BA (Hons) Digital Media Production (Top Up)

THE COURSE
The BA (Hons) Digital Media Production (Top Up) offers you the opportunity to refine your existing practice, develop new skills and reflect upon experience gained during previous study (FdA, HND and Year 1 & 2 of an Honours programme). It is our goal to enable you to develop as autonomous, creative decision makers who demonstrate ability to lead rather than respond to industry trends.

Careers for digital media graduates extend to many related areas within the visual communications industries including video production and editing, graphic design, interactive media, web design, animation and education.

Our objective is to encourage your creative freedom to move across the technical and critical boundaries defined and limited by traditional media and modes of communication and thereby to establish an identity as digital media designers.

Building upon the specific design contexts currently employed in the media industry, you are encouraged to develop and extend practice and knowledge through extensive research and critical reflection.

Applicants to the final year of a BA (Hons) qualification will be required to undertake Bridging Studies to prepare them for year 3 studies on the Honours degree course. The taught part of Bridging Studies takes place during the latter part of the summer term for those who studied their Foundation Degree at the Arts University College at Bournemouth, and during the summer for applicants from other institutions.

STANDARD ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Students enrolling onto a top up course will need to have achieved 120 credits at Level 5 in a relevant area of study. Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS score in the range of 6.0 to 7.0, or a TOEFL score of 650 (paper based score) 250 (computer based score) or other equivalent.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR
Above all else we value your individual creativity and enthusiasm. We look for people who can work in a team to provide innovative, exciting and professional solutions to a range of challenges. Some experience of digital applications (e.g. Flash, Maya, Web, Avid, Photoshop, or After Effects) and their implementation is useful to indicate your aptitude.

INTERVIEWS AND PORTFOLIOS
An interview is your opportunity to demonstrate your commitment and self-motivation. Students applying for the course will normally have completed a Foundation Degree or HND, so will have a professional portfolio of work. Applicants will be required to undertake Bridging Studies during the summer to prepare them for year 3 studies on the Honours Degree course.

COURSE STRUCTURE
The structure of the year is made up of 4 units that will further develop your potential to become intellectually motivated, creative designer.

Specialist Project allows you to further develop the ideas and concepts of digital media production. As a guiding framework you are given a choice of themes to explore, this will allow you to concentrate on a concept driven approach to learning rather than resource led practice. This project, through research, will be critically or theoretically informed and culturally engaged.

Investigative Study presents the opportunity to pursue a programme of advanced independent research that has the potential to support the content of the Major Project. The unit gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the skills in research, analysis, criticism and communication which are commensurate with the award of BA with Honours.

Major Project provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your creative maturity through the completion of a sustained focus on a specific project and to apply the knowledge, technical skills and intellectual abilities acquired and developed during the course. The work produced for the unit allows you the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of a complex body of knowledge and practice, some of which may be at the current boundaries of the discipline.

Promotion & Evaluation by reflecting on the body of work created throughout Year 3, in particular the Major Project, this unit enables you to build the specific knowledge and skills required to further personal and career aspirations.

RESOURCES
The course has a dedicated computer suite and its own web server which enables you to develop and test new media solutions, web and streaming technologies. We also have our own extensive e-learning facilities, social networking sites and blogs to enrich the learning experience and nearly all course material is available electronically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is not uncommon for active discussions to be undertaken with staff and fellow students outside regular hours through the online discussion boards.

We have a core team of dedicated and enthusiastic staff with national and international recognition of achievements in their own, ongoing practices. They are supported by guest speakers, visiting lecturers and industry professionals who bring a wide spectrum of specialist experience to the course.

DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS
We organise a number of relevant trips and exhibition visits throughout the year (for example, our students recently visited new media companies in New York). Students have also had the opportunity to work on pop promos and have attended pre-premiere screenings of films by contemporary directors.

FUTURE CAREERS AND GRADUATE SUCCESS
We have an excellent reputation for producing highly employable graduates with extensive industry related skills; many of our current students are working on a range of live productions with industry.

One of our students recently received worldwide acclaim for the innovative lighting and visuals using ‘VersaTILE’ technology for Maximo Park’s tour. He has used this technology at major events such as Reading Festival, ‘T’ in the Park and the Isle of Wight Festival.

COURSE DETAILS

Mode of Study: Full-time

Course Duration: 1 year

Institution Code: A66

UCAS CODE

W281

COURSE LEADER

Phil Beards

CONTACT

Admissions

Tel: 01202 363228/363225

Email: admissions@aucb.ac.uk