Television & Film Production BA(Hons)

In the first year of your degree, you will explore your place as a creative and critical practitioner and develop your creative voice and artistic expression through the crafts of screenwriting, cinematography (camera and lighting), sound (recording, design and audio-post) and post-production (editing and finishing). You will consider the background context and conventions of the television and film industry and how this will inform your own making. Building on what you’ve learnt, you’ll collaborate in small teams to produce documentary and drama outputs. Through this process, you’ll take on key roles within a production crew, honing your communication and teamwork skills. You will consider your sense of belonging and how to be increasingly aware and inclusive of the perspectives of others when producing moving image work.

Modules

Discovery

This module will establish you as a creative practitioner and you’ll be introduced to the craft skills of camera, sound, lighting and editing that are central to the development of your creative voice and to successful scriptwriting and filmmaking practice.

Backdrop

You’ll be introduced to the key critical approaches and industrial milestones in the study of television and film production. You’ll develop your ability to innovate, reflect and create based on your emerging critical understanding of television as a site of cultural, political and industrial anxiety, control and progress around the world. You’ll also explore how television can directly influence discourses about national identity, citizenship, race, gender and sexuality.

First Positions

Building on the foundation of craft documentary storytelling and industry context from the first study block, you will work in production teams to produce a short drama scene. You’ll critically evaluate the dramatic possibilities of a script and filming space as well as explore the core approaches of narrative storytelling. 

You will develop skills in eliciting performance and managing a set. You’ll put into practice cinematography, sound and post-production skills by adopting key roles within a production crew, such as director, cinematographer, sound recordist and first assistant director. This process will be underpinned by the exploration of the conventions, codes, uses and meaning of genre within television. 

Represent

In this module, you will work on a documentary project where you’ll develop ideas, find stories and characters and use creative and technical storytelling conventions.  

Working within industry-standard health and safety, editorial and diversity guidelines, you’ll learn how to deal sensitively with your contributors and explore how participating in documentary might be experienced by those being documented.

Modules

Artistry

You will delve into the subtleties of visual, sound and editorial interpretation. Through a series of lectures, seminars and workshops, you’ll understand how the different craft and creative elements of industry practice work together to create the art that is screen media. You’ll then choose from a number of pathways to specialise in, such as cinematography, screenwriting, sound, producing, production design, or post-production.

Blue Skies

You’ll discover the business behind television and the role that audiences have in this sector. You’ll question how the current industry landscape may influence your future career and the need to embed diversity and inclusion into your work. You’ll explore how programmes are marketed and sold and learn industry marketing methods that can be deployed in your own projects and career.

Impact

You’ll grow your skills in your chosen pathway, from the conception of creative ideas, through project development and production to delivery of outputs such as short film, documentary and screenwriting. You will explore what makes stories compelling and how to develop, write and produce content that can make a difference.

Inception

This module encourages you to challenge conventions in the study and practice of television by developing your knowledge of research practice and skills. You’ll develop your own research project proposal which will reflect ethically on current academic research and critically analyse screen cultures and/or industries. By engaging with research practice and methods, you’ll develop the skills necessary to be both a reflective and critical practitioner within media.

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team.

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Modules

Dare

The aim of this module is to stretch personal limits in the pursuit of creative development and to collaborate with increasing sensitivity, inclusion and emotional intelligence.

Realisation

The grande finale; your graduation project/s will combine all aspects of the course to date and will see you graduate with a portfolio suitable for entry into industry, post-grad study or a myriad of other industries to suit who you’ve become through your three years with us.

Showcase

Working collaboratively in teams, you’ll deliver a final major project that reflects your technical excellence, creative voice, inclusive working and emotionally intelligent practices.

Futures

This module will help to prepare you for pursuing a career after graduation. You’ll be supported by the University’s Employability Team and a supervisor from the course, together with visiting speakers, to help build your professional profile.

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route? 

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree. 

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs. 

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject. 

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.

The learning environment of the Television & Film Production course is inclusive and supportive, offering many opportunities for feedback and improvement. You’ll learn through lectures, screenings and masterclasses provided by both Falmouth academic staff and industry guest speakers.

You’ll attend seminars that encourage conversation in smaller groups where you’ll analyse industry topics and develop your own thoughts and ideas. Crit sessions also provide a supportive environment for peer and supervisor input as projects develop. You’ll also have access to project supervision and tutorials where you can gain one-to-one feedback.  

You’ll participate in technical workshops facilitated by our experienced technical team. Each workshop focuses on mastering specific equipment and professional craft skills, ranging from technically controlling an image in camera to creative visual storytelling using focal length, composition and lighting techniques, loading 16mm film, using a range of industry-standard cameras, colour grading using DaVinci Resolve, and enhancing your narrative with sound design. This learning by doing approach will help you to understand the cultural and industrial needs of your chosen sector and mirror the industry’s workflow and creative environments. 

Over the course of your Television degree there are opportunities for work experience and internships. Students have previously secured work placements at the BBC, Envy Academy and NBC. 

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.

You'll be assessed with practical and written coursework. There are no formal exams on the course.

Assessment methods

• Portfolios 
• Filmed productions 
• Presentations 
• Essays 
• Video essays 
• Scripts 
• Preparatory work  
• Critical evaluation

Work towards assessment takes place throughout the study block with submission deadlines towards the end of each term. You will receive feedback throughout each module via bookable tutorials and campfires, crit sessions and feedback tutorials which provide support and guidance leading up to assessment deadlines. Summative feedback will also be provided after each assessment deadline.