Media and Television Production BA (Hons)

This module will orient you in the contemporary media landscape as creators, producers, and critical consumers. You'll learn foundational production and post-production skills through a range of short mini-projects, from filming and audio recording to scriptwriting, storyboarding, pitching and editing. This module also gives you the skills you need to deconstruct and analyse a range of media and film texts, considering narrative, visual composition, sound and editing. In addition, you'll develop the skills to critically reflect on your own place in the media landscape and understand the role of the audience-viewer-consumer from multiple perspectives.

This module gives you the opportunity to put your L4 production skills into practice by developing and producing content for one of our university platforms, Chester Student Radio and/or the Chester Student Media website.  Students will work collaboratively in small teams to produce a range of content from a radio show or podcast to a short film or news item.   This is an intense module where students gain a greater understanding of the skills and competencies needed in a fast-paced media environment from making quick editorial decisions  to working to tight deadlines.

You now have the opportunity to pick an optional module to learn a new language or build on your existing language skills as part of your degree. You can choose:

• Subsidiary Language for Beginners (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)
• French: Intermediate Language Development
• Spanish: Intermediate Language Development
• Chinese: Intermediate Language Development
• German: Communication in Practice
• French: Communication in Practice
• Spanish: Communication in Practice

In this module you'll learn about the art, form and technique of telling stories. You'll explore the storytelling process and how stories are told across different forms of media, combining theory with hands-on practice in visual and aural formats. This may include podcasting, short films, animation, or storytelling using digital platforms/tools. By the end of the module you'll produce an original piece of work that demonstrates your understanding of contemporary creative storytelling practices.

Through this module, you gain knowledge and understanding about the whole of the TV commissioning process from generating ideas and pitching a proposal to producing and delivering a completed show. Understanding audiences, current programming and trends will enable you to originate ideas designed to win a commission with a broadcaster/platform. The importance of research, development and storytelling is central to your learning.

You'll continue to develop a wide range of practical, technical, creative, interpersonal and editorial skills. Engaging with a range of different production roles both in the TV studio environment and on location, you will further develop your specialist production practice and also advance your interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills through group work - all crucial to a successful career in the TV industry.

Through workshops, practical assessment and coursework, you will gain knowledge about TV industry practices and a practical understanding of key issues impacting production today including regulation, sustainability and carbon output and legal issues including copyright and consent.

The module provides students with an opportunity to undertake a 140-hour work placement*. This placement is complemented by a number of school-delivered sessions designed to develop their employability, professional practice, and students' understanding of their career options. Students learn to reflect on the nature of creativity within their studies, and gain awareness of how this is valued and relevant in modern workplaces. 

*in some cases, evidence of considerable relevant graduate-level work experience may be accepted as an alternative to completion of the stipulated placement.

This module will provide you with the practical and theoretical underpinning of professional practice in your specific subject, enabling you to identify and develop key employability attributes and skills in preparation for your future career.  

You will spend several weeks working collaboratively with other students across the School for the Creative Industries on one major project or several smaller projects in a professional ‘simulated real world’ working environment.  Projects will be contemporary, topical, externally focussed and often involve partnership with outside agencies. The module will provide you with opportunities for immersive learning and the chance to apply your knowledge in real-world contexts.

This is an experiential learning opportunity that incorporates, 20 teaching contact hours/lectures to prepare for the150 contract hours where L5 students can use all their skills learned to date on an actual real-world (external business) client driven project, working in teams and produce an artefact. 

Students are also expected to undertake around 30 hours of self study.

This module not only gives them enhanced skills but the opportunity to work for a real client thus giving them a valuable CV and LInkedIn entry as work experience that can contribute to their employability portfolio. 

Students will collaborate in teams and produce full client documentation alongside a reflection of their expereince and this all give some much needed contemplation of their skills to date and how to use them. 

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. industry apprioprate sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

• Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
• Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 4, 5 or 7 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement

Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work.

• criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.
• All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The Level 5, 40-credit modules require a basic foundation of knowledge of your chosen language e.g. GCSE or equivalent,  a Level 4 module in the same language or equivalent previous learning. This module includes an optional placement abroad, such as an intensive course at a partner university. You can choose:

• Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (choice of German, French or Spanish)
• Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (choice of Chinese, French or Spanish)
• Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)

In this module you'll further develop your storytelling capabilities through the study and application of various specialist production techniques, including different forms of animation such as stop-motion, claymation and pixelation. Other production techniques may include 360 filming, VR, drones and/or green screen. By the end of the module you will produce a piece of original creative work showcasing one or more of the studied techniques.

In your final year, this module provides you with opportunities to articulate and develop your own ideas and creativity through the production of TV programmes/films focused on particular audiences, genres and platforms, as part of a portfolio submission.

Engaging with a range of specialist equipment and being introduced to further filming and post-production techniques, you will advance your practical, technical and creative skills. Additionally, you'll develop your production management competencies and knowledge in areas including budgeting, scheduling, consents/permissions and sustainability.

Working both individually and as part of a team, you will hone your idea development, storytelling and editorial decision-making skills. Through the reflective assessment, which is in the form of a director's cut, you will develop your critical-thinking and be able to reflect on, contextualise and learn from your own practice-based experiences.

Being a creative media professional requires you to think about branding, self-marketing and networking. In this module, you'll consider your future career trajectory so you can forge your own personal career path. You will assess your existing skillset and hone your professional competencies to enable you to build a practical employability portfolio that promotes your specialist talents. This portfolio may contain a CV, cover letters, job applications, a website and social media posts.  You'll develop a valuable understanding of job markets related to your hoped-for career and role, exploring opportunities as well as gaining an understanding of the freelance market.  You will think about strategic planning and what it means to be a 21st-century creative.