Program Overview

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Cinematic Arts - BSc (Hons)

Overview

The BSc (Hons) Cinematic Arts programme is tailored for students passionate about high-quality storytelling on screen. In the age of streaming media (Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.) where content is constantly consumed, there has never been a more exciting time to be involved with film and cinema. You will gain a whole host of essential skills required for filmmaking and image production across a range of platforms from mobiles and tablets through to modern 4k digital cinema screens.

Forging artistic storytelling and character development with the very latest in professional film production standards, you will develop a comprehensive set of skills in filmmaking. These include image production, screenwriting for film and TV, cinematography, editing, acting and directing, as well as music and sound design. A broad variety of modules gives you the opportunity to find what you enjoy, then specialise in it. Learning on our Derry~Londonderry campus allows interaction with drama, music and creative audio students, ensuring a rich, collaborative environment that mirrors real-world creative industries and enhances multidisciplinary storytelling skills.

Highly practical in nature, this programme prepares you for industry. Working on your portfolio throughout your studies, you will have the opportunity to showcase and celebrate your achievements, with a screening at the end of year show. Upon graduating, you’ll possess the knowledge, skills and innovative drive to compete in one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy - the creative industries.

About this course

About

This degree is for those who want to develop practical methods in dramatic filmmaking (movies and TV series) by drawing on a variety of creative and technological disciplines.

Technology and the arts are experiencing a period of profound change. Central to this change is the way in which these previously unconnected areas of study are becoming ever more dependent on each other with respect to the creation and delivery of content for new digital media platforms.

The course is extremely practical, and 100% coursework based. With such a broad spectrum of skills covered this provides you with the opportunity to find what you enjoy and specialise in it. If you are a creative thinker interested in becoming a film director; screenwriter; film producer or production manager; cinematographer; art director, postproduction supervisor, film editor and colour grader; tv and commercial director or researcher then this course is an excellent way to gain the knowledge and experience needed to start your career.

A hands on, project-based course, taught by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff here is a flavour of some of the modules you can expect each year:

Year One

• Introduction to Film Art: This module aims to introduce students to the essential elements of film narrative and engage them in thinking critically about the choices made by filmmakers in constructing the look and sound of their films.
• Editing 1: This module aims to provide students with a basic of narrative editing for film. Students will be introduced to the use of non-linear editing software for filmmaking and appropriate networked lab procedures.
• Mobile Moving Image Production: This module aims to introduce students to the necessary skills and techniques for successfully producing a 3min single-camera mobile moving image production.
• Lighting, Camera, Sound: This module demonstrates lighting, sound and camera techniques for digital video productions. Through in-class tutorials and group projects students will learn equipment operation and production roles.
• Visual Storytelling: This module will explore how engaging stories are being created across a variety of formats, from fiction and non-fiction to interactives and virtual reality.
• Dramatic Structures on Stage and Screen: This module serves as an introduction to the fundamental structures of dramatic performance.

Year Two

• Cinematography: This module covers a range of areas from the technical basics of cinematography, taking full, manual control of industry standard cameras, focus pulling, camera movement (using tracks and dollies), lighting for narrative or pack shots.
• Production Management: This module is optional and aims to introduce students to managing the work, tasks, logistics and processes that contribute to the success of a film.
• Acting 4: Acting and Screen: This module is optional and develops acting techniques studied at Level 4 and adapts them to screen.
• Screenwriting: This module is optional and offers students an introduction to the terms, ideas and craft, involved in the creation of screenplays.
• Art Direction/Production Design: This module is optional and introduces students to Art Direction and Production Design in film.
• Editing 2: This module is optional and aims at providing the students with conceptual knowledge and the techniques of visual and audio editing.
• Dramatic Short: This module is optional and teaches students how to apply film production techniques such as writing for screen, directing, camera, sound and editing to effectively tell a story which will engage a wide audience.
• Independent Film: This module is optional and introduces the students to ideas and concepts related to the evolving nature of independent cinema.
• Feature Screenwriting: This module is optional and aims to develop the students' ability to fully execute a feature film script to a high commercial standard.
• Visual Effects: This module is optional and supports student learning in the area visual effects for film.
• Sound for Productions: This module is optional and aims to introduce students to the necessary skills and techniques for successfully producing a 5-10-minute sound piece.
• Lifewide Learning & Personal Development (Cinematic Arts): This module is optional and aims to encourage students to reflect on and apply their lifewide learning experiences to their own personal and professional development and to their future employment.

