Are you looking to capture the imagination of an audience? Our animation degree will help you develop the practical skills and technical expertise you need to create your own film by the end of the course. You will be encouraged to express your own creativity and ideas and thanks to our close links with employers, there are chances to work on ‘live’ projects from industry so that you know your skills are relevant. The course is taught by industry professionals who have worked with the likes of BBC, Cartoon Network, Channel 4 and many others. You will be creating in the studio from day one, and using the very latest animation software, for which UCLan is one of only four institutions in the country to provide skillset funded training for professional animators in CelAction’ software. Course teaching is supported by fantastic animation facilities and studios catering for CGI, stop frame, 2D, illustrative, set building, model-making and sound recording, editing and sound design. Animation at UCLan enjoys an excellent reputation and for many years our students have been winners of Royal Television Society regional prizes and a national final for best undergraduate film in the country.
Media - School of Journalism, Media and Performance
UCLan’s strengths in media practice, media technology, media studies, photography and television are clearly evidenced in the wide range of specialist and exciting courses we offer. Study one of our media courses and you’ll be based in our £15 million Media Factory, which contains excellent modern television, film, sound and photographic facilities, including a wide range of high-spec portable equipment, such as video and stills cameras, lighting gear and audio recorders.
We enjoy excellent links with industry and you’ll benefit from the opportunity to work on live briefs and client-based projects, providing you with a chance to enhance your skills alongside industry professionals. Alongside this, we also utilise our industry links to deliver a vibrant programme of guest lectures and professional workshops. These lectures are a great opportunity to learn from experienced, industry experts.
I have worked with the students of the University of Central Lancashire on two large scale productions and found them to be exceptionally professional, hard-working and mature in their approach to the working environment.
The broadcast industry has identified skills gaps in writing and crewing for TV drama, resulting in a unique course from the University of Central Lancashire and industry professionals to meet industry standards. The BA (Hons) in Continuing Drama Production is a full honours degree which can be obtained in just two years, and will replicate the intensive nature of making popular drama programmes for broadcast – meaning your debts are less and you graduate faster! This practice-based degree - not only mimicking real-world experience but delivering it - will give students unique opportunities to develop skills and prove themselves with real world experience.
This course will engage you with the diverse nature of contemporary media, its relationship with popular culture, and the impact that these have in society and culture. Study of moving-image visual media is at the core of the degree with a portfolio of modules in film which look at how films create meaning and communicate, the institutions and directors who produce films, issues of national cinema and the global marketplace for film, history of cinema, and issues relating to transmedia, fandom and stars.
If you are passionate about film and storytelling through images, and always wondered what all the people in the credits of a film are actually doing, then this course is most certainly for you. This hands-on course will enable you to produce films to professional standards, write production proposals and give presentations. Our graduates regularly appear in the credits of major TV and cinema releases, win awards at prestigious film festivals and the Royal Television Society, and have their scripts developed into independent film productions. The course has been developed to offer a clear, industry recognised and endorsed path of study that produces highly employable graduates with an unrivalled skills base, fit for work in the real world from the day you leave university. The course content is continuously upgraded to reflect the fast-changing world of digital production and covers a wide range of areas directly relevant to the film industry, including the UK’s only feature film production at undergraduate level. Our film production degree offers scope to develop both personal creative expression and professional level skills in a supportive and inclusive environment.
You will love this course if you want to design the games you play - from the start of the course, you will be designing, prototyping and developing games. You are actively encouraged to ‘play’, to question the nature of physical and digital games, and to express the ideas you formulate through your personal project work. As your skills develop you will undertake live projects linked to game developers and learn an industry perspective that will equip you to seek employment in the industry. The course provides a strong visual and creative base, supported by digital modelling and set within a professional framework for the development of games concepts. You will be encouraged to operate as a games designer and given the creative freedom and necessary skills to develop your own ideas. The course team have a wide variety of skills and are highly experienced in developing your visualising, creative thinking, digital modelling, concept art and games development skills. Our Industry Speaker programme includes lead designers, 3D artists, QA, production and technical artists from AAA and independent game development studios throughout the UK who bring with them a broad experience of the games development industry.
