Digital Film Production with a Foundation Year

Program Overview

Digital Film Production with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

Overview

This Digital Film Production with a Foundation Year ensures you will develop a range of academic and technical skills relevant to technology in film. You’ll explore filmmaking fundamentals such narrative, composition and film theory to camera testing, designing digital production workflows and post-production.

About the Foundation Year

The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. To progress to the next year of your degree, it is necessary to achieve a pass in all of the modules of the Foundation Certificate.

What's covered in this course?

This Digital Film Production degree with foundation year focuses on fundamental technical concepts, including the physics of sound and light being captured during production (and the tools and approaches used to do this), as well as the techniques used to digitally store and manipulate both images and audio in post-production.

The course aims to produce well rounded filmmakers with a mix of technical, creative and business skills, able to work with digital video in a variety of industries. To achieve this, as well as its focus on the process and practice of producing films, the course covers a range of important subjects, such as visual composition, narrative design, production design, the film business and cross-platform productions.

Accredited By

This course is accredited by:

• JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support)

Why Choose Us?

• We’re ranked 1st in the UK for Film Production and Photography for two consecutive years (Guardian League Table 2025 and 2024).
• Facilities at STEAMhouse - Based at our expanding City Centre Campus, this unique state-of-the-art building gives you access to outstanding facilities and teaching spaces, as well as opportunities to collaborate with people and businesses across multiple sectors and work on real industry-based projects.
• Outstanding facilities - Our Centre for Digital Media Technology is equipped with over 1,200 sq m of facilities including two film/television studios, four multi-track recording studios, post-production suites, a BOLT JR+ high-speed camera robot, and several editing and grading stations.
• Knowledge of the fundamental aspects in film production - Explore the technology and physics of film production, from working with light and sound, to understanding how different production and post-production tools affect images and sound you capture.
• Highly employable graduates - Move quickly into key production roles with the combination of technical knowledge and practical production experience from your course. Our graduates have gone on to work at the BBC.
• Gain first-hand experience in industry - You will have the opportunity to network and make contacts with people in industry, gain work experience and to take a placement year between your second and final year.

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

• 80 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
• GCSE and other level 2 requirements: This course does not require evidence of GCSE qualifications.
• A Level, BTEC and other level 3 requirements:
  • A Level: 80 UCAS Tariff points / CDD (or equivalent)
  • AS Level: Must be in a different subject to A Levels
  • A maximum of four subjects will be considered
  • Pearson BTEC (Diploma / Extended Diploma/ Extended Certificate): 80 UCAS Tariff points
  • Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications
  • Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications
  • T Level: Pass overall (C or above on the core) All subjects considered
  • Access to HE Diploma: Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3
  • OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 80 UCAS Tariff points
  • NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS Tariff points
  • WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS Tariff points
  • Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers): Minimum of 80 UCAS Tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects
  • Scottish Higher / Advanced Higher: 80 UCAS Tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)
  • Welsh Baccalaureate: 80 UCAS Tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications
  • UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma: Pass overall
  • Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design and Media): Pass overall

International qualifications

• International Baccalaureate Diploma: Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall
• EU / International students: Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In addition to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require IELTS 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in each band.

Fees & How to Apply

UK students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
• Award: BSc (Hons)
• Starting: Sep 2026
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 4 years
• Fees: £9,535 in 2026/27
• Apply via UCAS

International students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
• Award: BSc (Hons)
• Starting: Sep 2026
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 4 years
• Fees: £18,570 in 2026/27
• Register interest

Course in Depth

Foundation year

• Media Audiences 20 credits
• Professional and Academic Skills 20 credits
• Media Production Practice 20 credits
• Collaborative Media Production 20 credits
• Media Concepts and Investigation 20 credits
• Media Project 20 credits

Year One

• Video Production 20 credits
• Visual Design 20 credits
• Capture and Acquisition 20 credits
• Studio Production 20 credits
• Sound for Film 20 credits
• Audio and Video Technology 20 credits

Year Two

• Production Practice 20 credits
• Narrative Design 20 credits
• Production Workflows 20 credits
• Collaborative Practice 20 credits
• Post Production 20 credits
• Research and Testing Methods 20 credits

Professional Placement Year (optional)

• Professional Placement 120 credits

Final year

• Production Project 40 credits
• Individual Honours Project 40 credits
• Virtual Production 20 credits
• Professional Futures 20 credits

Employability

• Engaging with industry and gaining work experience during your studies is essential if you are going to be taken seriously in the job market.
• The University is eager to recognise students who have made the effort to gain industry experience and stand out from the typical graduate, and thus it offers a range options for you to get extra awards and recognition for your work in industry.
• You have the option undertake an assessed sandwich year between your second and third year, which will provide you with valuable work experience and give you the real-life skills you need.
• The second-year Collaborative Practice and final-year Production Project modules have been designed so that you can use your work in industry as a basis for the module’s assessment.
• The university has a Graduate+ programme, an extracurricular awards framework that is designed to augment the subject-based skills that you’ve developed throughout the programme with broader employability attributes, which will enhance your employability options upon graduating.

Facilities & Staff

Our Facilities

• The course is supported with cutting-edge facilities, including the University’s Parkside Media Centre, which is equipped with over 1,200 sq m of dedicated equipment, including three film/television studios, dedicated green screen studio, post-production facilities, BOLT JR+ high-speed camera robot, multi-track recording studios, and several editing and grading stations.
• You have access to the industry standard software used on the course such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, AVID and Logic.
• Most of these tools are also available in our dedicated open access areas and our library which is open 24 hours a day.
• Laptops can also be hired out used in other spaces within the University.
• Cameras, light and grip equipment can be hired for free from our hires and loans team.

Our staff

• Dr Michael Bickerton
• Mathew Randall
• Jay Patel