Course Catalogue

MA Film develops students’ theoretical skills in film criticism, as well as developing practical skills in filmmaking delivered by staff who are at the forefront of academic discipline and professional creative practice. Students will develop sophisticated research and crafts skills, which will then be applied to the context of film culture in order to produce a substantial body of work suitable for use in industry or for academic research and publication. Students will have the opportunity to develop advanced craft skills that will be appropriate for producing a practical body of work that demonstrates a thorough awareness of the relationship between theory and practice. The programme aims to build a cohort of practice-informed academics, and theory-informed practitioners, while offering the opportunity to develop the relevant skillsets required by employers within the film and creative industries. The programme will also foster the development of the necessary critical and practical skills for those who wish to go on to further postgraduate study in the area of film analysis and production.

The MA Film develops students’ research skills both via traditional scholarly means (film studies) and through practice (filmmaking). This hybrid approach to both teaching and assessment allows students to specialise in either practice or theory or a combination of both. This allows a degree of flexibility in terms of skill acquisition and assessment output. This approach will avoid alienating those students who do not wish to produce a substantial portfolio of practical work, however it will offer opportunities throughout the programme to acquire and advance skills in areas of practical filmmaking and audio/visual production, thus addressing the whole range of learning outcomes of the programme. The programme offers an innovative range of mixed mode delivery, which includes lectures, workshops, demonstrations, seminars, tutorials, field trips and screenings. A diverse range of assessment types will be available for students. Options include making an audio-visual artefact, conducting an academic written research project, creating a video essay, designing and delivering presentations, organising events, creating a Vlog and writing a script and screenplay. There will be opportunities to work alone, especially with regard to written assignments, as well as opportunities to work in teams, especially with regard to practical assignments. Formative feedback will be given by staff during individual tutorials and production group meetings. Peer critique sessions will also be an important element of formative feedback, with these being facilitated during student-led seminars and student presentations of research and work. Summative feedback will generally be made available via the university’s VLE and will meet the 15-day turnaround threshold. Students will also be encouraged to discuss their feedback with tutors, either during office hours, PDP sessions or at mutually convenient times outside of scheduled hours.

The Film Studies teams have forged effective links with industry partners, including Liverpool Film Office, BBC, ITV Northern Lights Partnership, Lime Pictures, Envy Post Production London, FACT, HOME Manchester, TATE, Creative England, and the Bafta award-winning companies Hurricane Films and LA Productions. Twickenham Studios are due to launch a brand new film studio in 2020. Some of these partners will provide “live” briefs for modules, where students will work in collaboration with creative enterprises and upon completion of research projects, will receive relevant and valuable formative feedback from industry professionals. Students from BA Film Studies have gained internships within some of these companies and the same opportunities will be afforded to those studying MA Film. Students will also be encouraged to engage with the facilitators and curators of exhibition facilities such as those at FACT, TATE and HOME Manchester, in order to exhibit their research within the public domain, as well as gaining industry experience by engaging with such institutions. Students will also be encouraged to sign up to Production Unit Liverpool Screen School (PULSS), which affords students the opportunity to work on professional projects initiated by professional bodies and clients. The programme team will also hold networking events, where industry professionals are invited to give seminars to students focusing on their line of professional activity, as well as giving students the chance to network with industry contacts. LJMU’s Centre for Entrepreneurship have close ties with the Film Studies department and they will be invited to give workshops on how to foster the development of entrepreneurial activity within the creative industries.