Do you want to explore media production and technologies across video, audio, graphics, multimedia and TV? If you aim to become a flexible and multi-disciplined media practitioner, then this practical course is perfect for you. Based in our state-of-the-art Media Factory, you’ll combine knowledge of technical systems and processes with an awareness of industry practice. You will have multiple opportunities to be creative, producing a body of work that will showcase the breadth of your diverse craft skills. Through engaging briefs, and with the support of caring and enthusiastic lecturers, you will develop the skills to help you launch your own career in media production.
The modern world is saturated in imagery. Understanding how to interpret it and create it are now key skills for contemporary living. Our practical photography degree aims to help you develop a clear understanding of how photographs can be used to communicate and express yourself in the professional world of the creative industries. Intensive workshop sessions will allow you to pick up relevant skills and undertake innovative types of visual problem-solving. Carrying out work placements and collaborating on live client-based briefs will help equip you with the relevant vocational skills and experiences you need to follow a career as a professional photographer.
Screenwriting is a multi-million pound industry and is the foundation of all Film, TV, Theatre and Radio production. Our students and alumni regularly win national competitions, with a recent nomination for an Oscar, as well as Royal Television Society and United Nations awards. If you want to meet professional writers, network at BAFTA events and attend film festivals, this is the course for you. We are now regarded as one of the top screenwriting courses in the UK and our position within the North West media marketplace is constantly growing through our direct industry links with MediaCityUK (Salford), of which UCLan is a leading educational partner. Based in our Media Factory, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art facilities where you can practise various scriptwriting disciplines and hone your skills around writing for film, TV, radio, theatre and video games.
This course aims to produce the television programme makers of the future - creative, motivated, flexible and multi-skilled. It is hands-on and gives you access to the most up-to-date digital broadcast facilities - you’ll work in the multi-camera digital TV studio from the start. Lectures and workshops provide the opportunity to understand both the production process and the technology behind programme-making. Put these into action as you develop your own programme ideas and create broadcast standard television using the very latest equipment. Our commercial links to ITV result in our students having the opportunity to work on projects alongside ITV cast and crew such as ITV’s Soap in a Week, Michael Ball’s Musical in a Week and Jeremy Kyle Live.
We live in an online world, and demand is strong for graduates with the specialist skills and expertise to design, develop and maintain the feature-rich web applications that are a key aspect of modern life and business. You’ll be taught in a digital media environment and this course is ideal if you wish to pursue a career designing and developing websites, apps and other interactive products for media, publishing, e-commerce, arts and education. You’ll work on live briefs helping you to build a strong knowledge base and technical expertise in areas including scripting/coding, graphics/data graphics, planning, prototyping and user experience design (UX).
MA Animation allows practitioners in animation to explore opportunities that cross established boundaries or develop in-depth aspects of practice beyond usual levels. This postgraduate course aims to develop the student's personal philosophies on design with a view to developing a personal area of specialism.
Our postgraduate Animation degree is an exciting course, which offers students a chance to fine tune their animation skills under the supervision of industry professionals. This can range from creating brilliant character animation to creating an award winning animated film or developing amazing sound design skills. A 'statement of intent' is drawn up during the beginning of your studies which forms the backbone of the postgraduate activity and provides a term of reference for assessable outcomes.
Our postgraduate course in Film Production combines practice, theory, enterprise skills and personal and professional development. The theory is embedded in the practical teaching, so that for every new skill and convention learned the reason for its application is also explored.
MA Film Production aims to emulate a real working environment in which practical learning allows you to ‘learn on the job’ by performing roles in a film production team. This ‘real word’ environment is further enhanced through student collaboration on productions of narrative drama or documentary, using high-end production methods and equipment. Alongside drama and documentary productions, postgraduate Film Production allows you to develop subject specific research skills and apply those to practical work.
MA Games Design provides a unique study opportunity rooted in creative development linked across a range of digital and traditional approaches. The course also provides a distinct opportunity to study these disciplines at postgraduate level from a perspective that is not always readily available within the UK.
Our postgraduate Games Design degree is for those individuals who wish to creatively question ‘industry norms’ and develop a personal area of investigation. To this end the course has a strong emphasis on personal exploration which it is hoped will bring together new ideas and theories within accepted common practice.
