p313 - Film Practices BA
Film Practices BA Honours
UCAS Code: P313 (full time: 3 Years)
Course Overview
If you want to produce documentary films, this degree equips you with the practical skills and academic knowledge you'll need.
At a Glance
UCAS Code
P313
UCAS Institution Name and Code
NEWC, N21
Degree Awarded
BA Honours
Course Duration
3 Years
Entry Requirements
A Level: ABB
IB: 32 points
Opportunities
This degree focus on documentary, non-fiction and experimental approaches to film-making, set within the study of film theory, world cinemas and the film industries.
You use digital technologies to develop your creative film-making practice.
Regular film screenings and modules in film history and theory enable you to watch films critically as a scholar and film-maker.
You'll graduate with highly developed film-making skills as well as a sophisticated understanding of cinematic documentary film.
The integration of film theory and practice is a key feature of the degree, so you can contextualise your film practice within scholarship and the independent film sector.
Quality and ranking
- 3rd in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2020 (Communications and Media category)
- 7th in the UK – The Guardian University Guide 2020 (Media and Film Studies category)
- 10th in the UK – The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 (Communications and Media category)
- Ranked top 20 in the UK for overall student satisfaction – National Student Survey 2019 (Media Studies category)
- top 200 – Social Sciences category – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2018
- Over 80% of our research is ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Research Excellence Framework 2014)
Boost your employability with a work placement
Apply to spend 9 to 12 months on an optional work placement between Stages 2 and 3. You can apply to spend your placement year with any organisation and will receive University support to do so.
You’ll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.
It will extend your degree by a year and is subject to availability.
Find out more about Work Placements.
Student media opportunities
The University enjoys a highly active student media scene where you can develop skills relevant to the media industry.
You have the opportunity to work for The Courier, Newcastle's award-winning weekly student newspaper. It has twice been voted Guardian Media Student Publication of the Year.
We have fast-growing student radio and television stations, offering opportunities for presenters and production staff.
You can also get involved in pop-up news projects and Jesmond Local, a digital news hub where you can develop and explore new models of journalism.
There is an emerging, vibrant media industry in the city and we have good links with the local media and cultural industries.
Film festivals
You will have the opportunity to attend film festivals in the region and further afield through organised visits.
These include:
Practical skill development
You have the opportunity to develop a range of professional skills for your future career through our wide range of modules.
These include:
- film-making and digital editing
- writing for journalism
- online communication and multimedia technologies
- the film industry, film production and online distribution
You will also have the opportunity to demonstrate your film-making skills through:
- practice-based forms of submission (film sequences, short documentary films)
- an audio-visual essay, a new and fast evolving form of scholarship in film studies
Facilities and support
As a Film Practices student at Newcastle, you will join a vibrant community in the School of Arts and Cultures.
You will be based in the Armstrong Building and Film@CultureLab, at the heart of our city-centre campus.
Facilities
You'll have access to state-of-the-art filmmaking equipment. Support is on offer from a team of technicians who are involved in image-making and filmmaking at different levels in their own right.
Support
You'll be supported by a personal tutor throughout your degree – an academic member of staff who can help with academic and personal issues. You'll also have access to a peer mentor in your first year – a fellow student who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have.
Social activities
There's an active student-run society, FILM-SOC, which organises events throughout the year.
The course has a small cohort of students, which helps to foster close links between staff and students.
Compare this course
See how this course compares with others for topics such as student satisfaction, fees and costs and prospects after graduation using the Unistats Key Information Set.
Modules for 2019 entry
Please note
The module and/or programme information below is for 2019 entry. Our teaching is informed by research and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, student feedback, or insufficient numbers of students interested (in an optional module). To find out more read our terms and conditions.
Module/programme information for 2020 entry will be published here as soon as it is available (end of May 2020).
Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts for an academic year and you need to complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each Stage. Further information, including the credit value of the module, is available in each of the module descriptions below.
Stage 1
Compulsory modules
- MCH1011 Introduction to Film Technologies
- MCH1025 Introduction to Critical Practice
- MCH1034 Introduction to World Cinema: Ideas, Art, Cultures
- MCH1035 Starting out in Filmmaking
- MCH1038 Introduction to the Documentary: From Documentation to Non-fiction Film
- MCH1039 Introduction to the Film Industry
Stage 2
Compulsory modules
- MCH2000 Film Theory for Practice 1: What is Cinema?
