4 years with placement
The graduation films are the culmination of all your hard work and learning. Right at the beginning of Year 4, a small selection of ambitious projects are selected on which you will take a significant role. While the graduation film scripts are developed and creative ideas are tested over the first trimester, you'll also be building your portfolio with the production of shorter collaboration and commission films. Here you focus your skills on producing creative solutions to client and industry based live briefs, working with creative partners from outside the course.
You also have an opportunity to choose the work placement or the research project module. In the module Working In the Creative Industries, you are supported to find and undertake work placements over the summer. Alternatively, you might take the opportunity to research a specific topic of your choice with the guidance of a tutor under Research Project. You’ll devise your own project that will reflect on, co-ordinate with, and enhance your own film practice and interests.
AssessmentYou will be given verbal and written feedback at key stages of each module, for example, on project proposals, scripts, works in progress. You’ll be assessed via assessment on group projects; contribution and engagement; presentations; reports; written critical reflections and contextual analysis; essays – written and visual; scripts, proposals and written pitches; portfolios, including final programs and films; individual research workbooks or research files and material; production documentation; marketing materials; and showreels.
Introduction
Turn a passion for film into a career by joining our acclaimed BA (Hons) Film Production degree course at ARU.
Join our award-winning students and develop your skills in cinematography, editing, producing and directing in studio and on location. You’ll shoot on film, digital and analogue 16mm film, and gain key skills, from ideas development and pre-production planning, through to post production skills in sound design and colour grading. Learn from highly experienced filmmakers, television producers and technical officers in our specialist facilities. You’ll work closely with other students on your course, as well as your lecturers, gaining friends as well as skills like team work and collaboration.
If your career aspirations are to crew on high-end TV drama or film, set up your own company as a videographer, create innovative online content, reinvent what television is or use film to make change in the world, the skills you learn on this course will set you up to start that journey.
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As a BA (Hons) Film Production student at ARU, you will be supported by award-winning, lecturers whose work has been screened on all the major UK television networks, as well as at multiple international film festivals. They have won Emmys, HUGOs and BAFTAs and continue to practice.
With their encouragement, you'll produce a rage of programmes and films which may ultimately be as prize and film festival worthy as recent student work. Our second year documentary, Tertiary Sound was officially selected for the BFI London Film Festival and in competitions like the Royal Television Society (East) Student Awards, our students have a growing tradition of success. In 2019, ARU Film Production students scooped up Best Drama, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Camera, Best Sound and Best Writing at the RTS (East) student awards, cementing the course’s reputation as a national centre of excellence.
You’ll have access to a series of guest lectures and workshops led by industry professionals where you’ll learn more about industry practices, receive invaluable advice and have an opportunity to network with visiting film and programme makers.
Past speakers have included, directors Ben Wheatly (High Rise, Free Fire), Chloe Thomas (Victoria, Harlots), Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Enduring Love), producers Laura Hasting-Smith (Macbeth , Hunger, Howards End) ,Oliver Kassman (Saint Maude and a BAFTA Breakthrough winner), cinematographers Sean Bobbitt (12 Years a Slave, Hunger) and Robbie Ryan (Red Road, I Daniel Blake, American Honey) , sound designers Larry Sider and Adele Fletcher, Emmy Award-winning documentary director, Geoffrey Smith (The English Surgeon, Presumed Guilty) and BBC Commissioning Editor for Storyville, Mandy Chang.
Making the most of being in Cambridge, our students collaborate closely with Cambridge University students on running the prestigious Watersprite International Student Film Festival where this year they sat on judging panels, met the team behind His Dark Materials and made friends with student filmmakers from around the world. You'll have other opportunities to collaborate with University of Cambridge students through extra curricular events at venues including student-run radio station Cam FM and the ADC Theatre (home of Cambridge Footlights).
There are plenty of other opportunities to get your work seen. The Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, screens the best films by our students at an end of year screening. We also host a selection of student work on our budding YouTube channel.
Industry-standard equipment
As a student at ARU you’ll have use of facilities including:
- a fully-equipped HD multi-camera TV studio includes multi-purpose scenic backdrops, suitable for current affairs, drama and magazine programmes; lighting rig; professional-standard gallery; mixer; autocue
- a film studio featuring overhead lighting, tracks, dollies, green screens, and flats
- a full range of digital cameras including C100s and Sony FS5s leading up to industry standard 4K Sony FS7’s. Further location kit including Steadicam, jibs, location lighting, sound-recording equipment
- for editing and post-production, you’ll get access to more than 30 editing suites and stations, plus a specialist colour grading suite all with complete Da Vinci Resolve software (including Colour Grading and Fairlight sound post production ) as well as the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite and Master Collection (Premier Pro, After Affects, Audition and Speed Grade)
- the unique opportunity to work on 16mm film, with access to film cameras, film processing and Steenbeck editing.
Our experience technical staff are on hand to offer full training.
Learn outside the classroom
Throughout the course you’ll benefit from extra-curricular events such as:
- Work with Cambridge University students on the organising committees of Watersprite International Student Film Festival
- Attend and network with UK industry and Student filmmakers from around the world at Watersprite
- Volunteer or Intern at the Cambridge International Film Festival
- Options to attend the Shefield Documentary Festival, Encounters or Aesthetica Short Film festival, Cameraimage ( Poland)
- Support to apply for external grant film projects with resent successes including Random Acts CH4, New Creatives BBC Arts.
- Regular supported filmmaking initiatives outside of course work like 60 Second Shakespeare, Kodak 16mm Commercials Competition
- Various smaller film jobs and work experience forwarded on to students
- Field trips to London for RTS Masterclasses and Live Studio TV recordings
- events offered through our student-led film societies
Take a closer look
Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us.
Meanwhile, Present is an exhibition that you curate for yourself. Explore the work of our graduating students in this eye-catching virtual degree show.
Careers
Our BA (Hons) Film Production course will prepare you for employment or self-employment in film, television and the creative industries; the ever-expanding field of screen content including music, dance, marketing and fashion promos, as well as high-end drama and documentary.
We place an emphasis on creativity and storytelling, as well as solid, transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, resourcefulness, and risk management.
You’ll also learn highly valued specialist skills such as editing, cinematography, production management, budgeting, producing and directing – invaluable as you launch a career in this highly competitive but growing and diverse creative industry.
You might also decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Placement year
£1,250Placement year
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