Film Production | MA | University of Lincoln

Welcome to MA Film Production

UK film-makers are renowned throughout the world for their originality, creativity, and craft. Lincoln's MA Film Production aims to equip students with the skills needed to become the next generation of innovative filmmakers.

Students can learn the art and craft of film through a series of workshops with academics and guest lectures by industry professionals. Previous guest speakers include Deborah Haywood, writer-director of Pin Cushion (2017) and Lucas Roche, who edits for director Shane Meadows. During the programme students are able to make two short documentaries, write and make a short fictional film, and either write a fictional feature screenplay or make a film of their choosing for their final project. Optional modules may include screenwriting, media ecologies, or gender and media.

Working with contemporary industry-standard facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and specialist software, students at Lincoln can develop skills in scriptwriting, directing, camera, lighting, and sound and post-production effects, all of which are valuable assets for employment in the media, film, and television industries.

Members of the teaching team have included screenwriter Ewen Glass, writer-directors Phil Stevens, Dr Mikey Murray, and Marcella Forster, cinematographer Jack Shelbourn, and editor Chris Hainstock.

How You Study

This course is designed to provide an educational context through practical workshops in production techniques, exploration of ideas in seminars, and more focussed individual discussion in tutorials. Students have the opportunity to develop an advanced level of creative, conceptual, technical, critical, organisational, and research skills, all of which are appropriate to employment in the media industries. Independent study consolidates learning.

Weekly contact hours on this programme may vary depending on the module options chosen and the stage of study.

Postgraduate study involves a significant proportion of independent study, exploring the material covered in workshops and seminars, and making projects.

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

Film Production 1 2023-24MED9044MLevel 72023-24This module enables students to gain practical production experience in different aspects of factual film-making, including story development, scriptwriting, directing, camera, lighting, sound recording and editing skills. These skills are developed through the production of two short factual-based films, which are assessed. Students are encouraged to explore the craft of film-making and understand their role as film-makers in the wider creative landscape. Their professional practice will be supported by specialist workshops, production exercises, discussions, screenings, tutorials and independent work.CoreFilm Production 2 & Final Project Pitch 2023-24MED9046MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to enable students to use a chosen medium (radio or single or *multi camera production or screenwriting or photography or design or new media) as a means of personal expression. The module will be organised around providing students with the opportunity to further develop technical skills and techniques in their chosen specialism so as to: develop an original concept, undertake appropriate production research, schedule the project, produce the project and edit the project. A smaller project within this module aims to enable students to conduct the research, development and planning necessary for the final masters project in their chosen specialism. *Dependent on the numbers of applicants wishing to specialise in this production platform.CoreFinal Film Project 2023-24MED9048MLevel 72023-24This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to realise the project idea which they developed in Project Pre-Production. The project is expected to be, depending on the students chosen specialism, a programme, a script, an extensive still image or design portfolio or new media project. It is intended that the project will contribute to the development of the student as someone capable of conceiving and realising a creative project to a professional standard. It is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop their conceptual, critical, creative, technical and organisational skills to a high order.CoreMedia Ethics, Law and Regulation 2023-24MED9009MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to provide the opportunity to develop an understanding of the ethical context of media production, media law and regulation in the UK (EU) and the USA. The module will be organised around discussion and examination of: ethics of media production, rights of free expression, common law of libel, ECHR and HRA, current UK and US communications acts, journalists codes of practice and content regulatory codes.CoreThe Art and Craft of Film 2023-24MED9040MLevel 72023-24This module is designed as an introduction to the work of professional practitioners in film such as the screenwriter, director, cinematographer, art director, sound designer and editor. Guest speakers are professionals from the industry and aim to share their craft secrets with students. Assessment is via presentation.CoreApproaches to Screen Studies 2023-24MED9037MLevel 72023-24Providing an advanced introduction to recent debates on film, culture, and society in various national, international, and transnational contexts, Approaches to Screen Studies seeks to promote a deeper understanding of a world of cinemas. Looking to examples of film industries that challenge or disrupt the dominant Hollywood paradigm, it turns its attention toward concepts such as censorship, exile, propaganda, resistance, underground, dissent, identity, and repression, as well as to new modes of cultural production, policy, and their transformation.OptionalDisruptive Influences on the Creative Industries 2023-24MED9008MLevel 72023-24This module provides the opportunity to develop an understanding of the structures of media systems regionally, nationally and globally, with a specific focus on private and public funding sources and the organisation of media production, distribution and exhibition for traditional as well as new media platforms and outlets. The module will be organised around discussion and examination of: - UK creative industries and their relation to global media systems and markets. - Existing media markets and the identification of future markets - The development of new media technologies and their impact on media markets - Normative practices operating in media corporations and small and media sized businesses - Case studies of innovation and creativity in media production. The module will also have contributions from visiting media professionals.OptionalGender, Media and Culture in a Global Context 2023-24MED9039MLevel 72023-24This module examines the multi-directional and variable relationship between gender, media and culture. We will interrogate the category of gender as a tool of cultural analysis and its relation to media and popular culture. Gender will be presented as central to media and cultural formations, while media, mediation and culture will be presented as central to gender formations. Key concepts to be examined in relation to gender will include body, class, power, sexual difference, masculinity/femininity race/ethnicity, identity/non-identity and subjectivity. These concepts will be introduced and examined in relation to case studies, media practices and texts from a variety of historical and geo-political contexts.OptionalHuman and Inhuman in the 21st Century 2023-24MED9032MLevel 72023-24Taking as its point of departure the Anthropocene, a concept that acknowledges the entwined future of human and material worlds, this module continues to explore the ideas, questions, and debates central to political life today, attending to the collapse of the traditional dualisms of humanist thought: self/other, mind/body, free will/determinism, organic/technological, culture/nature, human/animal, one/many, etc. It considers the expression and mediation of these issues in popular culture, dominant discourse, and creative practice.OptionalMedia Ecologies 1 2023-24MED9028MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to tackle critically the current disintegration between discrete media forms. It recognises that long established boundaries between modes, practices and conventions of media have become diffuse. Where, in the past, individual media forms were comfortably self-contained and distinctive, today these forms are experienced as a type of informational content that we access on multiple devices and in multiple contexts. The module understands contemporary media to be a complex, entangled ecology, a dynamic system in which any one product, device or image is always multiply connected, and in which our use of such media is necessarily informed by such connections. It insists that media activity is informed by a pattern of relations between individuals, political and economic institutions, commercial brands, and technologies.OptionalThe Working Screenwriter: Art and Industry 2023-24MED9317MLevel 72023-24This module is a practice-based and practitioner-led experience, in which students will have the opportunity to create materials relevant to the construction of a feature screenplay. The process will begin in earnest with AfterEight, an entire eight hours dedicated to kick-starting feature ideas and developing these into robust and sustainable screen stories. At the end of this intensive process, supported by lecturers and practitioners, and modelled on the highly popular 24-hour film challenges, students are expected to have the bones of a feature film story, which they can develop further and use as a basis for their screenplay. A series of masterclasses and guest lectures by screenwriters, directors, writer-directors, cinematographers and producers will provide an insider overview of the film industry today, with advice on getting employment and credits. Students can learn how to survive as a freelancer in the early years and how to approach screenwriting/writing-directing as a long-term career. The demands of being a screenwriter are different to those of the writer-director and each will also be addressed.Optional

