School of Media
1 WELCOME
Welcome to the School of Media! The School of Media provides a lively and dynamic environment to hone your craft, with opportunities to collaborate with and learn from your peers and leading academics. Our courses cater for the full breadth of disciplines and angles of approach in the sphere of media. If your interest lies in front of the camera, investigating real world lives and news, our Broadcasting and Journalism degrees could be the route for you. If you want to explore stories already created, and their impact on our understanding of the world, Film Studies combines with a wide range of other subjects so you can hone in on your particular area of interest. Our media courses will equip you with a sound knowledge of all forms of media and
communication, from texting to TV, as well as prepare you for employment in the competitive media marketplace. Or perhaps you want to present your own view: producing works of fiction and non-fiction in Video and Film Production, or creating your own virtual world in Animation or Computer Games Design. Wherever your interest lies, studying with us will develop your skills, challenge your thinking and deepen your understanding of your chosen subject.
John Pymm Dr John Pymm Dean of the Faculty of Arts
Contents 2
Contents Film, Media and Broadcasting - 3 Film, Media and Broadcasting courses Specialist facilities for a communication nation
Digital Media - 5 Animation, Computer Games Design and Film Production courses Specialist facilities bringing your images to life
Choices after undergraduate study - 7 Postgraduate courses Our research excellence
Supporting your career - 9 Employability
Student successes - 11 Honouring the trailblazers - 13 Join us - 14 How to apply
3 Film, Media and Broadcasting
Film, Media and Broadcasting Our exciting range of film, media and broadcasting degrees provide a challenging and innovative opportunity for you to develop and experiment confidently with your understanding of media, film, broadcasting, journalism and public relations. Our wide-ranging courses investigate how media texts are produced, the visual style and aesthetics of media, how the audience engages with media, the variety of genres, and the relationship of media to its surrounding culture. You will investigate how the media shapes our understanding of the world and our perceptions of our place in that world, as well media’s role, responsibility and power. Our degrees will give you the confidence to examine media texts, using the appropriate terminology and the language of the subject, and equip you with the skills to think critically, communicate effectively and develop independent judgement for your future career.
Film, media and broadcasting courses • Fd (Arts) Broadcast Journalism • BA (Hons) Broadcasting and Journalism • BA (Hons) Creative and Professional Writing and Media and Communication Studies • BA (Hons) English and Media and Cultural Studies • BA (Hons) English Language and Media and Cultural Studies • BA (Hons) Film Studies • BA (Hons) Film Studies and Creative and Professional Writing • BA (Hons) Film Studies and English • BA (Hons) Film Studies and Philosophy • BA (Hons) Film, Media and Communication Studies • BA (Hons) Film, Media and Cultural Studies • BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies • BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies and English • BA (Hons) Media and Cultural Studies • BA (Hons) Media and Cultural Studies and English Language • BA (Hons) Media and Cultural Studies and Sociology • BA (Hons) Politics and Media and Communication Studies • BA (Hons) Sociology and Media and Cultural Studies
Film, Media and Broadcasting 4
Specialist facilities for a communication nation Light House Media Centre
Film Studies is one of the only courses of its kind in the UK to hold lectures in a real working public cinema. The Light House Media Centre boasts two purpose-built cinemas with full size HD and 35mm screens which means you get to see films as they should be seen, in their original intended context, format and aspect ratio.
Media suite
Media and broadcasting students can get to grips with current industry standard equipment in our state-of-the-art media suite complete with: • television studio with chroma key facilities and multi-camera operation • radio studio with professional scheduling software • 20 edit suites running the latest industry software • the latest mini DV cameras, tripods, lighting kits, portable monitors, steadicam and audio equipment to loan • Avid Academic Partnership accreditation providing industry standard training and support.
5 Digital Media
Digital Media The computer screen is the canvas of a new breed of dynamic designer, and at the University of Wolverhampton, you can work with a colourful mix of some of the finest software available. Whether you want to animate, design computer games or create and produce film we can help you discover a future right in front of your eyes. Whether you explore drama through to documentary in film; interactive game play; virtual world creation; or contemporary animation, you’ll find up-to-the-minute digital equipment and software at your disposal. Learning the latest techniques in industry practice, you will create professional, industry-ready products in video and film, animation and computer games design.
