Bachelor of Arts (BA)

BA Film Studies and Middle Eastern Studies

Study film and media alongside Middle Eastern language and culture.
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: PT55 / Institution code: M20

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Scholarships and bursaries are available to eligible Home/EU students, this is in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

Course unit details:
Virtual Reality (VR) Film Making

Course unit fact file
Unit code DRAM21282
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Please note that this unit is delivered on-campus only and is therefore not available to remote learners

This unit will teach you Virtual Reality film practice within the context of New Media, Game, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality theory. You will work together to learn basic Virtual Reality film practice skills with industry level equipment and editing software, to explore applications and narratives in VR film-making.

Smaller production groups will be formed to devise short Virtual Reality films overseen by the tutor. You will be asked to carry out a variety of functions which could include: VR director, 360 camera cinematographer, VR and sound editor, producer and researcher. The course is also preparatory for third level courses related to screen practice as research.

Pre/co-requisites

Pre-requisite units:  Any L1 Drama (DRAM) unit

Co-requisite units:   Any L2 core course unit:  Theatres of Modernity OR Screen, Culture and Society

Aims

  • To give students an introduction to Virtual Reality film preproduction, production and postproduction.
  • To introduce VR applications and narratives for stage and screen, including VR film-making, recording, stitching, editing, exhibition and viewing.
  • To learn to conduct practice-based research on Virtual Reality film by drawing on New Media, Game, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality theory.

Knowledge and understanding

  • Demonstrate a contextualised understanding of at least one of: New Media, Game, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and/or Mixed Reality theory
  • Use Virtual Reality film preproduction, production and postproduction processes in order to produce a short VR film.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of how to create, apply and exhibit Virtual Reality content along with an understanding of the specific potentials and features of Virtual Reality narratives and forms.

Intellectual skills

  • Critically analyse VR narratives and structures
  • Use reflective practice in order to develop and evaluate their own practical work in VR film-making
  • Critically engage with the specific context of VR and immersive technologies and their potential applications as forms of drama

Practical skills

  • Create, apply and exhibit Virtual Reality content
  • Demonstrate their skills in preproduction of Virtual Reality film
  • Demonstrate their skills in production of Virtual Reality film
  • Demonstrate their skills in postproduction of Virtual Reality film

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Demonstrate a good level of interpersonal communication and team-working skills
  • Demonstrate creative group-work skills (problem-solving, thinking innovatively, drawing on creative approaches of others, evaluating creative approaches of others, giving and receiving feedback, time-keeping)
  • Use effective leadership and group-work skills to solve problems and sustain a creative process
  • Perform with confidence and precision for specific audiences/contexts, making use of diverse creative approaches and media (as appropriate to the module)

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Ability to present self and ideas effectively, including when dealing with complex and sensitive topics
Group/team working
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, often as part of creative and critical projects that present unpredictable and challenging scenarios;
Innovation/creativity
Creative thinking - our teaching environment enables students to develop creative and critical approaches to problem-solving
Leadership
Awareness of the importance of contributing to public life and demonstrating good citizenship - our curriculum is socially and politically engaged, and encourages students to develop a sense of social responsibility in their professional and social life
Project management
Project management - our teaching environment demands that students plan, undertake, manage and evaluate projects independently and as part of teams
Oral communication
Advanced communication skills - verbal, written; prepared/rehearsed and `off the cuff/improvised
Research
Understanding of professional cultures/environments - our students are supported to develop professional approaches to timekeeping, peer support/review, self reflection/evaluation and dealing with sources of concern/complaint.
Written communication
Ability to utilise engaging and dynamic forms of self-presentation
Other
Emotional intelligence - our teaching environment encourages students to develop self awareness, and an ability to use emotional and cognitive capacities when approaching new challenges

Assessment methods

Project proposal and Virtual Reality film (group)60%
Reflective essay (individual)40%

 

 

Feedback methods

Feedback method

Formative or Summative

Proposal and VR film – oral and written

Formative (proposal) and summative

Essay – written

Summative

Workshop feedback (tutor to student and peer to peer) across course - oral

Formative

 

Recommended reading

Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: BBC and Penguin Books.

Chan, M (2014) Virtual Reality: Representations in Contemporary Media. New York: Bloomsbury.

Douglas, B and T. Krzywinska (2009) ‘Movie-games and game-movies: towards an aesthetics of transmediality’ in Warren Buckland (ed). Film Theory and Contemporary Hollywood Movies. New York: Routledge. Pp. 86-102.

Lister, J. Dovey, S. Giddings, I. Grant, K (2009) New Media: A Critical Introduction. New York: Routledge. Chapter 2. New Media and Visual Culture. Pp. 105-162.

Mäyrä, F. (2008) Introduction to Game Studies: Games and Culture. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Chapter 1. Introduction: What is game studies? Pp. 1-12.

Tricart, C. (2018) Virtual Reality Filmmaking: Techniques and best practices for VR filmmakers. New York and London: Routledge. 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Practical classes & workshops 33
Independent study hours
Independent study 167

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Johannes Sjoberg Unit coordinator

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