Reccomend a U.K University

[Daniel Smith]

Hi.

 

I'm a week away from submitting my UCAS form to the universities, trouble is I've only got 4 subjects listed where as I should have 6 ideally, to maximise my chances of getting in.

 

So far I've chosen Ravensbourne as first choice and Greenwich as second.

 

The trouble is I don't know of any others, that are local anyway.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks.

[Matthew Buick]

How about Newcastle upon Tyne ?

 

We have a wonderful University, and Newcastle is great.

[Andy_Alderslade]

I'm a week away from submitting my UCAS form to the universities, trouble is I've only got 4 subjects listed where as I should have 6 ideally, to maximise my chances of getting in.

 

How can anyone recomend a University when you haven't said what you want to study.

 

Film Studies (Theoretical) - University of Warrick, University of Kent (I went there!)

 

Media Production - Royal Hollaway

 

Film Production - The Surrey Institute, Leeds Metropolitian University (double check that one first)

 

Why local? Moving away you gives you more choice and you get to stay out all night without parents worrying, untill you move back home three years latter.

[Daniel Smith]

How can anyone recomend a University when you haven't said what you want to study.

Whoops. As far from "written work" based as possible. Practical working in broadcast. (camera, lighting e.t.c.)

 

How about Newcastle upon Tyne ?

 

We have a wonderful University, and Newcastle is great.

 

 

Film Studies (Theoretical) - University of Warrick, University of Kent (I went there!)

 

Media Production - Royal Hollaway

 

Film Production - The Surrey Institute, Leeds Metropolitian University (double check that one first)

 

Why local? Moving away you gives you more choice and you get to stay out all night without parents worrying, untill you move back home three years latter.

There are a few problems I have with being away, for a start my mums not exactly too happy about it, and secondly, money. I don't want to be racked up in debt, working in an industry that provides money that's far from 'consistent'.

 

What was the University of Kent like? Fortunatelly none of the campuses are too far away, so it seems like an option.

 

Apart from Ravensbourne, is there a university that really excels in practical film making?

 

 

I'm sure Newcastle is good but it's a bit out of reach.

 

 

I'll look into uni of Kent.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

(I should be in university at the moment... But I messed up a bit in my first year, due to shooting a few pilot episodes bang smack in the middle of college time.)

[Andy_Alderslade]

Whoops. As far from "written work" based as possible. Practical working in broadcast. (camera, lighting e.t.c.)

There are a few problems I have with being away, for a start my mums not exactly too happy about it, and secondly, money. I don't want to be racked up in debt, working in an industry that provides money that's far from 'consistent'.

 

What was the University of Kent like? Fortunatelly none of the campuses are too far away, so it seems like an option.

 

Apart from Ravensbourne, is there a university that really excels in practical film making?

I'm sure Newcastle is good but it's a bit out of reach.

I'll look into uni of Kent.

 

Thanks.

(I should be in university at the moment... But I messed up a bit in my first year, due to shooting a few pilot episodes bang smack in the middle of college time.)

 

Well I would put getting on the best possible course with the grades you have a priority over living at home or away. There are so many bad courses in the world of media that will simply waste your time, so do as much research as possible on each course (not the institution) and use your instincts when you see the deparments and teachers, if you feel they are a waste of space - there is a good chance they are.

 

The financial benefits of living at home can be a false economy - a room in student house out of London can be as little as £50 a week, and in catered campus accomodation £90 a week. Living on a campus or living 15 minutes walk from it, will exclude tranporation costs and also give you extra time to do a few hours of casual work (which when carefully limited can be a positive distraction from studies). If your commuting a distance, and especially into London, you may be spending £25 plus on transportation, losing 10 hours plus a week to travel. Socialising will also have an affect too, and its something hard to be disiplined with. For example on a night out with friends in London I can easily spend £70 (and thats no where special) when going out on campus at the Uni of Kent i could go out on £20 and have a better night.

 

All this is relative to how disiplined you are, and you can only do what you are happy with.

 

With regards to the Univeristy of Kent, yes i had the best years of life there (incidentaly it was voted the UK's randiest university) but the Film Studies course is only 35% practical its largely a theoretical course and though the teacher there is artisticaly excellent, they are not going to teach you industry skills there, which is presumably what you want.

 

I would really check out the Surrey Institute, which a friend did and had plenty of good things to say about it.

 

http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9191

 

Also check out the Media Arts course at Royal Holloway.

 

I maybe wrong but the London Collage of Printing had a good film department too.

 

But anyway do as much research as possible, and judge with your eyes when you see it.

 

Best of luck

Andy

[Brian Drysdale]

Check up on the courses that have good connections with the industry. Find out if the students have made award winning films. You must also decide what you want from the course.

 

Most of the UK media/film courses in the UK are not that good and have developed because of market demands of third level education rather than for their quality. There only a handful which are worthwhile.

