BEng (Hons) — 2025 entry Film Production and Broadcast Engineering
With a new TV studio and sound stage, and award-winning teaching staff from across the film, TV and recording sectors, our IET-accredited Film Production and Broadcast Engineering BEng combines engineering theory, artistic visual storytelling and content production with practical skills for the creative industries.
We will provide you with an all-round education in this fascinating subject and prepare you for a vast range of careers across the film and broadcast industries.
We have excellent relationships with many broadcasters, media companies and manufacturers, which offer award-winning Professional Training placements. We work with companies including Sky, Disney, TechEx, NEP, and many others to help them find graduate recruits.
Music and Media has invested in a brand-new TV Studio Sound Stage, production gallery, sound gallery, vision and lighting control room, and machine room as part of a £1.7m facilities expansion and upgrade
You'll be taught by award-winning teaching staff from across the film, TV, sound and recording sectors.
“ This course offers a perfect balance between creative practice and technical knowledge. There is also a big focus on employability. ”
What you will study
Our film production degree combines the study of engineering theory with practical skills development. You’ll study the fundamentals of signals, computing and broadcast technologies, video and audio engineering, wireless links and video over IP.
On the practical side, you’ll study camera skills, cinematography for drama, film sound, production management, TV studio skills, animation, postproduction, visual effects and colour grading. See a selection of our students’ work.
All our technical modules have practical labs, giving you a hands-on learning of the topics. Our professional facilities will familiarise you with industry-standard equipment and allow you to work at the highest level. This, along with a focus on professional attitudes to work and health and safety, will prepare you for professional industry.
Professional recognition
BEng (Hons) - Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
The academic year is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each. Each semester consists of a period of teaching, revision/directed learning and assessment.
The structure of our programmes follow clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes.
Please note: Thefull module listing for the optional Professional Training placement part of your course is available in the relevant programme specification.
Modules
Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Modules are subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.
The University operates a credit framework for all taught programmes based on a 15-credit tariff.
Behind every great advertisement, computer game, film, television programme, web episode, is a great story. As humans, we love stories – listening, reading, telling – we absorb them every day to learn about ourselves and to understand the world around us. What makes visual media so compelling is its ability to communicate this efficiently and effectively - sometimes one camera shot is all you need. During this module, you will explore storytelling and how to create enjoyable stories. You will discuss how this can be visually expressed using filmmaking grammar and basic film/television terminology. You shall develop visual communications tools and learn how they can be used to help create a great story. This module will give you a strong foundation in visual narratives and will underpin many creative projects you undertake during your degree and in professional media work. Work in these pre-production areas time, money and resources when preparing for the final production so this module develops skills that benefit the climate and the budget.
This module starts the students journey into creating media with professional video equipment . The students will learn professional operational skills working with sound and vision and they will be introduced to pre-production and planning to optimize their final production. The students first learn how to evaluate the health and safety risks of filming on location and how to apply control measures to reduce the risk factor. The students experiment with a range of camera, microphone and lighting techniques in the workshops and will put them into practice in the assignments. During the module the students will be introduced to permission documentation, legal consent and copyright issues that need to be completed for a production that will be broadcast. There is a lot of opportunity for creative ideas to be included in your final production and the technical tips and tricks shown in the workshops can lead to a strong narrative final production
This module lays the mathematical foundation that you will need for analyising, manipulating, or synthesising audio signals. It is the mathematical backbone of the programme and the concepts that you learn in this module will be encountered and applied not only in a wide range of modules across all years, but also in your professional practice. An understanding of audio from a mathematical perspective will give you a deeper insight into the behaviour of sound and will equip you with the vocabulary you need to communicate about specific features of audio. This module starts from the foundations of what is a complex number and slowly builds its way up toward to audio signal analysis using Fourier transforms and spectrograms.
This module aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to circuit theory and analogue electronics related to audio, encompassing a blend of theoretical principles and practical applications. You will develop essential skills for the audio industry through an in-depth analysis of the circuit theory and hands-on experience with electronics laboratory equipment, circuit simulation and design, and circuit prototyping. Emphasis is also placed on cultivating writing skills and the production of high-quality academic and technical reports, fostering a proficiency valuable for your career in the audio industry. Overall, this module is designed to instill a technical awareness that extends beyond theoretical knowledge, preparing you for the dynamic field of audio electronics.
This module is central to your development in audio related engineering. It covers the fundamental concepts that underpin all professional audio systems, and introduces essential concepts that you will use across a wide range of the other modules, as well as throughout any career related to sound in film and television. It also will provide you with the theoretical understanding to support your practical sound recording activities, both within the programme and for a successful career in any area of the audio or video related industry. You will learn the basic principles of measurement of audio signals, and the principles behind the capture, manipulation, and transmission of audio in analogue and digital formats, as used in all professional audio practice. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, through a series of practical labs and workshops, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice.
This module will introduce you to computer-based media systems using a combination of theory and application. It will introduce you to the use of software and computer networking tools, and their interaction with computer-based media.
This module is central to your development as a broadcast engineer. It covers the fundamental concepts that underpin all professional video systems in both Television and Film industries, and introduces essential concepts that you will use across a wide range of the other modules, as well as throughout any career related to professional video. It also will provide you with the theoretical understanding to support your practical film making activities, both within the programme and for a successful career in any area of the creative industries. You will learn the basic principles of analogue and digital video signals, specified in industry standards, as used in all professional practice. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice. You will look at analogue video waveforms on an oscilloscope, and examine digital bit streams down to binary data level, as well as learning the basics of setting up monitors and critical viewing of moving images.