Digital media courses • Fd (Arts) Commercial Video Production • BA (Hons) Animation • BA (Hons) Computer Games Design • BA (Hons) Video and Film Production
Digital Media 6
Specialist facilities bringing your images to life Media store
Our fully equipped media store contains specialist portable sound and vision equipment for a wide variety of location applications, including: • Sony HD HVR-Z5E and DSR pd150/170 • Panasonic Mini dv, Canon Mini dv; and Marantz PDM660 • Photon Beard/ Varibeam Redheads • Avid editing and Apple FCP edit suites • sound booth with listening and finishing room with Pro Tools and Adobe Audition.
Video studio
Our video studio contains all the equipment you need to practise your skills behind, and in front of the camera, including: • Panasonic AW E860 cameras • Vinten tripods and dolly, Merlin Steadicam • Hague track and camera jib/crane • fully-equipped studio vision mixer, caption generator and autocue • 21 Photon Beard lighting rig • green chroma key facilities. In addition, our facilities also include an animation studio, motion capture suite, games design centre, and teaching labs for games and animation. We also teach with software including Adobe CS, Maya, 3D Studio Max, TV Paint, and Unreal.
7 Choices after undergraduate study
Choices after undergraduate study Postgraduate study
We have three Master’s programmes available in full or part-time mode, as well as credit-bearing and non-credit bearing courses which provide a framework for delivery of GCSE and AS/A2 Film Studies and Media: • • • •
MA Contemporary Media MA Film Studies MA Public Relations and Corporate Communication Teaching Film and Media and Routes to Postgraduate Academic Success (Credit bearing) or (Non-credit bearing)
Each programme offers opportunities to further enhance, broaden and deepen your experience and practice. Inter and cross-disciplinary practice is encouraged. To explore your postgraduate options, visit: wlv.ac.uk/postgrad
Choices after undergraduate study 8
Our research excellence Our research is the life-blood of our teaching, and you’ll have the opportunity to study with some of the foremost authorities in the country. For the Research Excellence Framework 2014, the Faculty of Arts has submitted the largest number of researchers in the University.
Centre for Film, Media, Discourse and Culture
Digital Theory, Technology and Practice Research Group
Building on a long tradition of cultural studies at the University of Wolverhampton, our internationally successful and published scholars undertake interdisciplinary research on an overarching theme of identity in an age of globalization. In particular, the Centre’s work focuses on: • gender and lived experience • social exclusion and trauma • media and international cinema.
Our researchers engage in research into both traditional and digital media, including virtual environments, animation, sonic art and gallery-based video, and explore both narrative and non-narrative forms in conceptual, immersive and performative spaces. Our research is also focused on the position (both temporal and spatial) of the spectator/ participant in relation to moving image and digital technologies.
With a well-established research profile in many disciplines, current areas of exploration include: • British, American and European cinema as well as emergent interests in Chinese cinema. • historical and reality tv, popular drama and soaps, particularly on the representation of young people in media. • sexuality, consumerism, violence, hatred and radical ‘otherness’.
We have a range of PhD opportunities available through our Research Centres.
This research group has a depth of knowledge and expertise in digital creativity and audio visual technology.
9 Supporting your career
Supporting your career At the School of Media, we have many years’ experience in supporting our students in pursuing their career ambitions. We believe our formula for success is working: with increasing student satisfaction; increased graduate employment rates; and more graduates than ever pursuing successful careers. Here’s how:
Live briefs and commissions
+ Business start-up opportunities
+ +
Your creativity & ambition
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A highly employable graduate
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Meeting journalists and presenters such as Sameena Ali Khan from Central News, Robin Powell from Sky News, and Alison Marsh who had worked at BBC Midlands Today was an absolutely fantastic experience. It was really inspiring to meet so many people who had made their mark on the media industry.
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Work experience & placements
Kevin Leighton
Supporting your career 10
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Lara Page
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The course at Wolverhampton allowed me to develop an animated film which went on to win a Royal Television Society award. This really helped me gain confidence after University.
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The skills I developed on this course were really helpful when I started as an editorial assistant with a local magazine, and I was able to quickly progress to features editor. I am now an online features journalist with the country’s largest regional newspaper.
Jamie Cartwright
Our courses provide a wide range of subject specific and transferable skills to give our students a competitive advantage in the graduate employment market, as well as access to industry standard media equipment. All creative disciplines work on live briefs and commissions, providing you with valuable realworld experience. You’ll get to meet clients and present your ideas – excellent practice for life after graduation. In 2012, BA (Hons) Animation students worked with CiTV on iDents that were then broadcast nationally. Student interaction with clients has led to work experience, commissions and even jobs! Why not be your own boss? Enterprise and entrepreneurship are hugely important to the creative disciplines and the University’s SPEED programme assists students and graduates to set up a new business and begin trading – with great success. We offer a Professional Experience module that embeds a work experience placement within your course, to be undertaken within study time, making work experience more accessible than ever. There is also the option to take a year at work on a professional placement at the end of your second year, before returning to University to complete the final year of your course.
