Master of Arts - Film Studies

Explore and make creative connections between film analysis and film practice. This University of Essex course has a distinctive focus on international, alternative, and documentary cinemas, while also providing a solid foundation in key elements of film history and theory, including Hollywood. This critical appraisal of such a wide range of genres gives students a solid understanding of what makes film work well, enabling them to improve their own production skills in camerawork, editing, lighting, screenwriting and production management.

Students gain a strong sense of independent filmmaking practice, and learn to apply their academic knowledge of film through exploring topics including: the formal, social, cultural and political dimensions of films from both within and beyond Hollywood; fiction film production, including pre-production, camera, lighting, and sound; classics of the documentary form, docufictions and mockumentaries; collective and individual filmmaking projects; storyboarding and editing.

Students also benefit from a series of masterclasses conducted by invited industry professionals which focus on the craft of filmmaking: developing students' technical understanding of cinematography, directing and editing/postproduction. These also introduce students to potential employment routes and industry career pathways, from setting up their own production company, to identifying and tapping into distribution networks, and preparing and marketing their completed films.

Essex is ranked top 5 in the UK for dance, drama and cinematics in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.

Essex actively encourages and assists students to find appropriate internship and work placement opportunities during their studies, allowing students to practice and develop their skills and experience as well as enhancing their graduate employment prospects.

A number of the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers as scholars, university lecturers, teachers, publishers, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, drama advisers, filmmakers, film editors and translators.