FDA Film Production Foundation degree at City College Plymouth
FDA Film Production at City College Plymouth. You'll develop both the technical and conceptual skills needed to create films, informed by the history and theory that shapes contemporary practice.
About this course
FDA Film Production is a Foundation degree (FDA) at City College Plymouth, based in Kings Road. It runs 2 years, studied full-time.
For Design, and creative and performing arts graduates from this provider, 75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 25% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £21,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Stronger evidence Published sample: 470. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 75% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
First year 6 modules
- Introduction to visual studies
Module details
The focus is on the history and development of the film, television and wider media industry, considering both technological advancements that have driven it forward and also the ways in which audiences read, interpret and understand a wide variety of media texts.
- Screen craft
Module details
In this practical module, you will explore the principles and practice of digital film production, focusing on technical and practical skills with a range of industry standard resources. You will have the opportunity to gain and develop an understanding of the necessary craft skills for film production.
- Defining the difference: film roles and responsibilities
Module details
Collaborating with creative media, performing arts and make-up artistry students, you will create a fictional film, developing a knowledge of film industry working practices and legislation, as well as looking at professional standards throughout pre-production, production and post-production processes. You will develop an understanding of roles throughout film production.
- Digital editing for the moving image
Module details
This module introduces you to a range of post-production considerations, exploring the theoretical and practical elements to create meaning and storytelling.
- Stories for the screen
Module details
How do we as filmmakers, go about telling stories on screen? This module will allow you to explore the relationship between writing and directing moving image products, providing an opportunity to gain fundamental skills in script writing.
- Digital film production
Module details
Utilising the skills you have developed from the other modules, this final project module will provide the opportunity to put your skills to the test. You will create a short fictional film which focuses on the entire production process, with the consideration of marketing and distributing your film across a range of media platforms, including submission to film festivals.
Second year 5 modules
- Advanced visual studies
Module details
The focus is on deepening your understanding of the history and development of the film and television industry, considering alternative forms, subcultures and anti-mainstream using semiotic language.
- Screen craft two
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of digital film production, creating short films within a group.
- Sound and film
Module details
This module introduces you to the principles of sound design, exploring the theoretical and practical elements to creating meaning with sound.
- Documentary film
Module details
Considering the history of documentary filmmaking, you will research, plan and create a documentary on the subject and in the style of your choice. This practical module will develop skills in interviewing, filming and editing.
- Cult cinema: beyond the mainstream – controversy and cultures
Module details
This theoretical module will enable you to explore theories of transgressive cinema, with a focus on fandoms, subcultures and mainstream appropriation.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This Foundation Degree in Film Production equips you with hands-on skills and creative vision across the moving image disciplines. You'll typically begin with visual foundations, colour, composition and design principles, alongside practical workshops in media production and contextual studies that ground contemporary film practice in history and theory. As you progress into Year 2, you'll undertake sustained studio projects to develop your creative direction, work with digital tools and emerging technologies relevant to film, and tackle live briefs with real industry deadlines. The course culminates in a final major project, a self-directed body of work, often showcased through a degree exhibition. Throughout, you may specialise in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, UX and digital practice, leading toward your degree show.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you're drawn to storytelling through the moving image and want to understand how films are made, from conception through post-production. You should be comfortable with both creative problem-solving and sustained intellectual work: studying how narrative, cinematography and editing function requires equal parts imagination and analytical rigour. You'll thrive here if you're motivated by hands-on learning and can work independently on extended projects, and if you're genuinely curious about why films matter, not just how to operate the equipment.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Among those in employment, 55% are in highly skilled work. Graduate earnings data shows starting salaries nationally between £22,000 and £27,000 at 15 months; after five years, the range widens to £20,825–£29,400. Many graduates progress to degree-level study; others move into roles in production, post-production, broadcasting or freelance creative practice. Outcomes vary based on the choices and experience you build during your studies.
University & format
This Foundation Degree is delivered full-time over 2 years at City College Plymouth, a higher education college located on Kings Road. Taught in English, the award is nationally recognised as a UK degree-awarding body. The college's teaching has been recognised with a Gold rating in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 50% |
| an Access course | 35% |
| a Baccalaureate | 10% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code M006). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at City College Plymouth →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £21,500 | £17,000 – £26,000 | 470 |
| 3 years after | £17,000 | £10,000 – £19,500 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £16,000 | £10,500 – £21,500 | 20 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 470. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 470. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 45; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is FDA Film Production worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of FDA Film Production earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 2 years of wages given up while studying. The model remains below break even after 30 years. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £7,680/yr over 2 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £7,680/year for this course. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £21,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.5 out of 10: in work or study 75% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Kings Road
2,047 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to City College Plymouth from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by City College Plymouth; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check City College Plymouth’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with City College Plymouth and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at City College Plymouth
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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