Screen Performance and Communication Techniques MA

About the course

In today’s visual world it’s not just actors who need to perform professionally in front of the camera; many other professionals including journalists, politicians and business leaders are frequently called upon to present themselves and their ideas on camera.

This course is intended for individuals who want to perform, or present in a variety of situations, including fictional drama and factual programming and who might have some previous experience in acting, presenting and public speaking.

Through a mixture of work-based learning and theory, this course will help build your confidence, advance your communication and presentation or acting skills enabling you to perform at a professional standard before the camera.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your individual performance skills based on up-to-date practices and techniques of working before the camera.
• Gain the confidence to communicate your ideas with clarity and promote your screen performance skills within the media industry enabling you to stand out from the competition
• Build professional contacts from participating in a range of different masterclasses run by experts working within the media industry making you well-placed to take up work placements or employment within established casting/production companies, or to audition for screen-based productions.
• Learn how to operate recording and editing facilities to support the final presentation of your showreel
• Benefit from a course where you graduate with a showreel of a professional standard which showcases your skills and personal approach to screen performance and is tailored to cover a gap in the screen-based media market.

How will I be assessed?

Throughout the course you will be encouraged to integrate assessment and the feedback from that assessment into your practice and critically evaluate your methodology and techniques, be it through your seminars, peer or self-assessed work to progress and develop your approach and value of your work. You will develop professional practice through the presentation of your work to camera, working within tight schedules and having to deliver on time. Assessment is primarily performance based, in addition you must submit a portfolio of work, which will include a written diary/report to demonstrate your research inquiry, plan, video documentation of and ability to analyse your performance processes. For your assessment you will also produce an individual performance show-reel in a specified genre (i.e. interview, acting or presenting) and a screen-based final project that will culminate your acquired performance skills from the course. The latter will be accompanied by a contextual study, which will document your research-based insights.

How will this course improve my career prospects?

The course opens up numerous career opportunities for postgraduates pursuing a professional career in acting and presenting for television, or film, or the Internet.

It would also benefit those pursing careers in journalism, politics, and business,who in the course of their work are frequently called upon to appear and present themselves and their ideas before a camera.

Students should have a good undergraduate degree at Honours level, or equivalent. Applicants will be expected to have a BSc/BA or equivalent in the area of arts, humanities or social science or relevant professional experience (for non-standard entry, which will be judged by the interview panel).