Media and MarketingBA (Hons)

Communication and image

In this module you will be introduced to the foundations of communications and image studies. The module explores different frameworks for understanding communications, and the role of the visual image in media, marketing and communications. It will introduce you to semiotics. You will also have the opportunity to apply your learning in the form of a photographic portfolio that will demonstrate theories of the image. The module combines theory and practice-based learning in a fully integrated way and provides a foundation to key theoretical ideas.

The module aims to:
• Provide you with an introduction to theories of communication and theories of the image.
• Promote your critical understanding of the role of images in communications, marketing and media.
• Develop your photographic practice and understanding the role of critical theories in media practice.
• Develop and encourage your confidence in the use of appropriate learning, analytical and discursive skills in both oral and written argument, and help you acquire key academic research skills.

Digital Skills

In this module, you will be introduced to the creative digital skills required for an undergraduate degree and career path in the creative industries, digital media, and journalism.

This digital literacy module provides an introduction to the software and practical skills required to produce a creative online presence and build a professional profile. You will be encouraged to develop your media practice utilising a range of tools and software packages. These skills in image production, for game and web design, desktop publishing and micro-blogging will be utilised in the development and presentation of CV's, promotional materials, posters, and flyers. The work you do on this module will be presented in a portfolio of digital practice and expertise, and you will additionally develop important skills in managing data and media assets in creative digital packages.

You will be introduced to key aspects and notions of employability. You will make use of these skills, knowledge, and understanding to plan and develop your career. You will reflect on your personal attributes, and examine the essential skills demanded of your favoured occupation. You will be encouraged to make use of these skills and knowledge to begin building your professional network and to formally and systematically consider your career development goals and strategies.

You will explore the ways in which digital media has transformed the nature of work and the development of careers. You will be encouraged to employ critical methods in the understanding of and analysis of digital media in the workplace context and explore opportunities for developing digital and media careers.

This module aims to:
• Equip you with the digital skills needed to prepare and present your work in the appropriate manner for your chosen field.
• Develop data and file management skills fundamental to the creative and media industries.
• Develop reflective practices by reviewing the needs of a design brief.
• Build confidence working with digital files, applying a range of document design and editing techniques.
• Allow you to better present your work for its intended audience.

Media and society

In this module you will study the relationship between the mass media and social histories, practices, and contexts. The module will introduce you to key social theories and their relationship to the mass media. You will also learn about the ways in which mass media have influenced the development of social organisation, and the social debates that have emerged in response to the mass media. The module explores the social influence of newspapers and publishing industries, photography, cinema, television, radio, the music industry and digital media. It will also explore key themes including censorship, regulation, control, moral panics, political communication, and media effects

Media genres

This module provides a comprehensive examination of diverse genres across various media formats. It explores the distinctive attributes and patterns defining specific genres as well as their form of production and consumption. A variety of genre media from films, TV series, comics, social media to video games serve as a platform to look at the significant role of genre in organising and distinguishing content across media. The exploration spans their evolution, adaptations to new technologies and how they are informed by global socio-cultural contexts.

Going beyond traditional media, the module examines the emergence of new genres from technologically mediated communicative processes and practices in contemporary digital media. From binge-worthy streaming to varied forms of digital contents, the module uncovers ways certain genres both attract and (di)satisfy audience expectations some resonating globally while others carving out niche fan bases inspiring participation.

Media, Film and Television Histories

In this module you will study the history of the mass media with a particular focus on film and television histories. You will learn about key technological and cultural developments, and theoretical arguments and debates that have emerged in response to these. The module explores the development of photography, moving image, film, animation, and sound recording by relating the technological changes to both their socio-cultural contexts and emerging theoretical perspectives. The module also provides you with a grounding in key academic skills including research, academic reading, and delivering presentations.

The module aims to:

• Provide you with an introduction to the study of media and communications and film and television and their various rationales and methodologies.
• Promote your critical understanding of the history, content and structures of the major media industries and examine the social, political and economic factors which shape them.
• Develop your understanding of the development of debates and theoretical contexts related to the media, film, television and their related technologies.
• Develop and encourage your confidence in the use of appropriate learning, analytical and discursive skills in both oral and written argument, and help you acquire key academic research skills.

