feature. I need a course that caters to that.

In your career you won't get to be that picky. It would be a good bet to train across film, television, and other media.

Reply 2

returnmigrant

Also you need to look at other ways into the Film industry. BBC Production trainees, other entry level training courses etc. Look at www.notgoingtouni.com

Most people in the film industry dont have degrees in 'Film making' and they dont see that as a prerequisite. Film making isnt an academic subject - its a practical vocational subject. You cant wave the 'But I've got lots of A levels' card and think there is a Big Course that only you can get on because you see yourself as too clever to do a mundane vocational training with people with lower A level grades than you. Talented people are judged by results, their ability to be creative and make films - not be their A level grades.

Whatever degree you do, you will not be snatched up by a Hollywood studio on graduation and be collecting an Oscar the following year. Your will put in endless hours of unpaid graft doing 'donkey work' in order to learn about the industry, make contacts and progress your career. I think you need to do some really hard thinking about what 'working in the film or TV industry' is really like.

Reply 3

Siena4996

Original post by inmediares

Please somebody tell me what I'm missing or where I need to compromise. Careers departments have been routinely useless, I have no idea where to turn. Thanks in advance xx

While I understand that people think it is not necessary to have a degree in Film Production to make it in the film industry, I disagree. I am also applying for Film Production degrees because I believe that it gives you a head start and now more and more people are looking to study film to get into the media industry because it is more attractive to employers.

It is hard to find a degree that does not include TV in it, and I think you should take the time to study other parts of the media industry without limiting yourself because... a job is a job and if you want to make it to films, you'll have to undergo some of the less attractive positions first. I'm sure you're highly aware of this but it is a very competitive field and not a pretty one. So definitely compromise on what you're looking for specifically in a degree, find something broader and then narrow it down when you get job opportunities.

If it helps, these are the courses I'm applying for and all of them have pretty relevant practical sides to them, even though I'm looking for screenwriting opportunities:

University of York (Film and Television Production) (AAB)
University of East Anglia (Film and Television Studies) (ABB)
Northumbria University (Media Production) (BBB)- One of the best student cities in the country.
Lancaster University (Film and Creative Writing) (AAB)
University of Sussex (Media Practice) (AAB)

(Not low entry requirements, except maybe Northumbria)

Good luck and I hope you find the degree you're looking for :smile:

Reply 4

inmediares

Original post by Siena4996

It is hard to find a degree that does not include TV in it, and I think you should take the time to study other parts of the media industry without limiting yourself because... a job is a job and if you want to make it to films, you'll have to undergo some of the less attractive positions first. I'm sure you're highly aware of this but it is a very competitive field and not a pretty one. So definitely compromise on what you're looking for specifically in a degree, find something broader and then narrow it down when you get job opportunities.

If it helps, these are the courses I'm applying for and all of them have pretty relevant practical sides to them, even though I'm looking for screenwriting opportunities:

University of York (Film and Television Production) (AAB)
University of East Anglia (Film and Television Studies) (ABB)
Northumbria University (Media Production) (BBB)- One of the best student cities in the country.
Lancaster University (Film and Creative Writing) (AAB)
University of Sussex (Media Practice) (AAB)

(Not low entry requirements, except maybe Northumbria)

Good luck and I hope you find the degree you're looking for :smile:

Cheers! I really appreciate that! I'm on the BFI film academy right now and that's pretty much made me realise that a lot of people don't get trained and people do work in both TV and film.

Original post by returnmigrant

Also you need to look at other ways into the Film industry. BBC Production trainees, other entry level training courses etc. Look at www.notgoingtouni.com

Sadly you don't get student loans if you don't go to uni. £2.50 an hour is not enough for me to live on without living at home and working locally, even with my part time job and the film work that I do on top, and there are sadly no paid film apprenticeships in Hereford, as it is the epitome of rural suburbia :frown:

Entry level jobs, as you say don't just crop up, and nobody just walks into the industry. I need to go somewhere where I can make contacts and get a loan to live.