Course overview
Foundation year Work placement
School of Arts & Creative Industries
See what it's like to study at our School of Arts & Creative Industries.
The BBC is one of several broadcasters that has committed to significant investment in the North East film and TV industry over the next five years, and Teesside University is ideally placed to support your development within the heart of a growing and thriving broadcasting community.
You have access to industry-standard facilities including two working television studios, a fully operational radio station, digital film production equipment, grading and edit suites as well as access to the full range of software available through the Adobe Creative Suite. We also have our very own multimedia platform - TUXtra - which showcases content produced by students and volunteers across the university.
We pride ourselves on being able to offer our students the opportunity to work on live briefs from an impressive range of industry contacts, ensuring that you hone your skills within real-life environments, working alongside the likes of the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV Signpost. Supported by our dedicated technical staff, you’ll soon become familiar with a range of film-making disciplines while experiencing working as part of a media production team.
Benefit from the opportunities we can unlock with our external partners and clients, while all the time being supported and directed by a team of lecturers and experienced technicians with a wide range of practitioner experience across all sectors of the industry.
Film and Television Production students at Teesside University may also be eligible to apply for a range of scholarships, including our Franc Roddam scholarship and our Marston Scholarship. Franc Roddam is a Hollywood film director and producer well known as the creator of Auf Wiedersehen Pet, MasterChef and the renowned film classic Quadrophenia.
So, if your dream is to be the next Film and Television Production student pitching briefs and realising commissionable projects while working alongside some of the best-known names in the industry at our specialist facilities in Teesside, then we want to hear from you.
We are ranked 7th out of 81 institutions for Media & Film Studies in the Guardian University Guide 2023 (121 institutions participated) and are in the top 50 in the UK for our Communication & Media Studies courses in the Complete University Guide 2023. (tees.ac.uk/source)
Course details
In Year 1, you embark on a personal and professional journey, developing research and technical skills, critical analysis, reflective evaluation, professional development and peer assessment.
In Year 2, you work on more ambitious and larger-scale productions. You develop independent learning skills by critically engaging with research at a much deeper level to appraise and analyse the wider media landscape.
Year 3 is led by development of a body of major work project. Alongside significant artistic and technical challenges, you prepare for the professional world by working to industry set and standard briefs and develop your professional portfolio. You are actively encouraged to take advantage of industry placements.
Please note module titles may be subject to change.
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
Boot Camp Technical Post-Production
You develop general digital production skills with an additional focus on post-production. You enhance effective practical, technical and aesthetical approaches required to create a variety of digital media artefacts across a number of platforms, with more relevance to the subject-specific disciplines. You have the opportunity to gain Adobe Accredited user status.
Boot Camp Technical Production
You are introduced to effective practical, technical and aesthetical approaches required to create a variety of digital media artefacts across a variety of digital delivery platforms. You learn a variety of sector specific and industry standard digital delivery methods and production techniques surrounding the acquisition, manipulation and operation of media production hardware and software applications. In addition to the supervised contact time, you also have access to freelance resources. You are assessed on two pass/fail components. Your first assessment is a series of practical exams that determine your proficiency across a range of digital media production disciplines. Your second assessment is a digital portfolio of work developed during the module.
This module looks at the ideas, concepts, and practicalities of developing a professional online presence. It takes a critical look at social media and considers how best to make use of existing online communities and tools. You design and create something that represents you in an online presence, using a range of available technologies and third-party applications (web authoring, blogging systems, social media, file sharing and networking systems), to act as a PR tool in promoting your career or specific media-related activities to a specified audience.
Media theory provides the foundations of understanding on how any form of moving image media communicates meaning. You explore what media theory is and further your understanding of a moving image text using canonical analytical codes. You are introduced to critical theory and the technical processes of writing analytical work such as essays. Your assessment is producing an essay, critically analysing a chosen moving image text through the application of media theory.
Storytelling: From Page to Screen
You write short narrative pieces for the radio and screen. You examine the way that stories have been recycled and reinvented over time, and develop an understanding of the common plot archetypes through exploration of various examples of screenplay structure, as well as gaining an understanding of the three key elements of theme, character and plot, and how to effectively combine these to construct unique and compelling scripts.
Learn the essential skills of professional studio practice working as part of a team to develop a client-led project from initial conception through to product.
Year 2 core modules
Following your earlier learning within the Bootcamp module, this module builds on the foundations of group working, technical skills and the creative development of documentary content. You are encouraged to experiment, push yourself creatively and not be afraid to pursue ambition, excellence and innovation.
You focus on the production process rather than just the final product – this ensures that you are appropriately rewarded even if an ambitious project ultimately 'crashes and burns'.
This module culminates in you working as part of a production team to create a five to ten-minute documentary to a set brief. You submit this documentary for assessment.
You develop an understanding of how genre within the moving image media is formulated and constructed. You explore what film genre is and how you can further your understanding of a moving image text using genre conventions. You deepen your application of critical theory and further your ability to write analytical work. Your assessment is an essay critically analysing a chosen moving image text through the application of genre theory.
You work on industry-based projects that form part of your developing professional portfolio of work. You respond to time-based and/or live briefs in your allocated role within a professional network or team. You experience working within a professional network, reflecting your specialist area of media industry practice. For assessment, you submit a final product and a supporting research portfolio.
