BA (Hons) Film Production

Welcome to UCAStarting university is a big moment – congratulations! By joining UCA, you’ve chosen an exciting and rewarding path.

As you join our community of students, artists and academics, you’ll explore how you can use your talent to shape the future of the world around you, and design a career that inspires you.

Our university is a place for the bold, the curious, the extraordinary - as you’ll see for yourself when you meet your lecturers, technicians and classmates. On your course, you can expect to learn from practicing artists, innovators and researchers, collaborate with students across different creative disciplines, and make connections with industry leaders.

At the end of it all, you’ll graduate with the skills and experience you need to build a successful career doing what you love, in a way that makes a difference.

We believe the world needs more people like you, and we’re delighted to have you with us.

Make your mark. Make it here.

Welcome! Welcome to BA (Hons) Film Production at UCA Farnham.

We’re excited to welcome you to our community.  

We hope you enjoy your time with us and are ready to get started on your creative journey.  

In this guide, you’ll find essential contact information for your course and central administration teams, your reading list, details of any trips and visits that are relevant to you, and a list of the equipment you’ll need in the coming weeks and months.  

See you soon.

Charis Coke 

Charis Coke Programme Director

ccoke@uca.ac.uk

If you have any questions, please contact the Campus Registry Office:

01252 892834

campusregistryfarnham@uca.ac.uk

Course Welcome

Your Team

Charis Coke Programme Director

– De Valk, Mark and Arnold, Sarah. (2013). The Film Handbook. UK: Routledge

– Lacey, Nick. (2016). Introduction to Film. 2nd edition. London: Palgrave.

– Hurbis-Cherrier, Mick. (2011). Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production. 2nd edition. London: Focal Press.

– Rabiger, Michael and Hurbis-Cherrier, Mick. (2013). Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics. 5th edition. London: Focal Press.

Trips and Visits

Visits to galleries, museums, and film production studios and facilities can take place as part of a unit of study or for a year group.

Advance notice will be given of any associated costs.

Reading List

To prepare for the course, we suggest you watch as many short films as you can, and the websites below are useful sources for you to explore.

We also suggest you familiarise yourself with some reading about film practice and film theory - the books listed below are good introductions.

You do not need to buy all of these books, and you will find everything in our library once you arrive.

– Bordwell, David, Thompson, Kristin and Smith, Jeff. (2016). Film Art: an Introduction. 11th edition. London: McGraw Hill

Try to visit some websites and keep a record of where you go, as they may become useful to you later. We recommend:

– Depict: 90 second film competition:depict.org

– Future Shorts: futureshorts.com

– Short of the Week: shortoftheweek.com

– BAFTA:guru.bafta.org

Websites

Equipment & Materials (essential)

In Year 0 and Years 1 and 2, course materials and equipment are provided for productions.

There may be additional costs if you choose to film further afield, need particular props or choose to film in a location that charges a fee.

As you progress through the course and work with actors, you may also need to pay for their travel, accommodation and food. In the final year of the course, our students raise more substantial funds for their graduation films and typically contribute up to £500 towards this.

You should have a 1TB hard drive to back up and save all of your work.

We recommend that you have your own laptop (PC or Mac).

Equipment & Materials (recommended)

We use some powerful equipment and software on the course, and you’ll have access to these facilities for your course work. However, many students like to have more flexibility, so having your own equipment is very useful. It’s important to invest in the right type of computer that is compatible with the software we use.

We use both Mac and PC on the course, and a wide variety of software including most of the Adobe Master Collection (e.g. Premiere, AfterEffects, Photoshop and Audition, as well as Avid Media Composer and Protools). Most of this software has minimum system requirements and this is often the best way to start when looking for a compatible computer. You’ll have access to discounts on both software and hardware once you’re enrolled, so it’s advisable to wait until then to invest and we can advise.

Equipment List

Explore UCA Farnham

Meet our campus community

I love UCA Farnham because... “Being a student at UCA is amazing, it’s like a big creative family. The opportunities and the facilities are incredible.”

