Film and Moving Image Production BA (Hons)
Length:
3 or 4 year options
UCAS Code:
W613 (3 Year)
W612 (4 Year)
Institution Code:
N39
Optional Diploma Years:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 diploma), or Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 diploma), available between years 2 & 3
Unleash your artistic vision by combining the art of creative storytelling with practical industry skills across various filmmaking mediums.
Creative storytelling lies at the heart of our BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production, around which a multi-disciplinary student experience revolves. We’ll encourage you to experiment with various filmmaking mediums and platforms, and you’ll learn to become a flexible, multi-skilled collaborator with technical and craft skills highly prized by the industry.
Watch our 2024 Graduate Film Showreel
Entrepreneurial skills won’t take a back seat as you pitch films to professional visitors and explore film marketing and distribution strategies, including festival and contest entries and online platforms. And you’ll make full use of the industry networks associated with the course, attending craft workshops with leading writers, directors, producers, production designers, sound designers and cinematographers.
You’ll explore how the production skills you use and the creative choices you make can shape and change the story you are telling. Your focus will be the short film form, including original and adapted drama, documentary, advertising and Commercial editorial work. The final year provides opportunities to write, produce or direct an original short film and submit it for selection for a special industry screening. There’s also the potential for international exposure through online screenings and Norwich’s Graduate Showcase.
Accredited by:
- BAFTA albert
- ScreenSkills Select
This course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.
Why study with us
- Develop your storytelling skills and your critical and creative craft skills such as producing, script development, direction, cinematography, sound design, production design and editing.
- Learn industry standard approaches to the filmmaking process from development, pre-production, through production to post-production.
- Collaborate in production teams on a range of practical projects including original and adapted fiction, documentary, experimental film, music/dance video and fashion film.
- Reflect on the impact of your creative, technical, and practical decision making on your production, its audience and relationship to wider contemporary debates.
- Gain in-depth knowledge of legal, moral and ethical standards as they impact production including essential training via BAFTA albert in climate science and sustainable production.
Course Content
Integrated Foundation Year (optional)
Our Integrated Foundation Year is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their chosen degree subject. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to various disciplines, blending critical thinking and creative problem-solving with practical hands-on experience. This year serves as a bridge to undergraduate studies, allowing students to explore their interests within a supportive and inspiring environment, while familiarising themselves with the campus, workshops, and tutors.
Year 1
This unit will focus on developing your knowledge of creative, critical, and collaborative film production, through workshops, lectures, seminars and screenings. In workshops you will be hands-on, developing and experimenting with fundamental creative craft skills in cinematography, sound, and production design, deepening your understanding of these roles as they operate in the film industry. You’ll explore how frames, sequences, sounds and visual design combine to construct location, character, story and meaning. You will develop a deeper understanding of iterative creative processes and how they apply to relevant departments in film production, and debate key contemporary and historical themes as they relate to representation through camera, sound and design. You’ll deepen your awareness of the contexts of producing in a UK and international context, learning about the industry bodies that define the moral, ethical, and health and safety aspects of professional production.
40 credits
In this unit, you’ll explore the techniques and disciplines of screenwriting, directing and editing. You’ll explore industry-standard approaches to filmmaking, from development to pre-production, production, and post-production, as you adapt a short fiction film from a literary source. You will start the journey to being ‘set ready’ as you learn and apply fundamental set etiquette and inter-departmental collaboration to run a professional film set. Collaborating with actors from the BA (Hons) Acting, you will understand what it takes to craft an ensemble performance and how to manage the technical production to capture performance. You will deepen your application of communicative skills to ensure you are able to perform your role within the production pipeline. You will develop an awareness of the key challenges to contemporary film production, including sustainable production and responsible storytelling as you undertake BAFTA Albert Certification. In this unit, you’ll consider the key contexts of film, analysing texts using a broad set of theoretical methods, including semiotics, narratology, feminism, and postmodernism.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Year 2
In this unit, you’ll build your fundamental knowledge of film craft, undertaking workshops to consolidate your knowledge and creative practice in screenwriting, producing, directing, editing, sound design, cinematography, and production design. You will explore wider cultural, social, political, and global contexts, such as technological development, climate change, gender, race, class, and sexuality. You will develop and produce short-form documentary and original fiction shorts that explore aspects of these global contexts in depth through intermediate storytelling. Learning the ethical responsibilities as a filmmaker will be an integral component of your studies as you explore documentary form and fictional constructions of reality. You will develop your creative concepts through experimentation and iteration, while enhancing your collaborative skills on a series of shorts. You’ll learn how to pitch professional presentations to secure financing and greenlight your projects. Additionally, you’ll gain experience in professional casting, learning to negotiate contracts with agents, writing casting calls, auditioning actors, and consolidating your production knowledge.
