2012
Media Culture and Production BA(Hons)
I come from Weymouth, so Southampton was quite local for me, but before choosing this university, I actually did a lot of research into the various media courses available at universities across the country. I liked the look of Media Culture and Production because it is broad, covering everything from radio to photography and video. In your second and third years you can specialise by choosing which specialist direction to take, e.g. radio, video, photography, online media, scriptwriting or cultural studies.
In the current job market it is essential in the media industry to have skills across a wide range of media. Increasingly, employers are looking for additional skills, so although I might be applying for a job in radio, thanks to the other units I have taken, I could, for example, also offer to develop their website or take photos for promotional materials. The variety of units covered will make graduates of the course more attractive, well-rounded candidates when applying for jobs.
When I came to an open day here at Solent it just felt right. This university has a very friendly feel to it and what really sold the course to me was an inspiring talk by the lecturer, Paul Marchbank. Solent University is relatively new but I am convinced it is an up-and-coming place and I am sure it is set to do great things.
I also figured that compared with doing a course elsewhere, there would be fewer institutions in this area teaching media courses and therefore I would have more opportunities for work experience here. This has proved to be the case as, thanks to having taken the radio unit in semester 2, I secured a regular slot on SIN Radio, jointly with other Solent students, presenting our own show, which we call 'Audiosion'. I really love the work and it is a fantastic experience to be able to include on my CV. I've also done filming work at the Southampton music venue 'the Joiners', which has taught me lots of practical skills which you couldn't pick up as easily in the classroom.
I particularly like the practical aspects of the course but obviously, there is a substantial academic basis to it, involving more theoretical units, such as Analysis of Media Culture, Cultural Revolutions, etc.
Through sound tuition from my tutor Stephen Desmond I learnt solid basics with my introduction to Final Cut Pro during my time in video class. Learning the basics has only inspired me to enhance my skills with the programme further. I thoroughly enjoyed my first semester in video production with Steve and look forward to the next, excited about what Final Cut Pro has yet to provide me in a tool to create quality video content. Final Cut Pro gave me the creative flexibility to make my short documentary 'Martial Arts Tricking' which you can view below.
I would particularly recommend this course to anyone who, like me, is really into everything relating to media but hasn't yet decided which area to specialise in. This course gives you a chance to try everything out.
Martial Arts Tricking Video