Manchester Film School

I studied here a few years ago and found the experience amazing. I walked out, into an industry job and met some amazing people. The course gives you as much as you put into it. The tutors push you as much as they can because they want what’s best for you. Don’t waste your time on Film Studies degrees as that won’t get you very far. The course is mainly practical, at a level which can as closely match an industry environment. I feel the work style represents the true industry and the Tutors do well to show you all the things to expect. Bravo!

I studied at the Manchester film school for 2 years to get a foundation degree and I had an interesting time there. As other reviews say, they have plenty of top quality equipment and industry professionals to teach you. However this is only true of certain departments. If you have an interest in camera then I would definitely suggest this course as the film school has some great equipment and there are often professionals coming in to teach you about the camera equipment. For other departments you won't be so lucky. My 2 years were focused on the art department (building sets and sourcing props) and we definitely weren't being taught "industry standard", we weren't even being taught. If you pick a smaller department such as art, post sound, costume, editing or script supervisor you will likely get one or two initial classes in the first year to teach you the basics and that will be it. If you're lucky you might get a freelancer coming in a couple times a year to help you but apart from that you're on your own. In art department there was an initial set build project to teach us the basics and we had to fight to get more lessons from freelancers and we were only working with hand tools. This, paired with the very short amount of time each project has to prepare before filming begins and it's almost impossible to make an industry standard set that looks amazing. I will say that if you are interested in camera or even lighting and sound then this course would be great, there's equipment and tutors to help you all year round. Also, if you are unsure about what department you are interested in within the film production industry this course can help as you get the chance to try out all the different departments to find one you enjoy. The course is also good for making contacts and getting experience, most of what i learnt wasn't from the course but the external film shoots I went on during my time there. Overall the course is probably better than others out there as they have the equipment and its a very hands on practical course that allows you to practise your skills. But don't expect all departments to have the same level of teaching and be prepared to fight for lessons on your chosen department.

I have studied here for 3 years, currently about to finish the course. You get to work with Industry-standard equipment supplied by camera rental houses such as Panavision and ARRI. It's fun learning about all the equipment and what it's all capable of achieving. You will get chances to meet industry professionals who visit the film school who have worked on high end productions while mastering your own craft and seeking tips and advice from them. Paid opportunities will arise to work on incredible productions outside of the film school through the contacts you make or from recommendations from tutors based on your experience and skill level. You will get to visit rental houses to learn more about the equipment you use and also the advanced gear you may not have seen/used yet. I have worked on short films, music promos, documentaries through the university, both student work and external paid work; Even managing to get paid experience from a CBBC show where I made valuable contacts. Tutors will be hard on you and will push you because they want you to succeed in your respective department. I have learnt so much crucial information and experience from this, about a department I never knew I'd come to love and appreciate so much. Great facilities and lovely staff who will help you along your journey.