Assessment, Learning & Teaching Reflections |
Thursday 17 November
The Foundation Degree in Film and Television Production I lead is, I propose, fabulous because it was designed and is taught by Industry Professionals from Film, TV, Commercials, Corporates and Radio and is continually refined. The audio-visual industries accuse ‘media courses’ both of being too academic with no relevance to the industry, resulting in students graduating with unrealistic expectations who soon become demoralised and move to different career paths and of being too vocational, arguing that the university should be a place for a thorough academic grounding for students before they commence on a chosen career ladder.
Whilst I have certain sympathies for these viewpoints, our FdA is specifically designed to provide an academic framework while also giving our students daily access to practicing tutors and visiting industry professionals This balance offers our graduates real prospects of making contacts and obtaining work in the industry on graduation. However, even more importantly, the Film and Television Industry notoriously has huge barriers to entry for individuals without the independent means to work unpaid before getting a foot in the door as paid professionals. Our Widening Participation policies and course design are changing that, and thus also changing the face of the industry.
Becki Wray-Rogers
Course leader,
FdA in Film and Television Production
School of Film, Television and Performing Arts.
