Ethnographic and Documentary Film — Practical

This unique MA programme is based in a university but run by leading film practitioners, ensuring that you not only receive the highest-quality practice-based learning, but you do so in a university research environment where you learn to understand the world we live in. You have your own camera equipment throughout and two dedicated Mac Editing suites for this course.

Students will learn to devise a visual research project; to apply anthropological and social science approaches to documentary film work; to think critically about the relationship between form and content in ethnographic/documentary practice; using our professional level equipment, to master the technical skills needed to produce different kinds of films of different lengths for varied audiences; and to critically view and review film material.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of 1 core module (60 credits), 2 optional /elective modules (30 credits) and a project/diary (90 credits).

Core modules

• Practical Ethnographic and Documentary Filming and Editing
• Students without a social science background at either undergraduate or Master's level also take Social Anthropology or another social science foundational module in Term One as agreed with the tutor.

Optional modules

• Students choose two of the following
• Anthropology and Photography
• Documentary Film and the Ethnographic Eye
• The Story and I - Finding the Form and/or Time and the Staged Index
• One of the practical film-related options offered as part of Film Studies MA according to provision.
• One of the film history modules taught in the School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES), or Departments of History or English, (for example, Russian Cinema in SSEES), details to be confirmed.
• An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.
• An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.

Dissertation/report

A major practical film project and diary allowing the students to demonstrate their mastery of the skills of documentary film-making in a film of 20–35 minutes.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of practical tutorials, seminars and masterclasses and assessed by camera and editing exercises and a written piece.

Placement

We facilitate two types of placements. Firstly, we will enable short-term internships at the film companies with whom we already have relationships through Open City Docs. Secondly, as opportunities arise students can work on collaborative or other film-making projects, such as the Doc in a Day workshops or UCL film productions.

Normally an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a social science, arts, humanities or science discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Academically weaker applications will also be considered provided that they are supported by experience in visual arts or film making. Applicants with prior technical knowledge of film making are asked to send a video portfolio of up to 20’ duration (Vimeo link recommended). Applicants without a video portfolio are asked to complete a photo essay. You can submit either by post - a maximum of twenty 20cm x 25cm (8'x10”) stills – or by link to an external site.

All shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a proposal for a film or video project - a maximum of four sides of A4, typed and double-spaced - to include: an outline of what the film is about; the characters and other elements crucial to the narrative and the film structure/narrative. (You are not committed to the proposal for the final project.)