MA

Film Producing

Key Facts

Course Code P313

  • Qualification

    MA

  • Course duration

    1 year

Available for September start 2025

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The producer’s role is a business-orientated one and the MA in Film Producing at Aberystwyth University focuses on exactly that: the business of film producing.

You will learn how the role requires the development of an integrated portfolio of skills that facilitates engagement with all aspects of the film making process. It is this accumulation of varied and various skills that equips the producer to function effectively and responsibly as the ultimate decision-maker. By the end of this course, you will understand the structure of a script, how that script lives and breathes and more importantly how it can be costed and scheduled.

The majority of modules will be taught by academic staff from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies. The single business-related module, in Financial Analysis and Decision Making, will be taught by academic staff from the Aberystwyth Business School.

Typical Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements 2:1 Bachelors (Honours) degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent.  Non-graduates will be considered individually based on relevant work experience/professional practice.

English Language Requirements IELTS 7.0 with minimum 6.0 in each component, or equivalent

Other Requirements Applicants are encouraged to submit an up-to-date CV as part of their application.

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Course Overview

Why study at Aberystwyth University?

  • Enjoy a stimulating Masters course that will help you understand all of the aspects of film producing so that you can make key, informed decisions with regard to value and cost that are fundamental to any film’s financial success. 
  • Learn from leading industry experts • We will invite industry professionals to host masterclasses in the department, providing you with exceptional networking opportunities that no other University in the UK can match. 
  • This course will prepare you for a career in the film industry, particularly in film producing.
  • We have constructed a viewing, dubbing and grading theatre which will allow you to produce, complete and screen your film production project in a professional environment, ensuring that you can achieve the best result. 
  • Our department has superb facilities and resources for practical work in film and television: three fully-equipped performance studios; a television studio and gallery; an analogue film laboratory; three large well-equipped rehearsal rooms; costume and wardrobe facilities; a dedicated scenography studio; the surrounding landscape - a resource for creative inspiration.
  • The Sound and Screen archive at the National Library of Wales offers an unrivalled source of material relating to Wales and its people.
  • The Aberystwyth Arts Centre is situated on the main campus and is a popular venue where you can enjoy performances and screenings of all kinds.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Aspects of Media Law TFM3720 20
Case Studies in Film History TFM4520 20
Film Dramaturgy TFM3120 20
Film Producing TFM3640 40
Film Production Research Project TFM3960 60
Financial Analysis and Decision Making ABM1120 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

The MA combines theoretically-informed film practice with technical

skills and critical thinking, giving you the chance to develop high levels of production work alongside an appreciation of the craft, history and broader professional context of filmmaking. The aim is to stimulate creativity and embed a systematic understanding and knowledge through a combination of theory and practice, as well as nurturing the essential competencies and capabilities demanded by key industry employers and the independent production sector.

The Masters course is supported by an industry panel of people who have extensive experience in their respective fields. They will oversee aspects of the course that require their specialisms, including film production.

The panel consists of:

  • Julie Baines, Producer
  • Simon Moseley, Line Producer
  • Colin Nicolson, Production/Sound Recordist
  • Suzanna Wyatt, Production Accountant and Former Head of Production at Pathé
  • Simon West, Director
  • John Stephenson, Director
  • Sheila Fraser Milne, Completion Guarantor
  • Patrick Fischer, Creativity Media
  • Hannah Leader, Media Lawyer/Producer
  • Allison Small, CEO of the Production Guild of the UK.

From studying this course you could pursue a career in the following areas:

  • producing
  • directing
  • assistant directing
  • post-production.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

On the MA in Film Producing you will learn how producers negotiate the relationship between cost and value and understand how key that relationship is to any film’s artistic and financial success in the market place.

The course will also enable you to master the core array of skills around film-producing; budgeting, financial accounting, scheduling, communication, negotiation, media law, sales, marketing and distribution.

It is these transferable skills that make successful producers and that is why they are at the heart of this unique MA.

How will I be taught?

The course structure will run over one academic year, broken down into three semesters and you will study the following modules:

  • Semester 1 - Film Producing, Case Studies in Film History, and Aspects of Media Law
  • Semester 2 - Film Producing (continued), Film Distribution and Exhibition, Financial Analysis and Decision Making
  • Semester 3 - Film Production Project*.

For the Final Production Project, assessment will be based on producing the film as opposed to making the film and this will be made clear in the assessment criteria. The Producer will be responsible for pulling all the elements together, and will be ultimately responsible for the overall success of the film as well as keeping the production bible that sets out the film-making process and writing a reflective essay.