• Learn in an industry-standard, purpose-built film school building operational from 2020, with world-class facilities including high-end cameras, a fully functional digital media lab, a television studio, motion capture facilities, a sound stage and even a cinema.
• Study project-management and other international film and television industry-standard software
• Learn from award-winning international staff and industry professionals
• Gain practical experience through industry work experience opportunities, and the chance to create your own films and work on real, live projects
• Earn two degrees: an XJTLU degree from the Chinese Ministry of Education, and a globally recognised degree from the University of Liverpool, a member of the Russell Group of leading UK universities

OVERVIEW

The BA Filmmaking is a scripted-drama, and documentary practical film-making programme aimed at those who are passionate about storytelling in film. It is a rich and challenging environment for students who are keen to develop their storytelling skills to the highest level and have the passion to produce and develop new and exciting film content.

Taught within the Film School at XJTLU in Suzhou, the BA Filmmaking is a practice-based programme in all aspects of filmmaking, from the development of film craft skills, directing, producing and writing short and long form content for film.

The course also has critical thinking and film literacy at its core, with workshops and seminars designed to build your ability to appreciate what has gone before as you craft the stories of the future.

You will benefit from extensive industry contact, which can include working on live professional sets, becoming part of the crew on a professional production, masterclasses and expert tuition from industry practitioners. We’ll help you to develop your ideas and your creativity to the highest level, as well as offering you the opportunity to make films and tell stories.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY FILMMAKING AT XJTLU?

The development of the School of Film and Television Arts was built on the departmental research strengths in Languages, Communication and Culture. The new programme along with the Film and Television and Digital Media Arts undergraduate degrees will focus on a mix of practice, analysis, research, creativity and industry engagement.

The distinctiveness of the programme is further enhanced by its environment. Suzhou and the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is a blend of the old, the new and the future. Suzhou will be the canvas the filmmakers will work upon showcasing its beauty whilst the SIP will allow filmmakers to come into contact with vibrant industry practitioners, creative researchers and dynamic businesses.

PRACTICE-BASED INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING

Taught by a mix of international and Chinese talent from academia and the film and television industries students will be taught in a syntegrative way where theory, practice and industry meet in the classroom and on location. The thinking will be strong as will the craft skills and knowledge of the developments in the industry at a local, national and international level. The School has an ambitious plan to develop international partnerships within both education and industry. There will be opportunities for other film students to spend a semester on exchange, co-productions between the SoFTA film school and others in China and internationally.

XJTLU will also offer the filmmaking students the opportunity to work with like-minded students from other parts of the University. The innovative teaching practice promoted by the University will create an environment where students can benefit from the expertise and practice of other disciplines whilst specialising on their own training. Collaboration will be a core component of the new degree programme and could see the filmmaking students work with students from Industrial Design (including special FX model work), Architecture students (projects such as ‘Cityscape’ where students from filmmaking and architecture collaborate on a short visual piece of work about a local building), China Studies students to identify historical or local stories to be dramatised or made into documentaries. The potential is great.

A COMPLETE ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR FILMMAKING

Students will also be taught using state of the art equipment ranging from RED and Arri Alexa camera systems to allow 4/5k shooting potential, AVID Media Composer editing systems, DaVinci Resolve software for colour grading, Protools for post-production audio, After FX and 3D Studio Max for special FX, professional dubbing and sound recording facilities, 4k rushes review facility, viewing cinema. The students will also have access to professional grip equipment, drones, jibs and jimmy jibs, track and dolly. All equipment used will be industry standard and in line with current industry practices.

The projects originated will be a mix of location and studio based. The studio facilities will allow both drama and variety show production on both multi-camera and single camera formats as well as motion capture and green screen special FX work.