Explore your creativity in the creation, production and post-production of sound that is synchronised to video. Create material that requires Foley, sound design, automated dialogue replacement and music composition that is mixed to stereo and surround formats.
Working with Actors and Contributors
You focus on how directors and producers can work with actors and contributors to produce a successful film or documentary. You gain a practical understanding of the role of the director, including the theories and critical contexts of film direction and the legalities of working with ‘talent’ and participants in the film and TV industry. You learn about effective casting and directing techniques as well as understanding the necessary script analysis and preparation. You also learn about effective interviews – asking the right questions at the right time, or casting the right people, to heighten the central message or drama of the work. Assessment is a filmed scene or documentary short and accompanying supporting portfolio.
Optional work placement year
You have the option to spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills. We encourage and support you with applying for a placement, job hunting and networking.
You gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters and develop your technical skillset. You also obtain the transferable skills required in any professional environment, including communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, confidence, self-reliance, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, and commercial awareness.
Many employers view a placement as a year-long interview, therefore placements are increasingly becoming an essential part of an organisation's pre-selection strategy in their graduate recruitment process. Benefits include:
· improved job prospects
· enhanced employment skills and improved career progression opportunities
· a higher starting salary than your full-time counterparts
· a better degree classification
· a richer CV
· a year's salary before completing your degree
· experience of workplace culture
· the opportunity to design and base your final-year project within a working environment.
If you are unable to secure a work placement with an employer, then you simply continue on a course without the work placement.
Final-year core modules
Client-Based Production Project
Working within a professional context, you respond to a live brief with an external client.
Current Issues in Media Production
You develop your individual research interests in an extended essay to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a specific, relevant and contemporary issue that you choose. Given the contemporary or future nature of your enquiry, you are encouraged to do primary research with relevant industry professionals and/or commentators as well as draw on a wide range of sources in your research.
You devise an exit strategy from education to your first career destination. You develop a detailed strategy with clear and achievable milestones, targets and schedules, which will begin implementation within the module.
You also explore business planning, marketing and markets, brand and brand management, new and emerging forms of funding and distributing content. You explore both career development and project development so it's applicable if you are looking for employment or looking to build your own business or proposition.
Your assessment is 100% ICA.
You carry out creative development of a media content project of your own design that may be used as the basis for your final project. You develop a proposal for an original media content-driven project. You investigate and review related contemporary production practices, including current technologies and formats to identify appropriate channels, formats, audience and platforms for your work. You evaluate relevant contemporary output, as well as addressing relevant social, cultural, economic and ethical factors, in order to establish the scope for development for your project. Your research proposal should have a rigorous rationale.
Your assessment is 100% ICA:
8-10 minute timed presentation of your intended project to your peers and supervising tutor 70%
pre-production file with schedule, ethics form and written reflection 30%
You carry out a self-managed exercise of professional practice and critical evaluation. You work on your own or collaboratively to facilitate a major creative project, film, digital campaign or showreel showcasing production skills, demonstrating production planning, audio, video, web design, and associated technologies, while showing consideration for associated legal, social, ethical and professional issues. You explore and experiment with creative digital film TV or broad-cast production. The emphasis is on content and its creative treatment, originality and narrative structure as well as technical execution. You explore your chosen subject area in-depth, and in a critical presentation. You demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthesise what you have studied on the programme and its application in production of a substantive project, whilst also demonstrating professional, critical and evaluative skills, and awareness of entrepreneurial potential.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn through industry standard creative practice and modules which expand cultural and industry knowledge. You use state-of-the-art media facilities to produce media of the highest standard. You also use packages of digital materials accessed through our virtual learning environments to help speed up the learning journey.
How you are assessed
You are assessed on a range of creative projects and written assignments.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Year 1 entry
96-112 points from any combination of recognised Level 3 qualifications. Consideration is also given to students without formal qualifications but with evidence of practical media production experience at an appropriate level. Applicants may be invited to share a portfolio where applicable to show skills in media production.
Applicants are invited join us on campus for an applicant day, enabling you to see our film and television production facilities, meet staff and students and learn more about studying at Teesside University.
Non-EU international students who need a student visa to study in the UK should check our web pages on UKVI-compliant English language requirements. The University also provides pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements.
Helping you meet the entry requirements
We may be able to help you meet the requirements for admission by offering you the opportunity to study one or more Summer University modules, some of which can be studied by distance learning.
Alternative degree with integrated foundation year
If you are unable to achieve the minimum admission requirements for Year 1 entry you could, subject to eligibility, join one of our degree courses with an integrated foundation year.
Direct entry to later years
If you have previously studied at higher education level (for example, a foundation degree, HNC, HND or one or more years at degree level at another institution) you may request direct entry to Year 2 or year 3 of this degree.
Mature applicants
We welcome applications from mature students (aged over 21) who can demonstrate, through portfolio/written work and relevant experience, that they have developed cognitive and technical skills through their life experiences.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
Our graduates go on to work in a variety of creative industries including film, television, digital media, audio production, creative arts organisations, marketing, social media and events.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
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Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.