FILMMAKING at University of West of Scotland

OVERVIEW

Our MA Filmmaking course will provide a stimulating, supportive and professional environment in which you can freely yet rigorously develop your unique individual voice and equip you with the skills to transform dreams into cinematic realities.

The programme is designed to support those who wish to work professionally in the film industry either in fiction, documentary or experimental filmmaking, including immersive virtual reality productions.

You will make three films over the course of the year (a documentary, a fiction film, and then a graduation film in any genre). You will combine theory and production in these film practice modules, while also extending your knowledge and understanding of the context of filmmaking in two other classroom-based modules.

Teaching on this master's is undertaken by active and award-winning film practitioners. You will also have the opportunity to attend specialist industry events at the Glasgow Film Festival. Opportunities will also exist to learn from the professionals who work in Film City and, on occasion, for you to make use of the Film City facilities to complete post-production on your own films.

PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Our MA Filmmaking course allows you exclusive access to strands within the context of film festivals. It provides you with privileged access to industry visitors, and takes advantage of their presence in the country to run special industry events with our partners.

There will also be opportunities for you to learn from the professionals who work in Film City, and to make use of their facilities (facilities which no UK university can rival).

Placement opportunities are also likely to emerge through the Scottish Film Talent Network.

Recent industry guest tutors have included David Mackenzie (Director - Outlaw King, Hell or High Water), Peter Mackie Burns (Director - Daphne, Rialto) and Iain Smith OBE (Producer - Mad Max Fury Road, Children of Men).

Film City

With its academic base on the Ayr Campus, our course is also delivered from Film City Glasgow, the bespoke industry hub for twenty independent production companies and post-production facility houses. Film City Glasgow also boasts Scotland’s only Dolby sound mixing studio.

COURSE DETAILS

By completing the full MA Filmmaking, you will make three short films – a documentary, a fiction film, and then a graduation film in any genre. You will combine filmmaking theory and production while also extending your knowledge and understanding of the context of filmmaking in other modules.

In addition, a recognised innovative feature of our course is each year we have guest filmmaker who works intensively with the students and a professional crew over the period of a week teaching them how to direct and work with actors.

For the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) stage, you will study the following core modules:

• Advanced Documentary Film Practice (core, 40 credits)
• Advanced Fiction Film Practice (core, 40 credits)
• Development Lab (core, 20 credits)
• Film as an Industry (core, 20 credits)

Successful completion of the PgDip allows you to proceed to the master's module:

• Masters Film Project (core, 60 credits) - you will also receive £500-£2500 towards the cost of producing your final Masters project film

CAREER PROSPECTS

The MA Filmmaking benefits from strong connections with the Scottish film industry, including access to services at Film City Glasgow and skills development support for students from film executives from the BFI & Creative Scotland-funded Scottish Film and Talent Network (SFTN). On graduating you will be in a privileged position to access industry funding for their future film projects, and develop viable professional careers.

Recent Filmmaking graduates have worked at the Cannes Film Festival, the Scottish Documentary Institute, the Amsterdam International Film Festival (IDFA) as well as picking up awards for their films at festivals internationally.

Our MA Filmmaking degree will support your development of working professionally in the independent and world cinema sectors of the film industry either in:

• Fiction
• Documentary
• Experimental filmmaking
• Virtual Reality productions