How you are assessed

Assessment is conducted using a range of methods which include media productions, pitches, presentations, case studies, and essays.

The University of Lincoln's policy on assessment feedback aims to ensure that academics will return in-course assessments to students promptly - usually within 15 working days of the submission date.

Fees and Funding

For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, UK students can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.

Programme Fees

Programme-Specific Additional Costs

For each course you may find that there are additional costs. These may be with regard to the specific clothing, materials or equipment required. Some courses provide opportunities for you to undertake field work or field trips. Where these are compulsory, the cost for travel and accommodation will be covered by the University and so is included in your fee. Where these are optional, you will normally be required to pay your own transport, accommodation, and general living costs.

With regards to text books, the University provides students who enrol with a comprehensive reading list and you will find that our extensive library holds either material or virtual versions of the core texts that you are required to read. However, you may prefer to purchase some of these for yourself and you will be responsible for this cost.

Entry Requirements 2023-24

First or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent professional experience.

If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.

Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/.

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses. https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/ . These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.

Features

There may be opportunities for students to work on professional productions for our enterprise arm, New Media Lincs, and to volunteer for Indie-Lincs International Film Festival, which is based in the Lincoln School of Film and Media. In the past, students have worked as runners on professional productions in the local area and visited a film festival in Hong Kong.

All international students are allocated a mentor as part of the School’s International Buddy Scheme.

Interviews

Applicants may be required to provide evidence of media work via a web link and/or a screenplay. Interviews will be conducted in person or via Skype.

"I had a lot of wonderful support and learnt a lot from staff and fellow students at the University of Lincoln. Taking every opportunity that arose helped me pave the way to my success."

Lisa Rustage, MA Film Production graduate

Career Opportunities

This programme aims to provide students with the high-level technical skills and knowledge required to establish careers in the media industries in areas such as film-making, post-production, and project management. Some students may choose to pursue careers in teaching or undertake a research degree at doctoral level.

Graduates of the programme have gone on to work in the media industries and in further and higher education. These roles include: Film Festival Co-ordinator, Feature Film Director, Film Editor, Video Producer, UniLad Adventure Video Editor, Post-production Editor at Envy, high school teacher in media, Lecturer, and University Video Development Co-ordinator.

After graduating from the University of Lincoln, alumnus Lisa Rustage worked on major feature films including 'Ready Player One', 'Jason Bourne', 'Ophelia', and recent blockbuster 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. She says: “After attending a cast and crew screening in March 2018 and seeing my name in the credits of a Steven Spielberg film ('Ready Player One', 2018), it was emotional to see how far I have actually come! I broke into feature films on 'Jason Bourne' (2016) in the editorial department, which was the most challenging feature I have been on to date. It was a tough time, but I pushed through and found myself on set for 'Ready Player One'. Off the back of each film I kept meeting more people in the industry, working up to second assistant editor, which I am now.”

International student Anthonia Ziregbe’s documentary 'View within the Straight Lines' was screened at the Cambridge International Student Film Festival 2019.

Postgraduate Events

Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.

Find out More

Related Courses

Male student working on a laptop in the library

Creative Writing

An innovative and exciting course that provides opportunities to work closely with practising creative writers and professionals.

Female student standing besides a student with a camera

Media and Communications

In today’s competitive marketplace, good communications and a solid reputation are key to a business’s survival and success.

Media and Cultural Studies

Undertake in-depth research and choose your own research topic while being mentored by a supervisor from a team of national and international experts.

Key Information

MA Film Production