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1. Admissions/ Management Information
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Title of the programme – including any lower awards
Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award.

See guidance on programme titles in:
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Masters MA in Film and Television Production with Visual Effects
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Postgraduate Diploma Postgraduate Diploma in in Film and Television Production with Visual EffectsPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Postgraduate Certificate Postgraduate Certificate in in Film and Television Production with Visual EffectsPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Level of qualificationLevel 7
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This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:September 2021
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Awarding institutionTeaching institution
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Unviersity of York University of York
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Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
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Lead Department Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
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Other contributing Departments: N/A
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Route code
(existing programmes only)		PMFTVSVEA1
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Admissions criteria
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First degree in a related area with a minimum classification of 2.1 or equivalent, demonstrated experience in the film, television or video-making process. Department standard minimum language competency (IELTS 6.5)
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Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
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ProgrammeLength (years/ months) Status (full-time/ part-time)
Please select		Start dates/months
(if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
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Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
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MA in Film and Television Production with Visual Effects
1 yearFull-timeSeptemberPlease select Y/NYesPlease select Y/NNo
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Language(s) of study
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English
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Language(s) of assessment
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English
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2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
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2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
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Please Select Y/N: Noif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
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2.b. Name of PSRB
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2.c. Please provide details of any approval/ accrediation event needed, including: timecales, the nature of the event, central support / information required:
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2.d. Are there any conditions on the approval/ accreditation of the programme(s)/ graduates (for example accreditation only for the full award and not any interim award)
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3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
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Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
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Please Select Y/N: Noif Yes, provide details
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N/A
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4. Programme leadership and programme team
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4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
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Programme leader: Dr Guy Schofield. Module Convenors: Dr Guy Schofield, Prof John Mateer, Mr Paul Ryan, Ms Lorianne Hall
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4.b. Who has been involved in producing the PLOs, programme map and enhancement plan? (please include confirmation of the extent to which colleagues from the programme team /BoS have been involved; whether student views have been incorporated, and also any external input such as external examiners, employer liaison board)
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PLOs, programme map and enhancement plan produced by Dr Guy Schofield and Prof John Mateer in consultation with Chair of BoS. Student views have been taken into account through the midterm programme feedback process.
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5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
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5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme
Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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The MA in Film and Television Production with Visual Effects offers you the unique opportunity to study, explore and practise contemporary film and television postproduction with a focus on creative aspects of Visual Effects. Our programme emphasises rigorous academic and critical thought along with a high level of craft skill and creativity, which will equip you for the challenges of entering the film and television industries. The programme combines creative and technical work with the contextual analysis of theories and history as well as debates about technique, style and meaning. In dealing with both the art and the science of postproduction, the programme is designed to appeal to a wide range of students with different kinds of academic backgrounds, interests and strengths. During the programme you will learn a variety of postproduction techniques, including compositing, colour grading and conforming visual effects projects. You will be encouraged to realise your own creative projects using the taught techniques and as a result familiarise yourself with conventional practises as well as explore new methods. You will also be encouraged to develop the critical skills and understanding that you will need to progress further in academia or to pursue a career in industry. You will also benefit from one of the best equipped and most up-to-date production and postproduction centre at any UK university. In addition to scheduled classes, you will have contact with leading film and television professionals via the department's professional visitors programme. This includes masterclasses, lectures and workshops addressing a wide range of creative, technical and academic issues.
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5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters
Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do.
If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Carry out film and television postproduction to a professional standard by employing their in-depth understanding of the theoretical basis, underlying technologies and practical skills central to picture postproduction and visual effects.
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2Work collaboratively and to good effect with others - as leader or team member - in the production and delivery of creative projects that conform to current industry practices and standards.
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3Analyse, critically evaluate and reflect upon their practice, using a developed understanding of professional production values and aesthetics.
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4Organise themselves to deliver creative work that meets commercial objectives by exercising self-discipline and a capacity to work independently to challenging deadlines.
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5Solve problems creatively and with intellectual rigour through applying formal investigative research skills and an ability to exercise critical judgement.
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6Communicate clearly and persuasively to professional, academic and lay audiences using appropriate written, oral and other media.
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7Devise and execute original technical projects in a range of picture postproduction domains.
