Portfolio and Interviews: Completing Your Postgraduate Application
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
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Introduction This guide will provide all of the information you need for your application to study a postgraduate award at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries. You can read all about the academic entry requirements for each of our courses, on our website www.glam.ac.uk/cci Applicants to the majority of our postgraduate courses are also required to take part in an interview, and this guide is designed to help you with this stage of your application. Interviews can either be face-to-face, or by Skype / telephone if you are unable to visit our campus, and the interview process can be different depending on which course you have chosen to apply.
What will the tutor be expecting at interview? Our tutors use the interview process to decide if you are suitable to take part in your chosen course. All of our tutors look for genuine interest and enthusiasm in their subject at interview, but their exact requirements can be very different depending on which subject you have chosen to study. Our tutors will look for genuine interest and enthusiasm from you for your subject area during the interview, but their exact requirements can be very different depending on which subject you have chosen to study That is why we have divided this guide into different subject areas that explain exactly what tutors from each course will expect from you at interview. While it may seem a daunting process, the interview is a good opportunity for you to present yourself in the best way. It is not always possible to say everything you want to on an application form, particularly for practical creative courses. Taking part in an interview and where relevant preparing a portfolio can provide you with an opportunity to shine. The interview also gives you a chance to ask extra questions and to make sure that the course you have applied for is right for you – it is a two-way process. Where courses require a portfolio or examples of work to be provided as part of the application process, the content can be brought to interview for discussion. Alternatively, if you are conducting the interview by Skype or telephone, you can send us these in advance, either by email or sending us a link to a file sharing website such as Dropbox.
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
Drama n MA Drama
You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you live overseas, or are unable to visit our campus. The interview will last for between 20 and 30 minutes. You should prepare some thoughts about what interests you about your chosen course and about your experiences in drama, both practical and academic. You should also prepare some thoughts as to what you feel that the MA in Drama can do for you in your future career. For example, do you want to develop further as an artist? Do you want to pursue an academic career etc.? n MA Scriptwriting Applicants are asked to provide two examples of their own writing, to be submitted at the same time as the course application, these should be an example of both creative writing and also critical writing. The creative writing should typically be a short script or an extract of a longer piece (either for film, TV, radio or theatre) that you have created, while the critical writing should be in the format of an essay or review. The next stage of the process will consist of an interview, which can either take place faceto-face, or via telephone or Skype if you live overseas or are unable to attend. Interviews last approximately 20 minutes and will take the form of a guided discussion by the course leader.
Students participate in a Drama production at the ATRiuM Campus
Completing Your Postgraduate Application
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Media n MA Film Producing You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are resident overseas or unable to visit our campus. The interview will last between 20 and 30 minutes. Applicants should have a real enthusiasm for the cinema. You must be interested in telling stories and have a willingness to collaborate with others to realise those stories in the form of feature films. Evidence of this should be included in your application. It is important that you are hard-working; able to meet deadlines and that you have a good command of English and can communicate well with others. Leadership and organisational qualities are also important. Due to the specialist nature of this course, you will be required to provide evidence from a film that you have already produced either for personal interest or through working in the industry, in order to demonstrate a working knowledge of the production process from script to screen. n MA Journalism During the interview, we will be looking for evidence of a genuine and informed interest in journalism and current affairs. We would like to talk to you about relevant practical experience of journalism, for example, on student publications, university or hospital radio or placements with professional media. We would also like to see a few examples of any journalistic work you may have produced, whether it is in print, online, audio or video. We will also be interested in your views on how social media are affecting the practice and consumption of journalism. n MA Journalism (International) During the interview, we will be looking for evidence of a genuine and informed interest in journalism and current affairs. In particular, we would like to talk about journalism in your country: What are the pressures facing journalists there? How are the media regulated? What are the professional and ethical standards of journalists working in your country? We would also like to talk to you about relevant practical experience of journalism, for example, on student publications, university or hospital radio or placements with professional media. We would also like to see examples of any journalistic work you may have produced, whether it is in print, online, audio or video. As an international applicant, we will also be making an assessment of your English language ability.
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
n MA Radio During the interview we will be looking for evidence of a genuine and informed interest in radio and in a range of programming, particularly speech-based. We would like you to share any relevant practical experience of radio, for example, on student or hospital radio, or placements with professional media. In addition, we would welcome examples of radio work that you may have undertaken, or any relevant media work experience, whether it is in print, online, audio or video. We will also be interested in your views on how social media and the web are affecting radio producers and listeners.