This module is intended to develop understanding and awareness of aspects of professional audio engineering as well as introducing practical film and TV sound techniques. This module explores sound for film and high end TV, from recording production sound, through the post production process and to final delivery. It is intended as a detailed insight into high quality sound for film. Aspects of sound design, techniques of dialogue editing, meaning in music, and decoding the jargon within delivery schedules are discussed. This will help those interested in a career in film sound, or just to make the sound on your own films better. It will help in future careers understand the processes of film sound and enable you to interact with sound teams more effectively.
This module will allow you to understand programming and how video can be used in computers. In particular, this module will provide you with a solid practical knowledge of the C programming language and its relationship to the underlying hardware and aspects of both high-level programming for manipulation of video and low-level manipulation of memory.
This module is central to your development as a broadcast engineer. It builds on the fundamentals concepts learned in first year with a wide range of practical applications related to operational engineering practice in TV studios and OB vehicles. The knowledge and experience gained is applicable to many jobs within the creative industries. You will learn the basics of television studio operational engineering techniques. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice.
This module offers you the opportunity to choose your own assignments from a selection of industry briefs and this portfolio will also add to the variety of work available for your show reel that you will complete in this module. The module is modeled on real media projects that you would find as a freelance media professional. The assignment options may change but they will range from event documentaries, required by many companies as part of their marketing or to commemorate an occasion like a wedding. Film competitions are offered in the assignment choice and some students have gone on to win both national and international competitions as part of this module. You will also learn more about animation and this can be applied to a title sequence or short animation for the project options. As we are in the same department as so many talented musicians, the module can offer a real opportunity to plan and film a music video to a professional standard. The assignments will vary but will include projects that develop skills for professionally paid work. For many production roles a show reel is important for future freelance work so it is included in the assessment so you have a show reel ready for any future employer which can cover creative, technical and craft skills depending on your area of interest.
This module will provide you with the tools for understanding and building network applications by analysing internet protocols and, the interaction among them and video applications. We shall combine both theory and application, so as to provide you with the knowledge to design a video application network, with an emphasis on real-world applications.
This module will develop your understanding and awareness of aspects of professional video engineering. You will investigate the source and channel coding systems for broadcast systems and the formats for film recording. You will also explore broadcast communication and methods such as modulation.
The module inspires the student to take a cinematic approach to develop the narrative and mood of filmed productions. The students will develop their editing skills and expand their post production techniques to produce high quality drama. This is a very hands on module where the student will attend supervised workshops with professional camera equipment, lights and sound. All the roles required on a location drama will be introduced and then each student will try every role. This experience establishes a professional location drama shoot which will equip the students to work professionally on set. Students will also be guided through preparing the pre-production documentation, permission documents, call sheets, risk assessments, etc. Some students have gone on to work as production managers after completing this course and other students have won awards for their camera skills learnt on this module.
If you are interested in working in any part of media, broadcasting, streaming or TV production this module will introduce all the roles required to complete a live programme or broadcast. From the planning and pre-production to the craft and transmission skills to broadcast the production. The module is a practice based approach to learning many of the skills required in a studio production. You will have the chance to design a new TV studio programme format and then selected formats will be made and broadcast live at the end of the module. You will experience planning for the production and could work on the music and sound design, graphics, titles or animations, lighting, research on the production, script writing or even be the producer, if your programme pitch is chosen by the other students. You will have the opportunity to learn about the roles and skills required during the live production from camerawork, graphics, video replay, vision mixing, lighting, sound mixing, vision engineering, floor managing or be the producer or directors’ assistant in the gallery. While you will develop one particular role there will be many rehearsals that you can volunteer for other roles too. With experience from this module many students have achieved freelance jobs at well known outside broadcasts and you may use these skills in your placement year and after you graduate
This module will provide you with an introduction to research methods and the types of skills necessary for the planning and dissemination stages of research for your technical project. There are two aspects to this module; firstly, the Literature Review is intended to provide you with the experience of writing a literature review on a technical topic, which will assist you in writing the Technical Project. While the Project Progress report will allow you to develop a project plan for your technical project (a different topic to the literature review), considering possible risks and challenges, and how to mitigate them.
Collaboration and teamwork is an essential element of contemporary media production at all levels. This module enables students from a diverse range of programmes (Film, Animation and Digital Arts; Broadcast Engineering; Music disciplines; Theatre and Performance disciplines, Creative Writing etc) to work together to create an short film narrative, incorporating live action film, animation, digital effects, performance and/or interactivity. This is a great opportunity to work outside of your comfort zone and learn about other creative arts disciplines through diving into the deep end and making something creatively collaborative in response to an imaginative brief. Students submit a short personal/professional profile using about.me or similar in order to assist in the formation of suitable cross-disciplinary teams. This is a popular option, so there will be a limit of the number of students able to take the module from each programme. Consultation with Module Convener is welcome/advised.
