BA (Hons) Film (with Foundation Year)

Course summary

This extended course is perfect if you want a film degree but you don’t meet the standard entry requirements.

First we prepare you for your degree during the Foundation year, bringing you up to speed with academic skills and a firm grounding in the subject. Then you can go on to do the full undergraduate degree.

Some courses teach you about film-making while others concentrate on the theory and history of film. At UEL, we’ll give you a thorough, expert grounding in both.

We combine theory and practice, teaching you not just how to make films and videos but throwing you into every aspect of the film world, from screenwriting to cinema history.

Each year, you’ll make your own films, from fiction to documentaries. And in your last year, your final piece of work will be screened at a special show at a London cinema, attended by film industry executives.

Throughout your course, you’ll get the opportunity to develop your production skills by studying modules focused on documentary, fiction, screenwriting and avant-garde filmmaking.

What you'll learn

In our video-dominated world, we offer one of the few remaining courses in the country that gives you the chance to learn how to make films with actual celluloid on 16mm cameras.

There are three strands to our three-year programme – film history, film theory and film practice. In your first year, that means you’ll make short documentary and fiction films, while learning how to analyse films and studying the history of Hollywood cinema.

In year two, you’ll explore screenwriting and you’ll also be encouraged to experiment – looking closely, for instance, at avant-garde cinema. You’ll have the chance to go on a highly sought-after work placement in a film production company, and you’ll make films for a particular client outside the University, such as a local charity.

Career

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it’s the students who throw themselves most wholeheartedly into the many opportunities our course offers that end up landing the best positions in the competitive world of film. We have a terrific track record of success here.

One of our students recently finished her course and landed a job as a producer with a film company within the space of a couple of months. Another student returned home to Denmark where he has become a successful TV documentary maker.

Last year, we were visited by a leading filmmaker from Chicago, who set up a screening project where 16 films run simultaneously, all controlled by a single computer. He taught one of our students how to run this extraordinarily complex project and she ran it for the next three weeks when he returned to America.

After graduating, some of you may choose to continue your studies with us by studying for an MA in Film or moving on to film school. You can take advantage of our close connections with the British Film Institute, Film London and the capital’s film festivals throughout your course.