Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Screen Arts)

The Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Screen Arts), is an in-depth programme of study where you will engage in a combination of creative, academic and practice-based courses designed to equip you with skills and qualities that will enable you to work in Aotearoa's screen sector.

It is the only undergraduate degree in NZ that offers a full 'script-to-screen' experience

We work in an environment that is framed in Matauranga Maori and the in the values embedded in our Te Noho Kotahitanga partnership. The whanaungatanga we embrace with other disciplines is woven throughout the school via shared noho marae and other whanau events. Partnering with Maori practitioners (Writers, Directors, etc ) strengthens this foundation for staff and students in our mahi. We are very fortunate to have the beautiful Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae and Maia centre onsite at Unitec, to provide us valued support in our practice

In Year One, you will learn about the filmmaking process and industry as a whole, the relationship between specialist skills, creative and critical thinking, and storytelling. From Year Two, you will start to specialise, gaining knowledge in a particular area of the industry.

Specialisation Options:

• Camera and field sound: includes cinematography, camera assisting, lighting and grip, new media technologies, sound recording and colour grading
• Post-production: includes editing and post-production sound
• Production: includes production management, assistant directing, location management and scouting
• Screenwriting: includes screenwriting craft, writing for different mediums (short film, feature film, TV series, etc.), and best professional practices for working writers (pitching, proposal documents, working with producers)

• Participate in hands on learning through film, television and small screen projects designed to emulate the real world
• Experience different crew models, such as working in small, tight teams, as well as in full industrial crews, as you would on a television or film set
• The real world of performing and screen arts: work collaboratively with acting, art department and costume students to gain practical, on set experience when working in the studio and on location
• Small class sizes in specialist areas allow for lecturers to mentor students
• Students interested in directing can take a mixture of lectures, screenings and workshops
• Specialist programmes designed to develop the necessary skills to succeed in the screen industry.

Year One is structured around building a foundation, with a focus on core skills in directing, production, camera, sound, lighting, editing, and scriptwriting. Throughout the year, you will gain an overview of the entire filmmaking process, which will help you choose the specialisation you would like to focus on in Year Two. You will engage in assignments that require creative and critical thinking, and you will perform a crew role on a studio shoot under the guidance of a professional director. Year One is about discovering who you are as a screen practitioner and beginning to think about the area you would like to specialise in your career.

Year Two is when you deepen your knowledge and practice within a screen discipline of your choice. Within your specialist field, you will work on a variety of projects, including a student-directed studio shoot. Year Two will also be your first opportunity to shoot on location. Writing students will write short film scripts, which will then be directed by Directing students, crewed by students from Production and Camera / Sound, and edited by students who choose Editing as their specialisation. Year Two is when you begin to develop focused abilities within a specific area of film and television.

Year Three puts all learning into practice, with a range of master classes and projects, including short films, web-series, and more. Year three is the time that students really hone their skills as filmmakers and collaborators and engage in concentrated opportunities for industry training and professional practice. You will be armed with a range of skills, industry practices and relationships that will set you up to transition from your training to the wider world of the film industry.