About this course
This hybrid MA enables students to develop practical and theoretical skills in film production and analysis.
- Combine practical filmmaking and film criticism
- Choose between practical and theoretical assignments
- Embed your learning within an academic and film industry-based context
- Study on a course that explores and promotes filmmaking in the city of Liverpool, capitalising on its cinematic history and its current and future production activity
- Learn from staff with a broad range of research specialisms, including practical filmmaking, academic writing, screenwriting and producing video essays
Studying on this new MA affords you the opportunity to study in one of the UKs most dynamic cities. Liverpool is the second most filmed city in the UK after London and has a vibrant media and cultural industry.
This forward-looking MA prepares you for bridging the traditional gap between theory and practice, by inviting you to both 'think' and 'do' film, thus bringing down barriers and forging new approaches to the analysis and production of films.
The MA Film promotes an experimental approach that considers film as a tool for research and a means for understanding, exploring and representing the world. The programme will build a cohort of practice-informed academics, and theory-informed practitioners, while offering the opportunity to study in a dynamic city with a burgeoning film industry.
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
Graduates on this programme would typically be either working in or looking to move into careers in:
- Film Production
- Digital Content Production and Distribution
- Marketing and Communication
- Tourism
- Location Scouting
- Film Festivals
- Teaching
- Corporate Communications
- Cultural Management
- Further Postgraduate study (MPhil and PhD)
External engagement is central to the MA Film degree. Liverpool Screen School works with a range of national and regional organisations including: The Liverpool Film Office, BBC, ITV Northern Lights Partnership, Lime Pictures, Envy Post Production London, FACT, HOME Manchester, TATE Liverpool, Creative England, and the BAFTA award-winning companies Hurricane Films and LA Productions.
Twickenham Studios are due to launch a brand new film studio in Liverpool, and we are currently exploring possible partnerships that will offer employment possibilities to some of the MAs graduates.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
Core modules
Researching Film
30 credits
Equips you with the skills required to undertake research projects at postgraduate level. Areas of study will include approaches to archival work, research methodologies, interview skills, ethnography, ethical issues and craft skills.
Screening the City
30 credits
Screening the City focuses on Liverpool as a filmmaker’s city, exploring the industrial, institutional and creative opportunities that it offers (Liverpool Film Office, Tate Gallery, FACT). It also examines the tradition of the ‘City Symphony’ films, as well as a number of case studies deriving from World Cinema (Paris, London, Belfast, New York, New Orleans, Athens, Mumbai, Tokyo). The topics of film tourism (including Dark Tourism), architecture and cinema, and ecology (green spaces in the city) are also explored in this module.
Exploring Film Festivals, Distribution and Exhibition
30 credits
Exploring Film Festivals goes beyond production and representation, to consider the different ways in which film circulates. It examines the historical and contemporary significance of film festivals both in assigning value to film (through awards) and in providing an alternative distribution network, while also assessing the significance and function of film programming in festivals. The module also engages with digital distribution (formal and informal), as well as alternative and experimental exhibition possibilities for film (art galleries, video mapping, retail space). The module will include a possible field trip to a film festival.
People in Film
30 credits
Examine different forms of human representation in cinema. This module deals with issues around stereotyping (race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability), and it also introduces issues (ethical and otherwise) around representing the other as addressed by audio-visual ethnography and anthropology. It explores features of character development and motivation in scripts, and the production of sympathy and empathy.
Final Project
60 credits
Undertake an extended project, which can be either a written or practice-based piece. The topic will be agreed in advance and students will be allocated a supervisor who is a specialist in the field.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
Typically, full-time students will be expected to attend taught sessions two days a week, currently Mondays and Fridays. Times will vary week to week and timetables will be provided to students upon enrolment.
Teaching methods
You will participate in a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and field trips. One-to-one supervision and independent learning form a major part of the day-to-day management of student time.
Applied learning
Over the duration of the programme you will craft skills and apply these in the field of filmmaking through practical modules and your final project. You will apply a range of theoretical concepts and historical context to your written work.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
All modules offer students full flexibility in choosing the kind of assignment they prefer. Options include making a film, conducting an academic written research project, creating a video essay or writing a screenplay.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Lydia Papadimitriou
Programme Leader
Keith is an award winning filmmaker. His area of expertise focuses on the relationship between theory and practice in documentary filmmaking, with particular emphasis focusing on the representation of the city within film. His A Film About Nice, a poetic documentary capturing the dawn-to-dusk daily life of the Cte DAzur, won first prize for Best Sound Design at The Maverick Movie Awards 2012 in Hollywood, USA, as well as being nominated for Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Chronicle.
Whereas most postgraduate degrees in Film offer students the choice of exploring film through practice or theory, the MA Film at LJMU offers a dynamic opportunity to engage with both disciplines. We look forward to encouraging students to find their creative voice through film.
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
The School is based in the Redmonds Building, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool 's growing Knowledge Quarter. Redmonds is shared by two Schools within the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies - Liverpool Screen School and the School of Law - and Liverpool Business School, making for a rich blend of student learning experiences. The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, broadcast studios, news rooms, media production suites, social spaces and a café. It is only a short walk from LJMU 's Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
- a minimum 2:2 Honours degree in a relevant subject (Film Studies, Media Production, Computer Studies, Game Studies, Fine Art, Design, Architecture and Humanities based subject)
International requirements
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IELTS
- IELTS 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component) or equivalent.
Further information
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Extra Requirements
- to demonstrate the ability to benefit from and contribute to the programme
- to display the potential to develop postgraduate level research skills
- If you have no experience studying Film (practice and/or theory) you must demonstrate a genuine interest and commitment to develop your knowledge in this area
- Those without a degree will be considered on their individual circumstances. We expect such applicants to demonstrate a good body of professional practice as a creative media practitioner (nominally equivalent to three years) and a commitment to a postgraduate programme of study. All applicants without a degree must attend an interview as part of the application process. The Programme Leader will make a decision on whether to admit the candidate on the basis of experience evidenced by CV (which must be provided at the point of application), portfolio/showreel, reference and interview. Evidence of engagement with critical debate in the area of media is expected.
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.