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Ras Albert Williams

T156-DIGITAL FILM SCHOOL

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Edited by Albert Williams, Monday, 11 June 2012, 08:22

I enrolled in this course to make up the 30-credit, free choice component for BSc (Hons) Computing and IT(B62). Although not been a novice on the subject matter, I found the experience overall satisfying. The camaraderie among students was excellent, and generally very enthusiastic.

T156 Digital Film School - October 2011 was a pilot module, and as such, being among the first students to road test the module, there are a few suggestions I would like to make. Before this, let me praise the course team for a well thought-out program of activities. Although it was a ten-week course, it dealt with many aspects of conceptualizing, shooting, editing and distribution of a digital video.

Students also had access to a 'film makers forum' and a 'social forum' where we discussed relevant subjects and answered each other's queries. The 'Open Studio' was a feature of the course website where, week by week, we posted our various assignments, and where fellow students could critique and rate your work. We were also introduced to other external websites of which one will find useful in future projects. There was only one computer-marked assignment and one end-of-module exam.

However, I'd like to suggest though that the course title was a little bit misleading as the module did not lead to an accreditation. Moreover, most students had little or no experience of using professional equipment, nor did the course include any school days or tutorials, so students had to make full use of the forums to ask questions. Many had very little knowledge of video editing software. Secondly, since the module introduced a wide aspects of film making, and did not have concentrations on any one subject, it could not really be a film school. I would suggest 'Digital Home Video' would be more appropriate, as the course does not prepare you for an industry, entry-level into commercial television.


Finally, as I said, overall the course was really encouraging, and you do end up with a body of work that you produced during the course that you can use as your portfolio in your future development as a film maker.

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