BA (Hons) Filmmaking

Our 2-year BA (Hons) Filmmaking is geared towards the real-world and offers professional film education in a practical setting and within our in-house studios. Our teachers are industry professionals, working in film and television.

Throughout the course you will gain a thorough grounding in the key areas of the filmmaking process, from script to screen, and become multi-skilled and adaptable, favouring the art of collaborative storytelling rather than working as a solo auteur. You learn how to quickly adapt to the professional world as you start your career in the industry.

Finally, you will work with an array of exceptionally talented and high-calibre guest speakers and tutors from around the globe, all of who are working in the industry now in between delivering the course. Our teachers share their insights and offer you practical and current training in film production for both documentary and fictional storytelling.

We create film professionals who exemplify outstanding filmmaking skills, promote teamwork, and are well versed in all areas of the filmmaking process when graduating from our school. 

What you will learn and gain from your time at LFA:

• In-depth, hands-on, practical training across the key disciplines of filmmaking: Directing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, Production (including Production Design) and 1st Assistant Directing

• Small class-sizes in an encouraging milieu with an excellent staff-to-student ratio

• Training with practising film & TV industry tutors and guest speakers who are passionate and approachable, teaching up-to-date skills using industry standard equipment and software

• Well-thought-out work placements in top UK companies which give real-world experiences and help you generate future contacts. We boast placements in companies like The Imaginarium (co-founded by Andy Serkis, director ‘Breathe’, ‘Mowgli’, actor ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy & ‘Black Panther’), award winning post production house Evolutions, and Creativity Media (BAFTA nominated productions) to name a few examples

• Guidance and career development

• A strong emphasis on teamwork and collaborative learning, rather than working autonomously; after all, our course mirrors the real life professional arena while still covering the necessary theoretical elements

• Film festival access and invitations to key networking events that will help elevate your industry knowledge, your contacts and your personal film work

• No hidden costs - course materials and film budgets are all included in the course fee

LFA is a registered higher education provider with the Office for Students (OfS) and listed on their Register, meaning that we meet the OfS requirements for academic standards, course quality, student support, and student protection. This course is validated by the University of Derby. As a partner student you will be granted access to the University’s online learning environment ‘University of Derby Online (UDo)’ where you will be able to access programme resources related to your programme, the University’s library and your grades.

This course is for ages 18 and above (we can consider 17 year olds who turn 18 in the first year of the course).

The two-year course is delivered over 6 terms, and totals 360 academic credits. The ethos of the programme is to teach creative, academic, technical and professional skills in an integrated way in an industry-standard setting. To this end, teaching initially takes place through interactive lectures, seminars, workshops and screenings and is then continued in a practical setting through shared film productions, in-company work placements and independent study.

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

TERMS

• Terms 1 and 2 are spent learning about key filmmaking disciplines: directing, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, editing, sound and production design. This phase of the course culminates in a series of collaborative projects, where you experience multiple on and off-set roles within the given filmmaking disciplines
• During term 3, you start gaining independence and develop key skills in particular areas of filmmaking through the production of several slightly-longer collaborative film projects
• In term 4 you are given more control over your modules choices as you start to gain more autonomy and experience on the course. This allows you to choose between a work placement module or a collaborative special project, which explores a non-narrative fiction discipline, for example a documentary, commercial or experimental film
• During term 5, you normally write a dissertation – either a discursive dissertation or a project with academic commentary. Alternatively, you can apply for another work placement, accompanied by a presentation.
• During the final term 6 of the course you work on a second, longer and more complex, collaborative film project.

The course culminates in a graduation at the prestigious BFI Southbank, showcasing and celebrating the work of the graduating students.

This unique course is designed for you to gain real-world skills in a practical setting. You will pitch to secure projects/work placements/head of department role and work as a team across a number of films, rotating through a variety of crew roles. You are given increasing autonomy from semester 4 to semester 6 in decision-making and management of several-thousand-pound budgets. And at the end of the course you will have amassed numerous film credits.

Crew roles have clearly defined functions and responsibilities. At LFA, you experience these industry roles in conditions emulating those of a professional film set (a director works with a writer to develop the script and with an editor to edit the film). We provide pre-production, post-production and on-set professional technical support enabling you to apply your knowledge in a supportive environment and find your creative voice.

Course Fees: The total fee for the 2-year course is £44,000 (£22,000 per year). This is inclusive of film production budgets and there are no hidden additional costs. Please visit the Funding Your Studies section of our website for more information.

Deposit: Successful applicants will then be issued with an offer letter. Upon acceptance of their place, applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £4,500. The balance of course fees will need to be paid in accordance to the LFA Terms and Conditions.

You should be aware that London Film Academy is an Independent education provider. This means that the maximum Student Finance Tuition Fee Loan amount, will be approximately £7,200 per year if you study on our 2-year BA (Hons) Filmmaking course. Please note therefore that this loan does not cover the full tuition fee.

For more information on fees and funding, head to this page.

What kind of students we are looking for

• Passionate, curious and open-minded individuals who love watching, discussing and making all kinds of films and TV, and are keen to learn about all aspects of filmmaking, from pre to post-production.
• Team players: filmmaking is a collaborative process, and team work is at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for reliable, adaptable and supportive individuals who will be an asset to any production unit.  
• Previous filmmaking experience is desirable, but not essential! If you have the motivation and determination, we’ll give you the skills and experience to get a head start in the film & TV industry. 

The BA (Hons) Filmmaking programme is for collaborative, articulate and creative people who can demonstrate a strong instinct for the grammar of visual storytelling and who are seeking a professional career in film or TV.

Entry requirements 

• UCAS Tariff Points – 112
• A-levels: 3 A-Levels minimum BBC (preferred subjects: Art & Design, Photography, Film & Media Production, Film & Media Studies, Drama, English)
• GCSE: at least 3 GCSEs at Grade 4/Grade C (or above) including Maths and English or equivalent qualification
• Exceptions: If you are aged 21 or above, we can also consider applicants based on a strong portfolio of work and/or substantial relevant experience.

English-language requirements

To study at LFA, it is essential that you can communicate effectively in English. You will need to provide evidence of your proficiency if English is not your first language. For international students, we accept the IELTS ACADEMIC qualification (minimum IELTS score of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each band).

Application Process

Please submit an application form via our website and respond to the application confirmation you receive, providing us with the relevant supporting materials detailed. At LFA, we look for creative-minded and academically driven applicants. If you have a portfolio or any creative materials to support your application (e.g., a short film, photography or a short film script), we would love to see them. Please submit creative materials as a pdf to admissions@ic-serviceclient.com, and short films are to be shared by Vimeo or YouTube as we cannot accept download links. Once the supporting materials have been submitted, the application will be reviewed, and successful applicants who fulfil the LFA initial requirements will receive an invitation to attend an interview.

Careers and progression

• See what our graduates are doing now by visiting our Graduates page and find out more about the career destinations of LFA alumni
• We support you throughout your studies and beyond. During your time with us you are allocated a career tutor, who meets with you on a termly basis to discuss their career progression. Once you graduate this support continues with our LFA Filmmakers’ Club, our alumni networking group.

To apply online please click on the course date below.

• 16 September 2024 - 24 July 2026
  Course Fee: £ 44,000
  
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