Moving Image Practice

This is a highly creative and practical module which will introduce students of differing abilities to each of the fundamental stages of moving image (digital video) production, from development to filming to post-production, through a variety of weekly studio-based practice workshops and classroom exercises.

You will learn how to develop and pitch a short film based on study of genre and film style theory, how to prep your shoot through the use of storyboards and pre-production research, and then shoot and edit your project through knowledge of filmmaking acquired during the module.

The key skills and knowledge you will be expected to acquire and develop are:

· Understanding of moving image practice through the study of key filmmaking theories and principles such as visual composition, genre and film style (mise en scene, cinematography and editing)
· Understanding of digital video production techniques through study and practical workshop use of camera, lighting and editing technologies
· Understanding and experience of different production roles (director, producer, cinematographer, editor) and collaborative filmmaking through working in small film project groups
· Understanding and experience of professional industry methodology which will provide you with a range of potentially employable skills upon graduation
· Understanding and development of communication skills through learning how to present a film pitch, collaborative teamwork and critical reflection

Practice of Marketing

The module aims to provide an understanding of the theories of marketing and the practical application of the tactical tools of marketing—including those used in digital marketing—in contemporary and technology-driven organisations at local, national, regional, and global levels. In this module, you will explore how different types of organisations deploy the marketing mix tools through interconnected marketing platforms between offline and online environments, to implement their marketing strategy and to develop a competitive edge.

The module aims to:
● Provide an understanding of the theories involved in creating and delivering value to customers using the tactical tools of marketing.
● Explore the practical application of the marketing mix in product/services, public sector/non-profit sectors marketing, and digital contexts.
● Develop students’ academic writing, application of knowledge and interpreting data skills.
● Develop students’ researching and analysing skills.

Principles of Marketing

The module aims to provide an understanding of the marketing management process in the contemporary service sector. The service sector accounts for a significant proportion of GDP and employment in most developed economies and therefore it becomes essential for you to gain insight within the area. As Business, marketing, marketing communications students in this module, you will be introduced the fundamentals of services marketing. A range of marketing principles and theories will be introduced & explored such as the marketing concept, consumer and B2B insights, service industry & organisational environmental analysis, marketing research applicable to tangible goods and services marketing, service experience delivery the extended service marketing mix, service quality & managing customer relationships and building loyalty and retention in service organisations.

The module aims to:
• Provide you with an understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical application of marketing in services, private and public sectors.
• Provide you an understanding of contemporary issues in service marketing.

The following skills will be developed
• Develop your academic writing
• Application of your marketing services knowledge and interpreting data skills.
• Develop your researching and analysing skills.

Contemporary television

This module provides a broad overview of institutions, economics, technologies, texts, audiences and production practices, relating to television broadcasting and its contemporary online successors. You will consider the technological and institutional histories of television in the UK and USA and examine differences between public service and commercial television broadcasting. You will examine the impact of regulatory changes, convergence with other technologies, and globalisation on the contemporary landscape of television. You will study some of television’s characteristic forms and examine their differences from other superficially similar media forms such as cinema

The aims of this module are to:

1. Introduce students to a range of a range of debates about the role of television in everyday life.
2. Encourage students to deploy critical methods of analysis from previous modules to television and develop these skills through examination of specific case studies.
3. Enable students to critically appraise the contemporary landscape of television
4. Explore changing concepts of the relationship between television forms, institutions and audiences

Digital Marketing

In the current business environment, it is imperative that marketers keep pace with the dramatic and far-reaching changes fuelling digital transformation. As a marketing & marketing communications student it is important that you appreciate and develop skills and knowledge in the ever-evolving, dynamic digital marketing landscape. This module introduces you to the digital marketing channels and their applications. It presents theoretical frameworks and models, which are relevant to digital marketing practice. The module examines the development of supporting technologies for digital marketing and examines digital channels and their suitability for inclusion for effective integrated online and offline marketing programmes and campaigns. Digital marketing techniques will be explored and applied such as Search engine optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Key words, Email, social media, Paid search, Affiliate marketing, Content marketing including Marketing Technology, or MarTech and the impact of AI which are essential in facilitating and execution of marketing activities for customer acquisition retention and engagement.
The module identifies the importance of effective digital monitoring and measurement techniques that enable organisations to improve digital marketing effectiveness performance and planning.