[Morgan Peline]

Hi,

 

As far as I am concerened Ravensbourne and Surrey. Bournemouth used to have a good reputation but I don't know about now.

 

I cam out of the Northern Film School (Leeds Metropolitan University) when it was run like a production house where you used to be able to borrow loads of 16mm equipment - that's all I ever shot for two years but now I have the impression its dodgy as hell like most 'media' courses in the country.

 

If broadcast (which I assume from reading teh above comments) is what you want go to Reavensbourne. Many people come out of there and start working for the big 'broadcast crew hire' companies immediately e.g. Tx - Transmission. Actually I would suggest that you phone up TX talk to the boss and see what he says.

 

To be hinest you would learn more working as a traine for a company like TX - you'd probably be a fully fledged operator within a few years whereas if you studied you probably wouldn't learn much as most teachers in these places are useles and have no idea what they ar etalking about as they are academics.

Either take a year out and work or don't bother with a uni til later.\

 

If you are interested in Leeds then send me a personal message as a friend of mine teaches camera/lighting there occassionally so I can pass on his number to you - and he you can give you the low down.

 

As far as I am concerned I really believe these 'media' courses are useless you'd really end up a working cameraman working for TX teh BBC or another big crewe hiure facility as an assistant - if 'broadcast' is what you want....

 

If broadcast is what you want...seriously...phione up Tx and talk to the boss...

 

http://www.ttx.co.uk/

 

There are other companies like that who rent out crews to the bbc but I can't remember their names.

 

If you wnat to film...maybe Surrey...

[Daniel Smith]

Ok just to say thanks for all your usefull comments, they have helped in my decision.

 

I did try for Surrey but it said on the UCAS web site you need 300 ucas points to get in, I haven't got nearly that many unfortunatelly. (I'm not a very academic person in all honesty. Only reason I'm doing this is for the experience, contacts and links. The qualification itself is just for backup incase thinhs go wrong. I'm much better at practical work.)

 

Now I just have to hope for good references from my teachers.

 

Again, thank you all.

Edited December 4, 2006 by Daniel Ashley-Smith

[Matthew Buick]

300 ucas points to get in

 

Du you mind if I ask what these UCAS points are, what they do, and how do you get them?

[Daniel Smith]

Du you mind if I ask what these UCAS points are, what they do, and how do you get them?

UCAS points are obtained by doing usually either A-Levels or BTECs. An a-level at C grade is worth 80 UCAS points, whereas a B grade is worth 100 and an A is worth 120.

 

And obviously the more points you have the better the university you will get into. I think you need about 360 points to get into Cambridge.

 

My advice to you is to seriously consider a BTEC. The one my friend did was worth 3 times as many UCAS points as my A-Level yet my A-Level was 3 times as hard.

 

http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/index.html

[Matthew Buick]

UCAS points are obtained by doing usually either A-Levels or BTECs. An a-level at C grade is worth 80 UCAS points, whereas a B grade is worth 100 and an A is worth 120.

 

And obviously the more points you have the better the university you will get into. I think you need about 360 points to get into Cambridge.

 

My advice to you is to seriously consider a BTEC. The one my friend did was worth 3 times as many UCAS points as my A-Level yet my A-Level was 3 times as hard.

 

http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/index.html

 

Ah, so I see, thanks very much.

[Morgan Peline]

There is a simple solution to this problem.

 

Save up and come to the US to study. The US trumps the UK in respect of film-making.

 

Good luck,

 

Jamie

 

Qualify the word 'trumps'.

[Matthew Buick]

Wow, how much will that cost, and can I get a student loan ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Morgan Peline]

Wow, how much will that cost, and can I get a student loan ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

http://www.afi.com/education/conservatory/fa02_cost.aspx

 

If you attend AFI Conservatory, one of the best film schools in the US for cinematographers, then this year the tuition for first years was approx. £16,500...

[Laura Redpath]

Ok just to say thanks for all your usefull comments, they have helped in my decision.

 

I did try for Surrey but it said on the UCAS web site you need 300 ucas points to get in, I haven't got nearly that many unfortunatelly. (I'm not a very academic person in all honesty. Only reason I'm doing this is for the experience, contacts and links. The qualification itself is just for backup incase thinhs go wrong. I'm much better at practical work.)

 

Now I just have to hope for good references from my teachers.

 

Again, thank you all.

 

i'm a 3rd cinematography specialist at surrey, and i'm pretty sure you only need 1 a level to apply, i think a lot of whether you get in is judged on show reel. i cant be sure because it was a while ago, and i did their foundation course too so i never had to go the ucas route for my degree. but it might be worth you enquiring directly to the university about it. it is a really excellent degree, and our cinematography tutors are awesome.

[David Bradley]

Sadly the oppurtunities and networking possibilities are better in the states although I would suggest that the NFTS is the best school in the world (may be trying to edge my way in there ;).

