Bachelor of Arts - Film Studies (W620)

At Essex students combine studying the history and theory of cinema with practical film production, so they don’t just critically examine cinema – they create it. Students’ production modules enable them to develop and apply their academic knowledge and understanding of film, refining and enriching their own practical work. Students are given the opportunity to explore film across a broad range of genres, time periods, and regions, from Hollywood, world and independent cinema, to documentaries and television. Simultaneously, students gain hands-on experience in film production and production management, essential for careers in the film and television industry.

The Department nurtures the creative talent for tomorrow, developing filmmakers, scholars, and thinkers with a dynamic worldview:

• Students gain hands-on experience of camera work, sound recording, editing, lighting, and scriptwriting • Explore the formal aesthetics of film composition and structure in relation to different contexts of production and reception • Discover the history and social significance of film as a global medium • Understand the links between critical analysis and creative practice • Produce both group films and personal projects

By graduation they will have built up a fully rounded portfolio of work, enabling them to showcase their experience, versatility and creative potential to future employers.

The Department offers a varied, flexible and distinctive curriculum, focused on developing students’ abilities in film, and also enabling them to take options from the other courses within the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies including literature, creative writing, journalism and drama.

They are ranked Number 1 in the UK for film studies (Dance, Drama and Cinematics, Times Good University Guide 2019).