Expected prior learning: It is helpful, but not essential, to have taken module EEE2040 – Communications Networks (EEE2040), or to have equivalent learning. Module purpose: This module deals with the three important processing stages of modern digital communication systems which are source coding for signal compression, channel error control coding for robust transmission and modulation for efficient digital interface with the available channel. The module is designed to provide basic-to-intermediate scale introduction of the subject at the UG level and the learning developed in this module can be enhanced further at relevant MEng / MSc level modules (EEEM017, EEEM030, EEEM031)
Expected prior learning: Module EEE2040 – Communications Networks or equivalent learning. Module purpose: The Internet is an important worldwide communications system; the module provides an in-depth treatment of current and evolving Internet protocols and standards, and the algorithms that underlie them. The module also permits further study on networking in modules such as EEEM018 Advanced Mobile Communication Systems, EEEM023 Network Service management and Control, EEEM032 Advanced Satellite Communication Techniques
Gaming has existed as a mode of play and expression since the earliest times of human existence. In the latter part of the 20th and into the first two decades of the 21st Century (the period we will focus on with this module), there has been a vast expansion of the forms, modes and technologies employed in gaming and game play. Out of wargaming and board gaming practices (and often the interfaces of these) in the post-World War II era, increasingly complex and sophisticated character and narrative focussed Role-Playing Games (RPGs) developed as well as other narrative forms that connect gaming with interactive textuality, such as gamebooks, Collectable Card Games, online interactive fiction, video games and multi-player online gaming platforms. There has been, in the early 21st century, additionally, a large increase in the number of board games being produced and played, while wargaming also remains an active and vibrant aspect of gaming culture. An aspect of gaming that has sometimes fallen short, in ‘quality’ terms, though, is the writing that underpins both the rules systems and the ‘story’ component of games (background, character, description. narrative, dialogue, terminology, etc.) This is perhaps unsurprising as games have been primarily written by gamers rather than professional writers; many of these, of course, go on to develop their writing skills and become accomplished writers in their own right. More and more, though, creative writers are specifically incorporated into the game design and realisation processes (for both analogue and virtual gaming environments) to improve the quality of the gaming experience. In this module students will receive an overview of the gaming field and examine aspects of this that specifically pertain to writing for games. What approaches work well for games and gaming modes? How are these different from writing for and in other forms and media? What writing skills are particularly useful? Do we have the freedom to write outside of limiting industry constraints and models? What are the new forms of writing practice that are emerging in relation to games and gaming? We will also be interested in analysing games and gaming critically as cultural objects, and situating them within the broader context of contemporary cultural and literary theory. This is not a module that will teach students how to code and/or produce and design video games (or, indeed commercial analogue games). We will touch on aspects of game design, game production, gaming studies, critical digital studies, etc., but the focus for this module will be on writing creatively for games: writing gaming. Expert guest speakers from the gaming and independent gaming industries will be included in the teaching provision for this module. If students have specific coding, visual art or musical/sound art skills that they would like to bring to their exercises and assignments, they can certainly draw on these skills, but if they don’t, that is completely fine – none of these are required for this module. In each seminar we will first spend some time discussing the set texts and the techniques and standpoints employed by writers and other artists, before moving on to the workshop part of the session where students will produce work in accordance with the task set for that week, within and outside of the classroom. We will read and discuss a selection of pieces at the end of each class. This process will help students grow in confidence, both in presentational terms and in terms of delivering and receiving feedback on their work, in a safe and supportive setting. In addition, each week there will be a scheduled 2-hour gaming session where students will gather to explore individual and collaborative gaming in practice. Different approaches to gaming will be proposed each week, or students can opt to work during this time on longer gaming experiences and projects. At the end of the semester students will produce a creative portfolio of gaming writing, alongside a critical commentary reflecting on the creative work produced and using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module, OR an academic critical essay examining some aspect of writing for games OR a Game Demo alongside a critical commentary reflecting on the demo produced and using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module. Possible submissions for the creative portfolio include online interactive fiction (e.g. Twine, Squiffy), a gamebook text, a tabletop game text (board game, card game, wargame, Role-Playing Game), a game demo, a game setting, a game system, Game Design Documentation (GDD) for a proposed game, a 'creative essay', gaming portfolio as creative essay, a zine, a website for a game, etc. This module connects to other contemporary literature modules on the programme in the 2nd and final years where the emphasis is on 20th and 21st Century approaches to creating and examining literatures and our cultural responses to them. As such, it is part of the contemporary literature route that students can choose as a focus of their degree. As a hybrid creative writing and English literature module, it also makes up part of the creative writing pathway in the degree, connecting to creative writing modules in the 1st, 2nd and final years.
The module offers students the opportunity to learn the processes for writing a compelling script for film or television. Through analysing film clips, reading extracts from screenplays, engaging with theoretical concepts, and participating in class discussions and workshops students will be offered a comprehensive overview of the screenwriting process. The module builds upon the knowledge and skills from students’ BA studies in English Literature and Creative Writing at Level 4. It develops critical and creative skills for modules including the dissertation and aligns with other critical and creative modes in other at Level 6. The two-hour workshops address the needs of in-depth writing and analysis at level 6. At the end of the semester students will produce a professionally formatted script for a short film or television episode alongside a commentary reflecting upon their creative work and/or a critical essay that focusses on films/ TV episodes of their own choice using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module.
This module explores human vision and colour science relating to workflow in film and high end television. Cutting edge innovation in the form of High Dynamic Range standards and current practice, as well as film colour management such as the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) will be of essential use to a wide range of careers and further study. The coursework encourages the investigative mind, and a culture of testing and experimentation. You will learn about eye the eye-brain system makes sense of the world, aquisition with high end digital cinematography cameras, and the role of the Digital Imaging Technician. Tools for colour grading and finally deliverables to cinema and home formats.
This module is the culmination of the engineering and technical component of the programme, and allows you to specialise in topics of use to your future career. It will give you an opportunity to learn in detail about a specialised area of engineering not normally covered in the remainder of the programme, and to present this to the rest of the year so that fellow students can learn from your findings. The Technical Project is the culmination of the technical component of the programme, and will give an opportunity to conduct in depth research in a subject of your choosing related to video engineering.
