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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
This practical and vocational course will help you prepare to enter the exciting television industry and join the many highly successful University of Bedfordshire graduates currently working on well-known television programmes. Even before you graduate, you will study TV Production with practitioners from the industry in a modern, hi-tech environment. One current student boasted that our facilities are ''the best in the area, and the BBC even used them last year.'
The skills you learn will enable you to turn your ideas into actual projects. You will develop the ability to work in groups and on your own while exploring a wide range of interconnected disciplines. These include cinematography, audio and visual effects, editing, sound design, lighting, scriptwriting, directing, producing, music videos, live news, live magazine programmes, television drama and radio. Alongside your practical study, you will learn the key themes and issues in television. Then, in your final year, you will put it all together in a major piece of independent work.
This course suits people who want to work `behind the camera' and who enjoy being part of a team. You will develop a substantial portfolio of work, which will help impress prospective employers. Plus, you can be confident that TV continues to be a fast-expanding area with more than 500 UK satellite television channels and 1,000 independent production companies.
Many of our graduates go on to production and technical jobs in television, film, new media, radio, commercial and corporate sectors of the industry. Students have secured jobs on high profile shows including Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor, Masterchef Australia, The Door, Family Food Fight, Britain's Best Dish, Ideal World Shopping Channel, Comic Relief, Dancing on Ice, Peep Show, Derren Brown, The Real Hustle and Supernanny.
During this course you will:
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
BATVP-SMany of our students secure jobs and work placements on high profile shows including Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor, Masterchef Australia, The Door, Family Food Fight, Britain's Best Dish, Ideal World Shopping Channel, Comic Relief, Dancing on ice, Peep Show, Derren Brown, The Real Hustle, and Super Nanny, to name just a few. View our student productions www.youtube.com/TheTVLab
Kathryn Wolfe - TV Production Course Leader
Assessment is an integral part of your learning. Your assessments will follow the pattern of teaching and learning. As you complete each stage of your production we will give you feedback and give you advice on how to further develop and improve your work so that you can take it to the next stage. We will assess both the processes you use to produce work and the quality of the final production. The media industry expects high quality work completed to absolutely fixed distribution deadlines. We will reflect this in our assessment of your work and so whilst the way in which you work is important, ultimately it is the quality of what you produce that will be the main influence on your grade.
The course will be assessed through practical work, production reports, portfolios, essays, presentations and computer-based examinations. This will prepare you for writing a dissertation for your final project if you wish.
As the course progresses we will move from well-defined conventional production briefs to more open-ended challenging briefs that require you to generate new ideas and new ways of working.
Individual tutors all offer the opportunity to discuss any feedback in more detail, at each level of study. As your skills and subject knowledge develop over the duration of your course, it is expected that you will develop increasingly sophisticated responses to assessment and employ increasingly effective methods of peer and self-review.
We will always expect your production work to be contextualised. You will normally be required to submit a written evaluation of your production work along with some reflection on its strengths and weaknesses. You will also be required to relate your work to current genres and practices.
This is a degree course which is not accredited by any external body, and so the only assessments will be those set by your academic team relating directly to your degree qualification.
The Assessment strategy is consistent with the following QAA subject benchmark threshold statements:
7.12 Subject-specific and generic skills, including skills of investigation and enquiry, oral and written communicative skills, the use of a range of technology systems for accessing data, resources, contacts and literature and media production skills and creativity,critical reflection on issues of practice, on new knowledge and understandings and on students' own and others' performance against agreed criteria, including the capacity to deploy and evaluate evidence and to express the outcomes of such reflection clearly and fluently.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Confidently employ a range of recording equipment and software to achieve high production values (QAA 5.4).
2. Create a piece of complex production work to a high standard, research and find appropriate creative solutions to assignments, with minimum guidance (QAA 5.5).
3. Autonomously work and communicate with a team of people, set priorities and meet deadlines by agreement (QAA 5.4).
4. Critically evaluate and challenge conventions and practices within the broadcasting industry so that you can contribute to the future development of the sector (QAA 4.3).
5. Engage critically with major intellectual debates around media and offer a reasoned and evidenced defence of your own ideas (QAA 5.2).
6. Analyse and contextualise your own production experiences to illustrate, support, or refute media theories (QAA 5.2).
7. Behave in a manner that reflects the standards expected in the broadcasting industry, be aware of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct and be able to incorporate a critical ethical dimension into a major piece of work. (QAA 8.2).
The learning outcomes are consistent with the following QAA subject benchmark threshold statements:
4.3 An understanding of professional, technical and formal choices which realise,
develop or challenge existing practices and traditions, and of the possibilities and constraints involved in production processes.
5.2 Engage critically with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the field and put them to productive use consider and evaluate their own work in a reflexive manner, with reference to academic and / or professional issues, debates and convention.
5.4 Manage time, personnel and resources effectively by drawing on planning, organisational, project management and leadership skills demonstrate competences in the chosen field of practice.
5.5 Initiate, develop and realise distinctive and creative work within various forms of writing or of aural, visual, audiovisual, sound or other electronic media.