80 credits
This unit focuses on understanding your practice in a wider context through interdisciplinary working. You will work on fast-turnaround projects, including commercial film projects and cross-course collaborations. You will pitch your creative projects to external industry clients and peers, undertake workshops on pitching, pitch decks/documents, and attend pitch reviews. You will also engage in a range of workshops to enhance your communication of creative decision-making, covering treatment writing, pitching, budgets, and pre-visualisation. You will develop a research proposal for your final year research report, formulate key questions about your chosen subject, develop a critical methodology and bibliography. and undertake a literature review. In preparation for creative specialism in your final year, you will be supported in writing proposals for specialist study in a specific craft, such as writing/ directing, editing, producing, production design, camera or sound design.
40 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Diploma Year (optional)
Students have the opportunity to spend a year after the second of their degree (or the third year if studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year) enhancing their employability options through a Level 5 Diploma. They can choose from courses designed to provide:
- opportunities to gain industry insight, developing employability skills through a series of supported experiences, expanding professional networks and building confidence in the workplace, or
- an introduction to creative computing, building an understanding of how coding skills can be used to advance and complement creative practice.
Final year
This is the first and shorter of the two units that make up your final year of study. This year will also allow you to extend your knowledge and understanding of a specific area of the degree encountered earlier in your studies. Your specialism lectures and practical workshops will explore processes for planning and delivering creative work tailored to the outcomes of your craft project briefs, enabling you to explore specific materials, processes and relevant technologies in detail. You will consolidate and extend your ‘set-readiness’ by taking part in a series of large crew production workshops. Working from your research report proposal, you will enhance your critical thinking through research, analysis, and critical writing of an in-depth research report in an area of film production, technology, industry, culture or audience that reflects your interests. At the end of the unit, you will submit a final project proposal that outlines a detailed plan for your specialist creative practice in the final unit of study.
40 credits
Your final unit allows you to resolve your creative practice, working from the project proposal developed in the previous unit. You’ll be immersed in film production that reflects professional industry processes, contexts, and cultures. Working in various production teams, you will apply your craft and specialist knowledge as a Head of Department, and in supporting roles, to produce and post-produce the full slate of short films. You will develop confidence in self-managing your learning and creative decision-making while working in specialised production roles. This unit prepares you for a career after graduation, with support to develop a five-year employability plan, including seeking industry placements, internships, mentors, and employment, and building your final film for festival submission. At the end of the year, you will play an active role in planning, producing, and executing a two-day film festival to showcase your year group’s work, engaging in event management, curation, programming, technical delivery, branding, and promotion for the specialist creative industry and public audiences.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Careers Information
The final year provides opportunities to specialise and develop a portfolio of professional level film practice across a range of crafts. This might include writing, directing, producing, editing, cinematography, sound design and production design. You’ll also develop an in-depth knowledge as working as a head of department and a range of supporting roles in each department.
Our graduates’ work has won film festival awards in London, LA and Tokyo. Their films have been recognised through Royal Television Society Awards and BAFTA Crew.
Alumni have roles across the industry, released feature films in cinemas worldwide and have had films premiering at Berlin Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.
Typical career paths include
- Director
- Producer
- Director of photography
- Editor
- Sound designer
- Assistant director
- Camera operator
- Location manager
- Art director
- Production designer
- Screenwriter
- Script supervisor
You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.
Tanicha Toro-Oloto
Tabbed Section
Typical UK offers
A / AS Levels – GCE
GCE A/AS Levels 3 A-level qualifications at grades BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points) or above. Where candidates are not taking 3 A-levels, Norwich University of the Arts will consider combinations of A-level/AS-level and other Level 3 qualifications.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction*, Distinction* in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
A T Level in any subject with overall grade Merit or above
UAL Extended Diploma
Merit
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 26 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio (if required), responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
If the qualification that you are studying is not shown, do not worry as we are able to accept other pre-entry qualifications as well as combinations of different qualifications. Please do contact our Student Recruitment Team if you have any queries.
International applications
We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.
Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).
We also accept some alternative English qualifications. Learn more about our English entry requirements.
You can email us on international@norwichuni.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss your application individually.
BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production degree portfolio guidance
Portfolios should show examples of your work — both finished and work in progress — that demonstrate your interests and skills. Your portfolio should be made up of work that reflects your creativity, personal interests and influences, as well as demonstrating your technical skills and ability. It doesn’t have to be perfect as we can assess your potential from your work in progress.
Your portfolio should be relevant to this course, but you can include a range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence, and understanding of narrative.