The module aims
• You will develop an understanding and knowledge of the current issues in digital marketing.
• You will gain an understanding & application of the nature of digital marketing concepts and techniques.
• You will develop analytical, problems solving & evaluative skills necessary in digital marketing for improving an organization marketing effectiveness and planning.

The module builds on the acquisition of the following Skills
• Application of Knowledge and presenting Data
• Analysing data & problem solving
• Digital literacy and IT skills

Marketing Communications

The module will enable you to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the nature and importance of integrated marketing communications and the individual purpose and application of its component tools. The changing environment and impact of technology are also explained as background for synthesis of the communications process.

This module builds on Level 4 marketing modules knowledge and aims to:
- Enable you to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of applied concepts, theories and models of integrated marketing communications as they relate to B2B and B2C customers.
- Foster a critical awareness and understanding of the latest developments in marketing communications and the regulatory framework in which marketing communications operate.

More broadly, the module aims to assist students in the acquisition of the following skills:

- Academic writing and reading
- Analysing data/research
- Critical thinking and being creative
- Communicating/presenting, orally and/or in writing
- Digital Literacy and IT skills
- Commercial awareness, including corporate social responsibility

Media and Communities

This module combines critical engagement with theories of community and participatory culture; study of how media have been used to rebel and empower; and training in research and media practice.

Students will study the theory and practice of community media, oral history, and documentary traditions. They will engage in interviewing, audio recording and editing. They will research community-based organisations and initiatives. They will use a range of media in researching, producing and presenting their own audio document.

The module aims to:
● Enable students to develop a critical understanding of participatory culture and contemporary citizenship, with particular focus on community media, including their use by different social groups, and community development
● Enable students to research into community-based organisations and initiatives
● Enable students to research, produce and present their own audio document

Social Media Strategies

There has never been a more exciting time to study social media strategies. Social media strategies now play out in every aspect of business, government and society today. This module offers a critical eye on social media strategies, identifying those that worked as intended and those that didn’t. Through looking at current examples of social media and social media strategies, you will learn what a strategy is and how best to deploy it for the agenda and goals of an organisation. Teaching methods include formal lectures, seminar discussion, student presentations and online material. Students will be expected to attend formal lecturers and take notes, read from primary and secondary source material and comment on their readings. They are expected to creatively engage with social media content creation as it embeds within an overall strategy of a particular industry. This module aims to:
● Enable students to evaluate key approaches to understanding current social media and strategy.
● Encourage students to develop critical awareness of their everyday experience of social media.
● Establish links between theoretical, technological, social and ethical aspects of social media.

Visual cultures

In this one-semester module aims to develop students’ appreciation for and understanding of research in relation to visual aspects of culture. The module provides students with methods and conceptual tools for approaching independent research into visual culture, including art, photography, film and television, and using for visual material as a research tool.

The module builds upon students prior knowledge of theories and debates relevant to visual works and materials, and it will encourage and facilitate the development of deeper engagement with, and understanding of this area of research. The module provides preparation for dissertation research involving visual culture using visual material within research.

You will develop knowledge pertinent to the understanding of visual culture within a scholarly context, including:
● understanding a variety of ways in which the visual can be understood
● appreciation of the value of visual material in different academic research contexts
● understanding the benefits and limitations of visual material
● appreciation of issues of visual rhetoric and the politics of images

The practical and intellectual skills gained are all transferrable and highly relevant to future employment in a wide range of areas, and particularly within parts of the cultural industries specifically concerned with visual materials.

Digital Project Management

This module is designed to enable students to appreciate and implement digital project management practices and tools, emphasizing the use of AI in creative and production processes. It covers a broad spectrum of topics essential for managing digital media projects, such as AI's role in enhancing creativity and efficiency, team dynamics, client interaction, outsourcing strategies, and asset coordination.

