Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, Screen and New Media)

Storytelling for screen is no longer restricted to big-budget cinema releases and television series commissioned by major networks. The need for quality content across digital media delivery platforms such as subscription TV, mobile devices, internet, promotional campaigns and film festivals and events is leading to lucrative opportunities for multiskilled professionals to generate highly creative, captivating productions.

This course gives you a broad base of knowledge, skills and experiences to explore a wide range of career options within the film, television and digital media industries before specialising in an area of your choice.  Early in your degree you’ll build a broad base of knowledge, skills and experiences developing technical skills in directing, camera, editing and sound before specialising in an area of your choice.

As your studies continue you’ll gain experience in pitching your ideas, audience measurement and legal issues, with hands-on opportunities to develop your skills in producing, writing, editing, sound, cinematography or directing. You’ll have the opportunity to work across genres and formats including documentary, drama, television and experimental film, and digital, web and mobile platforms. This means you will be well prepared for your future career across established and emerging formats and applications. 

If you are interested in producing you may find your niche as a creative entrepreneur, learning how to generate ideas and develop them into finished productions. If your passion is cinematography, editing, sound or directing, you will develop your technical skills by producing high quality creative content. Alternatively, you may wish to hone your skills in script-writing.

Double degrees

Combine your fine arts degree with a second degree to gain a broader range of skills and knowledge, a competitive advantage and enhanced career flexibility.  Choose a double degree with:

• Business and use your combined skills to start your own specialised business, such as developing film and new media services within the advertising and corporate sectors.
• Law for wider career options include working as a director, scriptwriter or production manager, a media lawyer involved in copyright disputes, negotiation of licenses and talent agreements, or a filmmaker specialising in crime or legal content.
• If you are looking to apply your creative abilities to education settings or the teaching profession you have some options.  You can complete your film, screen and new media degree first and then follow with a Master of Teaching in early childhood, primary or secondary education.*  Or you can now undertake a double degree in secondary education at the same time as your screen and new media degree.

*Check entry requirements for the Master of Teaching for specific teaching areas. 

Careers and outcomes

Graduates work in the film, television and screen industries in entry-level positions on film sets, for production companies or screen media outlets, and as freelance professionals. Career outcomes include cinematography, vision and sound editing, directing, script-writing, producing or production management. Those who specialise in producing may aspire to work in research, production management, script development and editing, or programming and scheduling for screen media outlets. There are many opportunities for graduates to start their own specialised business in the industry.

Our graduates have gone on to make films or programs that have won Oscars, Emmy, BAFTA, AACTA and IF awards. They have screened at prestigious festivals worldwide including Cannes, Tribeca, Berlinale, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Tropfest.

QUT graduates have worked on films such as The Martian, Hacksaw Ridge, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Doctor Strange, Burning Man, My Mistress, Harry Potter, The Wolverine, Quantum of Solace, The Great Gatsby, Les Misérables, Batman Returns, Battleshipand Total Recall.

Television programs include True Detective, Westworld, Hoff the Record, Secrets and Lies, The Night Manager, Battlebots, Australia’s Got Talent, Big Brother, MasterChef (USA), The Voice, X-Factor, Australian Story, Go Back To Where You Came From, SLiDE, and Absolutely Fabulous, The Thick of It, and Quick Cuts for BBC London.

Music videos include those for Powderfinger, Silverchair, Washington, and many others.

There are also pathways available for professional or research postgraduate studies.