Course summary
The MA in Documentary and Factual will give you the skills and understanding needed to work as a director and/or producer in today’s factual content industries. Specific topics include finding and developing ideas, research and access to contributors, creating stories, and pitching ideas. You will learn about production roles and develop skills in documentary editing, sound recording, and camerawork. Throughout the course, you will explore funding strategies and potential audiences, and be immersed in productions where you can try out a range of skills.
- Practical: Gain training and experience in producing, directing, camera operation, sound, and editing.
- Comprehensive: For students passionate about the various ways to shoot and document reality in today’s world, and who want to produce content that offers new insights and promotes compassion and awareness about a specific subject
- Industry-facing: Build your understanding of the contemporary industry landscape for documentaries and factual programming, including commissioning, financing, distribution and exhibition.
- Real-life Experience: You will conceive, create, and deliver a project to a client brief. Working within a creative team with other MA pathways, students respond to a professional brief from a commercial or non-commercial business to produce a short project and showcase their creative talent to industry professionals.
- Portfolio: Create a portfolio of work, including two core projects (documentary and/or factual programmes), with accompanying creative development and pitch documents to support you in your future career.
Modules
Documentary and Factual Craft and Industry: During the early weeks of the module you will work with students from other pathways to make a short video using a camera phone, based on something that you want to say. Using the video as a starting point, you will evidence your developing understanding of content, industry, and audiences, to pitch a factual or documentary project to an industry panel. Authorship and Context: You will gain understanding of the theory of authorship as well as alternative paradigms and be encouraged to analyse and engage in how 'point of view' impacts the structure, form, and genre of non-fiction storytelling. Through practical workshops, students will create two short film pieces demonstrating authorship and context. Professional Profile: You will develop authentic and detailed career paperwork and supporting materials including a CV and personal profile. As part of the module you will be offered Elective Upskilling sessions – opportunities to develop screen industry skills outside of their chosen discipline or as part of their multi-skilling profile. Factual Production for Clients: Working with students from other MA courses, you will develop proposals and pitches to present to real world clients for whom you will deliver factual video content. Through the subsequent video production you will develop skills in budgeting and scheduling, and what's required of producers and directors across a variety of platforms. Practice-based Research: Building on the work of previous and concurrent modules, you will gain a deeper insight into current theories, principles, and discussions relating to issues of diversity, sustainability, and ethics within the screen industries. Final Project and Career Plan: Your project is an opportunity to deliver work that is distinctive, industry-aware, based in research, and reflects awareness of a diverse and inclusive world.
Assessment method
Assessment includes a final Master’s project.
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
International applicants
For more information please visit our website: https://www.metfilmschool.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate-courses/
Entry requirements
To apply for the MA course you will need to be 18 years of age or older at the time the course starts. Applicants must have a minimum 2:1 honours degree from a UK university or overseas equivalent. Applicants without this qualification, but possessing relevant work experience, are also invited to apply. Each application is considered on its individual merits.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £17000 | Whole course |
| England | £17000 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £17000 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £17000 | Whole course |
| Wales | £17000 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £17000 | Whole course |
| Republic of Ireland | £17000 | Whole course |
| International | £19000 | Whole course |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Tuition, production equipment and support, first aid and health & safety training, production and postproduction facilities, access to industry masterclasses and networking, and personal contact time.
Provider information
MetFilm
Ealing Studios
Ealing Green
Ealing
W5 5EP