ABOUT THE COURSE
With its unique blend of critical studies and creative practice, Solent’s highly regarded film and television undergraduate degree will provide you with the skills you need to become part of an exciting and ever-changing industry.
Through a combination of weekly lectures, seminars, screenings and workshops taught by internationally renowned academics and award-winning filmmakers, you will interrogate the ways in which films and television programmes are made and watched around the world.
During the first year, you will study units that address the building blocks of screen language, genre analysis, screenwriting and production management, working on individual projects as well as collaborating in groups to make short films and television content.
In the second year, you will interrogate the relationship between representation and identity through screen criticism and in practice, across fiction and documentary, exploring the role of audiences in film and television consumption and employing creative approaches to short film design.
During the final year, you will explore career pathways with units designed to focus on enhancing employability and transferable skills as well as the evolving globalised nature of production, distribution and exhibition practices in the transmedia age. These units will be accompanied by one-to-one supervision in a final year project, which can either be a dissertation, film or screenplay.
Throughout your studies you will have the opportunity to use our cutting-edge production equipment, studio facilities and edit suites based in the University’s media academy. The media academy includes three green screen TV studios, a large visual recording studio with capacity for 200 seated audience members and a range of radio and music production facilities. Our large edit suites feature Mac Pro computers and the full Adobe creative package for editing, colour grading and special effects.
Thanks to the course teams close links with local, regional and national media industries, you will have the opportunity to benefit from a range of real-world learning opportunities such as workshops and masterclasses led by visiting media professionals including recognised film directors, exhibitors, writers, distributors, exhibitors and journalists.
YOUR FUTURE
This course will equip you with the skills to pursue graduate level employment across a wide range of roles. Suitable roles for graduates include:
- Videographer
- Camera operator
- Freelance filmmaker
- Film/video editor
- Film/television/video producer
- Line producer
- Vision mixer
- Location manager
- Programme/content researcher
- Script supervisor
- Continuity editor
- Festival coordinator/programmer
- Film booker
- Film events coordinator
INDUSTRY LINKS
The academic team is made up of active filmmakers and creative practitioners who bring a wealth of experience and networks to the curriculum and there are regular opportunities to work on live client briefs both within and beyond the curriculum.
Thanks to the course teams close links with industry, there is the opportunity for a variety of visiting speaker and masterclass programmes from a diverse number of industry guests. The visiting speaker programme is refreshed annually, but recent speakers have included; Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Paul Franklin (Batman Begins, Inception), Terry Rawlings (Alien, Blade Runner), Jan Harlan (The Shining, Full Metal Jacket), Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Trilogy), Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough, Masters of Sex), Mike Hodges (Get Carter, Croupier), Fay Rusling (Green Wing, Smack the Pony), Alan Parker (The Commitments, Bugsy Malone), Dave Calhoun (Time Out).
250+ students and graduates have also had their work (writing, video essays, photography) published in Diegesis magazine, which is produced by staff and students in the film department, and published in print and online. 50+ students and graduates have also taken on editorial roles and responsibilities, including three paid internships.
PLACEMENTS
Throughout the course there are regular work experience opportunities available as part of the curriculum, and critical reflections on professional development and work experience are credited as part of the assessment for the third year Professional Practice Portfolio unit.
Guidance and advice in finding suitable work experience is provided on this unit, as well as in termly course meetings and individual progress tutorials from the first year onwards. Support is also available from the University’s career service Solent Futures.
Students also have the chance to gain work experience through Solent Creatives the University’s creative agency, and Solent Productions the University’s production company - which help source work experience opportunities (paid and unpaid).
Other recent examples include:
- Working with CityEye to assist in the organisation and management of the annual Southampton Film Week.
- Filming at Glastonbury, Glade and Teddy Rocks music festivals.
- Creating promotional videos for local charities.
- Paid placements at Diegesis magazine.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.