Film, TV & Digital Media

In this module, students are taught how to plan a short film, 3 – 5 minutes long, with a storyboard. They are then taught how to shoot this short film using a range of camera positions and angles with HD cameras. They learn how to edit their film in Adobe Premiere Pro on an Apple Mac computer. No prior knowledge of using video equipment, or using Adobe Software, or using an Apple Mac computer is required for this module.

This module involves learning how the different stages of pre-production, production and post-production work in the process of making a film. At the pre-production stage a student plans their film with a range of documents such as a treatment, script and storyboard. Students are required to plan a narrative film, with at least one actor (they can act in it if they wish). Students have the option of shooting this film on their own, or by learning to direct others to shoot it. Each student is responsible for editing their own work. This develops a student’s skill and understanding of seeing a film through, from start to finish.

In Kinsale Campus we use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit films. This is the industry standard software for editing in the film industry. Adobe Creative Cloud software is provided to students for free, for the time they are on the course. This software is taught gradually in the first couple of months on the course, though demonstrations at the start of each day. Then students are helped with any problems one to one. Short videos are also provided on each lesson with keyboard shortcuts highlighted in text to help students learn at their own pace.

Students are taught how to use a range of tools and techniques in Adobe Photoshop to produce a varied portfolio of graphic designs, e.g. posters, fliers, banners etc. They also learn about colour and printing techniques.

Having learnt how to enhance images in the Image Processing module, students produce an interactive presentation or eLearning project for this module. This includes incorporating a range of media, including text, audio, video and interactive buttons. Students produce a scope (planning the information they want to include), prior to designing, developing and producing the project.

We use “Final Draft” scriptwriting software in Kinsale Campus. This is the industry standard software for scriptwriting, with 95% of professional filmmakers using it in the film industry. Students learn how to produce and redraft scripts. We also look at professional scripts to learn how three act structures are put together, etc.

This is a mandatory module on all courses. It involves a range of communication skills. The assignments in this module are integrated as much as possible into the other modules on the course, in order to bring down the workload for students.

This is a mandatory module on all courses. It involves planning how to get a job in one’s chosen career. Students are required to complete 60 hours work experience in the course of the year. One option students could apply for, is going on an Erasmus+ program. This option involves going to another European country, with staff and students from the college, and completing the work experience there. Flights and accommodation are paid for, and work placement is arranged by the program. A number of students, apply for and complete their work experience this way, but it is neither a required option, nor a guaranteed one.