A UNIQUE OFFERING WITHIN A UNIQUE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The film industry in the 21st century is global, collaborative and requires specialist training in a specialist environment, exactly what is being offered on the BA Filmmaking programme at XJTLU.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The overall aims of the programme are to:

• familiarise students with a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the filmmaking and the filmmaking process
• develop in students a critical approach to their own and others’ film productions
• use theoretical understanding to inform practice and practice to inform theory
• introduce students to the range of learning methods and methodological practices appropriate to the subject area
• produce graduates with advanced and specialist skills in filmmaking
• produce graduates with specific knowledge(s) of production techniques, research and routines/processes within the relevant film departments
• produce graduates whose production work is informed by, and contextualised within, relevant theoretical issues and debates
• develop in students a high level of communication skills in the presentation of critical, creative and professional work
• produce graduates capable of independent and questioning work in the area of film production
• gain specific knowledge(s) of and advanced and specialist skills in professional practices, contexts and research processes within the film production industries
• develop excellence alongside high levels of reflection in in their own and in other’s practice in filmmaking
• enable students to make a contribution in the world as artists, educators, advocates and citizens
• enable students to take responsibility for managing and evaluating their own learning
• foster the creative attitudes and skills needed for collaborative learning in and through practice.

FACILITIES

The facilities available to students continue to be developed on the South Campus. At the moment the students have access to facilities in the current humanities building including a digital training lab, lecture theatres, computer labs and meeting rooms. These rooms will continue to be utilised after the new facilities are completed. The new purpose built building will be in place before the first cohort of BA Filmmaking students begin their second year within the School.

The new facilities are based on good practice and modelled on international film schools. The building will have a mix of creative, professional and public spaces to allow the synergy of the filmmaking students with students from other disciplines, industry practitioners and the local community.

The facility will also have a creative zone where students can come together and propose projects to be carried out alongside their degree studies or as part of their work placement or ALA. This part of the facility will also be attractive to the local creative industries as they look for collaborative opportunities. The building will also house lecture and teaching facilities with theoretical and practical training taking place on the same site. It will facilitate every stage of a developing filmmaker’s journey from theory, idea development, planning, shooting, post-production and screening.

The building design will have a wonderful visual presence within the campus and become a focal point of Suzhou as it develops as a filmmaking location. The specific spaces range from medium and large shooting studios to offer indoor controllable locations and the space for green screen FX, model work and motion capture experimentation. There will be individual edit suites and finishing suites to allow basic post production through to professional graded and dubbed output ready for cinematic display. The building will also have specialized space for performers to allow rehearsal and teaching of actors as well as filmmakers. There will be production meeting spaces to allow the development and management of content ideas as well as a 250 seat cinema for viewing of student work both local and international as well as the screening of both Chinese and international cinema classics to student audiences.

MODULES

Year One
UK degrees are three years long whereas in China they are four, therefore we do accept students with certain qualifications directly into Year Two, which is the start of the main academic programme. Most students, however, enter into Year One, which provides you with a range of interesting modules, language classes and core skills for your degree.

Year Two
Introduction to Camera/Lighting
Introduction to Sound
Introduction to Post Production
Introduction to Production
Introduction to Directing
Introduction to Screenwriting
Introduction to Film and TV
English Language and Study Skills III for Language and Communications
Introduction to Chinese Literature
Screenwriting for Film and TV
Fiction Theory and Practice
Documentary Theory and Practice

Year Three
Chinese Cinema
Film and TV Culture
Minor Film Project
Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature
Documentary Craft
Adaptation Across the Media
Optional Modules (pick one module from the following list):

Screenwriting Craft and Practice
Producing Craft and Practice
Directing Craft and Practice
The Art of Cinematography
The Art of Post production
The Art of Sound

Or Optional Modules (pick two modules from the following list):

Experimental Film Practices
The Music Promo
China and the Digital Revolution
Global Media and Entertainment

Year Four
Compulsory modules:

Post production
Major production project
Final year project.
Elective modules:

European cinema
Theoretical debates in film studies
Chinese theatre and performance
Portrayal of China in Western media
Animation
Sonic Art & Sound Design for Digital Media.

CAREERS

The distinctive feature of the BA Filmmaking programme at XJTLU is in its principles of creative expression, technical and craft development along with strong problem solving and critical thinking. These transferable professional employability skills will enable students to gain work in the film and television industries as well as the converged areas of advertising and promo work for both the broadcast and online platforms.

