Explore the practical, theoretical and contextual aspects of the highly specialist areas of screen performance with this exciting new course. You will learn the insider skills and techniques for television, film and radio and master industry standards and conventions alongside practitioners and leading researchers. We’ll guide you through the different genres of screen performance such as drama, comedy, soap opera and factual reportage.
Preparing you for your career is at the heart of this course. You’ll develop key industry skills and techniques and gain professional practice in areas which have been identified as ‘skill gaps’ by industry practitioners, eg: multi-camera acting and directing, story-lining, project management, acting for green screen and acting/presenting for live broadcast.
You can specialise as you progress and you’ll have the opportunity to pick up modules from across our performing arts and film production courses. Working alongside students from other courses, you’ll share knowledge and expertise that replicate industry projects.
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Year 1 (national level 4):
Core modules
Understand the key concepts and practical skills required to produce and edit a video advertising campaign. Learn how to use the cameras, lights, sound recording equipment and editing software.
Develop and write a short film script. Learn about genre, narrative, structure, character, and how to create and correctly format a film script.
Gain an understanding of techniques and skills relevant to the screen actor. Learn practical skills through an experiential exploration of capturing acting on camera. Explore the impact of practitioner-inspired methods on work that takes place on film and TV. Gain a practical understanding of the voice and body’s place in creating work for this medium.
Develop a practical understanding of the role and importance of drama for live TV. Gain production skills through an experiential exploration of key strategies associated with capturing work for TV. Explore the impact of performance and production decisions in TV studios.
Year 2 (national level 5):
Core modules
Progress your understanding of techniques relevant to film and TV. Gain a toolkit of skills to help you to become an emerging artist in the screen industry. Explore the impact of practitioner-inspired methods on work that takes place on TV and film.
Understand the role and importance of drama for live TV. Develop practical and production skills through an experiential exploration of key strategies associated with capturing work for the medium of TV, within and external to a live TV studio. Explore the impact of performance and production decisions on work that takes place in a TV studio, and when filming on location.
Gain knowledge of guerrilla filmmaking, in terms of camera operation/techniques, dramatic lighting, sound recording, video editing, colour grading and production management.
Optional modules (choose 20 credits):
Build on the post-production knowledge and skills acquired at Level 1. Develop your technical understanding of Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools, and how this software is used to craft a video project. Develop your critical understanding of editing and audio mixing from a dramatic/artistic perspective.
Create a short film, in groups, geared towards the short film festival marketplace. Develop your critical understanding of dramatic techniques and technical ability in a variety of production roles such as Director, Cinematographer and Editor.
Gain an introduction to the concepts and techniques employed in writing drama or comedy suitable for television or steaming service such as Netflix or Amazon. Learn how to develop an idea through the treatment stage, and finally into a script.
Explore experimental practices in performing arts. Discuss the importance of, and connection between, social ideologies and performance activity.
Focus on current topics and issues in the arts industry, for example, identity, performing bodies, arts and disability, arts and health, arts and education, effective preparation and application, and corporate arts.
Final year (national level 6):
Core modules
Take part in workshops that explore diverse areas of screen performance such as virtual reality, TV presenting and motion capture. Analyse and evaluate the challenges and advantages of your selected multi-platform performance.
Plan and implement a small-scale project and experience a work placement aligned to a possible career. Develop a professional online portfolio/digital CV which showcases some of your best work to take forward as a way of self-promotion, self-branding and identifying key skills and competencies as a graduate and creative practitioner.
Examine acting for TV, and develop your knowledge surrounding video/TV production. Cover screen context and participate in workshops looking at on-camera acting techniques, planning, rehearsing and shooting a range of dramatic scenarios for video/TV. Take part in the award-winning film projects in collaboration with Northumbria Police.
Optional modules (choose 60 credits):
Create a high-end video project for a client of your choosing such as an individual, a business, or a band. Demonstrate your technical ability/skills in creating highly composed compositions, effective audio, and professional editing/grade.
Extend your artistic practice and/or demonstrate creative innovation. Depending on the role you select, you'll develop: artistic competence, choreographic, compositional, devising and directorial processes, performance skills and creative use of small scale staging techniques.
Look at adapting existing narratives. Study a variety of forms and sources and develop them into your own narrative in screenplay form (up to 30 minutes). Develop your work through treatment stage to final screenplay. Cover subjects including adapting character, plot, narrative voice and thematic choices.
Understand the development of radio drama in the BBC and in independent production and experimental drama. Participate in production workshops which focus on idea formation, pitching, production management, scriptwriting, casting, studio direction and creative production.
Work independently to develop new, critical and creative insights by means of a research project in either written, or practical and written forms. Reflect the central learning outcomes with a particular emphasis on subject/contextual study, practical/artistic exploration or application, evaluation and reflection.
Create a high-end corporate video project for a client in small groups. Demonstrate your technical ability in creating highly composed compositions, effective audio levels/mixing/score, and professional editing/grade. Individually create a showreel of your best work from across the course which highlights your professionalism and technical ability.
This degree prepares you for a career in front of the camera. You will gain highly transferable skills in communication, presentation and collaboration with others which will be very relevant to roles in TV, new media and performance.
Insurance-Single: 300 GBP/year
