Course summary

Combine film and media theory with practical skills including film-making, animation and digital publishing. Discover the key issues and debates in film and media from feminism and postmodernism to the impact of film, TV, music and the media on society, including politics, youth culture and technology. You’ll also create your own short films in video, animation or 16mm format, and be trained in all aspects of the craft, including camera operation, sound recording and editing, as well as exploring your own interests like digital publishing, radio production, and screenwriting. Use our extensive industry links to make contacts, find work placements, and take part in live briefs. Get hands-on in our specialist film facilities, with full training from our technical team. See your films screened at Cambridge Arts Picturehouse and take part in film festivals. Prepare for careers in film and media including production, post-production, broadcasting, and web design. Be supported by expert lecturers and a close-knit community of students and graduates. Become part of a community of professionals with expertise in drama and performance, film, games development, journalism, publishing, and digital media. Careers Our degree will unlock a wealth of unique opportunities for you to maximise your skills, gain valuable experience, and develop your professional network. Whether you aim to work on major or indie films, series or documentaries on streaming services, or videos for websites and social media, we'll help you attain the specific know-how you need. You’ll also develop transferable skills such as research, teamwork, communication, problem solving, and resourcefulness - invaluable in all areas of the creative industries and other sectors. Our degree course will give you a thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of film and media, preparing you for many related roles including film and television production and post-production, film journalism, cinema and film festival management, film programming and curation, publishing, broadcasting, web design and public relations – or you might set your sights on film-making itself. Our graduates typically start their film careers as runners, camera assistants, programme researchers, second assistants, or junior technicians on set, but as you accrue experience and make connections, you could turn your hand to more specialised jobs in sound, lighting, effects, writing, editing and producing. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, like our MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship to get 20% off your fees. Our recent students have found internships and placements with companies such as the BBC, Cambridge Festival of Ideas, Film & Video Umbrella, Cannes Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival, Take One magazine, Watersprite Film Festival, CBBC, ITN Productions, London Studios, MTV, New York Film Academy, Pinewood Studios, StudioCanal UK (formerly Optimum Releasing) and Sight & Sound magazine. They’ve also taken part in live briefs with our partner organisations such as mental health charity Lifecraft, producing a series of short videos about the charity for their website and social media channels. Teaching You'll start by investigating the principles of film and learning the technical skills to develop your own shorts. You'll also consider theories of popular culture. In Year 2 you’ll explore theoretical issues around spectatorship and representation (including psychoanalytic theory); identity, resistance and consumption, and the relationships between taste, style and ideology. Finally you’ll create an individual piece of research or product on a topic of your choice, and consider notions of gender in film as well as extending your knowledge and expertise in your own interests.