Master of Arts in Screen Production (Screenwriting)

at University of the West of England - Bristol - City Campus United Kingdom

This production-based course gives you the practical and intellectual skills you need for a successful career in today's creative industries.

Why study filmmaking?

• Our everyday lives are filled with moving images through social media, TV streaming, broadcast TV and cinema to mention just a few.
• Traditional cinema is still a huge and vibrant industry, and the surge in streaming services has created more opportunities for filmmakers to reach their audiences and produce truly cinematic storytelling.
• We're also seeing the expansion of virtual and augmented reality and starting to discover how filmmakers will use this technology in the future.
• The industry needs creative new filmmakers to produce adverts, music videos, social media campaigns, political films, documentaries big and small, TV series, independent titles and big summer blockbusters

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Filmmaking is based at Bower Ashton Studios, part of the City Campus. Exceptional facilities and resources include digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops offering traditional tools and the latest technology.
• This is a production-based degree - you'll learn by making. Our teaching team works at the cutting edge of contemporary media practice, with high levels of practical experience and expertise.
• Attend lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and Watershed. Develop drama and documentary storytelling skills by developing advanced craft techniques used in the professional media. Gain an in-depth understanding of culture and context.
• The course pushes boundaries, intellectually and imaginatively. Explore filmmaking for the 21st century through development of eclectic short form projects that span the vast opportunities for audience and presentation in the modern industry. Build the knowledge to navigate the industry as it changes over the next 10 to 20 years by applying cutting-edge techniques.
• Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans across Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• In 2017, Bristol was named UNESCO City of Film because of the strength of the city's moving image culture and industry. The city boasts a strong, skilled-pool of locally-based crew and facilities companies, which includes award-winning freelancers, production and post-production companies.
• Be a part of Bristol's vibrant arts and cultural scene, where students and workers in the creative industries often collaborate.
• Our strong industry contacts include the BBC, ITV, Aardman, Films@59, Bottle Yard Film Studios and E3 Media. They provide ongoing professional input and work experience opportunities.
• Attend talks from broadcast commissioners, cinematographers, directors, composers and coders/designers who will share their influences and techniques. Recent guest speakers include director Ben Wheatley (High Rise), writer and director Gurindha Chandha (Bend It Like Beckham). We have also held masterclasses with editor St John O'Rorke (The White Princess) and art director Sarah Hauldron (Gosford Park).
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.

Where can it take me?

• The filmmaking industry is in a hugely exciting period covering a vast array sectors and outputs, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.
• Our multi-skilled graduates go on to work in the creative industries for a range of media and multimedia production companies - as researchers, camera operators, editors, assistant directors/producers, mixers, graders and cinematographers.
• Others go on to further study on MA or doctoral research projects.

This industry-led master's course offers you the opportunity to explore the politics, business and culture of immersive technologies. You will learn practical skills and develop your craft as a pioneering storyteller in virtual, augmented and extended realities.

MA Virtual and Extended Realities is an industry-led course designed to address increased demand for expertise in immersive storytelling. The course is open to passionate graduates who want to enter the radical world of virtual, augmented and extended reality production.

We welcome students from all disciplines and backgrounds, and are looking for people with ideas about how their unique perspective and diverse experiences can contribute to this young and fast-evolving industry.

Your background may be in journalism, filmmaking, experience design, education, marketing or theatre. Perhaps your specialism is in storytelling, software, sound design or circus.

Whatever you bring to the mix, this is a place for independent thinkers who thrive in experimental, collaborative and hands-on learning environments.

Why study this course?
Virtual and Extended Realities is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. There is a recognised shortage of graduates with the skills and experience needed to support transformation in every sector.

Why UWE Bristol?

• In this one-year, full time course, you'll combine theory and critical thinking with practical experimentation. Throughout the year, you'll learn from pioneering thought-leaders and work with internationally significant industry partners. This collaboration will allow you to create innovative work in virtual and extended realities.
• Previous partners include BBC R&D, Royal Opera House, English Institute of Sport and Ultraleap. You'll also benefit from the support of a personal mentor, hand-picked from our research and professional networks to support your development.

This course is affiliated with the leading professional body for photographers in the UK and beyond, the Association of Photographers.

Why study photography?

• Images are everywhere. Studying photography enables you to understand the language of images and develop your 'visual voice' to communicate effectively and with confidence.
• It helps you understand the contexts in which images exist and circulate, and locate opportunities to get your images published, exhibited and commissioned.
• Becoming a photography professional opens doors to a wide range of careers within a global landscape of creative industries.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Photography is based in the city of Bristol, a vibrant arts and media community that will challenge and inspire you.
• The course offers a vibrant, collaborative environment, modern facilities, supportive workshop instruction and expert input, all underpinned by theory and critique.
• Study at Bower Ashton Studios, part of our City Campus, where exceptional facilities and resources include industry standard digital media studios.
• Explore traditional tools and the latest technology in our production and fabrication workshops. Develop your creativity and the high-level practical skills needed to become a successful photographer. Work across all areas of the discipline, from editorial and documentary to fashion, advertising and fine art.
• We'll encourage you to transform your broad-based photographic practice into an individual visual style. On graduation, you'll have a unique and compelling body of work for the marketplace.
• Work to briefs set and assessed by external individuals and organisations, including photographers, filmmakers, publishers, clothing labels, product designers, theatre groups, musicians and festivals. Build your CV with work experience, and access to job opportunities, throughout the course.  
• Our partnerships with Bristol Photography Festival and IC Visual Lab, two highly reputable Bristol-based photography organisations with national and international influence, will provide you with a wide range of work experience placements and live briefs to work on. You'll also have access to industry talks, events and opportunities to display your work at prestigious exhibitions and venues.