You may wish to include one of the following:
- Short Film (max duration 5 minutes – complete films only)
- 6 still images – photographs, photoshop images – organised in a sequence to tell a story
- A short script, short story, or other creative writing – no more than 3 pages
Further portfolio advice and tips
Get more advice on presentation formats, layouts and when to submit your portfolio in the application process.
2024/25 University fees for new entrants
Norwich University of the Arts will assess students’ tuition fee status using the guidance provided by the UK Council for International Student Affairs
Students from the UK or Ireland and EU students with ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status will be charged ‘Home’ fees if they meet the relevant residency requirements. They will usually be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government, meaning that they won’t have to pay Norwich University of the Arts’ tuition fees upfront.
Students who do not meet the necessary residency requirements will usually be charged ‘Overseas’ fees and will not be eligible for the UK government tuition fee loan. Since 2021/22, this includes new entrants from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who do not have ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status, because the UK has now formally left the EU.
| Fee status | Course | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £9,250 |
| Overseas | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £18,000 |
Inflation in subsequent years
The rules for inflation on fees in subsequent years depend on the type of fee status and level.
- For Home undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation may be applied to your fees in later years, if the UK government were to increase the fee cap beyond the current limit of £9,250 per year. If such an increase were to apply, we would confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we would limit the increase to the maximum allowed by the Office for Students.
- For Overseas undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation will be applied to your fees in later years. We will confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we will limit the increase to no more than the Office for Students’ recommended inflationary measure, which is RPI-X. RPI-X is calculated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. In setting fees for the following year, we will use the Office for Budget Responsibility’s RPI-X forecast for quarter 3 of the relevant year.
For Home and overseas postgraduate degree students starting in 2024, fees will remain the same for each year of your course.
Financial support for UK students in 2024
Tuition fee loans and loans for living costs are usually available to UK and some EU students, as well as non-repayable Norwich University of the Arts bursaries based on family income. Find out more about applying for funding.
International students
We offer a range of scholarships for international students to support your studies with us.
- Group briefings
- Academic tutorials
- Group tutorials
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Critiques (crits)
- Seminars
- Finished pieces of work
- Presentations
- Written work
- Your research
- A reflective journal
Work-based Learning Opportunities
Between Years 2 and 3 of this course, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake one of the following additional qualifications:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Professional Development Diploma gives you the chance to spend a year exploring your post-uni job options through a structured programme of input sessions and work-based learning. This year offers two much-sought-after industry placements – the first lasting six weeks, the second 12 weeks, and a group project or ‘hackathon’ exploring freelancing and business start-up.
Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Computing Diploma introduces you to coding and computational skills that will advance and complement your creative practice. No prior experience of coding is needed, just a curiosity about creative computing and a desire to push your own practice into new realms. You’ll also develop a wider knowledge of the creative tech industries, available roles and opportunities.
Integrated Foundation Year
Four year degrees are exactly the same as our three year degrees but include an extra year of study at the beginning – an Integrated Foundation Year.
An Integrated Foundation Year is about developing the skills, knowledge and the confidence you need to successfully complete your degree course. Building on your experience from A Level or equivalent courses, the Integrated Foundation Year curriculum allows time to develop the practical, creative and conceptual skills that are critical to successfully completing an undergraduate degree at Norwich. You will achieve this, making full use of the University workshops and studio facilities.
While studying an Integrated Foundation Year on BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production you’ll come together with years 1, 2 and 3 for weekly guest lectures and screenings. You’ll also engage with a number of projects that will help build your film production skills. The first of these is ‘Story’, where you’ll work with tutors to develop a script, thinking about character development, plot devices and narrative conventions.
You’ll then move into Pre-Visualisation, taking your script forward, storyboarding and producing shot lists, prop lists and lighting diagrams. You’ll then put the preparation and planning from the previous two projects into practice as you film your studio based drama.
Typical UK offers and entry requirements for Integrated Foundation Year entry
GCE A/AS Levels
2 A-level qualifications at grades CC or higher.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Merit, Merit, Pass in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
Pass (D or E on the core)
UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Pass
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
An overall Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 24 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through interview and portfolio review so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
Find out more about four year degrees at Norwich
Teaching Staff
News
@norwichuniarts
Norwich University of the Arts is proud to announce that it has been named the inaugural Arts University of the Year by the Daily Mail University Guide…
View this post
Norwich graduate nominated for BAFTA
Ella Glendining’s film ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ has been nominated in the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer category.
View news article
Body Matters AHRA International Conference
Thursday 21 November – Saturday 23 November 2024
The 21st Architectural Humanities Research Association International Conference is taking place at Norwich this November, with the theme ‘Body Matters’.
View event
In conversation with
Tanicha Toro-Oloto graduated from BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production at Norwich University of the Arts in 2022…
View blog