Filmmaking with Foundation Year

Filmmaking is a discipline that demands a combination of creative vision and technical mastery. It encompasses every stage of the production process, from developing an initial concept and writing a screenplay through to directing, cinematography, sound, editing and post-production, and it requires the ability to collaborate effectively across a wide range of professional specialisms. Films are some of the most powerful and culturally significant objects that human beings produce, and learning to make them well is both an artistic and a technical challenge of considerable depth.

At Birmingham City University this four-year full-time degree includes a foundation year, which introduces you to fundamental skills in media production, academic writing, research and collaborative practice using industry-standard facilities and studios. The foundation year is designed to prepare you thoroughly for the demands of the main degree programme that follows, and provides a supported entry point whether you come from a media background or are developing these skills for the first time. Through the degree you will develop the technical knowledge and creative expertise needed to produce high-quality work across a range of film production contexts.

Graduates from Filmmaking degrees go on to careers across the film and television production industries. Many find roles in production, direction, cinematography, editing, sound design, art direction and post-production, either as freelancers or within production companies and broadcasters. Others find positions in documentary making, commercial video production, advertising, educational media and digital content creation.

The creative problem-solving, technical competence and collaborative skills the degree develops are valued across the broader media and creative industries. For those wishing to continue their studies, the degree provides a good foundation for postgraduate work in film practice, screen studies or screenwriting.