About this course
Created in close collaboration with the film and television industry, this course will prepare you for a successful career as a production designer, art director or other art department role. Learn a wide range of art department skills including set design, visualisation and drafting.
-
You’ll have the opportunity to complete a work experience placement of up to a year in length. Dependent on the duration of your placement, you could gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice. -
Industry experts and specialists are a regular feature of the course, either delivering guest lectures and workshops or working more closely with you on live projects. Recent industry experts include: Oscar-nominated production designer Maria Djurkovic (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Billy Elliot, The Imitation Game) and BAFTA award-winning production designer Charles Wood (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange). -
Opportunity to apply for a European or international exchange at one of our partner institutions. You can also attend study trips, recent study trips have included the Harry Potter film studios, London and the Luc Besson studios, Paris. -
This course is industry recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.
20
What you’ll study
This course’s industry connections result in exciting guest lectures, live projects and work experience opportunities. You’ll study in facilities that reflect the latest industry standards, learning from staff with extensive experience in their field. You’ll collaborate with your fellow students and work independently on a range of exciting projects that will develop your skills, and focus your career goals.
In your final year, you’ll showcase your work and have the opportunity to exhibit at a national or international show or high-profile industry venue, such as Pinewood Studios.
There is an opportunity for students to undertake a placement year, and transfer to the Sandwich route, please see further details in the ‘Year Three’ section below.
Art Department Skills
(40 credit points)
Develop your understanding of the roles and skills needed in an Art Department in the Film and Television industries. Through independent and collaborative projects, you will develop a foundation of skills and vocabulary relevant to Designing for Film and TV; including the creation of mood boards and visuals, technical drawing, model making, prop making and workshop skills.
Design Concepts and Practice
(40 credit points)
Build on the practical skills learnt in the art department module, whilst introducing you to the key role of the Production Designer and their responsibilities such as looking at script analysis and breakdown, concept drawing, storyboarding, character profiling, costume, colour theory and set dressing in order for you to consider these vital design tools in your design work to create credible worlds.
Introducing Digital Skills
(20 credit points)
Compliment and add to the skills being learnt in the Design Concepts and Practice module by exploring a range of new and emerging digital skills used within the screen industry such as 2D digital visualisation and 3D digital modelling. You will put this software and techniques into practice by creating a 2D digital visual and 3D digital model of your designs from a previous design or the Design Concepts and Practices module.
Visual Culture and Narratives
(20 credit points)
Develop an appreciation of Visual Culture and Narratives and their relevance and influence on our Film & Television history and industry by building your knowledge of art movements, cultural phenomena and forms through social and historical pivot points. This will be through a range of means including lectures, film viewings, tutorials, debates, independent study and workshops.
Industry Craft and Context
(40 credit points)
Building on the knowledge and skills you acquired in Year One, you will further develop your art department skills, while enhancing your contextual understanding of film and TV craft. It also represents a step up towards professional standards of time management and producing work of high quality within tight deadlines.
Advanced Skills and Concepts
(40 credit points)
Take your art department skills to the next level, while enhancing your production design ideation and conceptualisation abilities. You will be challenged to offer viable design solutions to complex creative briefs, preparing you for the high-concept, autonomous work required in Year 3 and your careers in the industry.
Co Lab: Research, Exploration and Risk-taking
(20 credit points)
Through active participation with team-based problem-solving, you will work together in mixed teams on a project where you will use your creative ideas to generate solutions to the challenge or brief. Your project will allow you to explore how creativity can make an impact in society, as you choose a theme of sustainability, social justice, enterprise and innovation or community. This collaborative learning experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking.
Optional module
You will also choose one 20-credit module from:
- Storyboarding
- Model Making: Object and Narrative
- Character Ideation
- Experimental Animation
- Digital Matte Painting
- Music Video
- Virtual Production
- Prop Making
Optional Placement Year (Sandwich)*
We have an option for all of our students to undertake a placement year (Sandwich) and allow you to decide whether this is right for you once you have completed years 1 and 2 of your course. This time spent working in industry provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. If you are successful in securing a placement you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.
The additional placement year incurs a fee. For international students considering the transfer to the 4-yr SW route it’s important to seek advice from the International Student Support team and the Home Office regarding any potential visa implications and costs. For UK students, advice should also be sought regarding SLC eligibility, if applicable.
* If you choose to take the sandwich route option, you will still need to apply for this course with the full-time UCAS code: W280
Art Department Practice
(40 credit points)
This module is aimed to mirror an art department in the film and television industry by setting a series of 'art department' requirements following a process from script to design concept. The module requires you to work collaboratively in achieving the required output by tasking roles within a professional art department. Students will be assessed individually.
Production Design Portfolio
(60 credit points)
Culminate all your skills learnt to a professional level that can be sent to Production Designers and Art Directors and associated departments to start your journey into the Film and Television Industry. You will increase your autonomy whilst designing from a self negotiated 'script' or 'text' and present your designs and supporting technical skills in a 'branded' portfolio.
Reflective Practice
(20 credit points)
Challenge your reflective skills through the use of a journal format to identify and evaluate your personal and professional direction to align with your future goals and ambitions. Throughout the duration of the module, students will engage in lectures and various theoretical and practical activities relating to the professional practice of designing for Film and Television.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Video Gallery
How you're taught
On this course, you’ll spend most of your time in a creative studio environment. Teaching and learning experiences will include group and independent projects, demonstrations, tutorials, lectures and seminars. You’ll also benefit from study visits and work experience and be expected to keep a reflective journal.
Co Lab
Want real-world experience alongside your degree? Co Lab is your opportunity to work with peers from different disciplines on live projects set by industry partners. Embrace collaborative practice as you explore how creativity can make an impact in society and develop the skills employers want to see in the creative industries.
Exchange opportunities
If you’re thinking about studying part of your degree abroad, the course has exchange agreements with a number of institutions around the world.
Exchanges take place in Year Two of the course. You’ll receive guidance from the University about where you can study, and help in completing your application and arranging your exchange.
Careers and employability
Graduates have gone on to work as production designers, art directors, and in a wide range of art department roles within film and television for companies including:
- BBC
- ITV
- Channel 4
- Mammoth
- Tiger Aspect.
Some projects our graduates have been involved with include:
- Star Wars
- the Marvel franchise
- The Fast and The Furious.
TV productions our graduates have been involved with include:
- EastEnders
- Emmerdale
- Killing Eve
- Victoria
- Bad Education
- Gentleman Jack .
Connecting with industry
You’ll have the opportunity to engage with industry through real-situation design projects and lectures from guest speakers. Industry professionals that have recently shared their knowledge and experience include:
- Oscar-nominated production designer Maria Djurkovic (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Billy Elliot, The Imitation Game)
- BAFTA award-winning production designer Charles Wood (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange)
- Donal Woods, production designer (Downton Abbey)
- Tim Napper, concept artist (Star Wars, Dark Crystal)
- lighting designer Mike LeFevre (The Andrew Marr Show, Globe Theatre, and the Royal Opera House).
Creative Industries Federation
We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.
Showcase
You will be given the opportunity to exhibit your work during your time at NTU to members of the creative industries. Visit our ‘We Are Creatives’ showcase to take a look at the work of this year's graduating students’.
Campus and facilities
You’ll be based in the Waverley building – a beautifully restored listed building with real design heritage: it was the original home of the Nottingham School of Art. View our Nottingham School of Art & Design Facilities Hub here.
Entry requirements
UK students
- 104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
Other requirements: a portfolio.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
Other requirements: a portfolio.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Sign up for emails
Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.
Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