Communication Design n MA Graphic Communication You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. The interview will last for between 20 and 30 minutes. Applicants should submit a portfolio in addition to completing the application form, which will form part of the discussion and should feature: -
A selection of work highlighting your ability to draw and idea generate to a level where design concepts can be developed to a finished state;
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A range of typography based projects showing a keen understanding of type and its importance in the design arena;
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Examples of projects that display a problem solving, creative approach to a given brief;
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Examples of photography and image creation/manipulation;
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Evidence of an understanding of basic web/screen based applications using computer software as a tool;
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Analytical and contextual research skills applied to project work and live briefs showing the integration of research into practice-based solutions;
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Sketchbooks/scrapbooks showing evidence of creative conceptual thought processes;
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Personal/professional/freelance design project examples.
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
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Animation and Visual Effects All applicants for our postgraduate Animation and Visual Effects courses will be required to take part in a portfolio-based interview, which should include a show reel of recent work. The portfolio can either brought to interview for discussion, or if you are conducting the interview by Skype or telephone, you can send these to us in advance, either by email or sending us a link to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. n MA Animation When preparing your portfolio for application it is important to demonstrate a selection of current specialisms from previous studies or from your professional experience. This could include short films, animated sequences, visual effects shots or motion graphics. These should ideally demonstrate not only the finished product but, also, a series of breakdowns or test footage, highlighting the development process of the finished product. Portfolios should include examples of sketchbook/scrapbooks showing evidence of creative conceptual thought processes, analytical and conceptual research skills applied to project work and also live briefs showing the integration of research into practice based solutions. An understanding of the animation industry, both geographically and hierarchically is also desirable, and will help successful applicants to fully emerge themselves in industry practice throughout their studies. n MA Computer Animation When preparing your portfolio for application it is important to demonstrate a selection of current specialisms from previous studies or from your professional experience. This could include short films, animated sequences, visual effects shots or motion graphics. These should ideally demonstrate not only the finished product but, also, a series of breakdowns or test footage, highlighting the development process of the finished product. Portfolios should include examples of sketchbook/scrapbooks showing evidence of creative conceptual thought processes, analytical and conceptual research skills applied to project work and also live briefs showing the integration of research into practice based solutions. An understanding of the computer generated animation and visual effects industries, both geographically and hierarchically is also desirable, and will help successful applicants to fully emerge themselves in industry practice throughout their studies.
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
n MA Visual Effects When preparing your portfolio for application it is important to demonstrate a selection of current specialisms from previous studies or from your professional experience. This could include short films, animated sequences, visual effects shots or motion graphics. These should ideally demonstrate not only the finished product but, also, a series of breakdowns or test footage, highlighting the development process of the finished product. As an aspiring visual effects artist, you should be mindful of the fact that we are trying to convince the viewer of the realism of your work, and to blur the boundaries between reality and visual effects, leaving the audience questioning how we managed to achieved this. At portfolio stage we are interested in this quizzical response, so it is of utmost importance that you collate your work with this in mind. Portfolios should include examples of sketchbook/scrapbooks showing evidence of creative conceptual thought processes, analytical and conceptual research skills applied to project work and also live briefs showing the integration of research into practice based solutions. An understanding of the visual effects industry, both geographically and hierarchically is also desirable, and will help successful applicants to fully immerse themselves in industry practice throughout their studies.
Award winning MA Animation project by Toke Jepson, Sam Wright and Leon Dexter
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Completing Your Postgraduate Application
A student uses the state-of-the-art postgraduate editing suite at the ATRiuM campus
Music n MSc Music Engineering and Production Applicants must provide supporting materials before applications can be fully considered, or any offers made. These materials could include any recordings, performances, compositions, radio, TV, film, etc., which demonstrate your production abilities and can be submitted by either including a link to a file sharing website such as Dropbox or providing a URL for a host website. Whilst there are no interviews as standard for this course, we may occasionally conduct a telephone or Skype discussion should further clarification around elements of an application be required.
Any Questions? If you have any queries about your Interview Day, contact the Enquiries and Admissions Unit for further information on 08455 76 77 78.
UK tel: 08455 76 77 78 Overseas tel: +44 (0)1443 654 450 University of South Wales, Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries Adam Street, Cardiff, CF24 2FN, UK For further information through the medium of Welsh, please visit www.southwales.ac.uk/cymraeg. Am wybodaeth bellach drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, ymwela 창 www.southwales.ac.uk/cymraeg. The information contained in this brochure is correct at the time of print. The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No. 1140312