Students will be introduced to the planning and production lifecycle, with a particular attention to project management methods and the use of project management tools, including GenAI technologies. Students will acquire the skills necessary to evaluate critical aspects of digital project management issues. They will learn to effectively plan, organize, and execute projects, and learn digital and management skills which would then be applicable to their area of professional interest in media, cultural or creative industries or in industry more generally. The module offers hands-on experience in design team roles, allowing students to align their learning with their industry specialisations. This educational experience aims to equip future professionals with a deep understanding of digital project management in the creative industries, preparing them to manage innovative projects with confidence and expertise.

The module aims follow from the description, specifically:

- To enable students to evaluate digital media project management best practice.
- To allow students to experience design team roles according to their industry specialism.
- To enable students to plan and organise the production of a digital media project with relevant tools.
- To critically analyse the role of AI and other project management tools in project management.
- To enable students to take on various roles within a design team, allowing them to apply their knowledge in an industry relevant assessment.

Documentary Photography

This module provides an understanding of the history, theory and practices of documentary photography, and facilitates the development of key skills pertinent to contemporary practices of documentary photography. The module is weighted towards practice, and provides opportunities for students to develop photographic skills and/or enhance existing photographic skills, as well as their understanding of documentary photography. The module provides practical tuition in the skills of candid photography, portraiture, photographing objects in motion, and narrative photography; it will encourage and support students in the conception and development of their own documentary photographic projects. The module will facilitate students' critical reflection on their own practice as documentary photographers.

• You will become confident in the use of digital cameras in various modes, and for different purposes relevant to the practice of documentary photography.
• You will develop an understanding of the history of, and contemporary trends in documentary photography, and will be introduced to some of the key current debates about the status of documentary photography.
• You will be introduced to practices of editing and sequencing images, and final processing of images for publication using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
• You will be encouraged to adopt a rigorous, critical perspective on your photographic practice.

Graphical Communications

Podcast Production and Sonic Branding

In this module you will explore the techniques and practices in producing podcasts and developing audio branding. In doing so you will explore different creative approaches to working with audio and music as a means for branding in a range of different media.

In this practice-based module, you will learn to plan and structure podcasts, as well as develop an understanding, and skillset in audio editing; dialogue recording; and post-production techniques.

You will be introduced to a range of principles relating to the use of commercial music including sonic branding; jingles; and music licensing.

You will have the opportunity to work in groups as production teams, taking up specific working roles in the production of a podcast. In doing so, you will develop essential real-world working practices, including creating production diaries, and running sheets.

By planning and structuring the podcast, you will have the opportunity to develop a research topic, or subject of interest in a creative manner.

This module aims to:

• Explore principles of sonic branding in a range of media.
• Develop your knowledge of audio production and recording methods.
• Apply audio editing and production practices to create a professional podcast.
• Introduce potential career pathways in audio and podcast production.
• Enhance team working practices in audio projects.
• Develop a deeper understanding of music copyright.

Popular Music: History and Culture

In this module we will explores and seek to understand popular music with reference to its history, the local and global cultures that it has been produced in, and some critical theories that help to explain it. We will consider the history of popular music since the mid-twentieth century as well as discrete periods of its development - such as 1955-60, 1975-80 and the early 2000s - and the types of music that emerged and were popular during them, e.g. rock n’ roll, hip-hop, punk and EDM.

Different forms and phases of pop music will be thought about historically and factually, as well as in terms of the socio-cultural and socio-economic circumstances that accompanied them and that informed their musical and cultural features and styles. Theories that develop and deepen an understanding of all these aspects of pop music will be drawn on. We will, for example, examine both rock and rap with reference to theories of race and ethnicity, sociological theories and feminist theories. Non-Western as well as Western music forms, styles, cultures and subcultures will also be considered, including afrobeat, jungle, rai, highlife, reggae and K-pop. Less commercial or fashionable Western forms like folk, country and independent and experimental music will be considered too. Yet other theories will be applied to some or all of the above forms and will include music theory, genre theory, social and political theory, psychoanalysis and historical materialism.

Particular attention will be paid to certain historical and socio-cultural issues that are apparent and significant in contemporary pop music such as gender, ethnicity, sexuality and social class. We will also consider some or all of the following important aspects of popular music and culture: globalisation, the construction of star personas and celebrity, the nature of audiences (and fans and subcultures), economic and cultural convergence and integration and technological (especially digital) innovation and change, especially its effect on musical creation and distribution (streaming, home studios, social media, etc).

