University of BradfordSchool of Computing, Informatics & MediaBradford Media School
Programme/course title: MA Music Video Production
Awarding and teaching institution: / University of BradfordFinal award: / MA [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level 7]
Programme title: / Music Video Production
Programme approved / accredited by: / n/a
Duration: / 1 year full-time – September (semester 1), January (semester 2) and April/May (summer period) starts; 2 year part-time
UCAS code: / Not applicable
Date produced: / April 2011
Last updated : / October 2011
Introduction
The innovative MA Music Video Production course is offered by the University of Bradford in association with Mute Records, one of the most renowned independent record labels ( Bradford Media School (BMS) provides and runs this specialist postgraduate course for individuals aspiring to work as a professional music video producer.BMS sits withinthe School of Computing, Informatics and Media (SCIM) which is a Skillset Media Academy in partnership with East Coast Media and the National Media Museum (NMeM). The Museum provides a range of festivals and masterclasses and useful and valuable artefacts, as well as archive.
Music video production is a groundbreaking creative force within the filmmaking industry in the UK. As a country, the UK has one of the best reputations for making innovative, exciting and effective visual celebrations of music. As a creative and technical art form, making music videos has been the hothouse for great directors, producers and designers to go on to very successful careers within the film industry, such as John Hillcoat, David Fincher, Anton Corbrijn, Michel Gondry, and Mark Romanek.
This programme draws on some of the most widely-respected people in the business who will provide master classes and online tutorials. Aspiring and dedicated filmmakers with production experience will be recruited and given the opportunity to work with professionals. The course will consist of workshops and master classes (and online support materials) which will lead to work placements with professionals making music videos. Then, with careful mentoring, the course requires that students will produce commissions for broadcast.The course aims to produce the best calibre music producers of the future.
Initially, youwill acquire an advanced conceptual understanding of the creative processes involved in developing ideas for a music video production. You will gain a detailed knowledge of the professional practices involved in organising a production and an industry-relevant appreciation of the commissioning and distribution of music videos. This theoretical and analytical awareness of music video production, and of the wider industry demands, will be taught alongside a process of youdeveloping yourown project specific research. These modules pave the way to the more practical, skills focused modules.
Through a placement, you will go on to build a working knowledge of the skills, working practices and conventions of producing a music video. This will be gained from mentored placements on ‘live’ productions and from the post-production work at various edit facilities. Youwill have assistant roles on the shoots and have the opportunity to discuss, assess and reflect upon the experience.
Alongside the learning provision through the placements, youwill be expected to develop yourown research, planning, costing and creative ability on yourown case study work. Peer group, tutor and industry mentor reviews will help you acquire a specialist understanding of the requirements of making an industry standard music video production. This equips you with the knowledge, skills and aptitude to work on yourown commissioned project to achieve the Masters degree.
Programme Aims
The programme is intended to:
A1.Enable you to develop a mastery of the development and current status of the music video industry and institutions, the products they make, and their audiences.
A2.Enable you to develop an advanced range of knowledge, understanding and skills in the field of music video production, set against industry practice and conventions.
A3.Enable you to develop an original portfolio of appropriate transferable skills and attributes. Many of these skills will have been learnt in the workplace on ‘live’ productions
A4.Enable you to develop lifelong independent learning skills including critical reflection and analysis.
Programme Learning Outcomes
When you have completed the programme you will be able to:
LO1.Demonstrate mastery of the major contemporary issues and of the historical development of music video forms, languages, ethics and institutions and their relationships to their audiences, to commerce and to legislative / regulatory requirements.
LO2.Apply your advanced knowledge and understanding and critical evaluation of the major theoretical tools and critical analytical skills in the interpretation of music video productions.
LO3.Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the social, political, cultural, technical, and economic conditions of music video production, distribution, and reception in national and international contexts.
LO4.Apply your advance knowledge of, and critical competence in, key technologies and practices of music video production.
LO5.Demonstrate advance discipline-specific skills in,and critical analysis of, music video content creation, programming, specification, design, production, and evaluation.