- MCH2001 Film Theory for Practice 2: Why Cinema?
- MCH2002 Filmmaking: Ideas to Screen
- MCH2082 Making a Short Documentary
- MCH2086 Analysing Documentary Practices
Optional modules
You choose one module from the following:
- MCH2035 Media, Mythology and Storytelling: How to analyse archetypes and ideologies in media texts
- MCH2065 Race, Culture and Identity
- MCH2075 Representations: Identity, Culture and Society*
*It is recommended if selecting MCH2075 that students studying this module outside of MCH have a background in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies.
Work Placement (optional)
You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months on an optional work placement between Stages 2 and 3. You can apply to spend your placement year with any organisation and will receive University support to do so. It will extend your degree by a year and is subject to availability. Find out more about Work Placements.
Stage 3
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
You choose three optional modules from the following list. (Please note, you cannot enrol again on an optional module that you have already completed in stage 2):
- FRE2005 Classic French Cinema
- JPN4002 Contemporary Japanese Animation
- MCH2065 Race, Culture and Identity*
- MCH2071 Sex, Sexuality and Desire*
- MCH2080 Celebrity Culture**
- MCH2089 Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio)
- MCH3011 Working in the Film Industry
- MCH3074 Themes and Issues in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies
- MCH3077 Politics, Power and Communication
- MCH3085 Digital Discourses and Identity
- SML2011 Cities in East Asian Cinema: Culture, History and Identity
*You can only take one of these modules at Stage 3
**It is recommended if selecting MCH2080 that students studying this module outside of MCH have a background in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies.
With the approval of the Degree Programme Director alternative optional modules to those listed above may be selected.
All candidates are considered on an individual basis.
If your qualifications are not listed here, please see our additional entry requirements web pages to find out which other qualifications are considered.
The entrance requirements below apply to 2020 entry.
Careers
Film and media careers
Media and communication courses focus on the communication of information across a variety of mediums and cover a broad range of subjects from the highly practical to the theoretical.
You will develop a variety of skills that are extremely useful for employment, such as critical analysis, research, teamwork, flexibility, a creative and independent approach to tasks and the ability to work to a brief and meet deadlines. You will be exposed to a broad commercial and cultural awareness of the media and creative industries, both from academic staff and media practitioners.
If your aim is to work directly within the media industry it is important to build up a portfolio of work, gaining as much experience as possible. Examples include contributing to your university paper or other publications, or working for TV production or radio outlets, PR or advertising agencies. Persistence and motivation are vital due to the popularity of this sector.
Careers in public relations, journalism, media planning, broadcasting and advertising are the most popular choices for our graduates, however graduates with the ability to communicate information clearly and effectively will be beneficial to any organisation.
Find out more about the career options for film and media from Prospects: The UK's Official Careers Website.
PARA: Careers and employability at Newcastle
What our graduates go on to do: employment and further study choices
See what our recent graduates went on to do and view graduate destinations statistics. These statistics are based on what graduates were doing on a specific date, approximately six months after graduation. The most recent data available is for graduates who completed their course in 2013/14.
The destination data is available in varying levels, beginning with the University and moving through Faculty and School down to individual course reports. This final level may give you some useful ideas about possible options after your course or a course you are considering.
Careers and employability at Newcastle
Newcastle University consistently has one of the best records for graduate employment in the UK.
- 94.1% of our 2014 UK/EU graduates progressed to employment or further study within six months of graduating.
- More than three quarters (77%) of our graduates who entered employment achieved a graduate-level position.
We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through an initiative called ncl+ which enables you to develop personal, employability and enterprise skills and to give you the edge in the employment market after you graduate.
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers.
Applying to Newcastle University through UCAS
To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
UCAS codes for Newcastle University
- institution name - NEWC
- institution code - N21
UCAS buzzword
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All UK schools and colleges and a small number of EU and international establishments are registered with UCAS.
If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.
Making your application
On the UCAS website you can also find out more about:
- application deadlines and other important dates
- offers and tracking your application
Application decisions and enquiries
Find out more about our admissions process and who to contact if you need help with your application.