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2018/19 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Film, Photography and Media

Programme code:BA-COMM/FPMUCAS code:W600
Duration:3 Years Method of Attendance: Full Time
Programme manager:Dr Alison Peirse Contact address:a.peirse@leeds.ac.uk

AAB at A-Level or equivalent. An overall IELTS score of 6.5, including a minimum of 6.0 for each skills band; or the equivalent / recognised English language qualification.

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Media and Communication

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

School of Media and Communication

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Communication, media, film and cultural studies

Programme specification:

The Film, Photography and Media Programme within School of Media and Communication exists to produce professional practitioners informed by high-level academic study, and generic humanities graduates (some of whom will progress to higher degrees) informed by direct experience of high-level professional practice. An underpinning philosophy of the programme is that neither is equipped to play a leading role in their chosen vocation without significant experience of the other; and the justification for implementing it in this programme is that no directly comparable one exists in any other UK HEI. The academic component of the programme emphasises an historical and historiographical approach to the study of cinema and photography, informed principally by political, economic and technological issues in the history of North American and European media.

However, Film, photography and media students who develop interests in world cinema have the opportunity to take cross-validated electives, via the Centre for World Cinema. The vocational component of the degree emphasises the organisational skills of independent producers, the ability to relate an approach based primarily in cinema to other media platforms and the ability of students to use the moving image and recorded audio to communicate, forming narratives and arguments on the screen.

The ability to understand and appreciate the technological tools used to do so is important. To this end, the programme uses a range of digital production tools that facilitate the convergence of photography and cinema (notably D-SLR cameras that are used both for still photography and high definition cinematography), it also exposes students to historical films presented to their correct technical specifications in a 35mm to HD digitally equipped cinema. The result is a regular flow of award-winning student productions, a steady stream of graduates from the academic strand of the programme who progress to postgraduate study and an impressive employment record both in media production and related fields. These will continue to be the primary benchmarks by which the programme is and should be judged.

- Level one students will engage in analysis of practice including the historical and contemporary context of current institutional traditions and constraints on practice within the digital media industries. Students will need to exhibit a grasp of context and institutional constraints and ability to process information efficiently. Thus much of the assessment is by short research pieces, evaluative exercises and written examination. They will also be introduced to the historical study of these media, study skills and basic practice skill.

- Level two students will perform at least one key production role as an effective member of a production team and develop an understanding of the nature of the other elements of development, production and commercial exploitation of digital media products. Students will exhibit an ability to adopt a professional attitude and commitment. At level two, technical fluency is tested by production projects.

- Level three students will develop in-depth studies of at least four areas of the digital media industries plus an extended study in the development of practice in one area. Students are required to produce a substantial final year (40 credit) project. Students will receive regular individual and/or group tuition (depending on the nature of the project). These projects could be a written dissertation, photography portfolio, drama script or a film drama or documentary. These function as a show reel/portfolio for future employment.

The national value of this degree has been confirmed by the warm encouragement received from the Yorkshire Screen Commission, Yorkshire Forward and senior academic colleagues. To summarise, the programmes key elements of distinctiveness reside in the combination of core production and postproduction skills with a broader reflective knowledge of the historical, cultural, business and managerial contexts of these key media.


Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

COMM1230Introduction to Media and Communication Research20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM1625Camera and Editing20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM1830Introduction to Cinema20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM1860Photographic Practices20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM1890Screen Narrative20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM1210The History of Communication20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM1850Photographic Histories20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM1970Introduction to Media and Communication Theory20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)


Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

COMM2811Thinking Photographically: Developing Approaches to Photography20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM2850Cinematic Themes20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2890Short Film Production20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 0 - 20 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM2125Visual Communication20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM2135Critical Theories of Media20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM2560Communication Skills20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL2230From Film Noir to Asia Extreme: Questioning Genre in World Cinemas20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM2800Creative Practice20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2910Communication Research Methods
Pre-requisite for: COMM3910
20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Candidates will be required to study 0 - 20 credits from the following modules:

COMM2145Technology in Communication and Media20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2655Screen Fiction20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2777Working in Digital Media Teams20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2870Motion Graphics20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM2960Videogames: Identities in Play20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Students may replace 20 credits of options with 20 credits of discovery modules. This choice can be made in either semester (but not both)

Discovery modules:

Students may choose up to 20 credits of Discovery modules, taken in either semester 1 or 2 but not both.


Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 40 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM3801Moving Image Project40 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3805Script Project40 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3880Cinema Project40 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3890Photography Project40 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3910Communication Dissertation40 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Candidates will be required to study 20 - 40 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM3180International Communication20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3214Placement20 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3250Feminism, Identity and Media20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3260Understanding the Audience20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3395TV Documentary Journalism20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3715Internet Policy20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3780Mobile Media20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3840Themes in Contemporary Photography20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
COMM3899Social Issues on Screen20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3230Cinema in the Digital Era20 creditsSemester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Candidates will be required to study 20 - 40 credits from the following optional modules:

COMM3130The Documentary and Reality20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3214Placement20 creditsSemesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
COMM3420The Ethnography of Speaking20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3550Popular Music and Society20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3790Citizen Media20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3925War and Media20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3950Promotional Culture20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
COMM3960Creative Work in the Cultural Industries20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3040Hollywood and its Others20 creditsSemester 2 (Jan to Jun)

alternatively 20 credits worth of options may be replaced with 20 credits of discovery modules

Discovery modules:

Final year students may choose up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Candidates may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules

Last updated: 18/07/2018

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