Module aims:
By the end of this module you will:
• be familiar with the general history of popular music
• be familiar with particular and significant periods in popular musical development
• have an informed and coherent sense of the significant socio-cultural and economic circumstances that both gave rise to and were affected by different periods and genres of popular history
• have a good general sense of global popular musical forms including non-Western ones
• be informed about and aware of the creative industries in which different musical forms are produced and used
• be able accurately and consistently apply theoretical ideas to popular musical phenomena
• have an accurate and informed sense of the way in which different musical forms have been affected by each other and by the wider culture they have been produced in, as well as the way that they might have affected that culture in turn
• have a good sense of the way in which popular music intersects with technology, especially how developments in the former change the latter

Styling and Journalism

In this module you will explore and practice styling within fashion journalism and related industries and critically analyse the relationship between the media and the fashion industry and the position of a multi-skilled fashion journalist and stylist within these industries. Thus, this module aims to develop both your practical skills expected by the fashion and media industries and the analytical skills implied by the higher education in journalism and fashion marketing.

Your practical training will focus on developing employable skills through producing styling and journalistic output in the variety of genres and formats that are expected by the industry – from researching, writing to brief and producing multimedia packages to resourcing looks and products to specific real-life briefs.

You will learn how to style to brief and to budget (for example, for cocktail parties, launch events, red carpets), how to promote your work through social media posts, and how to produce content on the intersection of journalism and styling, mainly through magazine articles and features. You will also learn how to critically analyse the work of others within the industry and examine the industry-specific and global cultural implications of their work.

In class, you will learn through a combination of lectures, practical classes and seminars, and weekly styling and journalism tasks. You will be assessed through a styling project presented through social media, a portfolio of 5 pieces of writing with multimedia elements, and an online journal.

Sustainability, Business and Responsibility

‘Sustainability, Business and Responsibility’ addresses the critical issue of sustainability, explaining why the current human lifestyle is unsustainable. It shows the consequences of humanity’s exploitation of planetary resources and the impact it has on humans, the planet, and businesses. The module focuses on understanding how businesses affect sustainability and how sustainability affects businesses, in order to recognise the fundamental need to change business models into more sustainable ones.

Sustainability has become the essential focus of governments, global financial institutions, and international organisations. Post COP-21 in Paris (2015), organisations, businesses, communities, and individuals are expected to understand and take responsibility for their economic, environmental, and social impacts. It isn’t a “nice to know about” subject anymore; it is an essential aspect of business education, growing in importance to recruitment, career prospects, and professional development

The module tries to shift the focus from the negative, overwhelming inertia to the positive changes leading to a more sustainable future, learning how multiple individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses innovate to reach the set sustainability goals of Net-Zero by 2050.

Aim of the module:
You will develop a full understanding of what is meant by sustainability, who decides what constitutes sustainability principles, and how these principles are applied.
You will recognise perspectives of governments, business, and communities, and the challenges and conflicts these present.
You will explore the varied tools and techniques used to assess sustainability in business.

Writing Short Films: Introduction to Screenwriting

This module provides an opportunity to study the art and craft of screenwriting via the short film. Screenwriting differs from other forms of creative writing because the screenplay is a vehicle for a production team to create a film. It requires a combination of visual imagination and engineering to create a good screenplay. Students need to learn the clues which enable an audience to follow the story via character creation and use of action, choice of locations, the tone, the use of genre and narrative pattern of their story. Via a mix of film analysis and writing their own script, students will have a basic grounding in this element of film production.

Corporate Communications

This module encourages you to critically analyse the nature, value, and techniques of effective corporate relations.

The module also covers the analysis and evaluation of theories, models, and issues relating to both corporate communications and that which informs its practice, namely corporate strategy. It encompasses both a global and a more “localised” perspective to the subject and is designed to help you critically analyse and evaluate emerging issues and trends in contemporary corporate relations. These include the critical drivers and determinants of corporate communications including (a) macro & micro environmental analysis, (b) corporate strategy analysis, (c) issues related to leadership and management, management & companies inward & outward diversity and inclusion strategy (d) international corporate relations, (e) corporate social responsibility, (f) investor relations, (g) internal communications, (h) communications audits, (i) public affairs issues, and (j) crises

Key to the module’s focus is the examination of corporate strategy and the inter-relationships between corporate strategy, leadership, and corporate communications.