I love UCA Farnham because... “The thing I like the most at Farnham is the people! I love working with students in workshops and recording sessions.”

Abigail Marsh – BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing

Vangelis Katsinas – Tutor technician, Sound Production

by Katie Hinton

My top spots

A student’s guide to… Farnham

As an international student who arrived in the UK completely unfamiliar with Farnham, I have found it to be the most friendly and welcoming place.

The campus might seem like a bit of a labyrinth at first, but you get used to it and it’s astonishing to see just how many incredible facilities it has, even for really niche subjects.

Farnham town centre is right on the doorstep, and I love its community vibe. There’s always something going on, and for me it’s just the right balance between a big city and my home (a rural town). Alongside the friendliness of everyone at UCA, that has really helped me feel settled.

Farnham CastleThere’s so much green space to explore in Farnham, whether it’s walking along the river or going to the Castle, where I love to do my sketches when the weather is nice.

The MaltingsThis is a great arts venue and there’s always something going on for you to enjoy or take part in. I really recommend it.

New Ashgate Gallery It’s free to get in here and they have about 20 different exhibitions going on through the year. I pop in when I can to see what’s on.

Tasty House I always end up getting some Chinese takeaway here when I go into London, as it’s right by the train station. It’s really good food, reasonably priced and it comes in reusable packaging, which is great.

The Wheatsheaf This is the pub that me and my coursemates go to every once in a while. It’s got a really nice atmosphere, and lots of choice when it comes to food and drink.

“ I love the community vibe of Farnham. There’s always something going on – it’s the most friendly and welcoming place.”

Lion & Lamb Yard Lion & Lamb Yard

New Ashgate Gallery

Gostrey Meadows

What could you create?

During your time with us, you’ll build your skills and hone your talents to produce some incredible work. Here are a few highlights created by recent graduates…

Malik Nieto ArtsIssey Hennessy

Sophie Lou

Becky Stapley

Anastasija Strelcova

Our graduates are forging stellar careers in fields from Fashion to Film, Architecture to Craft, Business to Games Design. We caught up with a few to find out more about their successes, and how they made the most the most of the UCA experience…

Phoebe Fox

BA (Hons) Music Marketing and Promotion, 2019Soon after completing her degree, Phoebe was touring the world photographing the likes of The Amazons and Anne Marie – a journey that began while she was still a student.

“I contacted small bands I liked to ask for photo passes to their London gigs, and used the UCA equipment to build a portfolio,” she explains.

“I spent three years balancing touring, festivals, shows and portraits with university commitments. The UCA lecturers were incredibly supportive. After I handed in my final major project, I went home to pack and got straight on a tour bus with Anne Marie.”

Tihara Smith

BA (Hons) Fashion, 2018Fashion graduate Tihara Smith’s final degree project - a collection inspired by her grandparents’ experiences as part of the Windrush Generation – set her up for career success.

“I wanted to highlight the positive contribution of the Windrush Generation and celebrate the islands of the Caribbean,” she says.

After graduating, Tihara widened her range and started selling it online and at festivals, markets and wedding fairs, and it proved so popular that she now runs her business full-time. “It’s been really exciting to see it grow,” she says. “I think some of the best collections are created from real stories that are personal to the creator.”

Where could your talent take you?

Phoebe Fox, photographed by Vendy Palkovicova. Tihara Smith. Picture by Kayleigh Pace.

Will McGregor

BA (Hons) Film & Digital Art, 2010Will has amassed credits directing episodes of cult drama Misfits, period saga Poldark, his first feature film, Gwen, and an episode of His Dark Materials.

“Space, time and support to make my own work was the greatest gift UCA gave me,” he says. “The campus felt like an incubator for creativity; all these creative individuals in one place, with access to kit and exposure to new ideas.”

“Make the most of that opportunity to make work and meet people, and make sure you get your work out there – enter all the student festivals and competitions you can!”

Hannah Bamgbala

BA (Hons) Fashion, Media and Promotion, 2020Hannah Bamgbala’s final degree work was inspired by her sister, Mercy, who has Down’s Syndrome and a serious eye for fashion.

