Film and Screenwriting with Foundation Year
Film and screenwriting is a discipline that combines the craft of visual storytelling with the technical and creative processes of filmmaking. Screenwriting is the foundation of almost everything that reaches the screen, from short films and television drama to feature films and web series, and the ability to write compellingly for screen requires a specific set of skills: the ability to tell a story through dialogue, action, and visual imagery within the constraints and possibilities of a given format. Film production develops the technical and collaborative understanding to transform a screenplay into a moving image work, working with camera, sound, editing, and the management of a creative team.
Birmingham City University's four-year full-time Film and Screenwriting with Foundation Year degree carries a typical entry tariff of 120 points. The foundation year is specifically designed to develop the fundamental skills you need, including academic writing, screenwriting, research methods, collaborative practice, and producing media, preparing you to enter the first year of the BA programme with confidence, as the course itself describes. You will develop your creative writing voice alongside technical proficiency in film production, learning to develop and communicate screen ideas from concept through to finished work.
BCU's connections to the creative industries in Birmingham and beyond support students in building professional networks alongside their studies.
Graduates of film and screenwriting programmes work as screenwriters, script editors, directors, producers, film editors, production coordinators, and in development roles within film and television companies. Many also move into digital content creation, advertising, corporate video, and web series production. The combination of writing skill and production knowledge is valuable in any context where moving image communication matters.
Postgraduate study in screenwriting, film production, or screen studies is an option for those who want to develop a more specialised focus.