Film and Television Studies
Bachelor's degree
In Aberystwyth
Description
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Type
Bachelor's degree
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Location
Aberystwyth (Wales)
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Duration
3 Years
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
About this course
UCAS Tariff
280 points
International Baccalaureate
28
European Baccalaureate
75%
Reviews
Course programme
Film and Television Studies provides a rigorous and challenging programme of study, combining practical and theoretical approaches to the examination of Film and Television productions, institutions and audiences. The first year introduces you to the study of film and television by developing your practical skills in all stages of the production process, from script formulation, to shooting, to final editing. This is combined with other areas of study designed to introduce you to the critical examination of the structure of screen forms and understanding their social significance.
The central spine of your second and third years will be a combination of the further development of your production skills alongside critical research into the specific histories and roles of each medium. On the production side, you can build up expertise in key production techniques such as scriptwriting for radio, television and film; production research; factual and fictional production; and an experience of studio production. In your final year you will be challenged to produce, direct or edit a video short which can be experimental, documentary or narrative fiction. The best works will be entered for the Royal Television Society Student Video Awards.
Alongside your practical work, you will be offered a range of core and optional modules, including: Classical and Contemporary Hollywood; Radio and Television Drama; Documentary Film and Television; Investigating Audiences; Cinema and Cultural Identities; Alternative Cinema; Stardom and Screen Performance (subject to approval). You also have the opportunity to choose and develop your own research topic.
Film and Television Studies
The Aberystwyth Film and Television Studies degree provides a rigorous and challenging programme of study, combining practical and theoretical approaches to the examination of Film and Television productions, institutions and audiences. The Department enjoys productive working partnerships with the BBC, S4C, and Boomerang Group and benefits from close proximity to the National Library of Wales' Sound and Screen Archive.
Year 1
The first year introduces you to the study of film and television by developing your practical skills in all stages of the production process: scriptwriting; shooting; directing; final editing. This is combined with other areas of study designed to introduce you to the critical examination of the structure of screen forms and understanding their social significance.
Years 2+3
The central spine of your second and third years will be a combination of the further development of your production skills alongside critical research into the specific histories and roles of each medium. On the production side, you can build up expertise in key production techniques:
- scriptwriting for radio, television and film;
- production research;
- factual and fictional production;
- studio production.
In your final year you will be challenged to produce, direct or edit a video short which can be experimental, documentary or narrative fiction. The best works will be entered for the Royal Television Society Student Video Awards.
Alongside your practical work, you will be offered a range of core and optional modules which allow you to choose your degree of specialisation.
You also get a chance to choose and develop your own research topic.
Facilities
The Department provides extensive specialist equipment and facilities, including 36 digital and HD editing suites, over 40 industry standard HD and digital cameras, viewing areas and practical work spaces. Lecture theatres on the Penglais Campus are designed for film and television screenings. Since June 2006 the Department has been a recognised AVID academy, and is part of a consortium of university departments bidding for Skillset accreditation.
Assessment
The assessment methods for Film and Television Studies include group-devised production, individual film and video projects, research projects, practical analyses, production diaries and creative scriptwriting as well as formal essays and examinations. The teaching methods for this scheme are guided largely by the nature of each module, and range from formal lectures supplemented by screenings and seminars to small group work and supervised practical exploration. In addition, supplementary assessment methods, such as storyboards, screenplays, pitches, treatments, films etc, are designed to generate a working portfolio of material which students are able to present to potential employers.
Professional Links and Visits
Film and Television Studies provides you with an appreciation of working conditions and practices as well as up-to-date knowledge of professional techniques and technological facilities. As a student at Aberystwyth you will have the advantage of access to the National Screen & Sound Archive for Wales (which is part of the National Library of Wales, and within walking distance of the main campus). The Department also attracts guest speakers from the broadcasting industries. In recent years, for instance, students have heard from a scriptwriter on Brookside, a director of Father Ted, and a current affairs executive producer. Among the staff working in the Department are a former BBC documentary producer, a former BBC journalist and Radio Producer, and a current Radio dramatist and former scriptwriter on Hollyoaks.
Additional information
Contact person: Nick Strong
Film and Television Studies