FEES

International students
Expand/collapse this section
RMB 88,000 per academic year

Early bird discount
Early bird discount of RMB 8,000 (approx. GBP 860) available (accept the conditional or unconditional offer before 1st May)

Join a free Chinese language course
We now offer a free summer Chinese language course for all undergraduate and postgraduate students starting their degree before program start.

Year One entry

We welcome applications from high-quality candidates in all subjects with appropriate high school or equivalent qualifications. Students will normally be expected to have a high standing in their high school performance with a minimum B average in all subjects as well as relevant subjects.

Year Two entry

Students who have completed A-levels or International Baccalaureate (or equivalent) will be considered for entry into Year Two, different programmes have different subject-relevant requirements.

    A-level: BBB

    IB Diploma: 30 points

    AP Exams/ACT Tests/SAT II Subject Tests - High school diploma with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above, plus:
        1. 3 AP exams: 4, 4, 4 or
        2. SAT I: 1280 or ACT: 27, and 2 AP exams: 4, 4 or
        3. 3 SAT II Subject Tests (taken prior to cancellation in 2021): 600, 600, 600

Notes:

1. BEng Architecture, BA Filmmaking, BA TV Production & BA Digital Media Arts: require a digital copy portfolio review and an interview with members of Departments of Architecture and Design & School of Film and TV Arts, which can be conducted in person or via the Internet.

2. BA International Business with a Language: normally international students study Chinese and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan students study Spanish or Japanese as the language option.

    For year 2 entry international students, students who are Chinese zero beginners will take an extra 5 credits Chinese language course.
    For year 2 entry Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan students, students should be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of Spanish (DELE/SIELE A1) or Japanese (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test N5).

3. BA Translation and Interpreting: for international and HK/Macau/Taiwan students whose native language is not Chinese, an HSK level 6 or the pass of the aptitude test arrange by the Department of Translation and Interpreting is required.

4. Programme in Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Industrial Design and Technology Science and so on require Mathematics and Physics.

5. Programme in Architecture, Accounting, Economics, Finance, Chemistry, Mathematics, Science and Digital Media Arts and so on require Mathematics.

You can also find more information on entry requirements on our Country/Region list.

English Language Requirements

For international applicants, if you are a non-native English speaker, or if you have not previously studied in English, you must have satisfactory English language skills to study at XJTLU. Various English qualifications are accepted:

Year One entry

    IELTS: 5.0 (min 4.5 in all sections)
    TOEFL: 62 (iBT)

Year Two entry

    IELTS 6.5 (min 5.5 in all sections)
    TOEFL: 90 (iBT) (min 21 in any skill)

English qualifications are not required for students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who take the Joint Examination or the GSAT.

Students who are entering into Year One with less than IELTS 6.0 or equivalent in their English proficiency will take 10 credits EAP, and students with IELTS 6.0 or above will take 5 credits EAP.

"*" means necessary documents that you must provide in your application.

*1. Application Form

Please upload your finished application form here.

*2. Passport photo

A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant

*3. Photocopy of valid passport

With name, passport number & expiration date, and photo included(Photocopy of valid passport identification page. Passport must be an ordinary passport and be valid for at least six months. Applicants currently residing in China must include a copy of the page containing a valid visa or residence permit.)

*4. Certificates of Senior High school

Certificate in languages other than Chinese or English should be translated into Chinese or English and be certified by notarization.

*5. Senior High school academic transcript

Transcript in languages other than Chinese or English should be translated into Chinese or English and be certified by notarization.

*6. Certificates of English language qualifications

Certificates of English language qualifications such as IELTS, TOEFL or other acceptable English qualifications (as required for non-native speakers of English)

7. SAT, ACT, GSAT or other entrance aptitude test scores (if available)

*8. Personal Statement

9. Portfolio (only for BEng Architecture, BA Filmmaking, BA TV Production and BA Digital Media Arts)

10. Supporting Documents: Certificate of Good Conduct

Provided by your current/previous school/company in Chinese/English to improve your success rate.

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