This postgraduate Games Design course has been developed to provide part-time students the opportunity, support and guidance to fully explore the activity of designing and developing games of all types. What is particularly unique is that this MA Games Design is delivered entirely via the Internet using readily available online tools and proprietary applications. It is completely distance learning and there is no requirement for on-campus attendance. The course team offers a rich mix of staff with current industry experience as well as practiced academic staff with significant experience in postgraduate delivery and academic research. The course seeks to encourage the inquiry into generally accepted ‘game design practice’ and strive to push the boundaries of what is achievable in this young discipline.
The MA Photography programme offers an in-depth, creative and socially engaged postgraduate level education in the practices of contemporary photography. You will develop an appreciation of photography as a tool for personal expression, cultural storytelling and political activism. Under the guidance of professional staff you will experience extensive practical workshops and critical seminars in world-class facilities. In addition, you will learn an array of other complimentary skills such as sound, filmmaking and ethnographic fieldwork and be offered chances to work with professional partners here and abroad. The course aims to help you become a flexible multi-skilled, lateral thinker with a critical and vocational awareness of how photography works for a range of destinations and web-based platforms.
Utilising the expertise of our expanded Scriptwriting team the course builds on the skill base and reputation of our established undergraduate course and boasts improved facilities as a result of the move to our £15 million Media Factory development with state-of-the-art facilities.
The course offers an in-depth knowledge of writing for radio, television, film and stage with emphasis on current industry practice and employability, equipping students with the most appropriate practice skills. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the writing of a full length feature film that is actually produced. Students will also be contenders for the new Matt Greenhalgh Award. The course is ideally located with access to local radio and the North West’s vibrant live grassroots theatre and new BBC production base.
If you want to create broadcast content for live clients, work in our multi-camera JAMES integrated learning centre, gain broadcast credit while studying and experience the broadcast industry, look no further. UCLan graduates work for ITV, BBC, MUTV, ADI and Televideo. The Media Factory Preston is complete with 120 square meter broadcast TV studio, production gallery and applications room. 115 square metre chroma-key infinity stage, 8 camera, multi-sensor motion capture suite, external drama set including: pub, flats and corner shop, a 360 emotional intelligence facility across 3 rooms, external production gallery and simulation offices. The course provides an output for specialist interests including Sports Television, Live Event and Drama Production.
UCLan is one of only three universities in the UK to receive a prestigious accreditation for its creative courses after being confirmed as a JAMES integrated learning centre
Film Production students won the Undergraduate Comedy and Entertainement prize at the 2017 Royal Television Society Student Television Awards
Photography and Film Production courses were ranked top in the UK in the Guardian League Table
UCLan students were North West Royal Television Society Student Television Award Winners for the ninth year running
Highlights of our Media Courses
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Utilising our close links with agencies in the North West and London you’ll be encouraged to take up internships and industry work placements, building up relevant experience.
STUDY ABROAD
There is an opportunity to study abroad in the second year, which will help broaden your knowledge of the industry.
WORK EXPERIENCE
By working on ‘live’ client focused briefs such as Virgin, Alexander McQueen, Sony and Hallmark, you will work directly with future clients in real world workplace experiences. This means that you can describe your work experience on your CV giving you that competitive edge.
AWARD WINNING
Students have an enviable record of winning awards for their work. You will be encouraged to enter your work into the international design competition arena to make sure your audience recognises your talent in advance of career applications in the summer of graduation.
LIVE BRIEFS
Students are able to work on live client briefs for organisations, providing vital employability skills.
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
You’ll be able to interact with visiting lecturers and industry professionals, learning different skills and creative ideas to benefit you and your studies.
OUR VIRTUAL TOURS
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ANIMATION STOP MOTION STUDIO
GAMES DESIGN STUDIO
The guidance I got from my tutors and peers was absolutely amazing. We had wonderful opportunities to work in industry and received critical feedback which was very helpful.
Declan Holgate, Animation Graduate
MEDIA SUCCESSES
Beth Bennett
Graduating last summer with a 2.1 Bachelor’s degree in Television Production and a place in the ITV Insight Pool, aspiring Executive Producer Beth Bennett is storming ahead in her career having landed herself a job as an auditions runner for ITV’s award-winning quiz show - The Chase.
Find out moreProfessor Erik Knudsen
Erik's own work takes the form of creative practice and applied theory and is concerned with the exploration and development of transcendent qualities and themes in cinematic storytelling. His predominantly practice-led film research has focused particularly on narrative documentary and fiction.
Find out more
GALLERY
