We’re planning to teach through a flexible combination of online and face to face learning as we start the new academic year. If you’re thinking about starting in autumn 2020, there’s more detail on how we’ll deliver your course below, and in particular on the ‘Teaching’ tab under ‘Teaching and learning – changes for students in 2020’.
Our BA Television and Digital Production has been developed with industry experts to give you one of the most practical and career-focused television production degrees in the UK. Taught in combination with direct, remote and streamed access to our state-of-the-art television studio, industry standard Avid editing suites and top of the range equipment, you’ll get to grips with everything you need to know about broadcasting, streaming, and video on demand. You’ll also learn to write scripts and develop formats as you get hands-on experience of designing a range of programmes, from sitcoms, dramas and documentaries to game shows, children’s television, chat shows and everything in between.
You’ll get the support you need to succeed in your studies and join the next generation of studio and location directors, producers, camera operators, sound and lighting technicians, editors, researchers and production managers. Our recent graduates have started their careers with the likes of the BBC, Endemol, ITV, Disney, Sky TV, E4, Tiger Lily Films, MTV, Lime Pictures, Talkback Thames, Shine Group, all3 Media, October Films, Sundog Pictures, IMG Sport, Applause Store, NRK, Arena Television and National Geographic.
Our London location means you’ll be in the heart of the UK’s television industry, with plenty of opportunities to expand your network and gain valuable industry connections. In fact, recently our final year students have pitched their graduation project programme ideas to top executives at the BBC, while the best graduate productions of each year are screened at a top London venue in front of industry professionals.
Our mix of regular masterclasses from top professionals and online visiting lecturers (which include directors, producers and broadcasters from Channel 4, the BBC, ITV and the independent sector) means you’ll be in close contact with the industry throughout your studies. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit live productions to see our industry contacts in action at work.
We’ll give you invaluable advice on how to join the television industry and help you enhance your professional experience with a range of unique networking and work placement opportunities.
You’ll have the opportunity to apply for a Royal Television Society Bursary as part of the course. You can visit our scholarships page for more information.
When it comes to support, you’ll be matched with a Personal Tutor to get the backing you need. You’ll also get support from our Student Learning and Graduate Academic Assistants who have personal experience in your subject.
Our TV production students have won an RTS London Division award for three out of the last four years, and have gone on to work for companies including the BBC, Endemol, Sky TV and Talkback Thames. Graduate, Phil Poole, also won Best Music Video at the NME Awards in 2017 – beating music videos for Beyoncé and Kanye West.
Sign up now to receive more information about studying at Middlesex University London, including updates on places available in Clearing for 2020 entry.
Throughout your three years, you’ll be working across different genres from music videos, sitcoms, talent shows and quiz shows to dramas and documentaries, with remote or streamed access to many of our state-of-the-art facilities, online inductions and training. Our Kit Hub houses a vast collection of television and film-based equipment that you can borrow to help with relevant modules if you choose to (but all assessments will be completable without having to come to campus).
You will gain substantial practical production skills in single and multi-camera projects that will enable you to become an accomplished professional. Your talent and vision come to fruition when you produce your graduation showreel in Year 3. Work placements, practical, creative and career focused modules ensure you have all the tools necessary to work in TV and digital production.
This course allows you to specialise in the roles of your choice both on location (including Director, Producer, Researcher, Script writer, Production Manager, Director of Photography, Sound Recordist, Editor, Designer), and in the studio (including Studio Director, Floor Manager, Gallery Production Assistant, Vision Mixer, Gallery PA and Vision Control).
We’ve made sure that the skills and knowledge that you’ll gain on your course will not change during the coronavirus outbreak. If you’re applying to start this course or progressing into year one, two or three this autumn, your module information is below.
This module enables you to understand the roles and processes of multicamera production. It also introduces you to gallery skills and roles, including vision mixer, production assistant and studio director. By exploring a range of programme formats you will enhance your production knowledge and skills for live and multiplatform delivery.
