Filmmaking
MA
Scholarships of £2000 - £5000 are available to eligible full-time UK/international students of this course.
- Duration
- Start date
- Location
Suitable for applications.
Overview
The MA Filmmaking programme will engage you in the production of advanced digital film products.
You will study modules in the production and technology of videography (shooting, editing, post-production), together with specialist modules in film industry practices, music video commissioning and film history and context.
Students on the MA Filmmaking programme also have the opportunity to work with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through Bradford UNESCO City of Film to help develop the work of UNESCO including:
- Greater understanding of the work of UNESCO across the world and how filmmakers might respond to this
- Greater understanding of the UNESCO Cities of Film and filmmaking in other countries around the world
- Guest lectures from experts in other countries
- Access to and use of the UNESCO film and media archive
Graduates of this programme will have acquired the tools of critical analysis, ideas-generation and industry understanding to go on to produce successful practical projects.
The inter-relationship between theory, creativity and practice is increasingly valued by employers, and the programme builds on a strong School tradition of integrating theory and practice.
In addition to self-directed film work it will be possible, in specific modules such as Film Industry Practices and the MA Project, to focus on stories, issues and directives related to the work of the UNESCO network. The combined approach by the University of Bradford and Bradford UNESCO City of Film aims to provide professional filmmakers with a global outlook and access to a global network of film opportunities.
Student work
Born-free Generation, Phendulani’s Story and Me was produced by MA Filmmaking graduate Paul Cooke for his final MA project.
This documentary is about the life of an extraordinary kid who survived the streets of a South African township living in a car. It was shortlisted in two categories at the 2018 Research in Film Awards.
The MA at Bradford was hugely influential on my subsequent filmmaking. Since graduating from my MA I’ve gone on to work on a wide range of projects, focussing in particular on participatory and community filmmaking with groups from South Africa to Colombia. I couldn’t imagine taking these projects on without the grounding I got on the MA.
Learning and assessment
The MA Filmmaking programme uses a variety of learning and teaching strategies, all of which are intended to facilitate the development of independent learning. After some initial theoretical, research and creative modules, practice will be facilitated through a set of modules that help students to develop their own project ideas in partnership with tutors and supervisors. A great deal of autonomy is integrated into this programme whilst maintaining as much of a taught component as is necessary for theoretical and contextual studies.
Learning and teaching strategies include formal lectures, practical workshops, seminar and tutorial work. The types of assessment that these strategies involve (discursive essays, oral presentations, assessment of practical video graphic and photographic/still image projects etc.) will allow students to effectively and independently integrate theory, creativity and practice, a key aim of the programme. As is common practice in arts and media education, and due to the creative nature and negotiated aspects of the programme, formal examinations are not used as assessments.
Our lab spaces and suites (24-hour access) offer students on the MA Filmmaking good resources for producing the highest quality creative work for both print and screen.
Members of the programme team have experience of film and video work and music production, have written and/or edited papers, book chapters and books on the history and interpretation of film, and curate film seasons and run successful film symposia for the Bradford Film Festivals. We will also have a significant number of talks given by external industry speakers relating to jobs in the film industry continuing the School’s current strong programme of external speakers.
Students are required to commit 200 hours of time for each 20-credit module. The weighting of how this time is managed varies; some modules will involve many formal contact hours (time spent with the tutor), while others will require more independent study (self-managed under the guidance of the tutor).
In addition to 120 credits of taught modules, candidates for the Masters award will be expected to complete a 60-credit project, which will be developed from the student’s own interests and passions but overseen by an individual supervisor.
A variety of assessment practices are used throughout this programme including:
- film project review
- written essays
- presentations
- small-scale and large-scale film project work
- masterclasses delivered by industry experts
- study visits (for example to film festivals and industry events)
- collaborative workshops and peer feedback
Study support
The Programme Leader is the academic tutor responsible for each students enrolled onto the programme. Students are expected to meet twice per semester with their Programme Leader, in a timetabled slot, but have the opportunity to see them more often via a weekly drop-in office hour.
Research
Most of our staff are research active, and contribute to the cutting edge of their disciplines. Our Academics have extensive industry experience and engage in film history research. Bradford has a strong pedigree of world leading research, and our aim is to ensure that students benefit from our staff’s insight into the future of their subject.
Filmmaking is taught by a team of active researchers that form part of the Communication, Culture and Media Research Group. The group hosts a seminar series with leading experts which students are invited to attend.