11 Student successes
Student successes Reaching for the Sky with sting success Joshua Famaks, BA (Hons) Animation graduate, celebrated making it to the final four nominees for a prestigious Sky Arts Sting Award. With a brief to create a Sky Arts channel sting; a 20 second piece of film that plays during ad breaks to remind the viewer which channel they are on. Josh came up with a novel approach. His sting wasn’t animated; it was a composited live action with visual effects, proving his transferable skills, and a talent firmly rooted in film direction, whatever the medium.
It’s game on for graduate success Jake Rogers, BA (Hons) Computer Games Design and three fellow Wolverhampton graduates have been celebrating the success of their business: VOiD Games. Set up with the help of the University’s SPEED Plus project, they’ve built on the success of their first app: Guess the Game, releasing three more apps to date: “The different courses we studied really complement each other, allowing us to create products and company assets that make such a young company, look, act and be professionally responsible.”
Student successes 12
Heading up the Wright track Gemma Wright, who graduated in BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies in 2003, has worked her way up the career ladder, from a runner to assistant director. “All of the lecturers with the media department had experience – whether in television, radio, newspapers…it also meant they could get some great guest speakers and lecturers. The advice, support and knowledge of my lecturers and guest speakers at the University definitely helped me into my career.”
2x awards for 3D filmmaker BA (Hons) Video and Film Production student Jannicke Mikkelsen won two prestigious awards for stereography (sometimes called 3D imaging) at the International 3D Society’s Creative Arts Awards – Europe; best 3D film, and best live-action stereography work for her film: Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods. “I am over the moon about our 3D work being recognised by the International 3D Society… we won two of the most prestigious awards a stereographer could ever dream of!” The awards were the start of a winning streak for Jannicke, from Norway, who has gained one of only eight places on an MA Cinematograpy at the National Film and Television School – one of the top film, television and new media schools in the world.
13 Honouring the trailblazers
Honouring the trailblazers
Each year the University awards honorary degrees to a select number of people who have demonstrated outstanding achievement or distinction in their field.
Lord Tony Hall Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts Tony Hall, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, was appointed 16th director-general of the BBC in 2012. Prior to this, Tony was chief executive of the Royal Opera House from 2001 until 2013. He joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1973 and over the next 28 years held roles including senior producer at World at One, assistant editor of the Nine O’Clock News, output editor for Newsnight, culminating as chief executive of BBC News from 1996 to 2001. While at the BBC he launched Radio 5 live, BBC News 24, BBC News Online and BBC Parliament.
How to apply 14
Join us
How to apply Undergraduate applications
Applications for full-time undergraduate BA (Hons), FdA and HND programmes are usually made through UCAS – the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Visit: ucas.com
Undergraduate entry requirements • Check the UCAS points required for your chosen course. • Be aware some offers are subject to interview. • Applications from mature candidates (over 21) are welcomed, subject to the same conditions.
International students International students can apply either through UCAS or the International Centre. For further information or an application form please tel: +44 (0)1902 322 735, or email: international@wlv.ac.uk
Postgraduate and part-time applications You can apply online for all postgraduate and part-time undergraduate courses. Simply find the course you wish to apply for at: wlv.ac.uk to see full entry requirements, then follow the link to ‘apply directly’.
Tariff conversion The UCAS Tariff is a points system used to report grades for entry into higher education in a numerical format. Visit: ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff to find out how to convert your grades into points.
Finance For information regarding financing your studies, contact our Higher Education Advisors, tel: 01902 321 032 or email: gateway@wlv.ac.uk
Fees For the most up-to-date information on our tuition fees please visit: wlv.ac.uk/fees
Scholarships
The University of Wolverhampton offers a range of scholarships to help support you with your studies. To see if you could qualify, please visit: wlv.ac.uk/scholarships
School of Media University of Wolverhampton MK Building City Campus Molineux Molineux Street Wolverhampton WV1 1DT Tel: 01902 322 058 Email: media@wlv.ac.uk Visit: wlv.ac.uk/media Follow us: Twitter: @WLV_Arts Facebook: /WLVArts MAC2114