Course summary

BA (Hons) Film Practice has been developed for students with a passion for independent cinema – both documentary and fiction. The course is hands-on and industry-oriented, with a strong practical emphasis on single-camera digital production. This course is taught at London College of Communication, at Elephant & Castle, part of University of the Arts London (UAL). You’ll be introduced to professional models of practice in the various disciplines of production and come to understand how those disciplines intersect in the pursuit of a common cinematic goal. The course is collaborative and promotes teamwork over the auteur, or director-led model of production. We prefer a structure that reflects professional realities: producer-lead, with semi-autonomous heads of department working with directors to realise a shared vision. You’ll also benefit from London College of Communication's excellent location which has easy access to the British Film Institute, Tate Modern and The Cinema Museum. The College is also home to the Stanley Kubrick Archive from where films are screened for seminars and guest lectures. What can you expect? Year 1 lays the foundations for practice with introductory technical workshops in all the areas of production from development to post-production. You’ll be encouraged to try your hand at a number of specialisms and expand skills within a variety of technical roles. In Year 2 the focus shifts to more specialist training. Through the production of one studio-based film, and an extended production of your own choosing, you’ll take on Head of Department (HOD) roles such as AD, cinematographer, production designer, sound designer, editor/VFX, director and producer. You’ll also gain key skills in script supervision, lighting, assistant camera, sound recording and production management. Teaching in Year 3 is more oriented towards individual and group tutorials, with support geared specifically towards those specialism(s) that you may choose to pursue for your major project(s). Depending on the role(s) you undertake and where they fall in the production cycle, you can expect to work on up to three graduation productions. Direct industry engagement is embedded within the programme through the wide range of industry-active professionals who teach on the course and the work-based learning unit in year 2, which develops your capacity to navigate the professional arena by assisting you to secure meaningful work experience.The course also places a heavy emphasis on the art of story-telling and all students will undertake a dedicated screenwriting / documentary development unit in the second year. With a minimum of 6 productions throughout the course, work-based learning and a dedicated screenwriting programme, the syllabus offers a generous practical bias. But nobody works in a void and a compact theoretical programme exploring historical and contemporary cinematic syntax, genre and form, underscores all the practical elements of the course. About London College of Communication London College of Communication is for the curious, the brave and the committed: those who want to transform themselves and the world around them. Through a diverse, world-leading community of teaching, research and partnerships with industry, we enable our students to succeed as future-facing creatives in the always-evolving design, media and screen industries. The London College of Communication experience is all about learning by doing. Our students get their hands dirty and develop their skills through the exploration of our facilities and technical spaces. Students work on live briefs and commissions, with everything from independent start-ups and charities in Southwark, through to major global companies, including Penguin, the National Trust and Royal Mail, to name a few.