Hannah’s Young, Kool and African website focused on bringing greater diversity to fashion and the media, and she’s gone on to work with the Down’s Syndrome Association to make sure that people of all ethnicities are better represented in their campaigns.

“If you have Down’s Syndrome and are Black — or from another ethnic minority background — there is no one visible for you and your family to relate to,” says Hannah. “That has to change.”

Will McGregor on set

Hannah Bamgbala and her sister, Mercy.

Jamie Windust

Lucy Noble

World Health Sanitation Box ©George Stoneham

Lucy Noble

BA (Hons) Film Production, 2014Lucy has worked as a script supervisor on films including Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, hit series Devs, Elton John musical Rocketman and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

“I dabbled with script supervision throughout my degree,” says Lucy. “I reached out to script supervisors working professionally, asking for the chance to shadow them on set. All that time in the UCA film studio was useful, too – definitely get in there and practice in that arena, where you have a huge amount of control; it’s something you won’t always get when working on location.”

George Stoneham

BA (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA part 1), 2020George caught the eye of the RIBA Rethink 2025 judges, securing a place on the prestigious award’s longlist with an idea to turn former telephone and police boxes into “sanitation stations” that allow people to sanitise themselves on the go.

“While designing the Sanitation Box, I realised how much our world will have to change to design clean and healthy architecture,” he says. “We need to break down compact cities like London and design new, expansive cities with more green spaces, fewer cars, and buildings that flow better.”

Jamie Windust

BA (Hons) Fashion Management and Marketing, 2018Since graduating, Jamie Windust has become a champion for LGBTQIA+ issues in the fashion industry and beyond. They are a magazine editor, a writer for Gay Times and Metro UK, a signed model and a consultant helping brands such as UGG and ASOS to better represent and impact queer identities.

“I discovered my sense of self at university, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that in such an affirming and positive way if I wasn’t at UCA,” says Jamie.

“In my final year, I got to apply everything I’d learned to starting a business I feel passionate about. It’s a great space for people to launch real, tangible brands.”

Need to knows

Getting hereOur address is:

UCA FarnhamFalkner RoadFarnhamSurreyGU9 7DSTel: +44 (0)1252 722 441

How to get hereFor information on parking, directions and how to reach us by car, rail, air, please visit: uca.ac.uk/contact-us

Planning your journey - Useful links

thetrainline.com (rail travel)

tfl.gov.uk (London underground)

nationalexpress.com (coach travel)

COVID security We want you to have the best university experience possible, and part of that is about feeling safe while you’re here. For more information about the safety measures we’ve put in place, visit uca.ac.uk/coronavirus

Key contactsIf you have any queries, you can contact our reception team on: +44(0) 1252 722441

IT, Library & student servicesOur library is home to a wide range of resources to help support you in your studies, and a team of expert advisers. For more information, visit students.uca.ac.uk/library

For IT support, please pop in to see the IT advisers in the Library during opening hours, or contact:

Tel. +44(0)1252 892710

Online: uca.ac.uk/it-help-students

Our student services hub, the Gateway, is also based in the library. Its specialist advisers can help you with anything from careers to counselling, accommodation, managing your money or support with disabilities or learning differences.

Info: students.uca.ac.uk/library/academic-support

Contact: gatewayfarnham@uca.ac.uk

Students’ UnionThe UCA Students union, or UCASU, is here to make your time at UCA amazing. They run social events, clubs and societies, and campaign on the issues that UCA students care about most. To learn more, visit ucasu.com or follow:

@ucasu

@ucasu

/ucasu

UCA SocialsTo stay up to date with all things UCA, why not follow us on social media?

@UniCreativeArts

@unicreativearts

/ucreativearts

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Course Enrolment & Induction Teaching begins

BA, BSc and MArch 20 - 24 September 27 September

Postgraduate 20 - 24 September 27 September

International Foundation (Autumn start) 20 September – 1 October 4 October

Christmas Break 2021 Easter Break 2022 2021-2022 year ends

20 Dec 2021 - 7 Jan 2022 4 Apr 2022 - 22 Apr 2022

10 Jun 2022 (BA, BSc & MArch)

13 May 2022 (International Foundation)

Enrolment and inductionEnrolment officially makes you a UCA student, and induction covers how to make the most of our facilities, libraries, IT and student services. You’ll receive an email with details of when and how to take part.