This module introduces you to single camera TV and online production skills in both fact and fiction. You will learn different forms of small screen storytelling and apply the crafts of camera, sound and editing through online workshops and projects. You will also be introduced to production roles and responsibilities including director, producer, editor and production manager, plus other essential aspects including ethical and legal constraints.
This module enables you to develop research skills for – and gain industry knowledge about - the processes of pitching and programme commissioning for television and new platforms. It introduces you to an industry encompassing public service broadcasters, advertising-funded channels, streaming subscription services and independent production companies. It also provides an opportunity for you to research a company, platform or broadcaster of your choice, and prepare and pitch a programme idea appropriate to it.
This module introduces you to the creative and practical aspects of both factual and fictional TV and digital production. Programme types, genres, creativity and artistry will be explored in relation to national and international TV and digital production contexts.
This module builds on a range of established techniques required for digital production and emerging studio production including VT inserts. It further develops your knowledge and skills when researching for TV programmes, as well as repurposing existing content. Developing a range of programmes you will enhance your knowledge of and production skills for live, on-demand and multiplatform delivery.
This module will further develop your understanding of the roles and responsibilities of Producers and Directors and their relationships to key craft and editorial roles within the production team. It allows you to select from treatments, formats and scripts developed by you or from pre-existing factual briefs or scripts, as you make short dramas, documentaries and/or reality shows.
This module introduces you to the development of ideas for documentary, drama and reality TV programmes and series. It examines these genres and how ideas are developed, both for television and new platforms, including made-for-multiplatform webisodes. It will enable you to develop viable ideas, in the form of treatments, formats and scripts, ready for production, including pre-production research.
In this module you will use a range of established production techniques to create video projects including music videos, adverts and corporate promos. Working to a client’s brief, you will gain genuine industry experience. It also enables you to get an insight into working with real clients in a professional context in order to enhance your understanding of the non-broadcast sector.
This module aims to advance your technical craft skills in the fast-changing world of television and digital production. You will develop your skills and knowledge of production, post-production and streaming for single-camera and multi-camera production.
This module aims to consolidate your editorial and/or craft skills to prepare you for progression to employment in television and digital production. You will be working on extended graduation projects which will enable you to refine your production skills and knowledge.
This module aims to provide you with a broad understanding of the production cultures and practices of Television and digital production. It prepares you for work in TV, online production and the wider media sector. It will enable you to devise and sustain a reflexive response to your experiences that will underpin your learning and career goals, both now and in the future.
This module aims to focus on the development of your television expertise and industry knowledge. You are equipped with the expertise necessary to research about a specific aspect of television including areas such as industry, technology or programming. This is an opportunity to investigate, in depth, an aspect of television that interests you.
See the course specification for more information about typical course content outside of the coronavirus outbreak:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
The Switch - A music talent show developed and produced by Middlesex BA Television Production students.
See the work of our BA Television and Digital Production students in our 2017 showreel
A snapshot of the work produced by our Television students during 2016 - including drama, documentary and live studio productions.
A Mouser Productions short film Produced and Directed by Alicia Rovira-Parker.
Music is Vision is an Award winning short documentary about the blind community of Vangani, a village in Maharashtra, India. Director: Abdulaziz Alfuraih
Safest Place in the World - A moving documentary made by Middlesex students on the shootings at Utoya Island in Norway in 2011.
The UK television industry, with over 50,000 employees, is one of the strongest in the world. The creative media industries workforce earn 24% more than the average income of the UK working population.
Because of the diverse nature of the degree, a wide range of exciting television and digital production roles will be open to you.
Our recent graduates have worked on such shows as The X Factor, The Only Way is Essex, Geordie Shore, Big Brother, Celebrity Juice, The Circle, Grand Designs, Location, Location, Location and Masterchef.
BA Television and Digital Production has been awarded the ScreenSkills Tick, the industry kitemark of quality, following a rigorous assessment process by experts working in the Creative Industries. The ScreenSkills Tick is awarded to practice-based courses which best prepare students for a career in the industry.
