University degrees: Postgraduate
Course length: 1 year full-time
Course city: Edinburgh
We are looking for ambitious, talented, graduates wanting to specialise in the following disciplines: Directing, producing, cinematography, editing, and sound. You should have a BA (Hons) film or a related discipline, or equivalent experience. You should have some practical film-making under your belt already, and will be looking to bring your experience up to the standard expected for entry in the professional industry.
Teaching on the programme is through a combination of collaborative, shared modules, and modules that are geared to individual disciplines. Coursework consists of a large number of practical exercises and projects that allow students to deepen their own technical, creative and professional film making skills.The year’s work culminates in a major project module in which students will work, in their chosen discipline, on one or more short fiction films.
Screen Academy Scotland is an active film making hub in the culturally vibrant city of Edinburgh. It offers great scope for collaboration, with some 200 or so students, at under-and post-graduate level engaged in diverse film activities. Students at the Screen Academy have access to a complete range of professional production and post-production equipment and industry software including Arri Alexa, Black Magic, HDCam, Super 16 mm, Avid, Pro-Tools, a fully equipped dubbing facility, along with Movie Magic Scheduling and Budgeting, and Final Draft. They can draw on support from tutors who themselves have significant experience in the industry.
This course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills quality mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries
Depending on their specialism, students will take the following modules:
Entry requirements: BA, BSc or equivalent, plus portfolio.
As we are recruiting in five different specialisms, the number of students we are able to take in each pathway will be limited due to the need to ensure a balance of expertise within the programme.
The film industry is very competitive and opportunities are limited. However, this programme’s emphasis on professional skills will help maximise your chance of success. Screen Academy Scotland is one of only three Film Academies in the UK accredited by Skillset, the film industry’s skills body, giving us and our graduates significant credibility in the industry.
Screen Academy graduates have had their films screened at festivals in cities around the world, including Venice, Beijing, Kolkata and Edinburgh. Many have gone on to win awards and commissions for TV and feature film projects following graduation.
In addition, Screen Academy students can buy an Industry Pass at a heavily-discounted rate and to attend screenings, masterclasses and networking events at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June.
Note on Portfolio: We are recruiting students in five specialist departments: directing, producing, cinematography, editing and sound. Normally we expect your portfolio to include links to your practical work in your chosen discipline. However, we are also keen to encourage applicants whose BA or BSc is in a related area and not in film. It may be in this case that you have other materials, such as art work, stills photography, scripts, or sound work, which you would like us to see.
NB: We may accept applications from producers without a portfolio provided they have appropriate experience in finance, business, or arts administration.
Note on Personal Statement: You should make it clear in your application, and in your Personal Statement, which of the five specialisms you are keen to pursue. Your Personal Statement should explain your development so far in terms of your specialism, and the reason why you feel that attending this programme will help move this development forward. It should explain why you want to pursue this specialism, the work you have done and the film-makers in your own specialist area that have influenced you.
