Intensive Foundation Digital Arts

At a glance UCAS code: FNG503

Course Length
12 weeks
Spring Session
January 9th - March 30th 2012
Summer Session
June 4th - August 24th 2012
Course Leaders
John Cox and Andrew Pomphrey
Course Location
Hendon

Overview & facilities

Have you ever wanted to make your own movies? Do you have a passion for films or animation? Would you like to learn industry standard tools like Adobe Flash, Photoshop, After Effects, or Final Cut Pro?

If you have missed out on a university place but are determined to get into the creative media industry then the Intensive Foundation in Digital Arts (iFDA) may be for you.

On the course you’ll be making your own films and animations. You’ll get a chance to try out all aspects of film making such as script writing, directing, cinematography, lighting, sound recording, acting, editing, post-production and distribution. Through a series of individual and group projects you will develop a great deal of experience in a very short time.

The Intensive Foundation in Digital Arts is a unique course. Developed to help you progress directly on to an undergraduate degree course at Middlesex University, iFDA offers you the opportunity to combine your preparation for a degree course with a gap year for travelling or work to help pay for life at university.

Successful completion of iFDA will gain you a place on one of our BA programmes including:

  • BA Animation
  • BA 3D Animation and Games
  • BA Film
  • BA Fine Art
  • BA Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion

The course is taught at The Grove at our Hendon campus offering some of the best art and design teaching facilities to be found anywhere, including outstanding studio and workshop space, media labs, a library with an extensive film collection, and purpose built video and animation production studios. What is more, with central London less than a hour away, the resources of the capital city are right on your doorstep.

Location & map

Our art and design courses are based in the new £80 million purpose built Grove on our Hendon campus. Here you will enjoy the latest world class facilities while being part of an innovative art and design community.

Address: Middlesex University, Hendon campus, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BT UK

To find out how to get to the campus see Travel Directions to Hendon campus. The nearest tube station is Hendon Central on the Northern line.

Nearest halls of residence

There are four halls of residence either on or near to Hendon campus. Usher Hall is on campus, opposite the College building.

Platt and Writtle Halls are at the same location in Colindale, a 20 minute walk from campus.

Ivy Hall is also a short distance away by public transport in Cricklewood.

Content & modules

Firstly, the course is spread over twelve weeks with one-on-one tuition every day, five days a week. Secondly, projects are tailored to suit individual needs. You will be making your own videos and animations as well as working as the film crew for each others' films.

The course starts with digital photography and image processing with Photoshop. This will help you to learn how to use a camera professionally so you can create dramatic images.

You’ll follow up the still image work with stop motion animation to help you learn how to set the pace and action of a movie.

Next you will move on to digital animation using Flash.  You’ll also learn rotoscoping and key-framing, two of the basic skills needed for visual effects.

After that, you will be taught digital video editing using the industry standard software Final Cut Pro.

Once you’ve mastered the fundamental skills you will get to make your own films. We’ll teach you how to develop a script into a screenplay, how to plan your camera shots with a storyboard and how to organize a successful and safe film shoot.  You’ll be directing and filming your movie, editing the footage, and finishing it off with sound effects and titles all under the guidance of our highly experienced teaching staff.

To help you to visualize your ideas you'll be given life drawing lessons throughout the course, using sketch books and storyboards you'll build this core skill you can use to produce your own animations. In our contextual studies lessons you’ll get to watch and analyse a wide range of movies, animations and documentaries. You'll also get the opportunity to learn about the history and art of the cinema to help you develop your own artwork.

The iFDA covers all the bases for your future in digital media arts including how to prepare your work for distribution and how to make a professional quality DVD portfolio.

iFDA is a challenging course that rewards dedication and commitment, and will enable you to build up a body of work that demonstrates your particular skills, creativity and interests.

Entry & applying

You would need to submit a portfolio initially we ask that this be submitted on a CD/DVD a subsequent interview may take place if it is deemed appropriate. You will also need 120 Ucas tariff points,and GCSE passes in five subjects A to C. Applications from applicants with a Professional background or mature students would be welcomed. Overseas applicants should possess advanced level English Language skills,IELTS 6.0/TOFEL paper 550

You will need to submit a portfolio on a CD or DVD. It should contain between 20 and 25 still images, two to three videos or web links to your work online. 

1. Still images
These should be photos or illustrations which show a range of your work. If you have hand drawn images, scan them and save them on the disc as JPEGs.

2. Videos
If you have made your own videos put them on a disc as a Quicktime, Windows Media or MP4 file. If your work is on YouTube or Vimeo, copy the web address,  save it in a file called OnlinePortfolio.txt and put it on the disc. 

3. Webpages
If you have your own website put the link in a file on the disc and write a short explanation of the tools you used to make the site.

The basic expectation is that your portfolio should contain a good cross section of your work, it does not have to be just finished pieces; it could contain images/pages taken from a sketchbook or work sheet, that show how ideas were developed. There should be evidence of your understanding of visual communication that indicates your curiosity and willingness to experiment. It should be a reflection of who you are as an Artist / Designer / Film-Maker.

A subsequent interview may take place if it is deemed appropriate.

You will also need 120 UCAS tariff points, and GCSE passes in five subjects A to C. Applications from students with a professional background or mature students are be welcomed.

Please apply directly to the University using the application form

A completed iFDA Application form should be sent to;

Middlesex University
Undergraduate Admissions
The Burroughs
London
NW4 4BT
Telephone: 020 8411 6680
Email: undergraduate@mdx.ac.uk

Please remember to enclose copies of your qualifications, your portfolio on CD/DVD and your academic for work reference.