Creative Practice Dissertation Project

This module allows students to put into practice their research and project planning, based on learnings from the Autumn semester research module. They will develop a final project that encapsulates the learnings and aspirations from previous years of their course.

The project module should encase their own investigations and interests while targeting a specific audience defined in advance. The final output will happen in coordination with their course supervisor and will be course-specific.

This module allows students to demonstrate academic and/or professional skills compatible with their level of study as the project stimulates experimentation and innovation as part of their preparation for future academic or professional life.

The module aims to:

• deliver and plan a professional-level project in their area.
• help students choose areas of interest or affinity in their professional practice.
• enhance writing, research, pitching skills, as well as the development of specific artefacts specific to their course.
• equip students with the skills necessary to produce an independent body of work relating to their discipline that can enhance their employability by showcasing an independent body of work.
• prepare students for future independent practice.

Creative Research Dissertation Project

This module allows students to develop research and project planning that encapsulates learnings and aspirations developed throughout their course. It is expected that students can demonstrate a range of skills and techniques acquired during previous years. The project module should encase their own investigations and interests while targeting a specific audience defined in advance. This module allows students to demonstrate academic and/or professional skills compatible with their level of study as the project stimulates experimentation and innovation as part of their preparation for future academic or professional life.

The module aims to:
• develop skills of planning, research, and delivery of a professional-level project in their area.
• help students choosing areas of interest or affinity in their professional practice.
• enhance writing, research, and pitching skills.
• equip students with the skills necessary to produce an independent body of work relating to their discipline
• prepare students for future independent practice.

Marketing Planning

As marketing & Marketing communications students, you need to be at the forefront of sustainability transformation. Sustainable marketing is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future, It involves both influencing & addressing opportunities, across economic and sociocultural systems. Successfully integrating sustainability into marketing planning requires more than just a surface-level approach. In this module you will be equipped with a clear understanding of the changing business, marketing landscape & societal, environmental challenges related to sustainability & societal impacts. Using insights and data you will be able put forward key metrics which take into consideration and deliver against both business and societal / environmental goals sustainability marketing objectives. Taking into consideration ED&I, ethics, human welfare and sustainability you will be equipped to develop a sustainability marketing plan addressing how consumers & stakeholders can be integrated and part of the sustainability journey through appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and marketing action.
This module aims to:

• Develop an advanced understanding of the role the impacts
of a range of societal challenges, shifts in stakeholder value chain – values, consumer attitudes and behaviour on organisation and operational dynamics of an organisation

• Develop critical theoretical understanding and practical application including key models, frameworks, and best practices used to build sustainability in marketing planning

• Enable students understanding of designing and implementing effective sustainability marketing planning & barriers to implementation including ethical challenges and reputational risks.

The module also aims to assist students in the acquisition of the following skills:
1. Researching & analysing
2. Application of knowledge and presenting data
3. Critical thinking
4. Problem solving

Postcolonial Cinema and Media

In this module you will explore postcolonial theory in relation to films and the media. Questions of representations are central to postcolonial studies as well as film and media studies. Drawing upon key concepts of postcolonial theory, you will discuss the question of representation and the reproduction of, or challenges to, dynamics of power in relation to questions of race, gender and class that are grounded in colonial discourses about self and Other. Through the adoption of a postcolonial lens in the analysis of selected films and media products in the Anglophone and Francophone sphere (including television and music), you will be able to identify the broader socio-historical, cultural, economic and political forces shaping narratives and aesthetics of representation. Topics include: colonial discourse analysis; strategies of oppression and oppositional discourses; the notion of nation and nationalism in relation to race and gender; the problems of empire, decolonisation and the postcolonial state.

This module aims to:
· Promote the application of a postcolonial framework to the analysis of films and media, with specific reference to the Anglophone and Francophone cultural production
· Identify and critically engage with the legacy of colonial discourses in narratives and aesthetics in films and media
· Enhance a critical understanding of the socio-political and cultural context within which films and media emerge and circulate
· Enhance students’ research skills and abilities to critically analyse films and media

Researching Media Audiences

This module critically examines the history of media audience research focusing on theoretical, methodological and ethical issues underpinning it. Students study different ways of theorising and researching media reception and interpretation. They evaluate and apply key theories and methods in designing and conducting their own piece of research.

