Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium

Total tuition fees for 2025:

R120 050

* Total tuition fee for Gqerberha campus:
R115 450

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Medium programme provides students with all the required conceptual, technical, craft, attitudinal, and concrete skills to originate, produce and exhibit a variety of entertainment productions in recognised industry formats.

Students collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams to produce engaging works using their theoretical and practical knowledge in work simulated environments.

Through regular experiential learning cycles, the scope and complexity of the student work increases in every year of study.  On a 1st year level, students are introduced to the skillsets of the programme on a basic level, in 2nd year they practice these to an intermediate level and progress to a comprehensive level in 3rd year. This culminates in students demonstrating their industry readiness by producing graduation works that are exhibited publicly, on professional platforms to their intended audiences.

Unlike in traditional learning spaces, students are not assessed on the knowledge they have gained by means of examinations. Instead, they are assessed by how they are able to analyse and apply this knowledge in the context of creating motion picture projects. This problem-based learning assists students in developing their own concepts, then in contextualising and socialising this learning through successful collaboration, integrating their own understanding with that of the team, and finally in evaluating their progress in order to foster a sense of personal development. Also included in this approach, is the element of work-integrated learning, providing students with the opportunity to connect with the motion picture profession, applying their knowledge in the context of building successful and fulfilling careers.

Students enrolling for this degree should have a strong desire to:

• Develop a culture not only of knowledge exploration, but also of understanding, applying and analysing this knowledge to come up with their own novel concepts.
• Take on multiple roles within creative production teams across multiple content forms, adopting a collaborative learning approach.
• Be aware of the ethical and cultural contexts in which they work, and the opportunities they have as creative professionals to invest in the world.
• Apply their knowledge in the context of the motion picture profession in order to build successful careers and foster a sense of fulfilment.
• Nurture a culture of life-long, deep, relevant learning by continuously reflecting on their progress.

Course Structure

Over the space of three years, students will have the opportunity to discover and explore the world of motion picture production through 5 areas of study that are grouped into three key modules namely: Research, Discipline and Production. All three modules are compulsory for all students.

1. Research

• • Research Studies equip students to develop conceptually relevant ideas. Students are taught to align these ideas with the practical competencies taught in Discipline, in order to realise their project outcomes. Research Studies are a combination of philosophical notions, which address the human condition, and Discipline theories, which inform professional practice in the Creative Industries.  Research Studies are comprised of five focus areas, namely: Narrative, Performance, Medium, Aesthetics, and Business.

2. Discipline

• • In Discipline Studies, students are equipped to realise the concepts, as developed in Research Studies, through the technical and craft skills offered in Discipline. Students learn a broad variety of technical competencies through the means of lectures, discovery and peer-led learning under the guidance of a tutor.  The Motion Picture Discipline Studies Centre (DSC) is comprised of four stations, each of which hosts the software and gear required to achieve the discipline competencies of each of the Discipline Electives.

• • In Reflection Studies, students are taught to critically reflect on their term’s learning. As such, Reflection Studies is designed to assist students in cultivating life-long learning skills that enables them to monitor, develop and understand their performance in relation to the requirements of the world of work.

3. Production

• • Contextual Studies teaches students essential 21st Century skills, such as critical and creative thinking, good ethical practices, the ability to collaborate, and to use a variety of general software applications. These skills enable students to navigate opportunities that could emerge from a rapidly expanding, and evolving media economy.

• • In Production Studies, students learn to systematically apply the concepts and theories explored in Research Studies, and Contextual Studies; together with the skills learned in Discipline Studies, to produce their term projects.  Production Studies is delivered through a series of small learning group activities and peer-led workshops, where project teams work towards achieving a set of project goals and performance objectives during the preparation, production and presentation of their projects.