Vacation dates

Key dates

We have begun an exciting project and a new chapter in our 160-year history. From 2022, we’ll be establishing world-leading Centres of Excellence to bring like-minded students and academics together around their shared passion for creative subjects.

As we focus on growing as a global creative university, we will be stepping back from Further Education from September 2023. However, all Further Education students joining us in 2021 will finish their courses with us, as usual.

A new chapter for UCA

International student task list

If you’re an international student and you’re coming to the UK to study with us, then there are a few things you need to do along the way.

Follow the steps below – not all of them will apply to you, but make sure you check them all, just in case.

1) Before you leave home:

□ Arrange your visa to study in the UK (if required)

□ Arrange your accommodation.

□ Book your airport pick up to take you to your accommodation.

□ Complete your online enrolment. You will be notified by Admissions when this is available to complete.

□ Pack all of the original documents that you have used when completing your online enrolment in your carry-on luggage (including academic and English qualifications). These may be requested at Immigration.

□ Read this information on the cost of living in the UK (if you need any further information, please contact your campus Specialist Adviser).

2) When you arrive in the UK:

□ Collect your BRP card (only if you require a visa).

□ Register at the local police station (not all nationalities are required to do this – please click here for additional information).

□ Register with a local Doctor (GP).

□ You will need to provide all of the original documents that you brought to the UK with you at your physical enrolment. You will not be able to fully enrol on your course without them.

3) Once you have completed your physical enrolment:

□ Apply for your council tax letter (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

□ Apply for your Bank letter to open your local UK bank account (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

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Join us at #UCAliveWe run live Q&A sessions where you can ask us anything you like about what it’s like to live and study here at UCA. Visit our website and follow us on social media to find out about our next #UCAlive session.

Chat with our studentsIf you’re looking to find out more about student life at UCA, our Unibuddy scheme gives you the chance to chat with people who are studying here right now. To chat with a student in your subject area, visit: uca.ac.uk/ask-our-students

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Course Title: BA (Hons) Film Production

Programme Director: Charis Coke

Delivery for 2021/22 academic year-

We would like to reassure our students that we are committed to delivering a face to face experience for 2021/22 and we are hoping that 2021/22 will be a year when our students can return to all of our campuses. However, we are aware that changes to our delivery may continue to be required in response to public health advice and as a result of any ongoing Coronavirus measures. We have prepared this information to let you know how your course may be adapted based on changes that were implemented during 2020/21, as a result of Government advice.

We may be required to make small changes to unit aims and learning outcomes where necessary. This will account for complex issues in on set and location filming during any period of social distancing or further lockdowns. For units that are at the beginning of the year this may require you to work in smaller groups and adjust the scope of the films submitted for assessment.

Scenario 1 – Social Distancing rules are continued/re-introduced as a result of public health advice for the 2021/22 academic year:

Changes to learning spaces • Our priority as a university is to deliver our teaching on campus. This may be in socially

distanced face-to-face tutorials, group seminars and workshops.• We will adapt the layouts of our classrooms, workshops and studios so you can have safe

access to these and other specialist facilities, taking social distancing measures intoaccount and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where needed.

• Studios and edit suite use will be scheduled with social distancing and health and hygiene inmind

Timetabling • We will adapt the scheduling of classes to limit the number of students on campus at any

one time• We will adopt the ‘bubble’ principle: meaning you will be taught in smaller groups to enable

social distancing, and have as little physical contact with other groups as possible• We will plan the scheduling of your classes so you can transition between them safely and

make the lowest possible number of trips to and from campus each week• The order of unit delivery will be adapted so that units that require fewer group members

will be run first during the year in order to ensure practical work is still able to beundertaken with university, government and industry guidance in mind.