This module is a very practical application of the craft skills, production skills applied to television, film or documentary that have been taught throughout the degree course. At the start of this module students interested in leading and directing their own scripted production, documentary or Tv programme will pitch their idea to the rest of the class. The productions with enough student support and approval by the teaching team will be formed into a production team and location crew. You will choose which roles you prefer to develop for this module. Some students will form the production team and will plan the production, organise rehearsals, filming locations, actors. They will plan the crew, schedule and the call sheet. Other members of the class will take on craft skills roles such as lighting, DOP, sound or some of the other minor roles on set. Every student will take on some kind of post production role too and you can choose between sound mix, Foley, colour grade or video edit. Every attempt is made to enable you to take on the roles you are most interested in. 1st and 2nd years FPBE or other students may be asked to assist on set or in the productions but as final years you are expected to lead and advise the other students. In the first semester you will give a presentation of the work that you have completed so far and explain your role and the plans and difficulties that may arise. As you are working in small teams as you would find in industry, you should also be able to evaluate the other crew roles. So similarly to if you were working with a team you would know who was skilled at their role and who is not fulfilling everything that is expected of them. By writing an evaluative judgment of several of your colleagues you are showing you know about the other roles and what is required from a person in that role. This demonstrates your knowledge across other roles that you are not doing yourself. Throughout the production you will keep a diary so that you can share your journey on this project with the other markers. It also means you have notes that could streamline your processes to in the future and avoid making the same mistake twice. Most students on this module will contribute to a number of productions and towards the end of the module the module leader and the student will decide how much weight is applied to each of the productions that you contribute to. You will receive a weighting of the final productions that you contributed to and another grade from the quality of work you completed on that production.
Students select two of the optional 15 credit modules. One in each semester.
Year 1 - BEng (Hons) with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
Behind every great advertisement, computer game, film, television programme, web episode, is a great story. As humans, we love stories – listening, reading, telling – we absorb them every day to learn about ourselves and to understand the world around us. What makes visual media so compelling is its ability to communicate this efficiently and effectively - sometimes one camera shot is all you need. During this module, you will explore storytelling and how to create enjoyable stories. You will discuss how this can be visually expressed using filmmaking grammar and basic film/television terminology. You shall develop visual communications tools and learn how they can be used to help create a great story. This module will give you a strong foundation in visual narratives and will underpin many creative projects you undertake during your degree and in professional media work. Work in these pre-production areas time, money and resources when preparing for the final production so this module develops skills that benefit the climate and the budget.
This module starts the students journey into creating media with professional video equipment . The students will learn professional operational skills working with sound and vision and they will be introduced to pre-production and planning to optimize their final production. The students first learn how to evaluate the health and safety risks of filming on location and how to apply control measures to reduce the risk factor. The students experiment with a range of camera, microphone and lighting techniques in the workshops and will put them into practice in the assignments. During the module the students will be introduced to permission documentation, legal consent and copyright issues that need to be completed for a production that will be broadcast. There is a lot of opportunity for creative ideas to be included in your final production and the technical tips and tricks shown in the workshops can lead to a strong narrative final production
This module lays the mathematical foundation that you will need for analyising, manipulating, or synthesising audio signals. It is the mathematical backbone of the programme and the concepts that you learn in this module will be encountered and applied not only in a wide range of modules across all years, but also in your professional practice. An understanding of audio from a mathematical perspective will give you a deeper insight into the behaviour of sound and will equip you with the vocabulary you need to communicate about specific features of audio. This module starts from the foundations of what is a complex number and slowly builds its way up toward to audio signal analysis using Fourier transforms and spectrograms.
This module aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to circuit theory and analogue electronics related to audio, encompassing a blend of theoretical principles and practical applications. You will develop essential skills for the audio industry through an in-depth analysis of the circuit theory and hands-on experience with electronics laboratory equipment, circuit simulation and design, and circuit prototyping. Emphasis is also placed on cultivating writing skills and the production of high-quality academic and technical reports, fostering a proficiency valuable for your career in the audio industry. Overall, this module is designed to instill a technical awareness that extends beyond theoretical knowledge, preparing you for the dynamic field of audio electronics.
This module is central to your development in audio related engineering. It covers the fundamental concepts that underpin all professional audio systems, and introduces essential concepts that you will use across a wide range of the other modules, as well as throughout any career related to sound in film and television. It also will provide you with the theoretical understanding to support your practical sound recording activities, both within the programme and for a successful career in any area of the audio or video related industry. You will learn the basic principles of measurement of audio signals, and the principles behind the capture, manipulation, and transmission of audio in analogue and digital formats, as used in all professional audio practice. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, through a series of practical labs and workshops, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice.
This module will introduce you to computer-based media systems using a combination of theory and application. It will introduce you to the use of software and computer networking tools, and their interaction with computer-based media.
This module is central to your development as a broadcast engineer. It covers the fundamental concepts that underpin all professional video systems in both Television and Film industries, and introduces essential concepts that you will use across a wide range of the other modules, as well as throughout any career related to professional video. It also will provide you with the theoretical understanding to support your practical film making activities, both within the programme and for a successful career in any area of the creative industries. You will learn the basic principles of analogue and digital video signals, specified in industry standards, as used in all professional practice. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice. You will look at analogue video waveforms on an oscilloscope, and examine digital bit streams down to binary data level, as well as learning the basics of setting up monitors and critical viewing of moving images.
Optional modules for Year 1 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 4
All modules are core or compulsory.
Year 2 - BEng (Hons) with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module is intended to develop understanding and awareness of aspects of professional audio engineering as well as introducing practical film and TV sound techniques. This module explores sound for film and high end TV, from recording production sound, through the post production process and to final delivery. It is intended as a detailed insight into high quality sound for film. Aspects of sound design, techniques of dialogue editing, meaning in music, and decoding the jargon within delivery schedules are discussed. This will help those interested in a career in film sound, or just to make the sound on your own films better. It will help in future careers understand the processes of film sound and enable you to interact with sound teams more effectively.
This module will allow you to understand programming and how video can be used in computers. In particular, this module will provide you with a solid practical knowledge of the C programming language and its relationship to the underlying hardware and aspects of both high-level programming for manipulation of video and low-level manipulation of memory.
