Working with industry-standard equipment
One of the reasons that makes studying at York so compelling is the industry-standard equipment and facilities that York boasts! From RED Cameras and Steadicams to sound mixing rooms and Foley suites: York has everything you need to make the best content possible.
In fact, the state-of-the-art building cost £30 million to make, meaning that every student really does get a bang for their buck! A lot of the equipment we have is the same equipment used out in the field. So, you will have everything at your disposal to learn industry disciplines and techniques, making your skillset more attractive for employers providing you put the work in.
One of the proudest moments you can have being a Film and Television student is having your work screened in the Holbeck Cinema — our in-house 143 seat cinema which has a Dolby Digital Sound system and 4K play out capabilities. Not only this, but we get regular screenings of films and television shows in the cinema to support our studies. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and enjoy at the same time.
Making TV shows in the studio
What I love about this course is the TV studio facilities where we make our own television shows and learn how to work in a multi-camera studio setting. So far during my degree, I have worked on game shows, soap operas, magazine shows and a sitcom. From learning to write a TV studio script to shooting live on the day, you get to understand and learn about the full process of TV show production. With so many roles to try out, you’ll never get bored of practising and developing new skills.
There are two studios and each studio is split into two sections: the gallery and the floor. The gallery is the operational side of the studio where a Director leads a team comprising of a PA, Vision Mixer, Sound Mixer, Lighting and Autocue who all work together to control and capture what is seen on the floor. The Floor Manager is based on the floor and is in charge of liaising between the floor and the gallery. It is their job to oversee actors/ guests and work closely with camera operators. You will get to know all these roles in time. You’ll soon get to experience the excitement of live television where all your skills will be put to the test.
Collaborating with your cohort
Film and Television Production attracts students from all around the world because of its high quality teaching and incredible facilities. This means that you’ll have the opportunity to learn about film and TV industries from students’ different countries which can provide interesting insights. Not only this, but students from all around the UK are also drawn to the course, creating a diverse cohort that will enrich your studies.
Film and Television Production is a very group-based course. You’ll forge close friendships and work closely together to learn and create some amazing content. Some students even get together in their own time to make short films and work on projects, so there is plenty of opportunity to find collaborators and practice filmmaking skills outside the course.
Every year, TFTI even puts on ‘48 Hour Challenges‘. This is where you can get into groups with the challenge to make a short film in just 48 hours. I have had some of my best times doing this challenge and working with other students from the course and I’m sure you will too!
Hi，Lee
I‘m YingTing. I just read your blog in which you mentioned your placement at Walt Disney Company. I have to say it’s been my dream to work for Disney since I was a little girl. Now I‘ve received severel offers from different universities and your blog really made York become my first choice. Could you share more about your experience about your internship at the Walt Disney Company？I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi YingTing,
Lovely to meet you. Yes of course I’ll tell you about the internship. It was one year long and I worked in the marketing department for Disney Channels in London. My role was a fairly international one as I was the point of contact and communication between USA and Europe, Middle East & Africa so a lot of emailing, phone calls and meetings. I gained so much confidence during the internship and towards the end I even led my own creative review meetings for the whole marketing department where we reviewed new content from around the different markets. The perks of working at Disney were the cool events they host like a Toy Story 4 Q & A with the Director and Producer, and the company’s in-house cinema where we had the chance to watch all the new Disney releases for free. So a wonderful experience and living in London for a year was truly life-changing!
Hi Lee,
I’m Alex and I am very excited about starting this course later this year! I just wanted to ask about the commute from West campus to East campus. I’ve applied for accomodation on West campus as I prefered it to East campus, but I also know that the course is based on East campus. Is the trip between the campuses quite short? I was planning on cycling between the two. I know this is a bit unrelated to the course haha, but nonetheless wanted to ask a student rather than emailing the Uni.
Reply in your own time, there’s no rush – Alex
Hi Alex,
You’re going to love it I’m sure! I had the exact same concerns when I started as I also had accommodation on Campus West and had to commute every day to Campus East. However, I quickly discovered the Uni provides free bus transport between the 2 campuses which is a lot more comfortable than walking and I give myself around 20 minutes from leaving West and arriving at the department on East so it’s really a nice, quick journey and you’ll probably make friends in a similar situation who you can take the bus with. I would definitely recommend biking if buses aren’t your thing as it’s actually a nice bike journey with lots of green spaces to pass by and there are tons of places to mount your bike around both campuses so no need to worry. Have the best time!