Film Making MA
Why choose this course?
This course examines the principles of short form film-making, the potential of visual storytelling and the importance of sound, editing, lighting, cinematography and screenplay.
You will produce a portfolio to show your technical ability in cinematography, sound recording, editing, writing and direction across several short films. You will develop skills such as critical thinking, character and narrative development, and post-production.
The course focuses on the collaborative nature of film-making and the sharing of non-mainstream stories. It is inspired by productions that have challenged conformity.
| Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | 1 year | 1-4 days a week | September 2025 |
| Part time | 2 years | 1-4 days a week | September 2025 |
| Main Location | Penrhyn Road |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- At Kingston you can experience a variety of production roles, finding your specialism through practice.
- You will use high-definition 4K digital cinema cameras, DSLRs and Macs running Adobe Premiere and Creative Cloud. There are 8mm and 16mm cameras for exploring analogue film.*
- Our alumni include award-winning filmmakers, whose films have been shown at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival, London Short Film Festival and London Design Biennale.
*Students may be required to cover additional costs, such as stock and processing costs.
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
What you will study
At the heart of the course is an emphasis on developing visual storytelling and vivid characters through script development.
You will be able to use high-definition 4K digital cinema cameras, DSLRs and Macs running Adobe Premier and Creative Cloud to apply classical and independent principles with contemporary technology. The course focuses on the collaborative nature of the film making process and sharing stories from communities outside the mainstream.
You'll be expected to complete 180 credits across five modules, including a film making dissertation film.
Modules
You will study the basic principles of film making, develop an understanding of the nature and potential of visual storytelling, and discover the importance of sound, lighting and the screenplay. You will also gain a sound knowledge of theories and ideas that can help in the interpretation of your own work and that of other filmmakers. You will produce a portfolio of moving-image projects to illustrate your technical ability in cinematography, sound recording, editing and writing/direction.
Core modules
Film Making 1
30 credits
Film Making 1 introduces the basic principles of film making through the three phases of pre-production, production; and post-production. It is particularly aimed at students who have a high level of visual literacy but limited practical film making experience. The module utilises the tools of digital film making technology. These tools have operating systems that are broadly similar to the wide range of communication devices most students are already familiar with and this similarity is used to ease them into becoming comfortable with equipment. Links are then identified with the classical techniques of film making that have remained consistent across the analogue and digital periods. In pre-production clarity and simplicity of describing action are fostered to communicate complex ideas with a production team. In production, focus and attention to technical detail provide quality raw material. During post-production organisational and mixing skills are developed in order to refine the raw material during the crucial editing phases.
Film Making 2
30 credits
This module will build on the experience gained in the modules in teaching block 1 and provide instruction in non-fiction film making techniques at an intermediate level, drawing on classical and experimental modes of documentary practice to allow students to make a short non-fiction film in small groups.
Practical demonstrations in documentary film making techniques will be accompanied by a series of lectures/seminars on the evolution and ethical dimensions of documentary practice and contemporary modes of non-fiction film making.
Film Making 3 (Dissertation)
60 credits
This module places a direct focus upon light weight, mobile production techniques, underlining the relation between technology/budget and aesthetics. The central principle is the inherent nature of film making as a collaborative art form, providing an opportunity for the genuine expression of individual ideas and a forum for the development of unique voices.
You will apply the skills developed in previous modules to plan and produce a substantial final film project, as a culmination of the masters programme. You will be expected to synthesise your critical viewing experience, technical aptitudes, and critical faculties in writing, filming and editing to produce a film of broadcast quality. Support will be provided through production and practical problem-solving workshops, intensive editing classes. You will be encouraged to critical reflect and self-evaluate their progress throughout the project.
Film Writing
30 credits
This module foregrounds the critical importance of a clear understanding of the specific nature of writing for moving image productions. It develops an appreciation of the craft and art of presenting factual and fictional stories in a genuinely cinematic style and develops a facility in the technique of producing original and adapted screenplays.
By analysing the historical development of the form, an awareness of the principles of screen writing is introduced and then developed through a series of intensive group-based and individual exercises in seminars and supporting workshops. Students are taken through the various forms of screenwriting - the draft screenplay, the treatment, the step-outline, the synopsis, the script, the shooting script, the schedule and the pitch in a series of practical exercises that culminate in the submission and presentation of an original screenplay or documentary script.
Sound and Vision
30 credits
This module enables students to communicate their visual and aural ideas in a coherent manner using technology to design, capture and display sound and cinematography.