Where can it take me?

• Our graduates work in fields from editorial and fashion to movie stills and medical photography. Employers include the BBC, Sunday Times Magazine and the Tate.  
• Past students have assisted photographers such as Steve McCurry, Zed Nelson and Tim Walker, and have been published and exhibited in FT Weekend, Vogue Italia, Oh Comely, The Photographers Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the Tate.
• Graduates have also established important collectives and exhibiting networks such as The Lost Light Recordings, Loupe Magazine and Splash and Grab.
• Some graduates go on to further study at Master's level, including our own postgraduate MA Photography programme

 Every student is placed within one of our partner institutions alongside a curator who will mentor the student through the year. Our industry partners are all renowned creative and cultural organizations.
This well-connected degree is for those wishing to explore curating and develop curatorial skills in one or more of the following areas: fine art, digital media, film, festivals and social history.

Why study this course?

• You will study alongside an intentionally small and supportive group of students with backgrounds in areas including fine art, sculpture, art history, architecture, 3D design, film studies and history, sharing practice and ideas and providing opportunities to work creatively and collaboratively on group projects.
• Our students value and thrive in a highly professional and creative learning environment led by experienced tutors in a lively and dynamic city with active and engaging cultural communities.
• Curating is based on Bristol's historic waterfront at Arnolfini. Situated above this internationally renowned centre for contemporary art you will be at the heart of Bristol's creative and cultural community, with access to UWE Bristol's City Campus and all it has to offer. Have a look at our UWE Curating blog to find out more.

Write your own dramas and feature films, tap into Bristol's vibrant screen sector, and gain the grounding you need to succeed as a professional scriptwriter.

Why study screen production (screenwriting)?

• The boom in film drama, powered by companies such as Netflix, and the advent of streamed media and web content, is opening up new opportunities for scriptwriters.
• Imaginative and skilled collaborators are needed to work on dramas, web series and films across diverse genres and with the right skills and experience, you could get your work commissioned on TV or online.

Why UWE Bristol?

• Aimed at students with some experience of writing their own scripts already, our MA Screen Production (Screenwriting) supports you to develop scripts for your own dramas and feature films.
• Focusing on the professional practices of writing, you'll learn about the structures, relationships and business environment of the screen industry, as you hone and develop your scripts. 
• UWE Bristol has sector-leading expertise in film, standing at third in the UK in the Guardian League Tables 2020. 
• You'll be taught by award-winning film and TV screenwriters, and trained in the individual and collaborative practices of scriptwriting. 
• Studying this in Bristol means you'll be part of the city's rapidly expanding screen business sector. The city is home to the renowned Bottle Yard Studios, and many leading independent production companies, as well as being one of two Channel 4 regional hubs, and the new production base for Netflix.
• Working with Bristol Business School, you'll also gain the entrepreneurial skills to operate as a professional screenwriter, learning to work with producers, and developing skills in parallel professions such as script editing. 
• There'll be opportunities to network with other future creative leaders, working alongside students on our other postgraduate screen courses.
• The course includes guest lectures by leading industry experts.

Where can it take me?

• You'll be equipped to pursue a career as a professional scriptwriter in TV or film, to write web-series or pursue other modes of writing in the screen industries.
• You could go on to be a writer or showrunner on a TV drama, or script your own original feature films. Or move into script editing or producing.

This postgraduate degree has been co-designed by UWE academics and producers, directors and production managers from the BBC's world renowned Natural History Unit (NHU).

Bristol is the global capital of natural history programme making and the natural place to study for an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking. On this highly popular Masters course you will learn how to develop and pitch ideas, tell great stories and make intelligent and surprising programmes to captivate and engage audiences.

Our partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit (NHU) means that, alongside your studies, you will have incredible opportunities to network with professional wildlife film makers, attend talks, film festivals and other events around the city.

Our MA students graduate with the skills, experience and knowledge needed for entry level jobs in all areas of production from online to broadcast. Graduates now work for the BBC, Icon Films, Discovery, Tigress and other top production companies in the UK and overseas.

Why study this course?
The course is based at Bower Ashton, part of the City Campus, in the creative heart of Bristol. Bower has exceptional facilities and resources which include a news studio, TV studio and post production areas which offer the latest technology.

Be inspired by watching some of the Wildlife Filmmaking videos created by students on our Vimeo site.

Alum, Lindsey Parietti, won a student BAFTA for her powerful nature documentary Blood Island, a film created for this course. In this video she talks about what compelled her to tell the story, and the success that followed.