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5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes
Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
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i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
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The MA in Film and Television Production with Visual Effects aims to help students develop a wide range of skills in a relatively short space of time. Although the focus of the programme is on Visual Effects, the students engage with a range of corollary professional disciplines, including sound, direction and cinematography, through group work. They also learn to engage with the business of production and postproduction. While taught sessions take place in University term-times, project work is carried out over the vacation periods, ensuring that students are constantly stretched and challenged.
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ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
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The MA in Film and Television Production with Visual Effects is unique in providing a balance between TV and film practice and between detailed, up-to-date professional and technical training and rigorous academic research. The situation of the programme within the larger setting of the TFTI department also leads to a distinctive interdisciplinary approach, in which students are encouraged to work with peers in other disciplines on assessed projects. The relatively small size of the programme within the larger professional and academic community of the department gives the students the benefit of excellent staff-student ratios while developing the ability to work within a large peer group of diverse individuals from multiple disciplines.
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As a programme which has typically attracted students from diverse professional, national and ethnic backgrounds, the programme aims to establish basic skills in professional and research practice as well as enable a significant degree of professional specialisation. Students begin with interdisciplinary modules in which they develop a solid grounding in production and postproduction practice and theory through which key concepts (such as professional workflows) and group working practices are introduced. These modules are complemented with more specialist subjects, culminating in an individual research project comprising a technical project and a substantial written dissertation. Throughout all of these modules, essays and reports are set which develop research skills and critical thinking. Detailed written and oral feedback is given on all assigments and seminars are given early in the programme on developing academic skills. In order to complete the programme, students have to complete mandatory University training in academic integrity. They are also given access to University-wide training in writing skills, maths skills and statistics.
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iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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The programme is designed to help students gradually develop higher level research skills over the course of the year. Short written assignments and reports are set which prepare students for their individual project later in the year. Assessment and feedback is delivered in a consistent format with both formative and summative assessment designed to develop planning, writing and critical thinking skills alongside technical and creative work. The programme culminates in an individual research project which functions as both a synthesis of the skills and knowledge students have acquired and as a demonstration of their ability to carry out a substantial piece of technical and creative research. They are supported during this project by a series of seminars focussing on research skills and dissertation writing and regular supervision.
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v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classroooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
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Digital literacy is an intrinsic aspect of the programme as every module centres on the theory and practice of using digital production and postproduction technologies. In addition to the core production and postproduction skills students develop throughout the programme, digital aids to teaching and learning are used extensively. Course material is provided via the University's Virtual Learning Environment: students can access hand-outs, lecture notes and recordings of all taught sessions throughout the programme. Supervision of student project work is facilitated by collaborative technologies such as Google Docs. Students are encouraged to document their progression through the Skillsforge system, encouraging reflection and facilitating transition into professional practice post-degree.
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vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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The programme is continually updated with reference to the latest professional practices and skills. This is further enhanced by the department's Masterclass programme which gives students the opportunity to learn from the real-world experience of leaders in the field. Collaboration with students from other courses is an intrinsic part of the programme and students are encouraged to work with their peers in other disciplines in projects which closely replicate real-world production models. Students are also supported extensively by staff in preparing for and applying for jobs and internships. Besides discipline-specific skills in postproduction, students leave the programme with enhanced skills in written and oral presentation and project management and a greater understanding of career structures in the film and television industry.
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vii) Consultation with Careers
The progamme proposal should be discussed with Careers (tom.banham@york.ac.uk, ext. 2686)
Please provide details of Careers' comments and your response.
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Careers are regularly consulted at departmental level in order to share information regarding employment and internship opportunities for students. Careers have commented that students can also have access to an Arts and Humanities faculty careers programme, volunteering and paid work experience opportunities and one-to-one careers guidance to support their transition into the labour market.
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viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
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Many of the programme team are highly active researchers and there is a strong link between teaching and research at programme, department and University levels. Staff from the programme, including the programme director are currently engaged in a number of funded research projects with film and television companies ensuring a strong connection between professional practice, research and teaching. The department's connection with Digital Creativity Labs also means that students and staff are able to draw upon the expertise and knowledge of leaders in a number of fields relating to production and postproduction.