As filmmakers we produce meaning for the viewer by creating a blend of images and sounds, which generate emotional and intellectual responses. Clarity of communication and transmission of meaning are the two greatest challenges facing any filmmaker. Through combining cinematography, sound, and editing we will explore the technical and historical processes that enable us to explore and produce images that viewers can perceive and understand.
Vision – Cinematography
We will explore the theory and practice of motion picture photography. The term Photography is used in the most comprehensive sense to include the principles of stills photography, cinematography (moving images captured on film) and videography (moving images recorded electronically and stored on hard or software of various forms including tape, memory cards, and drives). As a result the module provides a grounding in the principles which inform the range of techniques applied in recording images of the actions and events that take place in the world and encourages students to learn through their own practice and experimentation supported by modular tutors.
Sound – Sound Recording & Design
We will provide practical instruction in the use of sound technology. It will encourage the application of knowledge and experience to the production of a film sound design. This will be done by foregrounding the development of skills in using sound to tell stories and create atmosphere. The module will also explore the use of music and of sound design both practically and creatively.
It is also our intention to spend time simply listening. We wish to reflect on soundscapes, found sound, chance encounters with sound; as well as developing the ability to conceptualise sound for our work as filmmakers, from script to distribution, making the visual and aural interpretations of our sound world a much richer experience. We will work intensely on Film Sound Design and by the end of this part of the module all participants will have a greater knowledge both theoretical and practical of the things that go bump in the night.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
You'll be assessed through film projects, production portfolios, screenplays and critical analysis essays.
Who teaches this course?
This course is delivered by Kingston School of Art. You'll be taught by members of staff who are practising film making and visual artists with extensive research, which keeps your learning cutting-edge.
Learning takes place in classroom-based seminars, tutorials and lectures, alongside site visits to museums, galleries, auction houses and other creative professional environments.
Our students are encouraged to engage closely with the diverse businesses that make London one of the most important centres for the creative industries. Our industry connections mean we provide unique study opportunities, such as:
- the chance to have your work seen by eminent members of your profession;
- 'live' projects, site visits and placements in prestigious companies or institutions; and
- project work and workshops with visiting lecturers and industry specialists.
Our excellent reputation means that industry leaders regularly visit our student shows to see the best of the new talent.
Fees for this course
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Facilities
There is a wide range of facilities at our Penrhyn Road campus, where this course is based. You will have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including our specialist film and media labs, equipped with iMacs running software including the Adobe Creative Suite.
Students also have access to a film studio facility with backgrounds and green wall, as well as a fully equipped audio recording facility running Logic Pro and Pro Tools.
Resources in London
Kingston is just a 30-minute train journey from central London. Here you can access a wealth of film-related resources, including:
- specialist cinemas – such as BFI Southbank and the IMAX cinema;
- organisations such as the British Film Institute (BFI); and
- film festivals – including the annual London Film Festival in October, London Short Film Festival in January and events run by the BFI.
Links with business and industry
There are always interesting activities taking place at Kingston and exciting opportunities to take advantage of.
The range of events and lectures in Kingston School of Art enhances your studies and adds an extra perspective to your learning.
Events include:
- The Kingston International Film Festival runs locally in June
- Festival of Futures at FuseBox in Kingston, showcasing film collectives
- Winc films: we contain multitudes – installation at the Stanley Picker Project Space of films by winc films (a collective of MA film making alumni)
- Graduation screening at the BFI Southbank in January
- Film screenings
- Dr Mitchell Panayis' feature documentary, We Ain't Stupid, was filmed over a four-year period as part of his PhD entitled The Endz Game: The Impact of the London 2012 Olympics on the Communities of the Host Boroughs (awarded 2015).
- Women on both sides of the Camera – Screening of Dr. Mahshad Afshar's doctoral feature documentary about Iranian women filmmakers
After you graduate
This film making MA will equip you for lifelong film making and learning. It prepares you with techniques to sustain a film making practice beyond university for:
- employment within the film industry or as an independent film maker
- further study.
The core skills will enable you to produce films in an independent, pragmatic and accountable manner. This will enhance your employability and begin the process of making you a genuinely independent filmmaker in command of your own material.
