University of Bristol

anon2007 Current Student, 25-Jul-2007
The MA in Film and TV Production course is overly expensive and does not offer value for money. In fact, it doesn't really offer you anything for your money. Expect to pay £9000 (local) or £15000 (international) for 'tuition fees' and to cover filming materials, however don't expect a return on this. The course is split up over three terms, each approximately two months each. You only have lectures and seminars a couple days a week though, so expect a lot of free time to explore Bristol. In the first term you take a compulsory film theory module and a basic practical module, giving you a brief opportunity to use DV Cameras. However both modules are too brief and badly structured over 8 weeks to really give you the sense that you come away from it having learnt something worthwhile. In the second term you pick two practical units to learn about that will, hypothetically, lead to your designated role on the final dissertation film project. However there is a good chance you will not get the role you want, thus making what you learn about in the second term somewhat redundant. The third term is the best of the lot because it is entirely dedicated to the production of a short film. Unfortunately you go into making it totally unprepared because the staff are unhelpful, lazy, and seem to distance themselves from the students as much as possible. The majority of the students on the course are dissatisfied and I, personally, have lost confidence in UK film education. I recommend this course only if you have money to waste and want a Master's Degree without actually doing any work.

Jstar Former Student, 24-Oct-2005
It is such a pity that a course with such a glorious reputation could become so run down. Many great people in the British and international film industries are old students from this course, and it pretty much started film education in the UK. Firstly its expensive £9000 to £15000, but worse you won't ever see that money in quality of teaching, equipment, materials or facilities. Much of the problem lies with the staff - they are all full time but none have had an industry job in 10 years, the oldest has been there for 21 years. They grind their egos against each other, they do very little apart from gossip about students and each other, and in fact getting too involved in students' projects is the only way they get to make films. Horror stories include one tutor telling students whom another tutor is having an extra marital affair with. Another tutor used a film shoot in Wales as a free climbing holiday, using course money to pay for his hotel and travel. Another tutor (the tutors accompany the students' project shoots) on a late night shoot told a student to put the wrong filter on the camera which would have severely damaged the footage, but luckily another student had the confidence to correct his mistake. There are many more. The equipment is pretty dire too, for much of the year the students will be forced to edit on iMovie (the teachers say there isn't enough time to teach something better) while the few who get to do editing will learn a 10 year old version of Avid Express, while sound designers get a 10 year old Sadie to use (with the wires precariously hanging out the box), the film cameras are old but ok but there are only 4 PD150 which are shared between approximately 30 of the course students and about 200 undergraduate drama students. Of course the teachers say the equipment doesn't matter (well I think it does because knowledge is an advantage in terms of employment) because it is about the process undertaken. The problem is the process is so slow that very little is achieved in the given time. The course does have one advantage - if students do not know what area of film production they are interested in they get to try and then specialise. However the course administration is so crude that the students have only so much power over which area they get to do, resulting in some students paying a lot of money for a course where they are forced to learn things they know they are not interested in or have limited ability in.

Annon Former Student, 16-Oct-2005
Well if you want to waste £9000 (for EU) or £15000 (for International) this is the place to come. The course is bad and slow, the equipment sparse and often out of date and the teachers are old, out of touch and worst of all lazy. The people who run the course forget how expensive the course is and are blasé to the students critism. Few or no students are satisfied with the course upon leaving.

K Nair Current Student, 19-Apr-2004
A stunning school, but is only for those who are prepared for hard work.

Chris Former Student, 21-Jan-2004
This course is best suited to those who are not sure which area of production they are interested in.