LO6.Demonstrate an advance ability to produce project work to high technical and aesthetic standards with the ability to make informed judgements in the context of a rapidly developing and converging digital and online market place.
LO7.Apply appropriate advance personal and transferable skills in research and presentation, interpretation and transformation of information, creative and systematic problem solving, and communication.
LO8.Demonstrate advance application of effective skills in teamwork and leadership, project management and personal management.
Curriculum
The MA Music Video Productionis a 12-month full-time programme starting in September, January or April/May of each year, or 24 months of part-time study following a similar pattern.
It is structured as shown in the table further below - two study periods of instruction and work-based learning and placements through a series of taught modules, followed by completion of a major MA Project in the final stage. For the full- time path, in each of the first two study periods, modules accounting for 60 credits are studied. For each module, all of the teaching and assessment is undertaken in the same study period. All modules are indicated as core or compulsory (C).
Note that, for
September (semester 1) start, the full-time programme study periods are (1) September to January, (2) January to May, and (3) May to September;
January (semester 2) start, the full-time programme periods are (1) January to May, (2) May to September, and (3) September to January;
April/May (summer period) start thefull-time programme periods are (1)April/May to September, (2) September to January, and(3) January to May.
Masters:
Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study periodEM-4074D / Commissioning / C / 20 / M / 1
EM-4075D / Creative Processes and Pre-Visualisation / C / 20 / M / 1
EM-4076D / Planning a Production / C / 20 / M / 1
EM-4077D / Art of Shooting / C / 20 / M / 2
EM-4078D / Managing a Shoot / C / 20 / M / 2
EM-4079D / Understanding Post-Production / C / 20 / M / 2
EM-4036Z / MA Project / C / 60 / M / 3
* Please Note: The curriculum may change, subject to the University's course approval, monitoring and review procedures.
Teaching and Assessment Strategies
You will experience a wide range of teaching and learning environments studying for the MA Music Video Production. Concepts, principles and theories are generally explored in formal lectures and practiced in associated tutorials, seminars and directed reading groups. Your professional and personal skills will be developed and assessed through presentations, discussion, screenings and small-scale project work that involves problem-solving and design exercises, writing an essay and critical reports.
Practical music video production skills that are key to this course will be developed in workshop and studio sessions, on mentored work placements and on ‘live’commissions set.
You are required to commit 200 hours of time for each of the 20-credit modules. The weighting of how this time is managed varies; some modules will involve many formal contact hours (time spent with the tutor), while others will require more independent study (self-managed under the guidance of the tutor). As a general approach, the classroom based teaching sessions will be mostly delivered in 2-day intensive teaching blocks and one day follow-up supported by a variety of online tutor written resources and communication and follow-ups in order to ensure a high degree of independent learning as required by practising professionals.
In addition to 120 credits of taught modules, candidates for the Masters award will be expected to complete a 60 credit final major production that will involve an actual Music Video Production for a Mute label band and a critical review of the skills and processes undertaken. This final MA Project will have an industry mentor from Mute supporting your work.
Assessment Regulations
This Programme conforms to the standard University Assessment Regulations for Postgraduate Programmes which are available at the following link:
Admission Requirements
The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. All potential students will be interviewed. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements for each programme will vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and relevant experience.
Typically for this course, you will be expected to have a good BA degree qualification in a related subject and a portfolio of production work or, if you don’t have a first degree, then substantial relevant industry experience will be required along with a significant body of production credits. If you have any other prior certificated learning or professional experience which may be equivalent to parts of this programme, the University has procedures to evaluate this learning in order to provide you with exemptions from specified modules contained within the curriculum. Please talk to us if you do not fit the standard pattern of entry qualifications.
The University of Bradford has always welcomed applications from disabled students, and these will be considered on the same academic grounds as are applied to all applicants. If you have some form of disability you may wish to contact the programme leader before you apply.
