BSc in Digital Film Production

Do you have a passion for film? Are you fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes of the movies and TV shows you love? Are you longing to get your hands on professional equipment and learn the craft skills you need to make your own productions? If so, Digital Film Production at BCU is well worth your consideration.

This course will allow you to develop essential skills with film production technology – from script to screen. Bring your creative ideas to life using industry-standard sound, camera and lighting equipment, and learn how to apply technology and craft in the pursuit of your artistic vision. From narrative design, through selection and testing of cameras and lenses, to creating digital production workflows and using professional sound and picture finishing software including Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, Da Vinci Resolve, and Logic Pro, you will be encouraged to develop an extensive portfolio of work in addition to that produced for assessment.

What's covered in this course?

The Digital Film Production degree course combines a study of audiovisual technologies and production processes, with contextual investigations and production experience. You’ll develop knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the production of digital film content and to the wider film, television and video industries.

You’ll focus on fundamental technical concepts, including the physics of sound and light being recorded during production (and the tools and techniques required to do this), as well as the technology used to digitally store and manipulate both images and audio in post-production.

When you graduate, you will be versatile, technically literate, and creative: well-equipped to perform a variety of craft roles within film, television and video production and will bridge the gap between technology specialists and creative artists.

Birmingham City University is a great place to study - the city has ambitious plans to develop a production hub of Film and TV studios to attract productions to the region and you will be on the same campus as students on our Visual Effects, Computer Games Technology, Sound Engineering, Music Technology and Photography courses offering the chance to collaborate on creative projects.

You’ll also be encouraged to engage with industry in various ways including module assessments based on live briefs, access to Industrial Mentors for many of your modules, and the opportunity to take a 36-week Industrial Placement between your second and final years. You can also register your availability for paid work experience on corporate productions within the University and apply for entry-level crew roles which external producers sometimes require to be filled.

Professional placement year

This course offers a professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, between the second and third years of your degree and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

The University will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. If you do not find a suitable placement, you will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year (£1,850 for UK students).

Why choose us?

1. Top 5 for Animation and Game Design (Guardian League Tables 2023)
2. We are an ARRI-certified course - The ARRI accreditation means that we are able to offer ARRI certification on students' ability to use their industry-standard ARRI Alexa Mini cameras. These cameras have been used to shoot hundreds of films, including the 2019 Academy Award winner Green Book
3. Opportunities to enhance your industry awareness - get involved with our Curzon Street Studios team in a wide range of production and film projects, including working on gigs and commercials for professional football clubs and high-profile industry giants such as Sony, Disney and Microsoft.
4. Outstanding facilities - Our Centre for Digital Media Technology is equipped with over 1,200 sq m of facilities including two film/television studios, four multi-track recording studios, post-production suites, a MILO motion control rig and several editing and grading stations.
5. Knowledge of the fundamental aspects of film production - Explore the technology and science of film production, from working with light and sound to understanding how different production and post-production tools affect the images and sound you capture
6. Highly employable graduates - Move quickly into key production roles with the combination of technical knowledge and practical production experience from your course. Our graduates have gone on to work on major feature films and high-end TV series