Overview

This MA Composition for Film, TV and Games degree gives you professional training in writing and producing commercially viable music for the media industries. The course is 18 months full time and starts in January.

This course explores specialist compositional techniques, develops your operational understanding of hybrid studio technologies, and gives you advanced productional skills to equip you for a career in industry.

The degree mirrors the industry and emphasises working with ‘real-world’ briefs, meeting deadlines and working in a professional environment with state-of-the-art recording and media technology. You will learn to process critical notes and interpret direction, and to iterate your work and deliver a finished product on time, on budget and on brief.

You will learn to prepare for and run a recording session, discover how to manage music budgets and explore how to navigate the industry as a media composer. You will work collaboratively, building networks with post-graduate directors, screenwriters, editors and producers, and have opportunities to contribute to professional projects.

During the final six months of the programme you will engage with self-directed independent study as you create and produce your major research project. This project is supported through mentoring and staged draft submissions. Your project could be a combination of artefacts, a single large-scale specialist production supported by critical reflective analysis, or a significant and appropriate dissertation piece.

How you will learn

You will learn from experts in the fields of screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, picture editing and sound design. Your lecturers and tutors will include well established and award-winning filmmakers.

You will take part in individual tutorials and seminars in groups of up to 20 students.

In your first year (or first two years if you study part time) you will engage with lectures, research, analysis and skills development classes to develop your specialist and collaborative understanding. You will be taught through technical and creative workshops and project development sessions. You will be expected to complete independent study and practical individual and group work outside of timetabled sessions.

In the final six months of the course you will increase your independent study and industrial interactions. You are expected to be professional at all times and work towards establishing a professional network that will help you access professional opportunities after you graduate.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a range of assignments including:

• Summative assessments including written and practical coursework
• Presentations
• Screenings
• Portfolio and project work

Careers

What you could do after this course

This MA Composition for Film, TV and Games course will help you start your career in a range of industries that use moving image and music.