Music and Sound for Screen BA(Hons)

Students will explore a variety of stylistic compositional approaches from Baroque to Twentieth Century. These will be undertaken from a practical perspective through listening to recordings, analysing scores and undertaking compositional exercises applicable to particular stylistic models under discussion. The emphasis will not be on originality but in developing a heightened sense of stylistic awareness through the close examination of a work’s instrumentation and compositional materials as well as its form and structure.

This module will introduce you to relevant techniques and technologies for computer-based music production, including sequencing, sampling, arrangement, and a variety of other sound processing techniques. A range of practical work - both technical and creative - will develop your critical listening and production skills, and seminars will support you in applying these techniques to your own creative work.

You will be introduced to the core concepts, theory and practical principles involved in producing, engineering and mixing popular music. You will gain practical experience in an analogue/digital recording studio, developing your ability to record and overdub a variety of sources. For the mix stage of the production process, you will then review the fundamental approaches and techniques involved in effectively processing these signals.

You will learn how to be a successful and confident independent researcher, gaining the skills to investigate music and musicians across a range audiovisual styles and genres. Lectures and seminars will explore the musical links between aesthetics, society, politics, and technology, and you will focus your coursework on repertoire and issues related to your own developing practice as a composer or sound designer.

Seminars and small group tutorials will help you explore the fundamentals of musical composition - melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre and texture - supported by performances and workshops by visiting artists and ensembles. Preliminary exercises will help you develop your creative skills towards an original portfolio of compositions for piano, voice, and strings.

You will gain hands-on experience of a variety of key musical skills: improvisation; aural awareness; ensemble performance; and evaluating your own and others' performances. A wide range of styles and genres will be explored, and you will work with musicians relevant to your specialism as a pop, classical, or jazz performer.

Screen entertainment is as popular now as it has ever been, but who makes our favourite content and how we access it, is changing dramatically. This module provides you with an insight into the key theories, concepts and methods to help you understand the film and television industries. You’ll also get an introduction to the essentials of entertainment law.

You will learn the skills needed to produce and design sound for film, television, video games, and mobile devices, working towards a coursework portfolio of practical work accompanied by professional technical documentation. The module provides practical training in location recording, dealing with equipment, making sound effects, sound design, preparing layers of audio for post-production, and the skills needed for soundtrack compilation.

This module will provide further study of the techniques of computer-based music production. Techniques examined in-depth will include synthesis, sequencing, sampling, editing, processing and mixing, as well as their creative application. You will also explore pre/post production and arrangement, covering these topics through practical technical and creative work that will improve your techno-fluency as well as your ability to listen critically. Seminars support you in applying different production techniques to your creative ideas, leading towards a coursework portfolio for assessment.

Working towards a coursework portfolio of your own creative work, you will learn about a range of a range of approaches to orchestration from the Baroque to the present day. Classes will explore the characteristics of individual instruments and strategies for combining them, including issues of balance, voicing, doubling, and effective control of orchestral textures.

Inside the Music Business introduces a range of issues relevant to the current music industry, from copyright, contracts, and economics through to the role of the media in marketing and reviewing music. You will explore the production, distribution, and revenue models of the global music business, exploring the ways in which they relate to your own practice as a musician across a range of coursework options.

You will explore a variety of techniques, resources, and notational skills to enhance and extend your work as a composer, including guidance on writing creatively for voices, mixed ensembles, percussion, invented instruments and electronics. With support provided by classes, tutorials, and workshops in a range of musical styles, you will work towards the production of a unique coursework portfolio of compositions.

Scoring the Silver Screen will equip you with the skills for in-depth analysis of film and television soundtracks. You will explore the evolving relationships between technology, economics, and aesthetics in film history from a range of perspectives, with case studies ranging from 'silent' films and classic Hollywood musicals to art-house cinema, contemporary blockbusters, and television serials.

You will be introduced to advanced concepts, theory and practical use of a broad range of equipment used for recording, editing and mixing sound. You will gain practical experience of sound recording in analogue/digital recording studios, in a concert hall and on location. Your ability to edit multitrack audio using advanced post production techniques will be developed, as will the skills required to capture accurate stereo and multichannel recordings in a concert hall environment.

You will continue to develop your own sonic creativity by engaging with a series of focused case studies, allowing for detailed investigation of how other artists construct and conceive their works. Drawing on these studies you will create your own original pieces, showing an in-depth awareness of compositional thinking and techniques.

You will choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance. Options typically range from conducting, music theatre, and improvisation through to groups like orchestra, big band, brass band, classical and pop choirs, and a huge variety of pop, rock, soul, funk, and folk bands. Specialist performance tutors will coach you towards assessed performances that are open to the public.

The optional one-year (48 weeks) work placement after the second year can be completed in the UK or abroad. It will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, insight into your chosen career and open up your graduate employment prospects.

This module will provide you with the skills, facilities and support to enable you to set up and run your own business during your sandwich year. It will enable you to develop and apply your knowledge and skills, both technical and personal/social, as developed in your studies to date. It will give you experience of working in a self-employed capacity in an industry appropriate to your course and it will provide you with opportunities for personal development in a self-employment situation, especially in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship.

This is a wonderful opportunity to work as part of a crew and make a film. We’ll support you through the production and post-production process, as you turn your idea into movie magic. As well as plenty of supervised studio time, you’ll have access to a production budget provided by us, to help you make a film you can be proud of.

This is where your idea for a hit of the future starts to become a reality. You’ll work as part of a crew to produce a series of episodes of your chosen TV format. As well as plenty of supervised studio time, you’ll have access to a production budget provided by us, to help you make high-quality programmes you can show off to potential employers.

You will choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance. Options typically range from conducting, music theatre, and improvisation through to groups like orchestra, big band, brass band, classical and pop choirs, and a huge variety of pop, rock, soul, funk, and folk bands. Specialist performance tutors will coach you towards assessed performances that are open to the public.

You will choose two practical options from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance. Options typically range from conducting, music theatre, and improvisation through to groups like orchestra, big band, brass band, classical and pop choirs, and a huge variety of pop, rock, soul, funk, and folk bands. Specialist performance tutors will coach you towards assessed performances that are open to the public.

Experimental Music will introduce you to new ideas and works from a range of radical and exciting musicians. No performing experience is required – just an open mind and willingness to experiment! Classes will include a variety of hands-on opportunities to make music, and you will be assessed through coursework tasks that include options for written work, presentations, compositions, and performances.

Guest lecturers from a range of music-related professions will introduce you to current issues and opportunities in their industries, supported by coursework where you will research your own career aspirations. You will also develop your own professional practice and employability skills in a practical assignment of your choice: completing a work placement, or developing a business plan or professional website.

You will be introduced to the techniques and underlying concepts of audio programming languages/interactive environments such as MaxMSP, Supercollider, Csound and Chuck, allowing you to design complex interactive audio software. You will gain practical experience of working with at least one domain specific language or environment, learning new techniques that will also enhance your understanding of broader programming and audio concepts.