BA (Hons) Placement year available

Film and Media

Combine film and media theory with practical skills including film-making, animation and digital publishing.

Michael Bruce underneath a blossom-filled tree

"The course has pretty much opened doors for me to finally do what I wanted to do."

Michael Bruce

BA (Hons) Writing and Film

Read our full interview with Michael
Logo: THE Awards 2023
 

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Join a course that scored 90% for “Academic Support” in the National Student Survey 2024.

Our BA (Hons) Film and Media degree course will introduce you to the key issues and debates in film and media from feminism and postmodernism to the impact of film, TV, music and the media on society, including politics, youth culture and technology.

You’ll also create your own short films in video, animation or 16mm format. Working in our professional TV and film studios, you’ll be trained in all aspects of the craft, including camera operation, sound recording and editing.

You’ll also be able to focus on particular areas of interest, including digital publishing (building apps), radio production, and screenwriting.

Highlights of the course:

  • learn about all aspects of film-making
  • experiment with different formats
  • create your own short films and see your work on the big screen at a local independent cinema
  • gain valuable experience with work placements and commissioned projects.

Course options

Key facts

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Entry Requirements

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Fees and Paying for University

Student work

Our student showcase
  • Video still of three students eating popcorn in a cinema foyer with the words 'the third longest-running film festival in the UK'

    ARU MA Film Production student Megan Wiggins shares her highlights from the 2023 CFF, and its benefits to the community and ARU students.

  • Video still of a woman in yellow clothes, talking on an old-fashioned yellow telephone on a beach, from James Pearson and Martha Wallam's short film 'Beyond The Sea'

    A film by students James Pearson and Martha Wallam.

  • Video still of an illustration of a tree growing from bones, from Liz Michael's short film 'Static'

    A film by student Liz Michael.

  • Video still of a close-up of a baby's bottle, from Lauren Powell's short film 'The Mothering Chair'

    A film by student Lauren Powell.

  • Video still of a church in the distance against a picturesque sunset, from James Pearson's short film 'The Ship of the Fens'

    A film by student James Pearson.

  • Video still of the silhouette of a man dancing on a rooftop at dusk, from Grete Kutkaite's short film 'What is Dance For You?'

    A film by student Grete Kutkaite.

  • Claire Connon on a racing track racing on her wheelchair

    A film by Carmen Vincent, Film Studies Study Abroad student.

    • ;
  • Video still of three students eating popcorn in a cinema foyer with the words 'the third longest-running film festival in the UK'
  • Video still of a woman in yellow clothes, talking on an old-fashioned yellow telephone on a beach, from James Pearson and Martha Wallam's short film 'Beyond The Sea'
  • Video still of an illustration of a tree growing from bones, from Liz Michael's short film 'Static'
  • Video still of a close-up of a baby's bottle, from Lauren Powell's short film 'The Mothering Chair'
  • Video still of a church in the distance against a picturesque sunset, from James Pearson's short film 'The Ship of the Fens'
  • Video still of the silhouette of a man dancing on a rooftop at dusk, from Grete Kutkaite's short film 'What is Dance For You?'
  • Claire Connon on a racing track racing on her wheelchair
  • Video still of three students eating popcorn in a cinema foyer with the words 'the third longest-running film festival in the UK'
  • Video still of a woman in yellow clothes, talking on an old-fashioned yellow telephone on a beach, from James Pearson and Martha Wallam's short film 'Beyond The Sea'
  • Video still of an illustration of a tree growing from bones, from Liz Michael's short film 'Static'
  • Video still of a close-up of a baby's bottle, from Lauren Powell's short film 'The Mothering Chair'
  • Video still of a church in the distance against a picturesque sunset, from James Pearson's short film 'The Ship of the Fens'
  • Video still of the silhouette of a man dancing on a rooftop at dusk, from Grete Kutkaite's short film 'What is Dance For You?'
  • Claire Connon on a racing track racing on her wheelchair

Facilities

You’ll have access to all of our creative facilities including:

  • film studio with overhead lighting, tracks, dollies and green screen
  • multi-camera television studio with modular set panels
  • full range of location kit and sound-recording equipment
  • editing suites with Da Vinci Resolve and the full Adobe Creative Cloud software suite
  • finishing suite with audio monitoring and grading panels
  • Aaton cameras and Steenbeck editors for 16mm film production
  • motion capture equipment
  • podcast and video capture system.
  • A student using an ARRI Alexa film camera outside on ARU's Cambridge campus