This module is central to your development as a broadcast engineer. It builds on the fundamentals concepts learned in first year with a wide range of practical applications related to operational engineering practice in TV studios and OB vehicles. The knowledge and experience gained is applicable to many jobs within the creative industries. You will learn the basics of television studio operational engineering techniques. The module balances understanding of the underlying theory with application in professional contexts, and the coursework is intended to allow you to put the theory into practice.
This module offers you the opportunity to choose your own assignments from a selection of industry briefs and this portfolio will also add to the variety of work available for your show reel that you will complete in this module. The module is modeled on real media projects that you would find as a freelance media professional. The assignment options may change but they will range from event documentaries, required by many companies as part of their marketing or to commemorate an occasion like a wedding. Film competitions are offered in the assignment choice and some students have gone on to win both national and international competitions as part of this module. You will also learn more about animation and this can be applied to a title sequence or short animation for the project options. As we are in the same department as so many talented musicians, the module can offer a real opportunity to plan and film a music video to a professional standard. The assignments will vary but will include projects that develop skills for professionally paid work. For many production roles a show reel is important for future freelance work so it is included in the assessment so you have a show reel ready for any future employer which can cover creative, technical and craft skills depending on your area of interest.
This module will provide you with the tools for understanding and building network applications by analysing internet protocols and, the interaction among them and video applications. We shall combine both theory and application, so as to provide you with the knowledge to design a video application network, with an emphasis on real-world applications.
This module will develop your understanding and awareness of aspects of professional video engineering. You will investigate the source and channel coding systems for broadcast systems and the formats for film recording. You will also explore broadcast communication and methods such as modulation.
The module inspires the student to take a cinematic approach to develop the narrative and mood of filmed productions. The students will develop their editing skills and expand their post production techniques to produce high quality drama. This is a very hands on module where the student will attend supervised workshops with professional camera equipment, lights and sound. All the roles required on a location drama will be introduced and then each student will try every role. This experience establishes a professional location drama shoot which will equip the students to work professionally on set. Students will also be guided through preparing the pre-production documentation, permission documents, call sheets, risk assessments, etc. Some students have gone on to work as production managers after completing this course and other students have won awards for their camera skills learnt on this module.
If you are interested in working in any part of media, broadcasting, streaming or TV production this module will introduce all the roles required to complete a live programme or broadcast. From the planning and pre-production to the craft and transmission skills to broadcast the production. The module is a practice based approach to learning many of the skills required in a studio production. You will have the chance to design a new TV studio programme format and then selected formats will be made and broadcast live at the end of the module. You will experience planning for the production and could work on the music and sound design, graphics, titles or animations, lighting, research on the production, script writing or even be the producer, if your programme pitch is chosen by the other students. You will have the opportunity to learn about the roles and skills required during the live production from camerawork, graphics, video replay, vision mixing, lighting, sound mixing, vision engineering, floor managing or be the producer or directors’ assistant in the gallery. While you will develop one particular role there will be many rehearsals that you can volunteer for other roles too. With experience from this module many students have achieved freelance jobs at well known outside broadcasts and you may use these skills in your placement year and after you graduate
Optional modules for Year 2 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 5
All modules are compulsory.
Year 3 - BEng (Hons) with placement
Semester 1
Compulsory
This module will provide you with an introduction to research methods and the types of skills necessary for the planning and dissemination stages of research for your technical project. There are two aspects to this module; firstly, the Literature Review is intended to provide you with the experience of writing a literature review on a technical topic, which will assist you in writing the Technical Project. While the Project Progress report will allow you to develop a project plan for your technical project (a different topic to the literature review), considering possible risks and challenges, and how to mitigate them.
Collaboration and teamwork is an essential element of contemporary media production at all levels. This module enables students from a diverse range of programmes (Film, Animation and Digital Arts; Broadcast Engineering; Music disciplines; Theatre and Performance disciplines, Creative Writing etc) to work together to create an short film narrative, incorporating live action film, animation, digital effects, performance and/or interactivity. This is a great opportunity to work outside of your comfort zone and learn about other creative arts disciplines through diving into the deep end and making something creatively collaborative in response to an imaginative brief. Students submit a short personal/professional profile using about.me or similar in order to assist in the formation of suitable cross-disciplinary teams. This is a popular option, so there will be a limit of the number of students able to take the module from each programme. Consultation with Module Convener is welcome/advised.
