After producing a S.W.O.T analysis and weighing up possible progression routes I have decided to apply for University.
What is really important to me is having the opportunity to gain and develop new skills in order to work effectively and successfully within the film industry. University would be a great place to achieve this as I will be undertaking a range of different projects as part of a team and individual, gaining experience and contacts. I also feel it would be a good opportunity to establish some independence for myself why also giving me the freedom and the resources to create more of my own films and develop a style.
In order to apply for University I will need to use UCAS, they are an independent company that will aid me in the distribution of my applications to my chosen courses/universities.
UCAS require me to submit some basic information about myself as well as a personal statement and a complete list of all my qualifications/places of study.
Personal Statement
When writing my Personal Statement I had to try and give a good idea of who I am and the things I’ve done as well as showing my interest and commitment to film. This proved difficult due to the limit of 4,000 characters and the fact that I’m not overly comfortable talking about myself.
Growing up with the Harry Potter books and films is definitely what first sparked my interest in film. I find it fascinating how each aspect of a film comes together to create something in its own right, whether it be costume design or directing they each have their own critical role to play. The way in which different themes and ideas are displayed I find intriguing, particularly through the use of ‘mise en scene’ and lighting. Fundamentally though it’s the way that a simple idea or story can be brought to life and have such an emotional impact.
By going to university I aim to develop my existing skill set but also learn new ways of filming. Editing, particularly for fiction, is an area I’m greatly interested in and would like to progress with. I also think that it would be a great opportunity to meet like minded people, forming contacts for the future and finding my place in the industry.
I’m currently studying Film Production Level 3 at college. We’ve had the opportunity to cover a number of areas including, multi camera, Foley, music videos, action sequences and film poems; while developing skills such as editing, camera work and writing. The course has allowed me to expand creatively, giving me the opportunity to explore a range of styles and techniques in different areas of film, resulting in a good grounding and a well balanced skill set overall. It’s also given me the ability to understand how and why things have been done, I’ve found that this has changed the way I watch films making me much more critical but also more appreciative of the work involved.
Competing in World Skills UK has been the most significant opportunity on this course. A year ago we entered a team of four into the ‘Video Moving Image’ category and created a short B-movie Sci-Fi Trailer. We then pitched our idea professionally to the judges. The final was held at the Birmingham NEC over the course of several days. We had two and a half days to create a 4-minute film relating to world skills and future dreams/success. Working under a great amount of pressure was tough but extremely enjoyable, it’s probably one of the best and worse things I’ve done. This resulted in us winning gold.
During the Edinburgh fringe festival this year I was able to work alongside a team of people from the BBC R&D department. They were there to test out a new ‘nearly live editing’ system called Primer; I was able to get involved with various setups of cameras, mounts and operation of the system. Being able to get a sense of working professionally in film was invaluable. I also spent a few days in a disused nuclear bunker as a runner/lighting technician with another team of people from the BBC for a 48-hour film challenge.
Music is another area I’m also really enthusiastic for. I play in a selection of bands, a locally professional drumming band called BoomDang where we perform at various carnival and small festival settings. Also my own band, The Twitchers, which I play guitar and create music videos for. We regularly gig at various cities across the country and have been featured on radio Cumbria and BBC introducing.
These experiences have helped me develop my teamwork skills and initiative. I also volunteer annually for local events such as the carnival, light switch on and Christmas countdown. These are great opportunities to get involved with the local community and assume responsibility for it.
I hope that university will enable me to achieve a higher level of experience across all aspects of film but also help me to specialize more in the areas I find most interesting. Expanding my portfolio is really important to me as it will be extremely useful for employers but also allows me to look back and reflect on the work I have done. University, the experience I receive and the contacts I make will be a great asset in helping me find work within the industry.
Open Days
In order to make a more informed decision I felt that it was important for me to attend a number of open days to get a feel for the University and location.
9th November 2016 –
John Moors (LiverPool). At first glance this seemed like a viable option to pursue my career in film as the course detailed that it was very broad and gave you a chance to work within each role. After attending the open day it quickly became apparent that it was not right for me. This was because the course itself began to appear more and more academic/social media based and there seemed to be a massive lack of enthusiasm for the media department there. This rang alarm bells for me and so I decided no longer to pursue this university.