English language requirements

You must have competence in English language and we normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. The most common English Language requirements for international students are IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components) or TOEFL internet based 72 (with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading).

Middlesex also offers an Intensive Academic English course (Pre-Sessional) that ranges from 5-17 weeks depending on your level of English. Successful completion of this course would meet English language entry requirements. For more information on applying for the pre-sessional please email english@mdx.ac.uk.

Fees & funding

UK/EUStudents £2,250
International Students £2,500

Careers & placements

If you complete the iFDA, you are guaranteed progression onto a prestigious Middlesex media Arts or Art & Design degree course for all those who successfully complete the course.

 

Open days

Open Days

Open days for this course are held at our Hendon campus in north London. See the location and maps tab for information on how to get here.

University Open Days

Open days offer you the opportunity to learn more about Middlesex, and get a feeling for what life is like on our campuses. Open Days include Welcome and Subject talks, campus and accommodation tours and opportunities to find out more about other aspects of studying at university, these include a guide to applying to university, and a fees and funding talk.

Book Your Place Now

Click to find out more about our undergraduate Open Days and book your place now.

If you can't make our open day, there are more opportunities available for you to come and visit us. Campus tours are available throughout the year if you would like to have a look around. Led by Student Ambassadors, they take place most Wednesday afternoons at 1pm. You will get a feel of the campus atmosphere, plus the opportunity to ask any questions about being a student at Middlesex University. Click here to book your campus tour.

Portfolio and Interview

You will need to submit a portfolio of 20 to 25 still images or 6 to 12 moving images or web-links (not facebook or myspace), initially on a CD/DVD. The basic expectation is that your portfolio should contain a good cross-section of your work, it does not have to be just finished pieces; it could contain images/pages taken from a sketchbook or work sheet, which shows how ideas were developed.

There should be evidence of your understanding of visual communication and willingness to experiment.  It should also show (if appropriate) examples that back up your interest in your chosen subject. It should be a reflection of who you are as an artist/designer/film-maker.

You can find more information in the entry and applying tab.

SkillSet Academy

skillset_logo_stdThe exciting partnership of Middlesex University, SAE Institute and Top TV Academy was awarded Skillset Media Academy status in recognition of our national excellence in Media provision in 2007 and we continue to hold the status today.

We were one of only 11 partnerships in the country to originally gain this recognition for the outstanding and forward-looking nature of our Media provision. More than 140 institutions applied and underwent rigorous examination of their courses and facilities. 28 were shortlisted, and now 20 have gained the Skillset badge. So if you come to study at Middlesex you can be assured that you will be getting among the best media education in the UK.

Our Academy offers a comprehensive media education and practical hands-on skills for everyone from beginners to established media professionals, in traditional TV production and pioneering interactive media.

Between us we offer technical skills courses, continuous professional development for the industry, traditional or work-based-learning undergraduate, postgraduate degrees and doctorates, as well as cutting-edge research into the future of media. Our students train in industry-standard studios and digital workshops on the latest equipment and software and our alumni are working at all levels of the media industry, in creative, technical and managerial roles.

We have long standing relationships with the industry across the capital, from small independents to the BBC, including highly successful on-going work experience schemes. Top TV provides in-service training for many of the country’s most important independent television companies. SAE Institute and Middlesex University are international education providers, uniquely placed to give our students a global perspective.

Together we produce a talented and skilled media workforce to become the creative business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.

Read more about SkillSet Academy Status.

Facilities

The Grove

This course is taught at our new Arts Hub in Hendon, The Grove. Click here for your virtual tour.

Facilities

Our art, design and media facilities are second to none and wide ranging. There is a wealth of specialist technical help with professionals dedicated to helping you achieve excellence in our workshop areas. We operate an open access system so that as an art, design and media student at Middlesex you’ll have unique level of access to our facilities, whatever course you choose. Our students continue to rate Middlesex’s facilities for art and design as among the best in London and the UK.

The extensive range of facilities that impress our students includes:

  • The print workshop area, one of the largest and best equipped in the country, including screenprint, intaglio, etching, engraving and stone litho facilities 
  • The 3D Workshops with dedicated metalworking, woodworking, plastics and ceramics areas 
  • The large photographic studio with infinity cove, close up, macro and colourama studio areas 
  • Three black and white darkrooms for classic monochrome film processing and traditional printing 
  • A digital darkroom state of the art digital photographic editing and output facility with 45 Apple Macintosh workstations networked to a series of professional level photographic printers 
  • The digital media workshop with 40 dual screen workstations, DVD and video editing facilities for moving image and digital film and video work. And ten Alienware computers for games design 
  • The interface workshop, sound diffusion and computing resources for sonic arts 
  • The reprographics and digital output area with an extensive range of professional printers able to print in full colour on high quality paper from digital files 
  • A dedicated animation studio equipped with the essential industry standard technology 
  • The letterpress typographic Workshop with a wide range of traditional wooden and lead moveable type 
  • The jewellery workshop with a wide range of specialist equipment for the creation of three dimensional jewellery 
  • The ceramics workshop with a wide range of specialist equipment for the creation of pottery and sculpture 
  • Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture: two exhibition galleries tell the story of ordinary homes in the twentieth century, providing a rich source of inspiration for artists, designers and makers – as well as an outstanding resource unique to Middlesex students 
  • Art and design library: over 75,000 books and a wide range of current and historic periodicals, magazines and newspapers covering all areas of art and design. There is also an extensive collection of film, video and DVD sources with viewing facilities.

As a student you can also hire specialised equipment for use in your assignments.

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