Expected prior learning: It is helpful, but not essential, to have taken module EEE2040 – Communications Networks (EEE2040), or to have equivalent learning. Module purpose: This module deals with the three important processing stages of modern digital communication systems which are source coding for signal compression, channel error control coding for robust transmission and modulation for efficient digital interface with the available channel. The module is designed to provide basic-to-intermediate scale introduction of the subject at the UG level and the learning developed in this module can be enhanced further at relevant MEng / MSc level modules (EEEM017, EEEM030, EEEM031)
Expected prior learning: Module EEE2040 – Communications Networks or equivalent learning. Module purpose: The Internet is an important worldwide communications system; the module provides an in-depth treatment of current and evolving Internet protocols and standards, and the algorithms that underlie them. The module also permits further study on networking in modules such as EEEM018 Advanced Mobile Communication Systems, EEEM023 Network Service management and Control, EEEM032 Advanced Satellite Communication Techniques
Gaming has existed as a mode of play and expression since the earliest times of human existence. In the latter part of the 20th and into the first two decades of the 21st Century (the period we will focus on with this module), there has been a vast expansion of the forms, modes and technologies employed in gaming and game play. Out of wargaming and board gaming practices (and often the interfaces of these) in the post-World War II era, increasingly complex and sophisticated character and narrative focussed Role-Playing Games (RPGs) developed as well as other narrative forms that connect gaming with interactive textuality, such as gamebooks, Collectable Card Games, online interactive fiction, video games and multi-player online gaming platforms. There has been, in the early 21st century, additionally, a large increase in the number of board games being produced and played, while wargaming also remains an active and vibrant aspect of gaming culture. An aspect of gaming that has sometimes fallen short, in ‘quality’ terms, though, is the writing that underpins both the rules systems and the ‘story’ component of games (background, character, description. narrative, dialogue, terminology, etc.) This is perhaps unsurprising as games have been primarily written by gamers rather than professional writers; many of these, of course, go on to develop their writing skills and become accomplished writers in their own right. More and more, though, creative writers are specifically incorporated into the game design and realisation processes (for both analogue and virtual gaming environments) to improve the quality of the gaming experience. In this module students will receive an overview of the gaming field and examine aspects of this that specifically pertain to writing for games. What approaches work well for games and gaming modes? How are these different from writing for and in other forms and media? What writing skills are particularly useful? Do we have the freedom to write outside of limiting industry constraints and models? What are the new forms of writing practice that are emerging in relation to games and gaming? We will also be interested in analysing games and gaming critically as cultural objects, and situating them within the broader context of contemporary cultural and literary theory. This is not a module that will teach students how to code and/or produce and design video games (or, indeed commercial analogue games). We will touch on aspects of game design, game production, gaming studies, critical digital studies, etc., but the focus for this module will be on writing creatively for games: writing gaming. Expert guest speakers from the gaming and independent gaming industries will be included in the teaching provision for this module. If students have specific coding, visual art or musical/sound art skills that they would like to bring to their exercises and assignments, they can certainly draw on these skills, but if they don’t, that is completely fine – none of these are required for this module. In each seminar we will first spend some time discussing the set texts and the techniques and standpoints employed by writers and other artists, before moving on to the workshop part of the session where students will produce work in accordance with the task set for that week, within and outside of the classroom. We will read and discuss a selection of pieces at the end of each class. This process will help students grow in confidence, both in presentational terms and in terms of delivering and receiving feedback on their work, in a safe and supportive setting. In addition, each week there will be a scheduled 2-hour gaming session where students will gather to explore individual and collaborative gaming in practice. Different approaches to gaming will be proposed each week, or students can opt to work during this time on longer gaming experiences and projects. At the end of the semester students will produce a creative portfolio of gaming writing, alongside a critical commentary reflecting on the creative work produced and using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module, OR an academic critical essay examining some aspect of writing for games OR a Game Demo alongside a critical commentary reflecting on the demo produced and using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module. Possible submissions for the creative portfolio include online interactive fiction (e.g. Twine, Squiffy), a gamebook text, a tabletop game text (board game, card game, wargame, Role-Playing Game), a game demo, a game setting, a game system, Game Design Documentation (GDD) for a proposed game, a 'creative essay', gaming portfolio as creative essay, a zine, a website for a game, etc. This module connects to other contemporary literature modules on the programme in the 2nd and final years where the emphasis is on 20th and 21st Century approaches to creating and examining literatures and our cultural responses to them. As such, it is part of the contemporary literature route that students can choose as a focus of their degree. As a hybrid creative writing and English literature module, it also makes up part of the creative writing pathway in the degree, connecting to creative writing modules in the 1st, 2nd and final years.
The module offers students the opportunity to learn the processes for writing a compelling script for film or television. Through analysing film clips, reading extracts from screenplays, engaging with theoretical concepts, and participating in class discussions and workshops students will be offered a comprehensive overview of the screenwriting process. The module builds upon the knowledge and skills from students’ BA studies in English Literature and Creative Writing at Level 4. It develops critical and creative skills for modules including the dissertation and aligns with other critical and creative modes in other at Level 6. The two-hour workshops address the needs of in-depth writing and analysis at level 6. At the end of the semester students will produce a professionally formatted script for a short film or television episode alongside a commentary reflecting upon their creative work and/or a critical essay that focusses on films/ TV episodes of their own choice using theories, concepts and practices studied on the module.
This module explores human vision and colour science relating to workflow in film and high end television. Cutting edge innovation in the form of High Dynamic Range standards and current practice, as well as film colour management such as the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) will be of essential use to a wide range of careers and further study. The coursework encourages the investigative mind, and a culture of testing and experimentation. You will learn about eye the eye-brain system makes sense of the world, aquisition with high end digital cinematography cameras, and the role of the Digital Imaging Technician. Tools for colour grading and finally deliverables to cinema and home formats.
This module is the culmination of the engineering and technical component of the programme, and allows you to specialise in topics of use to your future career. It will give you an opportunity to learn in detail about a specialised area of engineering not normally covered in the remainder of the programme, and to present this to the rest of the year so that fellow students can learn from your findings. The Technical Project is the culmination of the technical component of the programme, and will give an opportunity to conduct in depth research in a subject of your choosing related to video engineering.
This module is a very practical application of the craft skills, production skills applied to television, film or documentary that have been taught throughout the degree course. At the start of this module students interested in leading and directing their own scripted production, documentary or Tv programme will pitch their idea to the rest of the class. The productions with enough student support and approval by the teaching team will be formed into a production team and location crew. You will choose which roles you prefer to develop for this module. Some students will form the production team and will plan the production, organise rehearsals, filming locations, actors. They will plan the crew, schedule and the call sheet. Other members of the class will take on craft skills roles such as lighting, DOP, sound or some of the other minor roles on set. Every student will take on some kind of post production role too and you can choose between sound mix, Foley, colour grade or video edit. Every attempt is made to enable you to take on the roles you are most interested in. 1st and 2nd years FPBE or other students may be asked to assist on set or in the productions but as final years you are expected to lead and advise the other students. In the first semester you will give a presentation of the work that you have completed so far and explain your role and the plans and difficulties that may arise. As you are working in small teams as you would find in industry, you should also be able to evaluate the other crew roles. So similarly to if you were working with a team you would know who was skilled at their role and who is not fulfilling everything that is expected of them. By writing an evaluative judgment of several of your colleagues you are showing you know about the other roles and what is required from a person in that role. This demonstrates your knowledge across other roles that you are not doing yourself. Throughout the production you will keep a diary so that you can share your journey on this project with the other markers. It also means you have notes that could streamline your processes to in the future and avoid making the same mistake twice. Most students on this module will contribute to a number of productions and towards the end of the module the module leader and the student will decide how much weight is applied to each of the productions that you contribute to. You will receive a weighting of the final productions that you contributed to and another grade from the quality of work you completed on that production.