MA film making graduates have gone on to work in the film industry in roles such as:
- independent filmmaker (Thomas Line, Ananth Subramaniam, Mariam Majid, Johnny Dahle, Shreeya Tiwari)
- independent film producer (Annisa Adjam)
- assistant editor, production design (Poldark, Prometheus and Doctor Strange – Anna Haigh);
- key grip (BBC films and Netflix's The Crown – Vis Sopjani);
- sound recordist on independent features;
- director (web series Mandem on the Wall and Law Cats – Freddie Osborne);
- documentary director
- feature films in development (Ananth Subramaniam, Annisa Adjam, Mariam Majid)
- editor (Cristina Barillari)
- script reader and script editor
- 1st assistant camera
- in-house filmmaker for charity organisations
- film festival programmer (Deputy Director of Kingston International Film Festival Jelena Lützel, Barnes Film Festival, Alexa Bailey)
One of our graduates, Pablo Romero-Fresco, has published a book on Accessible Filmmaking, about filmmaking and translation for deaf, blind and in terms of language. He mentions the course in the acknowledgements. The Routledge publication has strong reviews from Ken Loach and Mike Dibb (director, Ways of Seeing). Pablo made his graduation film in Kibera, Kenya about a girls' football school with classmates from the course.
Mariam Majid's 2019 MA graduation film, A Night with Noor Jehan, was selected for the Sheffield Film Festival and Barnes Film Festival, and went on to win the LGBTQ category of the Leeds International Film Festival. Mariam's film Look but with Love screened at the 2024 Kingston International Film Festival where it was nominated for the Eadweard Muybridge Award. She has been shortlisted as a director to work with Centre Frame Club and her new short film, Inebriated Mrs Qureshi, is in production. She is also Head of Fiction for the BIFA qualifying London Breeze Film Festival.
Graduates have also established themselves as independent filmmakers, exhibiting their films at the East End Film Festival and Tate Britain, and have had projects commissioned by the Home Office, Tate, E4 and Film London.
MA graduates have also progressed on to do PhDs in film making in the department with projects including:
- The Endz Game: The impact of the London 2012 Olympics on the communities of the host boroughs (Dr. Mitchell Panayis)
- The Black Market: An application of the Sound System model to Independent Filmmaking (Dr. Freddie Osborne)
- Floating Home: A Journey of Taiwanese Identity in the UK. (Dr. Roter Su)
We have an international cohort of alumni, with graduates coming from: America, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and Venezuela.
Alumni journeys
The Passport, Ananth Subramaniam (Epicmedia/Sixtymac Pictures)
Ananth Subramaniam is a Malaysian filmmaker born of Tamil descent who co-founded Idio Sync Inc, an initiative/production house created to develop Tamil culture infused stories. Ananth's work often explores the subject of his ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre. He received an MA in filmmaking from Kingston University, London (Class of 2015-16), and works as a director in the TV and digital commercial sector in Malaysia. He was selected to participate in the Locarno Open Doors program and Southeast Asian Film Lab.
His recent filmmaking credits include The House of Brick and Stone, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival and BIFAN, and Liar Land, which won a Special Mention Prize at the Locarno Film Festival. He is currently working on his debut feature film, The Passport, with the support from Berlinale's Talents Tokyo, Cine Qua Non Lab, SGIFF's Asian Producers Network, and Full Circle Lab. The project received the Bucheon Award at BIFAN NAFF Project Market and the Grand Prize Award at BAFF SEAPITCH, and has just recently been invited to Asia TV & Forum Market and Focus Asia Industry Market at Far East Film Festival Udine, Italy
A Ballad of Long Hair, Annisa Adjam
Annisa Adjam is an Indonesian independent film producer and lecturer. Annisa is the CEO of SINEMA 5, an Indonesian independent creative company that elevates genre elements and international collaborations in filmmaking to champion authentic voices. She is an alumna of Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, BIFAN NAFF Fantastic Film School South Korea, Full Circle Creative Producers Lab The Philippines, and SGIFF's Asian Producers Network who received MA in film making from Kingston University London (class of 2016-17).
Her recent short, Sawo Matang, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. Her upcoming feature film debut, A Ballad of Long Hair, is developed under Fullcircle Lab, MyLab+ Jogja by The Indonesian Ministry of Culture, Tech and Education, and attended regional markets such Taiwan Creative Content Fest and Focus Asia Far East Film Festival Udine, Italy. The project has also received recognition as Most Promising Project at SGIFF Southeast Asia Film Lab Silver Screen Awards, Udine Award Recipient at Taiwan Creative Content Fest, and Runner-up Prize at BAFF SEAPITCH.
What our students and graduates say
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