Learning Resources
The JB Priestley Library on the city campus and our specialist libraries in the School of Health Studies and the School of Management provide a wide range of printed and electronic resources to support your studies. We offer quiet study space if you want to work on your own, and group study areas for the times when you need to discuss work with fellow students. Subject librarians for each School provide training sessions and individual guidance in finding the information you need for your assignment, and will help you organise your references properly.
Student PC clusters can be found in all our libraries and elsewhere on the campus. Many of these are open 24/7. You can also use the University's wireless network to access the internet from your own laptop. Most of our online journals are available on the internet (both on and off campus), and you can also access your University email account, personal information and course-related materials this way.
Staff are on hand during the daytime to help you if you get stuck, and there is a 24/7 IT helpline available.
SCIM has excellent facilities of its own together with those it shares with the National Media Museum. There are excellent video production facilities available via the School’s Technical Support centre and print facilities (for making posters etc.) are also accessible to all students. MA Music Video Production students also have access to the NMeM’s archive which holds many valuable and useful film-related artefacts. The JB Priestley Library has a dedicated collection of films on DVD.
Student Support and Guidance
Course Team:Support for you personally and in your course of study, will be provided both by the University and the Course Team. You will be allocated a personal tutor who is someone with whom you will be able to talk about any academic or personal concerns. The School will ensure that there is someone available with whom you feel comfortable to help and support you. You will be provided with a comprehensive series of handbooks that you can consult on a range of learning issues and your course tutors will be available to consult on subject specific queries.
Students’ Union:We value the feedback provided by students and collaborate with the Students’ Union, through a system of course representatives and formal staff student liaison committees, so that any issues you wish to raise are addressed rapidly.
The Students’ Union and the University of Bradford work in partnership to provide confidential counselling and welfare services where you can get help with any aspect of your personal or academic life. Student Financial and Information Services (part of the Hub) will provide you with information about a diverse range of issues such as council tax, personal safety and tourist information. International Students can access a range of additional advice and support services through the Student’s Union.
Careers and Employability:The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career Development Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the web site
Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.
Specifically within the course itself, there is a panel of industry supporters (organisations and individuals with significant track records in the music video production business) who will lend credibility to the qualification and be able to make recommendations for you through their own networks. An online site backed by Mute that showcases the work from this course will give students a further opportunity to promote their suitability for employment.This course will build a structured route through the industry specific training needs that the sector is looking for in new recruits and freelance appointees.
Learner Development Unit:The Learner Development Unit provides support in all aspects of academic, maths, numeracy and interpersonal skills. A programme of interactive workshops is delivered during both semesters which complements the individual support available from Advisers and the wide range of interactive online materials.
Disability:Disabled students will find a supportive environment at Bradford where we are committed to ensuring that all aspects of student life are accessible to everyone. The Disability Service can help by providing equipment and advice to help you get the most out of your time at Bradford and is a place where you can discuss any concerns you may have about adjustments that you may need, whether these relate to study, personal care or other issues.For more information contact the Disability Service by phoning: 01274 233739 or via email:
University policies and initiatives
Ecoversity
Ecoversity is a strategic project of the University which aims to embed the principles of sustainable development into our decision-making, learning and teaching, research activities campus operations and lives of our staff and students. We do not claim to be a beacon for sustainable development but we aspire to become a leading University in this area. The facilities we create for teaching and learning, including teaching spaces, laboratories, IT labs and social spaces, will increasingly reflect our commitments to sustainable development. Staff and student participation in this initiative is crucial to its success and its inclusion in the programme specification is a clear signal that it is at the forefront of our thinking in programme development, delivery, monitoring and review. For more details see
The MA Music Video Production course addresses aspects of the university’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy as it examines the way in which film, video and music contributes to debates about social and economic justice, cultural diversity and alternative approaches to film and media production.The modules Creative Processes and Pre-visualisation, Commissioning, Managing a Shot, Understanding Post Productionhelp you to develop understanding of the social, political, cultural and economic conditions of music video production. The module Commissioning provides scope for developing ethical awareness, and you are free to explore further ethical and environmental issues in your MA Projectmodule, should you wish to.
Further Information:
For further information, please check the University prospectus or contact Admissions.