We have some of the finest television production and post-production facilities in UK higher education. Sony has designed the TV production suite for us with two TV studios at its centre, which includes state of the art galleries for Production, Lighting and Sound, in which we are able to run multi-camera productions in full High Definition XD Cam 50Mbps. The studio facility also benefits from having an Avid Isis 5000 server in conjunction with 2 x 4 Channel Airspeed Multi-streams, which also support our Post Production editing suites and News studio and gives us central storage in a tapeless environment.
Our students preparing with Nick Wood, BBC comedy director
Our TV studio gallery
Our second year students in Studio A
Our TVP students recreate the infamous Mannequin Challenge and showcase our excellent facilities in Hendon.
Basil has published on various aspects of television in numerous books and journals with particular research interests in TV around the world and horror.
Paul is an award-winning television producer who has made dozens of programmes for the BBC and Channel Four as well as many international co-productions. He is also the author and editor of a number of books and articles on television and film.
Deborah’s creative practice and academic interest is in comedy, specifically the TV Sitcom and more recently comic narratives in film. Other areas of research include psychoanalysis, character, how to shoot the visual joke and discursive frames.
Tom is an award-winning television director who has made a variety of productions for both Broadcast and Business TV. His specialist research interests include factual programming and developing media practice.
Danny Fisher
Television and Digital Production BA graduate
Looking back on my career so far, one year since graduating in Television Production, the course has been paramount to my success. Not only did it make my confidence flourish, it opened up a gateway into the industry I love. I am now writing, working in the industry, and have done so even before I graduated, because of the course. I most certainly couldn’t have done it without the experience given to me whilst studying.
The things I learnt and the people I met brought my knowledge up to industry standard. The facilities made it possible for me to work in a real-life studio environment, in groups that would echo a real crew. My lecturers helped me grow, to ensure I was heading down the correct avenues to achieve my future ambitions throughout every stage.
I am currently working on MasterChef: The Professionals, as a Production Secretary, and this opportunity was given to me through contacts I met whilst at University. I was interested in going into Production during my second year, and my lecturers helped me meet people to make my ambitions become a reality. The lecturers are dedicated to every student and I was lucky enough to eventually meet someone who is now my employer.
I am forever grateful to the course and cannot recommend it enough. To anyone in doubt, I feel as a spokesperson for the course, do it! Take every opportunity you can, and you may just succeed!
Richard Tipple
Television Production BA graduate
I chose to study this degree because I wanted to work in TV and I wanted a course that was more focused on the 'hands on' skill of film-making rather than the theory.
The degree taught me a skill set that I use every single day in my working life. I learnt how to film, how to edit, how to light and most importantly how to tell a story using pictures. It gave me the tools to shape the foundation of what I do professionally. After leaving University I got a job that I wouldn't have got if it wasn't for the showreel and practical experience I amassed during my final year. Every job since I've built on these foundations.
I'm incredibly lucky to work in a creative field and earn a very good wage at the same time. I owe Middlesex for that. I owe Roddy Gibson (my tutor) a hell of a lot. Mostly for his patience!
My advice to new students is make sure you know what you want to get out of the course before you begin. Middlesex stands out because its staff want to get you to where you want to be. Know that, communicate that and you'll be in a great position. I did a lot of growing up at University and I couldn't have chosen a better place to do it.
Emilie Andreassen
Television Production BA graduate
What really appealed to me about the course was the balance between lectures and practical work. I got the opportunity to try out all the things I learnt about in the lectures in my practical work. I also found it great that we got to make so many different films throughout the three years studying here.
The course has great industry standard equipment; brand new studios and amazing editing suits. Most of this equipment is the same as what I have used and seen during my internships in Norway. This makes you feel that you are working at a very professional level and it gives you the opportunity to make your films look stunning. It also gives you more confidence when considering sending your films out to Film Festivals or to possible employees. This all gives you a good taste of how it works in the real industry.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: October 2020, EU/International induction: September 2020
Duration: 3 years full-time, Usually 6 years part-time
Code: P303
Start: October 2021
Duration: 3 years full-time, Normally 5 years part-time
Code: W614
Start: October 2020, EU/International induction: September 2020
Duration: 3 years full-time
Code: WP15