Art and industry combine on this innovative, practice-based postgraduate course, designed to develop your creative promise, deepen your experience of photography and moving image, and optimise both your artistic and professional potential.

Taught by award-winning artists, photographers and leading academics in the field, our distinctive, practice-based MA in Photography will allow you to explore the diverse applications of the medium, and to deepen your understanding of photography as a discipline.

Through a course of intensive study, creative practice, and professional engagement, you will develop the passion that brought you to photography in the first place, and will be supported in the development and production of innovative work, whilst also building skills to maximise and contextualise your creative outputs.

Developed in collaboration with external partners, this distinctive interdisciplinary MA programme combines business and leadership with the arts, creative and cultural industries. Learn by doing through a practical, practice-led approach, with an emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

MA Creative and Cultural Leadership is a flexible work-based course, designed for transformative emerging leaders and influencers committed to equity, diversity and inclusivity in the arts, heritage, cultural and creative industries. As a mid to senior creative, cultural or heritage professional, you'll develop your transformational leadership potential.

As you tackle complex business challenges, you'll become equipped to meet current sector demands. You'll learn new, authentic approaches to collaborative leadership development during rapidly changing times, with an emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Why study this course?

• Designed in collaboration with Bristol Business School and UWE Bristol's Creative Economy Unit, the course offers you interdisciplinary expertise in Creative and Cultural Industries and Business. You'll develop practical, work-based learning aimed to address sector gaps, such as leadership and management, business development and enterprise and entrepreneurship.
• Increasingly, creative and cultural leadership takes place outside larger arts organisations, such as museums, galleries, libraries and archives, as well as smaller organisations. These include independent agencies, studios, production companies, performance groups, theatre companies, festivals and social enterprises.

Learn in a creative and supportive studio environment with professional-standard facilities and a focus on helping you gain real-world skills for the workplace.

Why study illustration?

• Studying illustration opens the door to diverse careers in the creative industries.
• You will respond to ideas, explore narratives and work across a range of media, including 2D, 3D and moving image.
• Self-directed projects could range from editorial to narrative, 3D model-making to film, animation to artists' books, providing excellent preparation for the commercial world.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Illustration encourages you to create and develop your own personal visual language. Problem-solving through drawing and making is core.
• You'll be based at Bower Ashton Studios, part of the City Campus. Exceptional facilities and resources include industry-standard digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops.
• Explore a range of media and deepen your awareness of the ideas, concepts and contexts of illustration through theoretical studies. Build an awareness of the professional world and develop core skills through individual experimentation.
• Innovation and individualism are celebrated. Investigate potential contexts and audiences for your work and test yourself against industry expectations through live briefs, and national and international competitions.
• City Campus is a creative powerhouse that spans the city of Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Our strong industry links with the thriving city of Bristol ensure input from illustrators and creatives. Visits from respected practitioners will keep you up to date with contemporary illustration practice.
• Attend lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and Watershed and work in our production and fabrication workshops, equipped with traditional tools and the latest technology.
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and D&AD New Blood, London.
• Focusing on the avenues that interest you, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio of work, ready to make your mark as an illustrator.

Where can it take me?

• This course prepares you for a sustainable and flexible career in illustration.
• Alongside established freelance illustration career paths, our graduates work as film directors, set designers, art/creative directors, illustration agents, visualisers, designers, model-makers, animators, storyboard artists, puppeteers and theatrical/film costume and prop designers.

Make your own films, tap into Bristol's vibrant indie film sector, and develop the skills and network to succeed as a documentary filmmaker.

Why study screen production (documentary)?

• Documentary filmmaking is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the screen economy.
• From feature length films to short online content, documentaries offer a powerful tool for storytelling, and engaging audiences in diverse subjects and causes.
• New platforms and channels are opening up new opportunities for filmmakers to create documentaries for broadcast, web and film distribution.

Why UWE Bristol?

• Aimed at students with some experience of film and video-making already, our MA Screen Production (Documentary) offers you access to expert support and industry-level facilities to take your work to the next level.
• Covering the huge breadth of forms of documentary, you'll study wide-ranging filmmaking practices and apply these to producing your own films.
• The course is practice-focused, expanding your experience of documentary filmmaking, and training you to be a 'thinking documentary filmmaker', as you learn from the work of great documentarists.
• This course is integrated into the buoyant documentary sector of Bristol's audiovisual economy, where Channel 4 recently opened its regional hub, and commissioners are investing in documentary projects.
• Some of the fastest growing indies in the UK, such as Plimsoll, Drummer, Silverback and Icon Films are based here and we work closely with local companies, as well as the BBC, to offer you varied production opportunities.
• Working with Bristol Business School, you'll also build the skills you need to operate as a freelance, self-employed documentary filmmaker.
• There'll be opportunities to network with other future creative leaders, working alongside students on our other postgraduate screen MAs.
• The course includes company visits and guest lectures by leading industry experts.

Where can it take me?

• You'll be equipped to follow a wide range of careers in the increasingly diverse field of documentary filmmaking, working for broadcasters or setting up your own independent film company.
• You're most likely to first secure work as a researcher or production team associate in a larger production company, before seeking commissions to make your own documentaries.