    ARRI Alexa camera

  • A member of ARU Media Service staff showing a student a film camera available for loan

    Media Service loans

  • Two small specialist cameras on a desk

    Media Service equipment

  • A member of ARU staff configuring equipment at the Media Services desk

    Media Service helpdesk

  • A group of students filming a backdrop covered in symbols on a set

    Film and media

  • A student using equipment in ARU's film editing suite

    Film editing suite

  • Film editing equipment, including two monitors and an array of controls

    Film editing suite

  • Three students looking at footage on a camera in a film studio

    Film studio

  • The Green Screen in the drama studio

    Green screen studio

  • A podcast studio, showing a screen, speakers, microphones, headphones, camera and mixing decks

    Podcast studio

  • The film screening room on ARU's Cambridge campus

    Screening room

  • A studio lighting rail

    Studio lighting rail

    • ;
  • A student using an ARRI Alexa film camera outside on ARU's Cambridge campus
  • A member of ARU Media Service staff showing a student a film camera available for loan
  • Two small specialist cameras on a desk
  • A member of ARU staff configuring equipment at the Media Services desk
  • A group of students filming a backdrop covered in symbols on a set
  • A student using equipment in ARU's film editing suite
  • Film editing equipment, including two monitors and an array of controls
  • Three students looking at footage on a camera in a film studio
  • The Green Screen in the drama studio
  • A podcast studio, showing a screen, speakers, microphones, headphones, camera and mixing decks
  • The film screening room on ARU's Cambridge campus
  • A studio lighting rail
  • A student using an ARRI Alexa film camera outside on ARU's Cambridge campus
  • A member of ARU Media Service staff showing a student a film camera available for loan
  • Two small specialist cameras on a desk
  • A member of ARU staff configuring equipment at the Media Services desk
  • A group of students filming a backdrop covered in symbols on a set
  • A student using equipment in ARU's film editing suite
  • Film editing equipment, including two monitors and an array of controls
  • Three students looking at footage on a camera in a film studio
  • The Green Screen in the drama studio
  • A podcast studio, showing a screen, speakers, microphones, headphones, camera and mixing decks
  • The film screening room on ARU's Cambridge campus
  • A studio lighting rail

Lecturers

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Careers

What can I do with a Film and Media degree?
Our Film and Media degree course is designed to give you a thorough knowledge of both the theory and practice of film and media. It will help you prepare for many film- and media-related roles, including film and television production and post-production, film journalism, cinema and film festival management, film programming and curation, publishing, broadcasting, web design and public relations.

You might set your sights on film-making itself. Graduates typically start their film careers as runners, camera assistants, programme researchers, second assistants, or junior technicians on set, but as you accrue experience and make connections, you could turn your hand to more specialised jobs in sound, lighting, effects, writing, editing and producing.

Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

Apply for Film and Media

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International students

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A female student using a camera in the tv studio

Gain contacts and experience

Our links with local and national organisation will help you make contacts and find work placements in the industry. Our recent students have found internships and placements with companies including the BBC, Pinewood Studios, StudioCanal UK, Sight and Sound magazine, and Watersprite Film Festival.

Accreditation logo

Blackmagic Design

We’re an official Blackmagic Design training partner, which means you can get certification in their DaVinci Resolve video editing software.

A student in a film studio

Learn outside the classroom

Throughout the course you’ll benefit from extra-curricular events such as:

  • Cambridge Film Festival events
  • regular field trips, such as to the BFI and Tate Modern
  • guest lectures, with recent speakers including Margaret Salmon, Guy Sherwin, Jayne Parker, film editor and sound designer Larry Sider, and filmmaker William Raban
  • events offered through our student-led film societies
  • the chance to join Cam FM, a student-run radio station with studios on our campus and at Cambridge’s famous Fitzwilliam Museum.
Buildings and courtyard on Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus

Life in Cambridge

Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

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Foundation year available

This course offers a foundation year – an extra year of study to help you prepare for university, and build your knowledge and skills.

More about foundation years