Film and Photography - your questions answered! video transcript

I'm Christine Parker and I'm an Associate Professor of Practice here at the School of Art at the University of Derby. The Film and Photography courses at Derby, both undergraduate and postgraduate, are all about telling stories. The technology is always changing. Whilst we have the latest in professional technology for film and photography, by the time you graduate, that may have changed. So what we teach you is the principles of it and how to use any equipment in any situation to make a story that other people want to hear.

Our graduates are highly successful in the world of film and television. They're working in the industry before they even graduate from the degree. And a lot of our students participate in what we call live briefs, which means that they're actually working with their tutors and lecturers on projects for the real world.

Many of our students form companies, film companies, to make film and high-end television or to be art photographers or commercial photographers. They're very merged now because to succeed as a commercial photographer, you have to be an artist, as well as command the technology.

When students come into film and photography, they cover a wide range of topics, editing, writing, cinematography, and as you progress, we help you find where your passion lies, which area you want to specialise in. So you leave highly specialised, but you've also got a wide range of transferable skills.

In our Film and Photography courses, all the lecturers have experience in the industry. They know what they're talking about. And they do in fact introduce you to the industry as part of the degree and they teach you how to network and how to reach out to other members of the art, photography, and filmmaking community and form networks.

The facilities at Derby are fantastic. We have a Media Loan Hub, where students can take out equipment. There's film and television studios. There's photography studios. There's all kinds of spaces that students can book out for themselves to make work in. The world-famous Format Photography Festival is held in Derby. It's a wonderful festival that people all over the world try to get an exhibition in and our University has a big involvement in the festival, as it does with our community partners, such as the Quad, Derby which is a local art centre and cinema.

Studying at Derby is challenging, but it's fun and it's supported by a really great group of staff and students and graduates and it's a lifetime connection. This is not something that you just do for three years. This is something that prepares you for a lifetime of being a storyteller, an artist, and a maker.

Film and Photography - your questions answered! video

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