8.2 Understanding of production processes and professional practices within media,
cultural and communicative industries.
Communication, Media, Film & Cultural Studies 2008
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/statements/CMF08.pdf
To integrate informed and progressive teaching and learning throughout the degree course for every student, developing professional and academic practice.
Television Production BA (Hons) at the University of Bedfordshire aims to enable graduates to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, personal advancement, self-motivation, direction and approach to facilitate their entry onto satisfying and stimulating career paths.
The programme aims to provide students, at a practical level, with the planning, recording and editing skills to make distinctive productions while at an intellectual level it integrates these skills with a critical, historical and theoretical understanding of the media as a business and social force.
The single honours programme in Television Production provides a developmental course with strands in studio and location production that span factual, drama, documentary, entertainment and experimental practices. Students completing the degree should have the generic skills needed to work in the television and film industries together with specific skills in areas like research, scriptwriting, directing, camerawork, editing, sound design, design and production management.
The programme is consistent with the QAA subject benchmark threshold statement 8.3.
At institutional level, the University has in place a range of easily accessible support structures for new and existing students. These include the Student Service, which offers confidential advice on all aspects of academic study. Other areas of University-wide student support include: Housing, Health and Wellbeing, Health Centres, Disability and Dyslexia, Counselling and Mental Health, Faculty Office Support, Study Support (Professional and Academic Development team PAD), and a highly successful Careers Service.
During your Television Production course specific support will also be in place for you:
New students will receive a comprehensive general induction in the week prior to the commencement of the academic year. In addition to this, each level of your studies will be introduced by individual unit leaders to each unit in the first session of that unit. This introduction will give you an outline of the structure of the unit, and a snapshot of the ways in which you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge and skills. In addition it will signpost resources and materials to assist the process of your learning and success.
You will be allocated a Personal Tutor. This Personal Tutor will work with you, primarily during the first year, monitoring your academic engagement and progression and providing a consistent point of contact for academic support and guidance. This support may extend to providing advice on careers and further academic study.
All members of the Media staff will be happy to act as the first point of contact for any urgent issue. They will work with you to ensure that you access the appropriate services across the University and will follow the issue through with you until it is resolved.
Your learning will also be supported by the use of a wide range of online resources. Throughout your course at all times of the day and night you will have access to online support through via the BREO VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).
Teams within Television Production form for collaborative work on many projects, with groups developing formally and informally to work on particular production projects. This enables peer and self assessment practices and develops the communication and personal skills which are important in professional employment. Staff regularly work as part of student teams. They also involve students, particularly in the third years, whenever possible in professional work projects to increase practical and valid work experience.
Teams are not restricted within year groups. Projects are developed which are assessed and non assessed to enable students to gain experience of working in teams of diverse groupings some of which may be with TV students from other years, some of which may involve students and staff from other disciplines across the University.
This enables students to experience the diversity of input and involvement which can operate in the media industry, and to develop individual professional practice.
The University is regularly approached by local media organisations seeking to develop collaborative projects. These often enable students individually and in groups to work within professional industry teams gaining practical and professional experience during their course.
The Television Production staff work closely with employers within the industry and the Centre for Personal and Career Development at the University of Bedfordshire. These links result in talks which students at all levels are able to attend, practical professional experience events in which students are encouraged to take part, and enable every student to build contacts and network within their area of interest. All Television Production students have access to the BREO site and notice boards established and maintained by the Course Leader which offers career advice, practical skills, opportunities for work experience and contacts.
In practical terms professional skills and values underpin this course and are an integral part of teaching and learning within all units. We assist every student to develop the ability to evaluate effectively and reflect on their own and work of others and understand the demands and requirements of employers. The return of former graduates in the industry in different fields to outline their experiences, and discuss opportunities with current undergraduates is very valuable. Links have also been established for alumni unable to visit in person to communicate via email and social networking sites with current students.
Throughout your course work experience is encouraged to enable you to understand the expectations of the industry and individual employers.
Career:
The creative, analytical and practical skills you will acquire will equip you for many different careers both within the media industries and beyond. You will graduate with immediately relevant vocational skills together with the ability to develop and plan your career, capitalizing on the intellectual skills that will serve you throughout your life.
On completing this course students are likely to enter the television industry on terrestial, satellite broadcasting, cable and web-based television channels. Areas include:
Further study:
Postgraduate courses at the University of Bedfordshire currently include a wide range of Media orientated Masters degree opportunities.
Opportunities are being increased within the Postgraduate portfolio for Television Production.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The focus of the Television Production course is to enable you, as an individual and a team member, to develop specialist professional subject skills, a detailed knowledge of professional practice and process, an academic understanding of the subject area and to apply professional, informed evaluation to your work.
The teaching and learning strategy within Television Production is in line with the Universitys underpinning Cre8 curriculum review and framework, which encompasses best practice within teaching and learning. Your Television Production course has been carefully structured to ensure individual development, learning, valid assessment as part of the learning process, and relevance to the employability of all television production students.
