COURSE OVERVIEW
Designed to give you all you need to work professionally in this exciting industry.
Could you make the next Life on Our Planet, The Surgeon’s Cut or A Year on Planet Earth? This one-of-a-kind MA course aims to give you the skills and expertise needed to direct science and wildlife productions; the know-how to produce and direct entire shows and the ability, confidence and knowledge to generate and pitch ideas to commissioners.
Content Tabs
The course includes masterclasses from Industry experts (including the world-renowned BBC Natural History Unit) and work experience at major wildlife and science production companies. You’ll make your own films, with all production costs met by the school, and on graduating, you’ll have the opportunity to build a brilliant list of industry contacts and relevant skills for a career as a Producer/Director.
With a passion for science and the natural world alongside a love of storytelling, you can adapt and further your knowledge at the NFTS, learning what you need to become a filmmaker at an exciting time in this industry, documenting how we interact with the world and helping to bring together the stories that need to be told.
COURSE FACILITIES
As a NFTS student, you will be given full access to the largest production facilities you’ll find at a film school in the UK, including top-of-the-range cameras and lenses, sound recording equipment and the latest editing software.
This course gives you the skills to confidently direct science and natural history productions, the know-how to produce entire shows, and the ability to generate new programme ideas and formats. You’ll gain a practical working knowledge of current television production methods and insight into how the business works, as well as being on top of current trends.
We put a strong emphasis on professional practice. This means that student projects will be expected to measure up to scientific scrutiny, as well as exhibition and broadcast standards.
You will carry out assignments in the specialist skills of long-lens, time-lapse and macro-photography. In the 1st year, you will not only produce and direct, but also shoot and edit a 10-minute film. In the 2nd year, your 20-25 minute graduation film is made in collaboration with NFTS student editors, composers and sound designers.
As part of the course, you will be exposed to the development and production challenges of specialist factual genres from Blue Chip natural history and landmark science series to children’s, people and nature, live, expedition films, magazine formats and observational documentary. In addition, there will be a focus on promoting cross-genre ideas to foster creativity.
You must be able to demonstrate your passion and commitment to developing a career in television, and may already have some experience of television production.
Typically, applicants will have a proven interest in science and natural history, which may involve a background in Physics, Chemistry, combined Natural Sciences, Zoology, Biology, Psychology, Wildlife Photography or film making.
While many applicants will have a degree from a British or overseas university, we will consider applicants who do not have a degree if they have an impressive portfolio, a creative track record or an alternative qualification.
International students Visa and English language requirements
If you have any questions, please email info@nfts.co.uk
The following item(s) should accompany your online application:
- A short proposal for a science or natural history television programme (one side of A4)
- Optional: A digital portfolio containing samples of your work specifying your exact role in each.
This work does not need to be in the science and natural history area, as some applicants may not have a film or other programme-making background.
Funding Available
The NFTS awards more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK. If you’re successful at gaining a place on the course, you will be contacted by our funding team with details on how to apply for one of these scholarships.
Tutors
Student Showcase
Directing and Producing Science and Natural History Showreel
Students typically shoot their own films but also collaborate with composers, editors and sound designers to bring their graduation films to life. These films are often recognised at international film festivals and become multi-award winning including Jackson Wild Media Awards.
The Halcyon Days (trailer)
2023 graduation film
Director/Producer - Robin Fisher
A poetic natural history film about the life of kingfishers, based in a Greek myth of tragedy.
Outsiders (trailer)
2022 graduation film
Director/Producer/Camera - Jehan Jeffrie
Outsiders was selected as an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Jackson Wild Media Awards. This is an honour for entries that did not move forward as category finalists, but were chosen the jury as worthy of recognition for some special aspect outside of their current categories.
Sagebrush Gold (trailer)
2022 graduation film
Director/Producer/Camera/Sound - Marcus Widger
Sagebrush Gold was the winner of the Newcomer Award at the NaturVision Film Festival.
The Caretakers (trailer)
2021 graduation film
Director/Producer/Camera - Tom Hanner
The Caretakers won the Best Short Film Award at the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam and was nominated for the Student Award at the Jackson Wild Media Awards in 2021.
Graduate Success
Directing and Producing Science and Natural History graduates are highly sought after, and go on to work at leading television companies soon after graduating.
Recent graduates include...
Joe Davies
Researcher at BBC Countryfile
Graduate Success
Directing and Producing Science and Natural History graduates are highly sought after, and go on to work at leading television companies soon after graduating.
Recent graduates include...
Zoe Cousins
Researcher at WildSpace Productions
WildSpace Productions are a wildlife TV and film production company, producing content developed by Freeborne Media exclusively for Netflix.
Graduate Success
Directing and Producing Science and Natural History graduates are highly sought after, and go on to work at leading television companies soon after graduating.
Recent graduates include...
Alex Wickens
Researcher at Silverback Films
Silverback Films specialise in the production of high quality wildlife productions, for both television and cinema.
Graduate Success
Directing and Producing Science and Natural History graduates are highly sought after, and go on to work at leading television companies soon after graduating.
Recent graduates include...
Katherine Hannaford
Self-Shooting Researcher at Plimsoll Productions
Plimsoll Productions are an award-winning production company creating factual and natural history shows.