 

Ravensbourne: Fantastic school for live television enthusiasts. I free lance at ITN and BSKYB with graduates at Ravensbourne all the time, it is the only school with a work experience program at ITN and BSKYB and many of its graduates end up in TV.

 

Bournemouth Arts Institute The most reputable undergraduate course in the UK for aspiring fictional film makers with 16mm, 35mm, DVCAM and HD facilities with a sever practical emphasis which demands students make tonnes of films! ACE! I wish I went here really I do.

 

As for Leeds and the Royal Holloway, dont be fooled by promises of intense practical workshops, they never happen. They'll give you a DV cam an optical zoom lense and a few RedHeads and send you off without any proper instruction.

 

Remember its all about determination. If you want to learn you will, it helps to have an institution point you in the right direction. I study MPT BA(hons) as Sussex and frankly the course is terrible but I still get work in TV because I force myself to learn regardless.

 

Pick an institution that doesnt only teach on DV. any course that teaches 16mm/35mm even Super 8mm is worth its marbles in the UK.

 

Kind Regards and good luck

 

David Bradley

[Daniel Smith]

I just had an open day at Ravensbourne yesterday. It looked FANTASTIC.

 

They had so much studio equipment, literally worth millions. Bluescreen studio, sound proof studios, ex-big brother video mixers, ex-channel 4 news cameras (I mean the big ones with fujinon HD lenses), 2" metal position tape recorders that only the huge bands like Muse and Greenday record their music on, it truly was amazing.

 

The only big downfall that I'm not happy about is that it's all based around TV, and not film. I really wanted film. And I think it's probably too late to apply to Bournemouth now.

 

However, it may not be such a bad thing. Atleast with TV, I could get a steady and secure job. If I do broadcast engineering then I'll be on 25k per year and have a nice relaxed job. (Fixing stuff that may not even break for months)

 

If anyone from the U.K wants to get into more of a secure job involving cameras, lighting e.t.c, go Ravensbourne, book and openday and see for yourself. It's not a place that tries to immitate production studios on a smaller level, it IS a professional studio, and is more than capable of producing and broadcasting work on air, with facilities worth millions.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Daniel Ashley-Smith

[Daniel Smith]

http://www.afi.com/education/conservatory/fa02_cost.aspx

 

If you attend AFI Conservatory, one of the best film schools in the US for cinematographers, then this year the tuition for first years was approx. £16,500...

I don't mean to sound anti-American in anyway but I'd rather not do as good and stay in Britain than sell out to America.

 

I think one of the problems why nothing huge ever gets done anymore in Britain is that everyone just wants to move out to L.A. because that's where the money is.

 

Britain was the home of some of the greatest productions and film makers. It's because people don't stop complaining about the situation we're in that nothing good ever gets done. If you put the work in, you can compete with L.A.

 

It takes the biggest productions in America to hit U.K screens, but look at 28 Days Later.

 

I've always seen Britain as having the tallent, but it just doesn't have the money. But sometimes huge amounts of money are not needed.

Edited February 14, 2007 by Daniel Ashley-Smith

[NathanCoombs]

I've always seen Britain as having the tallent, but it just doesn't have the money. But sometimes huge amounts of money are not needed.

 

Talk about a tired cliche. With tax breaks and lottery money the UK is awash with film money at the moment.

 

The problem is not money but a lack of talent, vision and auteurship. Identikit directors churning out the latest Judi Dench yarn for greying mid week audiences seems to be the UK's strength.

[Daniel Smith]

Talk about a tired cliche. With tax breaks and lottery money the UK is awash with film money at the moment.

 

The problem is not money but a lack of talent, vision and auteurship. Identikit directors churning out the latest Judi Dench yarn for greying mid week audiences seems to be the UK's strength.

Look at 'Only Fools and Horses', '28 Days Later', 'Fawlty Towers'. I know they're not all 'films' as such, but they were all low budget. It was the story, script, acting, all the macro elements that made them. Things money can't buy.

 

From my experience the U.K produces some of the best material in the world. Watch BBC news and then watch news channels from other countries. BBC news puts them to shame.

 

For such a small island I think we've got the highest talent ratio.

[Matt Seaton]

Look at 'Only Fools and Horses', '28 Days Later', 'Fawlty Towers'. I know they're not all 'films' as such, but they were all low budget. It was the story, script, acting, all the macro elements that made them. Things money can't buy.

 

From my experience the U.K produces some of the best material in the world. Watch BBC news and then watch news channels from other countries. BBC news puts them to shame.

 

For such a small island I think we've got the highest talent ratio.

 

I totally agree. I love the gritty feel of some British films. Other countries seem unable to make anything even remotely watchable on low budgets.

[Matthew Buick]

Yep. We've been cash strapped dor so long that we've developed an ability to get more out of less. :)