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5.d. Progression
For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to:
If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Students attaining a Postgraduate Certificate must successfully complete modules worth 60 credits. These can be any combination of the 10 or 20 credit taught modules described in the module information sheet. This is most commonly used in the case of students who fail to progress to the Individual Project module.
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Students attaining a Postgraduate Diploma must successfully complete modules worth 120 credits. This would normally consist of completing all of the 10 and 20 credit taught modules and a smaller scale independent project accompanied by a dissertation of 7000 words. This project is specified on a case by case basis by the department and is used only for students who for some reason cannot complete the full individual project.
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6. Reference points and programme regulations
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6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points
Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
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● The academic oversight of programmes within departments by a Board of Studies, which includes student representation
● The oversight of programmes by external examiners, who ensure that standards at the University of York are comparable with those elsewhere in the sector
● Annual monitoring and periodic review of programmes
● The acquisition of feedback from students by departments.

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6.b. University award regulations
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The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
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7. Programme Structure
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7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each invidual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
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Full time structure
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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10TFT00008MVisual Effects Design LabSAEA
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20TFT00052MDigital Production and Postproduction WorkflowsSAEA
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20TFT00055MGroup Projects ISAEA
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10TFT00047MGrading and FinishingSEA
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10TFT00002M
Business of Production and Postproduction
SAEA
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20TFT00004M
Group Projects II
SEA
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90TFT00070M
Individual Project
ESEA
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7.c. Explanation of the programme and assessment design
The statements should be in a form that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). It should make clear to students why they are doing the key activities of the programme, in terms of reaching the PLOs.
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i) Students’ independent study and formative work Please outline how independent study and student work has been designed to support the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes (for example, the use of online resources which incorporate formative feedback; opportunities for further learning from work-based placements).
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Independent study and practice is strongly encouraged throughout the programme, with all technical facilities available for students to practice and experiment following their initial inductions. Online resources including reading lists. lecture notes for every lecture, digital copies of all in-class handouts and technical information for most of the equipment and facilities used on the programme are provided via the VLE. Suggestions of routes for independent study are given in class and via VLE announcements, these include highlighting of further reading and links to technical and academic resources. Formative feedback is offered throughout the programme(max 500 words) via a number of formative assessments and through verbal feedback during practical sessions.
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ii) Contact with staff
Please explain how the programme’s design maximises the value of students’ contact time with staff (which may be face-to-face, virtual, synchronous or asynchronous), including through the use of technology-enhanced learning. For example, giving students resources for their independent study which then enables a class to be more interactive with a greater impact on learning.
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Contact with staff within the programme takes place prinicpally through lectures, practical sessions and seminars. These are highly interactive wherever possible and as cohort sizes are usually relatively small, discussion and verbal feedback is often integrated into lectures and practical sessions. Digital resources for practical sessions are stored centrally and made available for practice and experimentation outside class and between modules. Most students on the programme are supervised by the programme leader, enabling student progress to be monitored closely and problems to be identified quickly. Weekly individual staff feedback hours are organised each term and students are encouraged to contact staff or visit them to discuss work and assessments. Contact with staff is also tightly coordinated between PGT programmes within the department, with students encouraged to draw upon specialist knowledge of staff from other programmes throughout.
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iii) Summative Assessment
Please outline how summative assessment within and across modules has been designed to support and evidence the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes. (For example, the use of different assessment methods at the ‘introduction’ stage compared to those used to evaluate deeper learning through the application of skills and knowledge later in the programme).
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Summative assessment is designed to enable students to develop academic and practical/professional abilities in tandem. Most assessments comprise practical projects and written analysis of practical work, encouraging students to reflect on their own development. Although a wide range of assessment formats is used, consistency of procedure is maintained throughout, through detailed assessment briefs. Students are given increasingly complex tasks as the programme develops. For example: Digital Production and Postproduction Workflows (term 1) is mainly assessed through a small scale postproduction project and reflective report designed to develop core skills and knowledge in postproduction technique. A later module, Group Projects II (term 2) requires a deepening understanding of that knowledge and those skills are deployed in the context of a real film. Assessment load is also carefully structured so as to allow students to develop their abilities. The Individual project module is designed to integrate subjects taught within different modules earlier in the programme.