Theatre, Film and Media

Why QMU?

Our theatre, film and media courses prepare you for entry into the creative industry sector and the many related opportunities outside of that sector. They aim to provide you with the specialist knowledge, working practices, and high level communication skills that employers look for in graduates.

While each course has its own specific emphasis, they all provide you with a comprehensive understanding of critical approaches to the film, media and theatre industries and their products, with a particular emphasis on aesthetic and cultural analysis. They focus on the activities of theatre and/ or the screen media as central forces in the construction of public culture; in the creation of new expressive forms; as the basis for a range of professional practices; and in shaping everyday social and psychological life.

The courses focus on the products of this activity; on cinema, theatre and media as social and aesthetic practices. Students will engage with current issues in these exciting fields of study, including global cinema and television, contemporary performance, and the impact of digital technologies. Characteristic of all the courses is a critical engagement with the historical evolution of particular theatrical, cinematic and televisual genres, aesthetic traditions and forms, and the way in which plays and screen texts organise understandings, meanings and affects. As part of this engagement, students work individually and in small groups to produce their own scripts, screenplays, photographs, short films and plays. Theatre, film and media staff at QMU are a mix of academic researchers and film, media and theatre practitioners. Staff have produced work for a variety of commercial, cultural, educational and local government clients; and have exhibited and performed their work at festivals in the UK and internationally.

As the home of international film, television and theatre festivals, Edinburgh is the ideal place to study these creative arts. For film it boasts two art house cinemas (The Cameo and Filmhouse), three multiplexes and two smaller cinemas, and the city is frequently used as a location for film and television shoots. There are five purpose built theatres showing everything from major West End hits to innovative, risk-taking new writing.

Approach to learning and teaching

The courses adopt a blended learning approach with teaching and learning activitiesfalling into three broad categories: seminars and lectures; peer group activities; and self directed learning, each of which is seen as best suited for particular types of activities. You will be encouraged to

be enquiring, critical and innovative. Emphasis will be placed on analytical, divergent ways of thinking. The courses are designed to produce graduates who are critical thinkers, effective communicators, investigative learners, active participants and creative practitioners. Each of the courses therefore combines academic enquiry with opportunities for practical production. The division has 13 digital edit suites and post production facilities. Production equipment includes six semi-pro cameras (some P2 based and some AVCHD), 16 small 1 CCD cameras, three sets of lighting kits, and for specialist dissertation work, a Letus35 Ultimate system and DSLR. For photographic work it has a range of digital still cameras and post-production software, and for performance work, a fully-equipped and licensed studio theatre and five rehearsal studios.

The United Kingdom is one of the world’s creative hubs. The UK has the largest creative sector in the EU, its theatre, film and media industries make a key contribution to the UK economy, and its products and services enrich the lives of us all. The creative industries are a key focus for the Scottish government, who recognise their considerable potential for further growth. Higher education plays an important role in producing the creative talent, skills and ideas that are sought by both this sector and a wide range of employers beyond it.

Research

Staff research falls within two broad clusters: the textual analysis of film, television and performance culture; and the sense of place in cultural identity formation. Current work in the first cluster is in the areas of film adaptation, film and television genre, and television aesthetics. Research in the second cluster includes studies of place, taste and cultural meaning in print, radio, popular music and visual media.

Research in the division has been rated as internationally original, significant and rigorous, and in some cases world leading, by the Research Assessment Exercise 2008. Staff in the division publish academic research in books and specialist theatre, film and media studies journals; and present papers at conferences in the UK and internationally.

Career prospects

The UK’s creative sector employs 1 million people, with graduates comprising 67% of those employed, a significantly higher proportion of graduates than the economy as a whole. A further 800,000 are employed in creative occupations in businesses in other sectors. The programmes aim to prepare you for a range of career opportunities by producing graduates whose specialist knowledge of their chosen area is complemented by the key skills of communication, creativity and teamwork, with particular modules focusing on surveying employment opportunities, investigating potential client commissions, and entrepreneurship.

CASE STUDY

Steven Braxton, BA (Hons) Film and Media

I left school at 16 and joined the Forces for five years as a Junior Officer. After I left, I travelled across Europe, but soon realised that it was time to get a career. I had always been interested in the areas of media, film and photography and would have liked to work in that industry in some shape or form. I wanted to study in Edinburgh as it’s so multi-cultural and I found that QMU had the course that I was interested in. QMU also allowed me the opportunity to study for a degree without having the traditional entry requirements.

I really enjoyed the course. Years One and Two enabled me to get a grounding in the subject area as a whole and establish what I was best at. In Years Three and Four, I concentrated on practical film production and that’s the career path I have finally taken.

After I left QMU, I went on to do a MA in Advanced Film Practice, as well as starting a freelance film business ‘Braxtonimage’- which takes on corporate work for profit-making companies and creative documentary projects. To date, I have compiled films for Edinburgh Festival, CH4’s Baby Cow Productions, T in the Park & Triptich Music Festivals. I have done presenter film work with Steven K Amos, Brit Ekland & Michael Barrymore. I’m presently working on two creative projects: a documentary with comedian Phil Kay and a documentary film on P.T.S.D. I now want to progress my business and it would be good to nail down a substantial commission for a larger feature film project. My passion is creative documentary and presenter work but in order to pursue this you have to take on corporate projects to sustain yourself, so it’s always a juggling act between the two.

On the whole, I had a fantastic time at QMU and I have definitely used the skills that I learnt there – they are what I call upon most in my current job.

Our courses

»BA/BA (Hons) Film and Media

»BA/BA (Hons) Media

»BA/BA (Hons) Theatre and Film Studies

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