Course information

Length

1 year full-time

Course overview

If you want to be a filmmaker this is the place to learn, gain experience and make films you will be proud to have on your show reel.

As a student on one of the six pathways you'll develop your specialist skill. In addition, you'll also have a range of short optional modules in other production areas of your choosing to give you the kind of flexibility that the industry now expects. The options include script and project development, web drama, online content, and social activist filmmaking, alongside more traditional media such as camera and editing skills. 

Our filmmaking facilities and scheduling are geared around fiction production, as this is a major opportunity that the learning on the programme provides. The ethos of the course is “form follows function.” Your study and practice throughout the year will equip you with the most appropriate means of telling your story in order to connect with an audience.  

Filmmaking is a team activity. Every student is required to work closely with others as part of a creative team to produce their final project. All the programmes also have good contacts and connections with students in the other specialist areas your productions might require, such as music composition, hair and makeup, set design, scriptwriting and of course acting talent.

Filmmaking is very demanding; it requires a lot of commitment, imagination and teamwork. You will be fully stretched on these programmes.

Pathways

This MA has six pathways you can follow: 

The programmes also retain close links with MA Scriptwriting.

The filmmaking programmes are located within a large and very lively Media and Communications Department that is also home to a range of practice MA programmes in radio, journalism and scriptwriting for example.

There is also a range of theory MAs and strong research tradition, with the Department coming top in the entire country on research intensity. This makes for a very stimulating and creative environment. 

The questions we ask

Where is cinema going? Where is TV heading? How and where are people going to watch moving images? What do new audiences want these to look and sound like? What new platforms are on the horizon? How are the traditional craft skills relevant to the digital age?

These are the kinds of questions we’re interested in. And we don’t explore them alone. Our annual Olive Till Memorial debate features world-renowned industry speakers including directors Danny Boyle, Gurinder Chadha and Paul Greengrass, and producers Tessa Ross and Tim Bevan, so you get the best kind of insight while you’re here.

The processes we use

We offer advanced skills training to film school standards. You will work within a building with studio and rehearsal spaces, screening rooms and up-to-date camera, lighting and sound equipment, plus sound and edit suites.

The approach we take

We encourage you to meet filmmakers, work with others, and exchange ideas. The programme includes regular masterclasses where students from all the programmes and others come together to learn about current industry trends, new opportunities and ideas with leading figures of the UK film and television industries. But filmmaking is not only about these industries, it also offers a wealth of transferable skills for students interested in all media platforms, including web drama, video games, art gallery installations of all types, interactive mixed media and live performance and music videos.

Our reputation

The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies has been ranked 2nd in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (Research Excellence Framework, 2021) and 12th in the world (2nd in the UK) in the 2022 QS World Rankings for communication and media studies.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the department.

What you'll study

All programmes include: 

  • Masterclasses
  • Pitches 
  • Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations 

You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options. The third term will be taken up with your final substantive project, and in writing up a process paper on your work and research over the year. 

There is also a choice of short modules, such as: 

  • Screen Adaptation
  • Principles of Editing
  • Media Law and Ethics
  • The Short Script
  • Politics of the Audio Visual
  • Social Activist Film Making
  • Contemporary Screen Narratives
  • Representing Reality
  • Visual Story Telling
  • The Current Landscape of the UK Media Industries 

In addition students are encouraged to “audit,” (that is, attend but not be assessed on) any other lecture course in the Department – in so far as their timetable allows.

For full module information, refer to the individual pathways.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject as well as a level of practical experience from work in the arts or the media.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

For international applicants, please note that English language requirements must be met before your application can be considered.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5 to study this programme.

Fees, funding & scholarships

To find out more about your fees, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

Find out more about funding opportunities on our departmental funding page.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. Please apply on the page for the pathway you're interested in:

Please check individual programme pages for application guidance.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September.

Application deadline: 30 June

We may consider late applications if there are vacancies. Complete applications are considered in batches from February onwards. Please note, assessment of MA Filmmaking applications can take several months as there are a limited number of places on the programme. Due to the unique selection process, we ask that all applicants wait to be contacted by the Admissions Team regarding their application.

We encourage you to complete your application even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification.

If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an earlier application deadline.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Please be aware that the Directing Fiction pathway of MA Filmmaking tends to be heavily subscribed, so please feel free to apply for more than one pathway to increase your chances of being offered a place. If you do apply for more than one pathway, please indicate in your personal statement your preferred pathway.

Find out more about applying.

Careers

From Steve McQueen to Sam Taylor-Wood, Goldsmiths graduates go on to shift the public perception of what makes film matter. And our MA filmmaking graduates are creating award-winning work including Best Cinematography at the NAHEMI Encounters International Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Exposures Film Festival.

The best advice we can give you is to make the most of your time with us. For a whole year you have access to the best in the field: highly qualified, industry-active and award-winning staff and guest speakers.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.

Student work

Lula

Similar programmes

MA Script Writing

The skills of storytelling are timeless. Tackle the creative, analytical and professional sides of script writing for film, television and radio on this industry-accredited MA.

MA Film & Screen Studies

Address the image world, find out how images create meaning, and discover what you can do with what you see on this eclectic MA programme

MA Media & Communications

For over 25 years this MA has been actively interrogating the way the mediated world works. Discover the many roles of media and communications in your life and identity, across institutions and organisations and into wider cultures and societies through this pioneering programme.

MA Digital Media

The MA Digital Media is unique in its combination of practical and theoretical approaches to contemporary media and technology.

Related content links