12th November 2016 –
Coventry University. Compared to ‘John Moors’ coventry seemed much better. The course was outlined well, highlighting the practicality and diversity of the course. The staff there were highly enthusiastic for their subject making it seem like a much more welcoming place. Coventry has also been highly recommended to me as allegedly it has a really good reputation in film, however why I was there I didn’t like just how much they were pushing the commercial side of their course, especially the free equipment and software rather than the actual content. This started to make me feel unsure about Coventry.
26th November 2016 –
Staffordshire University – At Stafford they offer a selection of film courses specific to each area and so an open day was a great opportunity to learn a little about each one and if any would be appropriate for me. Immediately I was more impressed with Stafford as throughout the University, staff and students, were highly enthusiastic and motivated. I felt that the course content was laid out much clearer and was able to get a good understanding form it. The University and location itself also seemed like a much more friendly place to live and study due to its size, scenery and people. This quickly became my top choice of university thanks to this open day.
Course/University choices
Staffordshire University
Media (Film) Production BA (Hons)
This is one of the courses I have applied for at Staffordshire University, this particular course covers a wide area of contemporary filmmaking allowing you to explore each role in great depth, developing and expanding your skill set. This course will also allow you to complete various periods of work experience and work closing as part of an active film crew.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/SSTK-04192.jsp
Experimental Film Production BA (Hons)
This is the second course that I have applied to study at Staffordshire University. This particular course interested me because it would allow me to try new things and be much more create and abstract with my films, opening many new doors and helping my to develop artistically. A concern of mine however was that I would not be able to learn the contemporary side of filmmaking as well. After attending the open day however it was made clear to me that there is a lot of over lap between the film courses allowing me to study all aspects of film and while also experimenting with how things are done in the more course specific lectures.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/SSTK-01168.jsp
Coventry University
Media Production BA (Hons)
Even though I wasn’t as enthusiastic for Coventry I decided it would be suitable as a backup choice. The course itself is very practical based allowing you to explore a range of film industry roles and techniques. Even though I wasn’t convinced by this course I still thought it would be wise to apply and get my foot in the door just in case.
Interview/Portfolio prep
Staffordshire University
15th February 2017 –
I managed to get offered an interview for Staffordshire and because I had applied for both courses this accumulated into one interview. In order to prepare for this interview I had to produce a selective portfolio of my work to show during a 20 min talk with a course tutor/past student.
I selected some of my best films and blog work to take with me and organized them into a folder/pen drive. Some of this included: World skills, Twitchers and a couple of college films.
I was quite nervous for this interview as I really like Staffordshire but I think that it went really well. I was interviewed by a past student who was also a ‘Harry Potter’ fan so it was really easy to express my enthusiasm for film and show case my work.
Coventry University
I was also invited to attend an interview at Coventry University however they had a much more intensive interview process. They wanted me to produce a 3-4 min media version of my personal statement to show case to other applicants and tutors. The interview day would also consist of a 2hr workshop period along side other applicants.
I later cancelled this interview/application for a number of reasons. Firstly I had already had a successful interview at Staffordshire which I am much more enthusiastic for and decided that if I didn’t get in there I would likely look for other progression routes rather than go to somewhere I wouldn’t be 100% happy with. Also I had a lot of work to balance at that point and didn’t want it to suffer as a result of Coventry’s extremely intimidating interview process.
Offer
Staffordshire – Experimental film – Conditional Offer (merit)
I have managed to secure an offer from Staffordshire University to study experimental film. This is conditional on me achieving a final grade of a merit from my current course.
I am really happy with this offer as the course/uni look fantastic and I am quite confident that I can achieve the grades required.
Seen as my interview went so well I had to chose which of the Stafford courses I preferred. I went with experimental as I thought it was the best option to allow me to study a wide range of film aspects while also developing my own creative independence. I have now placed this as my firm choice on UCAS and accepted the offer.
Accommodation
I first had to accept and place my offer as a firm choice before I could begin applying for accommodation. Now that I have done that I have also began the process of applying for accommodation by ranking my choices in order and sending them to the university.
My top choice for accommodation is an ensuite room in halls with 3-6 people. I thought this was best as from previous experience I know how essential ensuite can be and also how vital it is to get your application in early in order to secure the place that you want.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/accommodation/stoke/claricecliff/index.jsp
Next Steps
The best thing for me to be doing now is to concentrate on finishing my college course and obtaining the required grades.
In terms of university application the next stage will be applying for student finance but I will receive a prompt for UCAS as when to do this.
Matthew Tucker 