In this module students will:

● develop a critical understanding of different historical and theoretical approaches to media reception and interpretation
● explore available strategies for researching audience reception and interpretation
● examine and evaluate existing research on audience reception, its history and context, and the methodologies that have informed it
● conceive, plan and conduct a short piece of research on media reception

Arts, Culture and Lifestyle Journalism

Arts, Culture and Lifestyle Journalism delves into the intricacies of arts and culture reporting, exploring the interplay between traditional and digital formats. The module encompasses diverse artistic domains, including music, film, literature, art, architecture, dance, and theatre, also tailoring content to align with individual student interests and career aspirations. Beyond technical skills, the module thoroughly explores arts and culture journalism in its cultural, historical, global, and lifestyle aspects. This broader perspective encourages students to adopt self-reflective and critical viewpoints, fostering a nuanced understanding of the industry beyond conventional mediums and viewpoints.

The module aims to:

1. foster a nuanced understanding of the history, nature, and meaning of art, culture, and performance across diverse areas.
2. develop a critical knowledge of arts, culture, and lifestyle journalism routines.
3. delve into issues and debates within the arts and culture journalism landscape, including funding, criticism, and representation.
4. explore reporting and publishing trends illuminating current arts and culture movements.
5. ensure professional ethics and professional commitment to marginalised publics.

Audio Plug-in Coding

In this module, you will be introduced to the field of coding for audio plug-ins, a fast-growing employment market. By taking this module you will have the opportunity to develop simple plugins for audio applications such as Logic, Ableton Live, Pro Tools and Cubase, using VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX and LV2 formats in an accessible way.

You will cover digital signal processing concepts in the context of coding and producing them within the JUCE framework. By doing so, exploring their application in music and audio scenarios, ultimately working towards developing them into audio plugin devices.

Throughout the course of the module, you will explore the JUCE framework and basic C++ coding for audio plug-ins in a series of workshops and exercises, where you will work to develop a range of simple audio devices for a final portfolio submission.

This module aims to:
• Introduce student's to C++ programming for music.
• Develop skills working in the JUCE framework, in order to create audio plugins.
• Develop skills in digital signal processing.
• Enable student's to produce simple audio plugins.

Career Development Learning

The module enables students to undertake an appropriate, short professional activity related to their course at level 6 with a business or community organisation and to gain credit for their achievements. The activity can be professional training or certification, a volunteering activity, employment through internal or external work-based placements, research-related activities, business start-up projects, entrepreneurship programs and more. Please see the complete list of accepted activities on WebLearn.

Students are expected to engage in any one or combination of career development learning activities for a total of ~70 hours which should be recorded clearly in a tri-weekly learning log – part of the portfolio. The ~70 hours can be completed in ~30 working days in FT mode or spread over a semester in PT mode.

Students are expected to complete a total of ~150 hours, 70 hours of which is direct engagement in any one or combination of career development learning activities. Progress should be recorded clearly in tri-weekly learning logs which are part of the portfolio. The ~150 hours can be completed in ~35 working days in FT mode or spread over a semester in PT mode.

Students should register for the module to be briefed, undergo induction and module planning and have their career development learning activity approved before they take up the opportunity. Students must be made aware that both the "Learning Agreement" (LA) and relevant "Health and Safety (H&S) checklist", where applicable, must be approved before starting the learning activity. Activities started without prior explicit supervisor approval will not be accepted.

The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to:
• Gain a valuable experience of the working environment and the career opportunities available upon graduation.
• Sharpen critical thinking, creative problem-solving and the ability to articulate solutions correctly to decision-makers and budget-holders alike.
• Undertake a career development learning activity appropriate to their academic level to gain exposure and access to professional networks.
• Extend learning experience by applying and building on their academic skills and abilities by tackling real-life problems through enrichment and extracurricular programs related to student subject areas.
• Enhance existing skills and master new ones through a structured personal and Professional Development Plan (PDP).

