Directing and Producing Science and Natural History

Scholarships Available

2 Years Full-time

Main Campus In person

Application deadline 7 Nov 2024

Apply now for Beaconsfield

Directing and Producing Science and Natural History

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.

In partnership with BBC Studios

Man with camera in Kenya

“Shooting at Knepp Wilding was life changing! It was my first time taking a long lens into the field, and I’m tutored by a fantastic range of industry experts.”

Daniel Green
2024 Graduate

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.

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

Showcase

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NFTS Science and Natural History Promo

Find out more about our renowned Directing and Producing Science and Natural History MA from our students.

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Burnt Country (trailer)
2024 graduation film

Director/Producer/Camera/Sound - Kirsten Slemint

Burnt Country is a finalist at the 2024 Student Academy Awards

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Mail Order Queens (trailer)
2024 graduation film

Director/Producer/Camera - Luke Purdye

Mail Order Queens is a finalist at the 2024 Student Academy Awards




 

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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.

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The Halcyon Days (trailer)
2023 graduation film

Director/Producer - Robin Fisher

Robin's film won Best Newcomer at GREEN SCREEN International Wildlife Festival, one of the largest nature documentary festivals in Europe. It also won Best Short at Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Filming the Impossible: The Art of Science and Natural History

Learn about the 'impossible seven' of science and natural history filmmaking in this talk by Peter Leonard, Head of Directing and Producing Science and Natural History, delivered as part of the Royal Television Society (RTS) Future Careers Fair 2024.

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

BBC Countryfile logo

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.

WildSpace Productions logo

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.

Silverback Films logo

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.

Plimsoll Productions logo