Close integration of theory and practice, the progressive nature of learning, assessment, feedback and progression, is at the heart of the teaching and learning strategy of Television Production at the University of Bedfordshire. Units are delivered through a range of teaching and learning modes including: lectures, practical classes, seminars, workshops and tutorials, while project supervision involves regular tutorial meetings between groups/individuals and their staff supervisor.
Self directed learning is essential for television production students, in particular when seeking to grasp new concepts, or skills such as mastering software or directing. This is promoted by informed teaching, task setting in stages building to professional standard projects, online support and developing collaborative projects not just within year groups, but across year groups. Support strategies such as VLE-based discussion boards are developed within particular courses to enable wider productive and supportive collaboration.
The teaching and learning strategy is consistent with the following QAA subject benchmark threshold statements:
7.6 lectures; demonstrations; screenings; seminars; workshops; work simulations; tutorials; group and individual project work; live projects; supervised independent learning; open and resource based learning; e-learning, production practice; and work placements large and small group, and individual learning and teaching situations
tutor-led, student-led and independent learning sessions sessions that emphasise primarily knowledge acquisition, skills development (specific and general-transferable), and analysis and evaluation use of a range of technology systems for accessing data, resources, contacts and literature, and for the acquisition of production skills.
You will be studying a changing field that is likely to develop over the period of time you are studying this course. In order to engage with this change you will need to actively participate in a community of learners with other students, academic and technical staff, and engage in a range of learning activities that will allow you to directly experience many of the processes associated with television production. These are designed to highlight current issues and challenge your thinking.
Early in the course, you will develop your basic contextual awareness through skill-based workshops, interactive seminars and lectures that will equip you with sufficient production expertise to test out your new ideas within small-scale productions. As you progress through the course this will develop into larger group-based projects that will allow you to make a more specialised contribution and develop higher level skills. You will also participate in more advanced theoretical discussions and we will broaden your horizons by introducing you to more challenging tasks.
In your final year we shall expect you to work to a very high standard. There will be considerable emphasis on generating your own creative ideas rather than following a set brief and you will be working much more independently although still guided by academic staff and, for the final project, your individual supervisor.
Your teaching will take place largely in the TV studios, edit suites and seminar rooms, and will be backed up by learning materials and resources online, but attendance is required at all classes.
The University of Bedfordshire is committed to ensuring that curricula across all courses are inclusive to all students. The Disability Advice Team is available to discuss any issues students may have and can provide services such as sign language interpreters, note takers, dyslexia screening / tuition and support with mobility on campus. They offer confidential advice and information about academic and personal issues, adjustments in examinations, applying for the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) and buying suitable equipment.
All students concerned that their studies may be affected by disability are encouraged to contact either their Field Chair, Course Leader or Personal Tutor for advice at whatever point in their course the need to do so becomes apparent. This programme makes intensive use of audio and visual materials and so if you may have difficulty accessing these you should discuss this with the Disability Advice Team in conjunction with the course team at the outset to ensure that appropriate support is in place.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Take part in production team planning meetings, pitch your ideas, and work within a team giving and receiving instructions. Your written and verbal communication skills will develop as you research, write and present your ideas. Students who are diagnosed with needs for extra support with writing and communications skills development may be required to take extra classes provided by the University.
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Research and construct TV items and ideas for programmes. You will research the suggested sources in the Units bibliography and additional sources you will discover during your study. Access to BBC online training and the virtual learning environment of BREO will also be an important part of your learning.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Need to read the suggested texts, view TV programmes and use these sources to inform your practice and your log, and to compare and assess your own work with professional standards.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
Watch TV programmes in order to evaluate professional work to see what can be achieved.
The inclusion and incorporation of feedback into work will improve communication, research, evaluation and creativity and critical thinking. This feedback may be the result of self-evaluation, peer or tutor led.
Professional skills and values are an integral part of this course at every level. The progressive nature of the integrated teaching, learning, assessment, feedback and implementation of feedback is designed to enable every student to maximize knowledge and skills, and their application in your work.
Students have constant access to the transcript of their results and progression through the SITS E:Vision system and in addition to this formal statistical outline of your individual progress you are encouraged to have regular meetings with your Personal Tutor to assist the reflective process in monitoring your progress. Many students find it helpful to maintain a personal blog of their progress monitoring academic and skill development which can be developed within the University platforms of either the BREO or the MAD Wiki.
Your media career begins when you start the course. From the outset we will expect you to adhere to basic professional standards in all your work and in all your dealings with staff and other students. In particular:
Staff will refer to these standards throughout the programme. Some units deal with some aspects of the code explicitly, others will expect you to apply the code to your work. As you progress through the course you will be expected to develop your understanding of professional standards and how they are challenged and evolve in a changing media industry.
Adherence to these professional standards will be part of the formal assessment criteria for many of your assessments. Failure to comply with these standards will impact your grades and, ultimately, may prevent you from graduating. Failure to return equipment may also attract additional sanctions.