Year Three

• International Academic Studies (Cinematic Arts): This module is optional and provides an opportunity to undertake an extended period of study outside the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• Industrial Placement (Cinematic Arts): This module is optional and provides students with the opportunity to experience life as a professional in the creative industries as a paid employee of a company.

Year Four

• The Business of TV & Film: This module seeks to develop students' awareness of the business context of Cinematic Arts, so that they gain an understanding of distribution, financing, marketing & how to launch their own careers.
• Documentary Practice: This module is optional and concentrates on documentary film project research, development, and realisation.
• Horror Film: Theory and Practice: This module is optional and aims to introduce students to the necessary skills and techniques for successfully writing, producing and directing a short horror film.
• Experimental Film Practice: This module is optional and focuses on Experimental Film and Alternative Cinema in theory and practice.
• Final Project (Practice): This module involves students in designing a project and negotiation with an appointed member of staff suitable learning outcomes (including technologies, artistic output and presentational issues and contextual / theoretical development) and assessment strategies.
• Final Project (Theory & Context): This module involved students in designing a project and negotiation with an appointed member of staff suitable learning outcomes (including technologies, artistic output and presentational issues and contextual/theoretical development) and assessment strategies.

Attendance and Independent Study

• The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points.
• This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment.
• Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course.
• Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Assessment

• Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module.
• Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods.
• Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes.
• You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments.
• This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.

Careers & opportunities

Graduate employers

• BBC
• Film Four
• Foyle Film Festival
• Game of Thrones (TV Series)
• HBO
• Krypton (TV Series)
• Nerve Centre

Job roles

• Screenwriter
• Editor
• Cinematographer
• Director
• Producer
• Lighting
• Sound Design

Career options

• Advertising
• Ambient media
• Filmmaking
• Live performance
• Online media
• Research
• Screenwriting
• Visual Arts

Fees and funding

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlement Status Fees

• £4,855.00

England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands Fees

• £9,535.00

International Fees

• £17,010.00

Standard entry conditions

• We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses.
• In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

A level

• The A Level requirement for this course is BBC at A2.
• Applicants may satisfy the requirement for the A level C grade by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications to the same standard as defined by the University.

Applied General Qualifications

• To note that only qualifications defined as “Applied General” will be accepted for entry onto any undergraduate course at Ulster University.
• BTEC Awards
  • QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (2012 Suite)
    • Award profile of DDD
  • RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (2016 Suite)
    • Award profile of DMM
  • QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Diploma (2012 Suite)
    • Award profile of DM plus A Level Grade B
  • RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Diploma (2016 Suite)
    • Award profile of DM plus A Level Grade C
  • QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Introductory Diploma (2012 Suite)
    • Award profile of M plus A Level Grades BB
  • RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Certificate (2016 Suite)
    • Award profile of M plus A Level Grades BB

Irish Leaving Certificate

• 112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

Scottish Highers

• The Scottish Highers requirement for this course is BBCCC.
• Applicants may satisfy the requirement for an element of the offer grade profiles (equating to the final A-level grade stated in the standard 3A level offer profile - grade C) by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications to the same standard as defined by the University.

Scottish Advanced Highers

• The Scottish Advanced Highers requirement for this course is CCD.
• Applicants may satisfy the requirement for an element of the offer grade profiles (equating to the final A-level grade stated in the standard 3A level offer profile - grade C) by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications to the same standard as defined by the University.

International Baccalaureate

• Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum of 25 points to include 12 at higher level.

Access to Higher Education (HE)

• Overall profile of 63% (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access course)
• Overall profile of 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit (60 credit Access course) (GB Access course)

GCSE

• For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above English Language.

English Language Requirements

• The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.
• Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
• Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Additional Entry Requirements

• HND - Overall Merit with distinctions in 45 Level 5 credits for entry to Year 1.
• HNC – Overall Merit with distinctions in 75 Level 4 credits for entry to Year 1 only.
• You may also meet the course entry requirements with combinations of different qualifications to the same standard as recognised by the University (provided subject requirements as noted above are met).
• Foundation Degree
  • An overall mark of 50% in Level 5 modules for Year 1 entry.
• APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning)
  • The University will consider applications on the basis of experiential learning for those who do not hold the normal entry qualifications.
• Transfer from degree level study at other institutions
  • Those applicants seeking entry with advanced standing, (eg. Transfer from another institution or year 2 entry) will be considered on an individual basis.

Exemptions and transferability

• Students wishing to transfer to the degree at Ulster from other institutions may apply via UCAS for entry into Year 2 provided they can demonstrate equivalence in their learning to that point.
• Prior learning, including experiential learning, may be evaluated as a basis for admission at any stage of the programme.
• Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.