Course summary

This course is also offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme. Degrees at BNU are designed to offer a broader and more flexible education by giving you the opportunity to try a range of subjects before specialising. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, with most of our courses you can choose to study additional subjects to enhance your education. What facilities can I use? Studying at both our High Wycombe campus and teaching base at Pinewood Studios, you’ll be able to get a feel for life on set, develop your skills and understanding of this fast-paced industry, all right in the hustle and bustle of a working studio. You’ll benefit from creating sets within a studio environment, complete with prop stores and workshop facilities for wood, metal and plastic. You will also acquire skills in using our laser cutter and 3D printing equipment. The course gives you access to a wide range of resources including digital suites, where you will learn how to use Auto CAD, Rhino and other software such as Photoshop and InDesign. What will I learn? During you time studying on this degree, we aim to develop you into creative, reflective and skilled professionals in the production design practices of theatre, film and television. We do this by providing you with an environment where you can explore your ideas and push the boundaries with set design. The course material that you will be provided with is rooted in contemporary practice, benchmarked by ongoing input from industry, and contextualised by a historical and theoretical overview. You will learn to respond to design briefs and produce high quality outcomes, through rigorous research, analysis, experimentation and development of skills. We’ll teach you about aesthetics and form, technical skills such as workshop and production techniques and CAD and technical drawing, giving you a well-rounded understanding of design methods. Provided with a broad range of core skills required for the creative industry, you will hone and develop your specialist interests, graduating with a portfolio tailored to suit your chosen profession. The course also emphasises the importance of cultivating unique, personal entrepreneurial skills to prepare you to work within the professional environment. By being equipped with the right tools to effectively communicate with other departments and professions and produce outcomes that are aimed at international markets you are widening your career prospects. At the same time, the course embeds critical and analytical skills through contextual studies, providing you with a broader awareness of theoretical debates within media and cultural studies and related industries. With London only a short train ride away, students will also experience visits to prop stores, sets and set stores, material suppliers and manufacturing professionals to better prepare themselves for the research activities proposed in the programme. What are my career prospects? Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a range of career possibilities. Using the skills and knowledge learnt on this course, you could find yourself performing the following roles all over the world: Production designer for film, theatre, or live performances Design assistant or designer Art director or assistant Model maker Buyer or production specifier Studio manager or production design coordinator Film/theatre/performance stylist Film illustrator.