Film Production with Integrated Foundation Year

Film production is the practice of making films, encompassing everything from initial idea and script development through pre-production planning, directing, cinematography and sound recording to editing, visual effects and the final output that audiences see. It is a collaborative discipline that requires both creative vision and organisational discipline, the ability to generate compelling ideas and the practical competence to realise them within real constraints of time, budget and technical possibility. As moving-image content has expanded beyond cinema into television, streaming, social media and corporate communications, the demand for people who can produce film content across multiple formats has grown substantially.

At the University of Sunderland, this four-year programme includes an integrated foundation year, providing a supported entry into higher education for those who want a smooth start to degree-level study or who may not quite meet the entry requirements for the standard programme. A year abroad is also part of the degree, giving you the opportunity to develop your filmmaking practice in a different cultural and cinematic environment. You will develop skills across the full production pipeline: script development, directing, cinematography, sound design, editing and post-production, working on real film projects throughout your studies and building a portfolio of work that demonstrates your capabilities to prospective employers and collaborators.

Film production at university is always a collaborative activity, and you will learn to work in production teams, to lead and to follow, to give and take direction and to bring the creative and logistical elements of production together effectively.

Graduates go on to careers in film and television production, digital video and content creation, corporate and commercial film, documentary making, post-production, broadcast journalism and the wider screen industries. Further study at masters level in film production or a specialist area of the discipline is also an option for those seeking to deepen their practice.