Film and Screenwriting – BA (Honours)

At a glance

Develop the creative skills and knowledge of film needed to write screenplays that get commissioned. You are given insights into how to write and sell your scripts by a lecture team that includes established screenwriters. You also benefit from excellent facilities including a purpose-built theatre.

Key points
• Learn how to write scripts for film and television.• Gain industry insights into how to sell your screenplays.
• Learn from a lecture team who include established screenwriters.
• Benefit from excellent facilities for film study including a purpose-built theatre.

What is film and screenwriting?
Film and screenwriting combines practical screenwriting with the academic study of film. Screenwriting is now a multi-million pound industry and seen as the foundation of all film and television production.

This course

Develop your screenwriting skills for film and television alongside a detailed understanding of how to sell your screenplays.

As well as developing your creative skills you also cover the history of screenwriting, film history, film criticism and film theory. This gives you the skills and critical vocabulary you need to analyse films in detail, and a range of transferable skills important to other roles within the wider film industry and other sectors.

In your final year, as part of the course you write a feature film screenplay or a television pilot. Our teaching team includes published writers and established screenwriters who help you to develop your interest and creative skills in writing. They also offer practical advice and information about being a professional writer.

Your film studies are centred around our purpose-built film theatre, the Void. It combines new technology, including Blu-ray DVD through an HD digital projector, with older technology, including 40-year-old Westrex 7000 35mm projectors. These projectors can show both recent and rare, culturally valuable films in their original cinema format, including silent films at the correct speed. We are one of the few universities in the country that has these capabilities. The Dolby 5.1 surround-sound system enhances your viewing experience.

We continue to enjoy a close working relationship with the British Film Institute (BFI) and have privileged access to the BFI national archive, which contains more than 50,000 fiction films and over 100,000 non-fiction titles, most of which are not available on VHS or DVD.

You have access to our learning centre which has• thousands of films on DVD, Blu-ray and videotape
• a large collection of books and journals
• individual viewing facilities with access to the British Film Institute's SIFT database

Sheffield is a thriving creative hub and home to a wide range of production companies (including the world famous Warp), theatres and film festivals.
There are many opportunities for students to gain valuable experience with our external partners.

Key areas of study
Key areas include
• film form, narrative and style
• different types of film including documentary and alternative cinemas
• a variety of film genres, film makers and film movements
• a range of films from around the world including America, Britain, East Asia and Europe