Digital Video Post Production

This module will examine, from an interdisciplinary perspective, techniques for video post-production. Students will analyse current trends in video post-production across a range of digital media industries; music, journalism, media, marketing, film and games. This module will examine and analyse traditional and modern visual special effects using examples from film, music video, television and games to illustrate the development of new techniques for post-production video editing. The role of AI in the video post-production techniques will also be explored. Practical exercises, lectures, and demonstrations will aid students in developing a wide spectrum of technical and analytical skills in the field of video post-production and visual special effects. Students will be expected to undertake all stages of the creative planning process to deliver an integrated digital video and audio project to complete the module. This module aims to:

● Develop and encourage confidence in the integration of appropriate editing software.
● Analyse the most effective approach to a variety of post-production problems.
● Work to a professional standard to an industry brief.

Students will be expected to undertake all stages of the creative planning process to deliver an integrated audio/video project.

Documentary Filmmaking

You will develop professional practices by working in small groups to produce a short documentary. The module will give an overview of the commissioning process and will include input from industry professionals.

You will be required to research, pitch, and develop a documentary proposal following industry guidelines and legal frameworks.

There will be an emphasis on how to film and work with documentary subjects (or characters) in an ethical way.

You will learn about a range of documentary modes, genres and techniques via screenings, discussion, and practice. Key figures and films will be explored as well as emerging styles and formats.

The module aims to:

• Provide students with an overview of approaches to documentary filmmaking.

• Give students practical experience of a range of documentary techniques such as sit-down interviews, vox pops and observational filming.

• Develop students’ understanding of how to research, develop and present a concept for a documentary for film or TV.

• Enable students to shoot, structure and edit a short documentary using appropriate audio and camera equipment and editing software.

Film and TV: Industry and Politics

This module examines the interplay between commercial and political concerns in the film and television industries by exploring key moments in the development of screen industries as well as more contemporary concerns.

You will explore critical, socio-cultural, industrial and political debates surrounding film and television, considering the implications of these issues for film and television analysis and practice.

You will investigate a range of conflicts and controversies around topics such as regulation, censorship and control, propaganda, moral panics, and the impact of political developments on film and TV.

The module aims to

· Provide students with an overview of the development of key aspects of the film and TV industries and their political and social contexts in the UK and elsewhere. · Develop students’ knowledge of key industrial and political moments and their significance.
· Develop students’ understanding of conflicts and controversies within the field.
· Enable students to critically analyse film and TV in relation to relevant cultural and political contexts.

You will be introduced to a number of key issues and case studies in which political concerns, pressures, and ideologies impact on film and television industries, such as (but not limited to):

· Public Service Broadcasting, commercial television and streaming
· ‘Video nasties’ and the BBFC
· Censorship and Hollywood’s ‘Red Scare’
· The Hays Code · Film and television propaganda
· 1970s paranoid conspiracy thrillers
· ‘#OscarsSoWhite’
· ‘State of the Nation’ Film and Television

Topics such as these will be investigated alongside screenings of relevant film and television programmes in order to situate the issues within a specific screen context and explore their current significance.

Note: This optional module may become unavailable if the student intake numbers are low.

Media Industry Careers

This module represents core self-development activities: career planning, promotion of student work, and portfolio. It provides practical guidance for students in how to position themselves and their work with reference to their career goals and builds on student work in Level 5 Media Industry Roles module on personal promotional activity.
The module will include analysis of current trends and the changing media landscape, with a focus on diversity and representation across the industries, as well as encouraging engagement with local film and media organisations and activities.
Student research will inform the development of a career plan and the design of the portfolio of work (including show reel where relevant). Students will design the presentation of their work to prospective employers or funders in various formats including: CV, covering letter, website – format to be determined through the student’s research.

This module aims:
• to afford students the opportunity to realise the career-potential of their accumulated skills, subject knowledge and understanding. The skills will include identifying and researching career opportunities, mapping the requirements and benefits of the career against their own skills and motivations and then learning about and producing the evidence that will enable them to exploit that opportunity.

• to increase students’ understanding of the interrelationship between their practice and the contexts of their profession in the creative economy, and ‘market’ for their skills.

• to empower, enabling the graduate to exploit capacity and potential to shape the job and their professional field so that they may both contribute to and create social benefit from their career.

Media for Change