University degrees: Postgraduate
Course length: 2 year full-time
Could you make the next Blue Planet or Wonders of the Universe?
Could you make the next Blue Planet or Wonders of the Universe?
This is the only MA course of its kind in the UK, designed to fast track you into the industry. It aims to give students the skills and expertise needed to direct science and wildlife productions, the know-how to produce and direct entire shows and the ability, confidence and knowlegde to generate and pitch ideas and formats to commissioning editors.
Within 2 months of graduating all our 2019 graduates secured roles at leading television companies, including BBC Natural History Unit, Plimsoll Productions and IWC Media.
The course includes masterclasses from industry experts, including the world-renowned BBC Natural History Unit, and work experience is available at major wildlife production companies. Our graduates have the opportunity to build a brilliant list of industry contacts and relevant skills for a career as a Producer/Director.
All NFTS students can attend the School’s masterclasses programme, with recent guests including Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve), Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna, Diego Maradona), Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin), Louis Theroux, and M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Glass).
“You are the future. It’s up to you to change things about the way you look at the natural world, using formats I haven’t dreamed about.” Sir David Attenborough, NFTS Masterclass 2017
This course will give you the skills to direct science and natural history productions, the know-how to produce entire shows, and the ability to generate new programme ideas and formats. Students gain a practical working knowledge of current television production methods and insight into how the business works and current trends.
There is a strong emphasis on professional practice. This means that student projects will be expected to measure up to scientific scrutiny, as well as exhibition and broadcast standards.
Students will carry out assignments in the specialist skills of long-lens, time-lapse and macro photography. In the 1st year, students will not only produce and direct, but also shoot and edit their 10-minute film. In the 2nd year they typically shoot their films, but they also collaborate with composers, editors and sound designers when they make their 20 to 25 minute graduation films.
As part of the course students will be exposed to the development and production challenges of specialist factual genres, such as Landmark/Blue Chip (interchangeable terms for high budget, high production value programming mainly used in a pure wildlife context), mini landmarks, Children’s, People and Nature, Live, Expedition films, Magazine formats, Obs-doc etc. In addition, there will be a focus on promoting cross-genre ideas to foster creativity.
