Film Studies

In an increasingly media-focused world, this course will develop your existing passion for film and TV into a prospective career, helping you acquire a skillset required for many technical and creative roles.

You will gain a strong theoretical understanding of film history and theory, and explore areas such as Disney, Warner Bros and the business of the Film Studio, Cinemas of the World and Fan and Material Cultures. You will also develop practical skills in diverse areas including film making, film reviewing, screen archives and film festival planning.

This course combines practice and theoretical study, giving you a strong theoretical understanding, as well as transferable skills such as communication and critical analysis. Our graduates go on to work in a variety of fields, including film and TV, but also finance, public relations and tourism.

Key features

Learn in a real cinema environment thanks to our partnership with Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, while benefiting from placement opportunities and the chance to organise and manage an annual film festival.

Select a route through this degree in Creative Writing, Drama, English Literature, History, Journalism or Media. These carefully chosen routes will complement and enrich your understanding of your main subject, alongside broadening your skillset to give you a wider range of career paths upon graduation.

Benefit from experts in our prestigious Cinema and Television History Research Institute, as well as guest lectures from established film directors, exhibitors, writers, distributors, and journalists.

Graduates have gone on to work for high-profile employers including the BBC and Odeon Entertainment in varied roles including research, teaching and writing for film, public relations and film journalism.

Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Students have been able to immerse themselves in Hollywood’s fan culture, tour iconic cinemas in Berlin and attend the famous Cannes Film Festival.

Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Year one

Block 1: Filmmaking 1 – Introduction to Moving Image Production

Block 2: Film History and Theory 1 - Foundations of Film Studies: Concepts, Analysis, Film History

Block 3: The Film Industry 1 - Disney, Warner Bros and the Business of the Film Studio OR you can select to study one route from the list below:

Media: Media, Culture and Society

Journalism: Understanding Journalism

Creative Writing: Writers Salon

English Literature: Introduction to Drama: Shakespeare

History: Global Cities

Drama: Shifting Stages

Block 4: Professional Practice 1 – Film Reviewing

Year two

Block 1: Film History and Theory 2 – Cinemas of the World: Concepts, Movements, Case Studies

Block 2: Filmmaking 2 - Moving Image Portfolio

Block 3: Professional Practice 2 – Screen Archives: Preservation, Conservation and Usage OR continue with the route selected in the first year:

Media: Public Relations

Journalism: Beyond News

Creative Writing: Story Craft

English Literature: Digital Humanities

History: Humans and the Natural World

Drama: Theatre Revolutions

Block 4: The Film Industry 2 - Filmmakers

Year three

Block 1: Professional Practice 3 - Planning Film Festivals OR The Film Industry 3 - The Film Industry Now

Block 2: Professional Practice 4 - Delivering Film Festivals OR The Film Industry 4 – Fan and Material Cultures

Block 3: Filmmaking 3 – Independent Project: Idea Development and Pre-production OR Film History and Theory 3 – British Cinema: Creativity, Independents and Interdependence OR continue with the study route selected in the first and second year:

Media: Gender and TV Fictions

Journalism: Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism

Creative Writing: Creative Misbehaviour

English Literature: World Englishes

History: The World on Display

Drama: Performance, Identity and Society

Block 4: Filmmaking 4 – Independent Project: Production and Delivery OR Film History and Theory 4 – Film Studies Dissertation

Teaching

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. Outside of your normal timetabled hours you will be expected to conduct independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.

Course delivery is in block mode, which means each 30 credit module consists of a seven week teaching block.

The programme will be delivered through a series of tutor- and student-led lectures, seminars and workshops. A key goal of Film Studies has been to provide a programme offering academic modules drawing on the world-class scholarship and expertise of the DMU Film Studies team (spanning film history, industry, theory, criticism, and contexts) alongside modules delivering high-quality, distinctive and varied practice and employability-related learning, teaching, and experiential opportunities, while retaining the programme's well-established goal of producing film analysts, scholars and historians. As such, modules are offered within four key strands of the programme: Film History and Theory, Filmmaking, Profession Practical and The Film Industry. Students will study one module in each strand in Year 1/Level 4 and Year 2/Level 5, before choosing two strands to focus on, taking two modules in each of these strands in Year 3/Level 6. This will provide students with both a broad exposure to the full range of topics within their discipline, while also offering them the ability to specialise in specific areas which are of particular interest and value to them.

Assessment

Assessments have been designed to correspond to the QAA benchmarks and to enhance students' subject-related employability and transferable skills. There are no formal examinations, but rather a wide variety of assessment strategies, from essays, primary research projects and oral presentations to varied forms of assessed creative and professional practice.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.