Optional modules for Year 3 (with PTY) - FHEQ Level 6
Students select two of the optional 15 credit modules. One in each semester.
Professional Training Year (PTY)
Semester 1 & 2
Core
This module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written and presentation skills.
This module supports students’ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to a Professional Training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from their Professional Training placement experiences to their final year of study and their future employment. The PTY module is concerned with Personal and Professional Development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning and is a process that involves self-reflection. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written skills.
Our award-winning teaching staff have professional experience across the film, television and sound recording industries.
We have small class sizes so that you are given personal attention from our teaching team to guide you throughout your degree.
You’ll learn through lectures, seminars, in-depth projects and practical work. The degree is designed to encourage more independent working as you progress through the course.
Your final-year technical project and creative production gives you the chance to specialise in an area that is either of interest or of use in your chosen career. During this year you are supervised individually by members of the academic staff.
We also run a comprehensive programme of industry workshops, talks and lectures with visiting professionals, who have included:
David O’Carrol, operations director, Aurora Media Worldwide
Howard Bargroff, Bafta-winning re-recording mixer (Sherlock, Doctor Who, Broadchurch)
Katy Noland, Research and Development, BBC
Martyn Humphreys, Grass Valley
Ollie Waton, freelance TV sound supervisor
Michael Price, Emmy-winning composer (Sherlock, Unforgotten)
Mike Jeffries, TV director, BBC News
Dean Ruffy, Head of Vision, EMG.
In addition to visiting lecturers, we organise many field trips and attend industry events; for example, a visit to Sky Studios or the on-campus broadcast experience with Europe Media Group which visited with their £16m outside broadcast (OB) vehicle.
There are many other performances, events and screenings open to you as a student at the University of Surrey. You’ll also have the opportunity to join a large number of student societies, including the award-winning StagTV, our student TV society. In addition, you will be able to take part in productions such as Live from Studio X, Univision or other live broadcasts, which are supported through our course.
Lectures
Seminars
Project work
Tutorials
Workshops
Trips
Group work
Independent study
Assessment
We assess modules individually and award credits for the successful completion of each one. Assessment takes place through a combination of examination and/or coursework, practical examinations and reports.
Practical modules will help develop hands on skills and teamwork that will be useful on graduation.
Check the individual module information to see full details at a module level.
General course information
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Timetable
New students will receive their personalised timetable in Welcome Week. In later semesters, two weeks before the start of semester.
Scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday), with part-time classes normally scheduled on one or two days. Wednesday afternoons tend to be for sports and cultural activities.
This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
With most jobs in the UK film and TV industry in the south east of England, we are well placed and conveniently located to help you succeed in this sector. In the survey, Graduate Outcomes 2024, HESA, results show that 91 per cent of our Music and Media undergraduates go on to employment or further study.
Ranked as one of the best film production courses in the UK, our degree has been created with industry involvement from the beginning. We will equip you for careers in all aspects of the film, streaming media and television industries as well as further study and research.
Most jobs in the film and broadcast industries require both scientific skills and artistic flair; so our focus on technical knowledge, artistic appreciation and soft skills will give you choices in your career path throughout your life in a changing industry.
Career possibilities include:
Broadcast engineers
Directors
Producers
Directors of photography
Lighting designers
Colour graders
Production assistants
Vision engineers
Digital data wranglers
Digital imaging technicians
Developers and creators of engineering hardware or software for the film and broadcast industries
Creative directors
Programme researchers
Technical co-ordinators
Video editors
Academic researchers.
In 2023, students on our course have won the Royal Television Society Environment and Sustainability Award, for their final-year film projects. in both 2023 and 2024, our students have won, and hosted, the Bill Vinten GTC University Awards for cinematography.
Our brand-new TV studio/sound stage is at the centre of our teaching.
Our broadcast facilities closely match those used in the professional world and were built in collaboration with our contacts in the broadcast and film industries, to equip you with the skills necessary for a successful career.
You’ll have access to this newly built broadcast-standard, multi-camera TV studio, which has at its heart a Sony MVS-8000G broadcast production switcher/vision mixer. This model is used worldwide for major sporting events and light entertainment shows such as Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC.
Operational control panels are fibre-linked to our 4K Panasonic studio cameras and a Dot 2 lighting desk which controls the brand-new lighting grid that houses the latest Arri lights and Dedo fittings. The production gallery includes a newly installed XT3 EVS for video replay, recordings and slo-mo.
There is also a dubbing theatre featuring Avid Pro Tools Ultimate software and 5.1 sound, plus a range of professional documentary and ENG-style camera equipment.
For cinematography and narrative film, we have Sony F55 and F5 4K 35mm sensor cameras with a range of professional PL mount prime and zoom lenses, along with ARRI lighting, sound devices, field recorders and a range of professional microphones.
Adding more creative options to the filming, we also have Sony FX3 and FS5, a DJI Ronin 2 and an Indy dolly system.
We are currently refurbishing our editing/grading room complete with Adobe Creative Cloud, Avid Media Composer, Avid Pro Tools Ultimate and Da Vinci Resolve software.
