A series of contact workshops, tutorials and lectures introduce the key practical and theoretical concerns of producing a drama for film or television. There will also be a combination of screenings and group workshops to examine and discuss the characteristics of a range of film genre skills. Technical instruction sessions and creative production skills will also form the basis for the practical work. Guided independent study forms an important aspect of the module with on-going research, teamwork, group meetings, personal development panning, skills development, attending screenings/exhibitions.

Your learning in the second section of the module will mainly focus on the experience of producing your film/programme and with group tutorials with your project supervisor. Throughout the project you are encourage to keep an individual production diary in which you systematically record and reflect on your production meetings and your own individual learning. This process of reflection on the production process, along with discussion of the finished text with your peers, informs the project evaluation with which you conclude the module.

Key Information Set data:
19% scheduled L&T activities
81% guided independent learning

This module aims to develop your practical and production skills in the processes involved in creating a specific genre of film or television drama. You will develop the techniques and crafts required to successfully produce a professional programme or film which could be screened to a specific target audience. You will research, plan, communicate and develop a genre within the basis of its theoretical application and consider how these relate to its production on screen (through the arrangement of visuals and sound). There will be a number of practical assignments to develop your creative ideas on a research and pre-production level in the first semester. You will research and identify how scenes are created and how the content of the drama can be enhanced through the choice and construction of shots and the development of the mise-en-scene. Following on from preparation and pre-production stages the project continues in the second semester with its actual production, post-production and evaluation. You will develop an understanding of the variety of production processes involved in the making of the drama and the key specific creative job roles needed to articulate these.

A LEARNING PORTFOLIO - comprises production clips, evaluative essay and draft proposal (50%) L.O.s 1-4.

A PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO - comprises a finished film/programme production, production notes, evaluative report (50%) L.O.s 1-5.

Key Information Set data:
100% coursework

Bamford, N. (2012) Directing Television, London: Bloomsbury.
Figgis, M. (2014) Digital Film-making, London: Faber & Faber.
Rabiger, M. et. al. (2013) Directing, London: Focal.
Rooney, B. & Belli, M. (2011) Directors Tell the Story, London: Focal.
Willett, A. (2013) Media Production, London: Routledge.

See module handbook for a full listing of reading texts.

Media Centre facilities
Portable location camera equipment
Sound recording equipment
Editing suite facilities
Library resources
Online eResources
TV/DVD playback facilities
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.