Foundation DegreeFilm ProductionValidated by The Open University
Qualifications
Foundation Degree Film Production
Overview
In 2018, the Belfast Film and Television School at E3 Studios was launched. Our campus is equipped with state-of-the-art Film/TV, Photography and Virtual Production studios that are designed to prepare our students to enter industry with confidence and an advanced skillset. We deliver award-winning bespoke courses in Film Production, Commercial Photography & Cinematography, Screen Acting and Producing, Journalism and Documentary, Digital Art and Animation for Visual Effects (VFX) and Virtual Production and more. These have all been designed in-house by our experienced lecturing team whose first-hand knowledge of industry has shaped the structure and content of each course.
This Foundation Degree in Film Production is a creative and highly practical programme designed for those who wish to enter the film industry. The aim of the course is to advance your technical and creative competence, build a strong portfolio of work and connect you to industry professionals and companies.
The programme itself is structured around the core stages of filmmaking: Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production. Learners move from one stage of production into the next, trying out a variety of crew roles through each cycle until specialising. Teaching and assessment is therefore aligned with the learning and output from each project.
This course will expose learners to a wide variety of crew roles, with a focus on nurturing scriptwriters, directors, producers, cinematographers, sound recordists and editors. Our learners benefit from access to our state-of-the-art studio facilities, high-spec editing PCs and software, and the use professional camera, lighting and audio equipment:
- RED, Canon, BlackMagic, Sony and Fujifilm cameras;
- Aputure, Nanlite, Dedolight, and Kino Flo lighting gear;
- and Rode, Deity, Zoom and Sennheiser audio equipment
This programme of study also includes enrichment units which are additional components to enhance your employability, such as the Mark Milsome On-Set Safety Passport or the DaVinci Resolve User Certificate.
Key Areas of Study:
Scriptwriting
Cinematography (Lighting)
Cinematography (Camera)
Sound Mixing
Editing for Film
Directing
Producing
Ready to take your career to the next level in Film Production? Explore the links below to learn more about our validated awards and regulations:
OU Handbooks and Regulations can be found under the Higher Education section of our public documents.
Regulations for validated awards of The Open University
Student's guide to studying on a programme validated by The Open University
Applications to this course can be made through UCAS using code U907. If you haven’t started a UCAS application yet, and only want to apply to Belfast Met, you can apply directly to us using Apply Now option and we will process a UCAS application on your behalf. IMPORTANT: Applicants must only choose one method of application.
The minimum entry requirement accepted for this course is 80 Tariff Points. Depending on the number of applications, we may have to increase this.
You will also need to have a keen interest in storytelling and cinema. Prior experience and/or qualifications in Moving Image/Film/Media is not mandatory but would be highly beneficial.
Minimum entry requirements are pre-defined by the College’s admissions criteria, which can be found by visiting our entry criteria page on this link
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) for HE Courses
APL allows you to use evidence from prior learning or experience to gain entry onto a course at Belfast Met. Belfast Met will work with you to make sure that relevant learning or work experience is formally recognised through the APL Process. For more information see Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) Process - Guidance for applicants. If you would like more information, or if you decide you would like to use the APL process, please contact the Course Co-ordinator. Contact details are provided at the end of these slides and on the course details page on Belfast Met website.
Fees:
Academic period 2026*:
Tuition Fee = £3235.00
Academic period 2027*:
Tuition Fee = £3235.00
Fees are payable annually.
*The fees have not been finalised and may be subject to change.
Whenever possible, we make our assessment methods as practical, with written components primarily being used to reinforce technical understanding and personally reflect on own performance. However, research is a core component to the development of any skillset, and so will be tested through written assessment alongside academic writing skills appropriate to the foundation degree level.
E3 Studios at Belfast Met are a member of the Blackmagic Design Education Partner Programme which aims to support and develop leading Media and Broadcast focused institutions with dedicated resources. This partnership helps us empower students to become confident, experienced industry ready graduates.
Careers
The structure of our Film Production course entails the cyclical progression through the industry process of pre-production, production and post-production with an increasing standard of final output. Therefore, our students will graduate from the course with 2 years’ worth of relevant experience that proves to mirror industry standards, making the transition into film production outside the college as seamless as possible. Career prospects include:
- Cinematographer
- Producer
- Director
- Editor
- Lighting Technician
- Camera Operator
- Sound Designer
- Production Assistant
- Videographer
Our courses also accommodate to those wishing to further their studies, particularly through top-up degrees that have been established with various partnering universities across the UK. These allow students who graduate from our course to go on to complete just one more year at another university to gain a full undergraduate degree.
Interests
- Creativity
- Storytelling and Scriptwriting
- Camerawork
- Lighting
- Sound Technology
- Film production workflows
- Working as a crew member
- Media Studies
- Editing
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