Choosing between Film BA and Television & Film Production BA at Falmouth
23 June 2025
This article was written by Film BA(Hons) student, Alex
Falmouth offers undergraduate degrees in both Film and Television & Film Production, so it can be quite confusing to understand the difference between these two courses and choose which one is right for you at first. In this article, I’ll give a breakdown of the key differences between these two courses.
For full transparency, I’m currently studying the Film BA(Hons) course, but funnily enough, I originally applied to study Television & Film Production BA(Hons). I only found out the differences between the two courses when I visited an Open Day and heard a talk from the Head of the School of Film and Television, Dr Kingsley Marshall; his explanation was what finally gave me clarity on which course to study.
Although the two degrees appear quite similar in their structure, the difference comes in the actual content and delivery - while both are split between theory and practice, and both allow you to try out a wide range of different practice options in first year, Film BA(Hons) allows you to specialise more intensively from second year.
Film BA(Hons)
The Film BA(Hons) course is structured around two modules per term - one dedicated to practical work and the other to theory. The theory module focuses on cinema and film theory in depth. Screenings in both modules consist exclusively of films, so TV shows, music videos or other media are not included (though we might watch some as example clips for certain classes).
The production part of the Film course focuses on film industry practices such as cinematography, producing, sound design, screenwriting, production design, and editing. While initially you’ll mainly work on short films, from your second year, you'll have the option of working towards your own feature screenplay,
It’s important to mention that you’ll have the opportunity to work in various forms of filmmaking, the choices in first year currently being narrative, documentary, experimental and commercial. If you're a film buff, and like to spend your time in the cinema, or dream of working in features, Film BA(Hons) is the degree for you.
Television & Film Production BA(Hons)
The Television & Film Production BA(Hons) course also works with short film but not feature films, with an emphasis on a diverse range of media including television shows, multi-cam productions, commercials, music videos, and performance-based work.
Each study block is structured around two modules, each exploring different skill sets and topics. Within each module, the workload is evenly split between practical work and theory.
Compared to the Film BA, the Television & Film Production degree offers a broader theoretical foundation as you study a variety of media rather than focusing exclusively on film theory.
In terms of practical work, the Television & Film Production course includes slightly more hands-on teaching - approximately 5–10% more than the Film BA. This difference reflects the course's approach to film, which is that it’s just one of the forms you’ll engage with as well as various media formats like television, commercials, and music videos. As a result, you'll work on a larger number of assessed projects to practice different mediums, in contrast to the Film BA, where the focus remains on longer length film projects.
How to choose which degree to study
Overall, both courses are fantastic and will set you up for a career in the industry. Your decision on which degree to study should come down to personal preference. Do you love watching, making, and studying both short and feature films? Then the Film BA(Hons) course is likely the one for you. On the other hand, if you're interested in media as a whole and want to explore a variety of mediums, the Television & Film Production BA(Hons) course is probably the one.
That said, your choice won’t limit your opportunities. Regardless of the course you choose, you will find yourself working with people from across the university. While I’m a film student, I’m constantly creating with people from other courses, this is especially true of collaborating with students on the Television & Film Production course.
As a Film student, obviously I can't know everything about the Television & Film Production course, so I asked a few friends currently studying this degree to share their thoughts. Jack, a first year Television & Film Production BA student, put it this way:
“I think the best way to summarise the difference between the two is this; Film focuses on the artistry and culture of cinema and practically applies what you study to short and feature film projects. Television & Film Production focuses on various practices that productions use for filmmaking, whilst also exploring different styles of broadcast production, including, but not limited to; documentary, wildlife, and sitcoms. There is an overlap between the two courses, and you often find yourself working with those from the other course and vice versa. To summarise: Film BA(Hons) and Television & Film Production BA(Hons) are two sides of the same coin, much as they are in the world outside of university."
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