Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Filmmaking and Screen Writing

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C

For year 2 entry, BBB required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

For year 2 entry, 28 points required

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H3,H3,H3

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

MMM

For year 2 entry, DDM required in relevant subject

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,C,C

For year 2 entry

Scottish HNC

Pass

Entry to Year 1 with HNC in one of the following titles: Creative Industries; Professional Writing Skills; Media & Communication Entry to Year 2 with a HNC with B in the graded unit in one of the following titles: Creative Media; Communication with Media; Media Analysis & Production

Scottish HND

Pass

Entry to Year 3 with a HND with B in the graded unit in one of the following titles: Creative Media; Communication with Media; Media Analysis & Production

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,C

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

102

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Broadcast journalism

**OVERVIEW**
UWS's BA Filmmaking & Screen Writing will help you develop the essential creative, critical and professional skills required to work in cinema, TV and related industries.

Throughout the course, you will not only learn how to make films, but also study cinema as art, culture and commerce.

The degree will develop your skills and knowledge as a filmmaker and cinematic storyteller and has a explicitly international curriculum concerned with a trans-national form and globalisd industry all of which is explored in local, regional, and national contexts.

The practical focus of the degree will help you build up a portfolio of work and provide you with experience of post-production, research, scriptwriting and camera operation.

Modules are taught by industry professionals and our range of masterclasses are led by internationally-acclaimed directors, cinematographers and writers.

As well as having access to the latest digital film technology, you’ll also have the opportunity to work out of UWS’s teaching space at Glasgow’s Film City – Scotland’s filmmaking hub.

**PRACTICAL FOCUS**
The degree is highly distinctive in the way that it offers a balance of practice and theory that allows students to develop industry-accredited skills whilst pursuing their passion for cinema.

You will develop essential creative, critical and professional skills important within cinema, TV and related cultural industries. You will gain experience in production, including research and script-writing, camera and sound operation. 

In addition, you will learn post-production techniques and build a portfolio of work that will give you an edge in the creative sector.

In addition, in Year 3, a Work-Related Learning module offers you the opportunity of relevant work experience incorporating the application of learning and theory in practice. This can either be in a working environment that you may work in on a part-time basis or in a new working environment that you secure for the purposes of the module, or through the completion of a university-based project.

Finally, throughout the course, you wil have access to guest lectures and masterclasses which are led by internationally-acclaimed directors, cinematographers and writers.

**PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION**
Our course is accredited by ScreenSkills - the industry-led skills body for the screen industries.

**CAREER PROSPECTS**
**Jobs**
The combination of specific filmmaking skills, general communication skills, enterprise awareness and professionalisation ensures that you will be prepared for suitable employment in the creative industries. Some Filmmaking graduates have found employment in technical areas such as camera and sound departments, post-production houses, as production assistants, and as directors. Many graduates continue to work independently as filmmakers and increasingly they set up their own production companies.

Some graduates chose to look beyond the creative industries and find graduate-level careers where they can use their skills of research, analysis and presentation.

**Further Study**
Filmmaking and Screen Writing is a suitable qualification for progression to a wide range of postgraduate study opportunities in Film, Media and Cultural studies.

Modules

Year 1 prepares you for success by introducing essential skills concerning digital filmmaking and screenwriting. Technical skills are developed in modules covering digital video production, sound recording and editing. Creative writing skills are developed across a range of production contexts. Students also undertake critical studies that complement practical filmmaking by encouraging the close, detailed analysis of how films are constructed and how a wide variety of films tell stories through techniques of narrative organisation, cinematography, editing and sound.

In Year 2, you further develop your creative skills in the contrasting contexts of drama and documentary production; you'll also benefit from specialised teaching in scriptwriting. Skills of critical analysis, research and writing are developed in film studies modules, with a specific emphasis on innovation and creative achievement and the relationship between craft and cultural artefact.

Year 3 allows you to bring together skills that have been developed in previous years and engage in more ambitious filmmaking and scriptwriting projects. You are encouraged to develop skills and understanding concerning film-related ethics, business planning, distribution and finance. Modules will address story development, pitching, product marketing and promotion. A key aim of this level is to develop students’ awareness and understanding of the professional contexts in which filmmaking creativity is exercised, and student creative work simulates industry practice.

The major component in your final year of study is the completion of the integrated creative research project for which students develop a folio of creative and critical work that provides evidence of a high standard of achievement in areas such as scriptwriting, cinematography, sound, editing, producing, and directing, and theorisation and analysis. The emphasis here is on creative and critical specialisation, enabling a close and deep engagement with areas of personal, intellectual and professional interest. A range of optional modules also provides further opportunities for you to dwell in specialist areas of interest, completing a rich undergraduate experience whilst opening the door to professional employment or further study.

Assessment methods

BA (Hons) Filmmaking & Screen Writing engages students in enquiry-based learning in which personal and creative interests are explored and developed in relation to the discipline and rigour of professional and academic contexts and processes. At level 7 practical digital filmmaking is used as a vehicle for students to formulate research questions and to collect and consider information prior to its formulation in writing – treatments, scripts, production diaries – and images – films, storyboards – all of which is done within goal-oriented groups.

This process reoccurs throughout the four years of the degree on practical and theoretical modules in which students explore a wide range of materials and sources, drawn from a range of academic and non-academic sources. There is an integrated approach with a balance between theoretical contextualisation and practice activity alongside the development of both analytical and practical skills in media production.

Learning and teaching methods include: lectures, screenings, demonstrations, tutorials, group and individual project work, multi-media and ‘e’ learning, and screen practice. A very strong emphasis is placed on students using digital technology across all modules and developing digital expertise and literacy to a professional standard in specific skills areas where appropriate. Students are encouraged to engage in the pedagogical and professional use of social media including, for example, participation in autonomous collaboration platforms such as forums embedded in the Aula VLE, Googledocs, Vimeo, Crowdfunders and Facebook groups. There is a mixture of large and small group and individual learning and teaching situations including tutor-led, student led and independent learning sessions.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,000
per year
International
£16,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships

The Uni


Course location:

Ayr Campus

Department:

Business and Creative Industries

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

91%
Broadcast journalism

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Journalism

Teaching and learning

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
82%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
73%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

45%
Library resources
55%
IT resources
64%
Course specific equipment and facilities
82%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

100%
UK students
0%
International students
79%
Male students
21%
Female students
70%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Journalism

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

93%
med
Employed or in further education
44%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

30%
Media professionals
19%
Customer service occupations
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Journalism

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£18k

£18k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here