Film Studies (Placement Year)

From studying silent cinema or exploring the James Bond franchise to delving into modern day Asian British films, our degree helps you explore cinema’s cultural and political importance while perfecting your film making skills.

Putting theory into practice You’ll study cinema history and analyse the significance of films in society. Benefit from our varied programme as you learn about the Hollywood industry alongside world cinema or explore the development of film and comic books.

At the same time, you’ll be developing your practical skills in our film production modules by experimenting with narrative films or documentaries. You can also get involved with our student film journal, Cut/To, which includes video essays and spotlight interviews.

First-class resources We provide top-of-the-line production equipment so you can create your own original content. Make use of our cinema-ready digital cameras with prime lenses, DSLR cameras, versatile set lighting, grip equipment and the full Adobe Creative Cloud in our acoustic editing suites.

You’ll benefit from our partnership with the British Film Institute by attending our joint master classes and visiting their film archive. In addition, we sometimes organise trips to places like Media City in Salford, Greater Manchester. You can also get involved with our active film production society or student-run Cut/To film journal.

Your Placement Year Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.

A placement year is an excellent way to... • try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path • start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate) • develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate

You'll spend your third year in a paid, graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate. A very wide range of companies and organisations offer placements across all sectors. As a full-time employee, you’ll have a detailed job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees.

Our Careers and Placements Team will help you to secure a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews. You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.

The university will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.