Contact time

• Large group activities will take place online, as well as activities such as short tutorials sothat students and staff are able to make the most of their time on campus.

• In most cases smaller group activities such as seminars and practical workshops will takeplace face to face on campus. This structure will be determined by your productiongroups

Teaching during COVID-19

• Both online and in person sessions will be adapted to account for delivery time online, various approaches will be used to vary the mode of delivery within longer sessions. In face to face sessions campus health and hygiene controls and guidance will also have an impact on delivery structure. In both cases you may be asked to engage in a preparatory exercise before a taught session (see below)

Online learning • Where practical, we’ll also put our lectures, classes and seminars online so that you can still

access them if you are self-isolating, shielding, or unable to come to the UK.• At the beginning of the year all large group sessions will be delivered online. This includes

unit briefings and whole year group lectures .Some tutorials may also take place online in order to minimise risk when travelling to campus for shorter sessions

Wellbeing & support • Across Years 1 and 2 You’ll have one-to-one Personal Development Tutorials with an

academic tutor, where they’ll talk through your progress and check on your wellbeing. They will also offer online sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.

• Year 3 work already includes 1 to 1 tutorials as part of the delivery across multiple units, these will also be used to talk through your progress and check on your wellbeing

• You’ll have access to a full range of specialist advisors who will offer online sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.

• All our plans take vulnerable learners and students with additional learning requirements into account – we’re making sure we can deliver learning safely to all our students, whether that means accessing teaching on campus, or online.

Industry links • We will continue to host visiting lectures, industry projects, and networking events either

face-to-face or through online learning.• Where field trips were planned, we anticipate that virtual attendance will still be possible.

Most industry events move online over this period and devise multiple delivery approaches. We will look at field trip options later in the academic year should the opportunity be available

• We will deliver a series of online interviews with graduates from the programme who are actively involved in the industry. These videos will be available for the whole cohort to access throughout the year

Assessments • Assessment Screenings will take place online through a live streaming event, accompanying

unit debriefs or peer assessment activities may also take place online or in person in small groups if possible

• Written work will be delivered through Turnitin as usual• If you have been affected by coronavirus in your assessments this will be taken into account

and we will make sure that you are not disadvantaged by it. If your practical assessment activity is affected, then the course team will either reschedule the group activity or where this is not possible offer you an alternative task

Equipment & resources • We’ve developed new library systems and cleaning processes for loans and equipment hire

to make sure you can borrow what you need safely.

• We’ll offer IT equipment loans to our students who need them most.• As soon as Government advice permits, we will provide as much physical access to our

libraries as we can to ensure that you have access to our physical and digital collections, but are able to observe social distancing for you own safety and that of others.

Filming, Equipment & resources • Film and photography equipment and postproduction facilities will be maintained for the

best possible hygiene throughout the academic year. In some cases, this means that kit will spend time in quarantine between bookings.

• Guidance for safe on location and set work will be delivered to all students in the cohort. This has been developed with government, university and industry guidelines in mind. We will ask for a supplemental Covid-19 risk assessment for each production, without this your production will not be signed off.

• Basic training for this is available to all students via the Screenskills website• Students will be expected to follow all Covid-19 related guidance given by their course

teams

Scenario 2 – a further lockdown is implemented by Government

During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years we introduced a number of emergency measures that included:

• Moving learning and assessment online• Looking at prior activity with a view to ensuring that learning outcomes are covered

somewhere within the year of study and adjusting assessment tasks accordingly• Providing alternative assessment where the original assessment is not deliverable• Providing extensions for units where necessary for the learning and for individual students if

their circumstances require it• Where the University is not the awarding body, following the validators’ exacting

requirements for predicted and other grades so that students receive a final outcome commensurate with effort and aptitude

These measures would be re-introduced if necessary, but only for the period covered by the lockdown, with a return to scenario 1 as soon as is safe and practical to do so.

Adapting to your feedback • We’ll continue to work with you to find out how you’re feeling about the new measures.• You’ll have the opportunity to work with teaching staff to adapt and improve the way we

deliver your course in line with public health guidelines.