Directing at MetFilm - UCAS

MetFilm

Degree level: Postgraduate
Awarded by: Met Film School, University of West London

Directing (Taught)

Course summary

The MA Directing programme is designed for you to develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a director in today’s multi-faceted screen industries. Today’s director must be knowledgeable about industry, entrepreneurial, multi-skilled, and able to bring a deep understanding of story and performance in different contexts. Through the programme, you will acquire advanced insight into the interpretation of scripts, visual storytelling, and working across a variety of screen platforms and industry contexts. You will develop skills in directing actors and non-professional contributors. You will learn about the director’s role as a leader and collaborator, working to realise client briefs and audiences’ expectations. You will learn to recognise the importance of diversity and progressive working practices in your approaches to content making.

  • Practical: Through hands-on exercises, workshops, seminars, masterclasses, and screenings, students will gain the practical skills and knowledge required to work as a director.
  • Industry-facing: Work collaboratively with students on other MA pathways as a part of a creative crew to mirror industry practice. Experience what it takes to deliver a project, and develop communication, negotiation, and project management skills.
  • Real-life Experience: Learn the importance of working on a creative brief as a director while completing a project for an external company. Our students have previously worked with companies including Nespresso, Stonewall, Time out, DHL, HM Treasury, and Fender Guitars.
  • Portfolio: Students have the opportunity to undertake a number of directing exercises, including a short-form project for an external industry client, and a final project.

Modules

Directing Craft and Industry: The key roles and responsibilities of the contemporary director are explored through the perspective of story development and creative collaboration in the production of screen content. During the early weeks of the module you will work with students from other pathways to make a short video using a camera phone, based on something that you want to say. Using the video idea as a starting point, you will evidence your developing understanding of content, industry, and audiences to pitch a feature film or television project to an industry panel. Directing for Film: You will focus on the practical challenges of creating a self-contained, narrative film. You will cover a range of skills appropriate to the role of the director, including project planning, rehearsing and shooting with actors, visualising the story and on-set protocols. In addition, you will look at creative troubleshooting and working in a collaborative environment. Professional Profile: You will develop authentic and detailed career paperwork and supporting materials including a CV and personal profile. As part of the module you will be offered Elective Upskilling sessions – opportunities to develop screen industry skills outside of your chosen discipline or as part of your multi-skilling profile. Directing to a Client Brief: Working with production teams drawn from the other pathways, you will work as a director and in other roles on a number of videos for external clients. You will develop ideas, engage in appropriate preparatory work and direction, alongside gaining insight into a range of production roles and responsibilities. Directing Television: You will understand the hierarchical relationships between director, writer, and producer in the creation and delivery of serialised narrative content. You will learn to work to an existing brief and/or house style alongside initiating a series 'look' or vision. You will work with screenwriters in the realisation of a scene or sequence of content for a television audience. Practice-based Research: Building on the work of previous and concurrent modules, you will gain a deeper insight into current theories, principles, and discussions relating to issues of diversity, sustainability, and ethics within the screen industries, and continue to engage with content about/from diverse cultural/social/gender groups of contributors in the UK and across the world. Final Project and Career Plan: Your third collaborative project gives you the opportunity to work independently to create work that demonstrates your development as a director. Your project is an opportunity to deliver work that is distinctive, industry-facing, based in research, and reflects awareness of a diverse and inclusive world. You will also present your career plan, including evidence of new skills to be assessed by industry employers as you prepare to enter or re-enter the screen industries on graduation.

Assessment method

Assessment includes a final Master’s project.

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Course does not award QTS

How to apply

International applicants

For more information please visit our website: https://www.metfilmschool.ac.uk/admissions/international/ LANGUAGE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS Students applying for a visa via the Student Route must provide evidence of their English language ability. The following tests are satisfactory to demonstrate this: IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge PET, ESOL Skills for Life Level 1 and 2, Trinity Level 1. - IELTS – MA Postgraduate courses requirements: Students need to achieve an IELTS overall score of at least 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and at least 5.5 in listening, reading and speaking.

Entry requirements

Applicants must have a minimum 2:1 honours degree from a UK university or overseas equivalent. Applicants without this qualification, but possessing relevant work experience, are also invited to apply. Each application is considered on its individual merits.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £24500 Whole course
Northern Ireland £24500 Whole course
Scotland £24500 Whole course
Wales £24500 Whole course
Channel Islands £24500 Whole course
Republic of Ireland £24500 Whole course
EU £26500 Whole course
International £26500 Whole course

Additional fee information

Course fees include: Tuition, production equipment and support, first aid and health & safety training, production and post production facilities, access to industry masterclasses and networking.
Directing at MetFilm - UCAS