The TV studio has a 20m2 green infinity curve where you can experiment with virtual production. We also have several edit suites, plus 24-hour-access to our newly built Mac lab. The labs feature a range of industry-standard software including Avid Pro Tools, DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Creative Cloud.
You’ll have many opportunities to collaborate with students from other disciplines. This includes musicians and composers of all styles, the recording engineers from the world-renowned Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) degree, as well as actors from the highly acclaimed Guildford School of Acting which is also part of the University.
The course often links with and facilitates large student-led broadcast events by Surrey’s student TV society, StagTV. This collaboration has produced and executed projects including Univision (a university-version of the Eurovision Song Contest), and Strictly Come Surrey. Last year’s live Univision event was broadcast with eight cameras, backstage interviews and live performances from acts from six different universities.
Media Studios 360 tour
Discover more about the facilities for the Film Production and Broadcast Engineering BEng (Hons).
Learn more about the qualifications we typically accept to study this course at Surrey.
Typical offer
Overall: BBB.
Required subjects: Mathematics.
Please note: A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not accepted. Applicants taking an A-level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are expected to pass the practical element.
GCSE or equivalent: English Language at Grade 4 (C) and Mathematics at Grade 4 (C).
Overall: DDM and A-level Maths grade B or equivalent Maths standard demonstrated at interview.
Required subjects: Please contact us to discuss suitability.
GCSE or equivalent: English Language at Grade 4 (C) and Mathematics at Grade 4 (C).
Overall: 32.
Required subjects: Maths Analysis and Approaches HL5/SL6 or Maths Applications and Interpretation HL5. Admissions Tutor may be able to make exceptions for individual cases following interview.
GCSE or equivalent: English A HL4/SL4 or English B HL5/SL6.
Overall: 75%.
Required subjects: Maths (5 period) with at least 7.5.
GCSE or equivalent: English Language (1/2) 6 or English Language (3)7.
Overall: QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 level 3 credits overall including 27 credits at Distinction and 18 at Merit.
Required subjects: Please contact us to discuss suitability.
GCSE or equivalent: English Language and Mathematics at Grade 4 (C).
Overall: ABBBB.
Required subjects: Mathematics.
GCSE or equivalent: English Language - Scottish National 5 - C.
Overall: BBB from a combination of the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales and two A-levels.
Required subjects: A-level Mathematics.
Please note: A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not accepted. Applicants taking an A-level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are expected to pass the practical element.
GCSE or equivalent: Please check the A-level dropdown for the required GCSE levels.
Applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will receive our standard A-level offer for this programme, plus an alternate offer of one A-level grade lower, subject to achieving an A grade in the EPQ. The one grade reduction will not apply to any required subjects.
Applicants can only receive one grade reduction from the published grades, an EPQ grade reduction can’t be applied in addition to other grade reductions made through other schemes such as Contextual Admissions or In2Surrey.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
International Foundation Year
If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements for this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year at the Surrey International Study Centre. Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree course.
Applicants taking physics or computer science in addition to mathematics may be made an offer based on their application alone.
Other suitable applicants will be invited to participate in a short interview either on campus or via Teams or Zoom. Offers are normally made in terms of grades following a successful interview.
Recognition of prior learning
We recognise that many students enter their higher education course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of professional, vocational and community contexts.
If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning (RPL) process may allow you to join a course without the formal entry requirements or enter your course at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all undergraduate courses.
The annual tuition fees for courses starting in September 2025
* Please note: Professional Training placement year fees are approximately 20% of the full-time fee for the academic year in which you undertake your placement.
We have thousands of placement providers to choose from, most of which offer pay. So, become one of our many students who have had their lives and career choices transformed.
Film production and broadcast engineering placements
Recent placements include:
Camera engineer, Arial Camera Systems
MCR engineer, Aurora Media
Vision engineer, EMG
Creative video production, video editor, Bold Content
Audio post-production intern, China Film Group
Placement engineer, CTV
Broadcast technology and operations intern, Disney
Creative intern, Discovery Channel
Placement engineer, Dolby
Digital operations intern, Endemol Shine
Placement broadcast engineer, ITN
Projects placement engineer, Kinley
Trainee editor and camera assistant, One dash 22, Singapore
Edit engineer, Picture Shop
Placement engineer, Racetech
Production and engineering assistant, Squash TV
Placement engineer, Techex
Grading trainee, The Look
Engineer, Video Europe
Broadcast engineer and camera operator, Vivid.
Applying for placements
Students are generally not placed by the University. But we offer support and guidance throughout the process, with access to a vacancy site of placement opportunities.
Hear from Boyan Borchakov who worked as a Creative Producer Intern at Disney.
Graduate
"My heavy involvement with StagTV to put course material into practice as well as my placement year at Dolby made it easy to choose my current career path."
Kendrick Foo Film Production and Broadcast Engineering BEng (Hons) Graduate profile
Study and work abroad
Studying at Surrey opens a world of opportunity. Take advantage of our study and work abroad partnerships, explore the world, and expand your skills for the graduate job market.
The opportunities abroad vary depending on the course, but options include study exchanges, work/research placements, summer programmes, and recent graduate internships. Financial support is available through various grants and bursaries, as well as Student Finance.
Perhaps you would like to volunteer in India or learn about Brazilian business and culture in São Paulo during your summer holidays? With 140+ opportunities in 36+ different countries worldwide, there is something for everyone. Explore your options via our search tool and find out more about our current partner universities and organisations.
Student
"Over the summer, I had the privilege of working at Samlon Recordings in Johannesburg, South Africa. This experience not only deepened my technical knowledge but also exposed me to new cultural perspectives and professional practices in a global setting."
Henry Film Production and Broadcasting Engineering BSc (Hons) Student profile
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