Edinburgh Napier University

Sample of Work Guidelines

Film Exercise

You are to create a short film work, the subject of which should engage with the theme given to you in the email inviting you to submit. The interpretation of the theme is entirely up to you, and this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your filmmaking interests and story-telling skills. Please write a short statement (approx. 100 words), explaining your ideas and include this with your submission. Your film must adhere to the following guidelines:

The sequence should be a maximum of 3 minutes long, and you can choose to create a work of fiction or a factual work (please note that anything longer than 3 minutes will not be accepted).
The exercise should be an original work made by you. Where you involve the contribution of others, please clearly state your roles as well as the roles of others.
A high level of technical competence is not expected at this stage, so if you do not have access to a dedicated video camera, it is perfectly acceptable to use the most suitable equipment you have available (e.g., phone camera, tablet camera).
The film should be shot in a landscape ratio and should aim to creatively explore the use of both sound and picture.

We encourage you to consider diegetic sound (the sound from within the scene) as well as more creative sound design and the addition of musical elements, however, please do not simply add music to your whole film. You can find further information on sound here.

Written Exercise (up to 800 words)

Choose two film/high-end television practitioners that have contributed to seminal productions. They can be a screenwriter, director, producer, cinematographer, editor, sound designer or production designer. Choose a relevant scene from a film for each of the film practitioners and write up to a maximum of 400 words per practitioner, discussing their creative work.

How to submit

Please submit your work online by the given deadline, by uploading your film to Vimeo.com and including your statement in the Description section. If you are able to make your video downloadable, please do so. However, this option will only be available to those who have a paid subscription to Vimeo. If you wish to password protect your video, please send the password with your link. More information about privacy settings can be found here.

Once you have your video uploaded, please send a single email to the address given with the subject title 'Your Last Name, Your First Name, Your application number, BA (Hons) Film'. Include the following in your email:

• Your Vimeo link
• Your password (if necessary)
• Your written exercise (in PDF format, titled Surname Forename.pdf)

Note: If you are in a territory that does not allow access to Vimeo, please contact Fiona Reid for alternative submission arrangements.

We are unable to confirm receipt of work, however, if you have not heard from us within one month of the submission date, please email us.

Information prior to interview for applicants for BA (Hons) Film

Once your initial submission has been assessed, you may be invited to attend an online interview with a member of the programme team. In some cases, we may make offers without the need for an interview. The interview will last approximately fifteen minutes and is an opportunity for applicants to present other work, outline the ideas behind your work, tell us about what has influenced and inspired you, and explain how you have successfully overcome any challenges faced in making your work. We will want to find out what you learned in making your work and how you might approach things differently next time. We will also ask about why you are interested in the BA (Hons) Film course, what you hope to gain from studying this programme and if you have identified a specific career goal. Film production is a collaborative process and in addition to finding out about your interest in filmmaking, we will be finding out about your communication skills and any experience you have of working in teams. We will be interested to find out about any other cultural interests that you have across the arts, the creative industries, or any other relevant areas.The interview is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you have about the course, facilities, and anything else that you need to know.

Interviews are normally held February - April. When arranging a suitable interview time, students with a disability should inform the School Administrator of any reasonable adjustments they require at interview.