You have all the information on a Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production at Griffith Film School, but you may still feel like you don’t know what being a Griffith student feels like.
We chatted to Olivia, who gave us all her thoughts on studying a Bachelor of Film and Screen Media. You’ll learn more about specific features of Griffith, what’s great about this degree, and what you need to keep in mind when enrolling.
Keep reading to know what she thinks!
Why should you study a Film degree at Griffith?
Top 3 Pros of a Film Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Film Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting Griffith Film
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying Griffith Film
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Film degree at Griffith?
“If you love film and either have little knowledge of the industry or you just want to learn more about film, this is the course for you. It is great for getting to know all the basic aspects about film and the [film] industry,” Olivia said.
This degree is also very hands-on, allowing you to explore visual, audio and editing. You’ll even get a taste of an industry-scale production!
Top 3 Pros of a Film degree
#1: Learning to use industry equipment
“The equipment is of excellent quality and of industry standard. You are able to use it from pretty much day one,” Olivia said.
As we will discuss more below, Griffith aims to give students experience with the best equipment around.
Students pay an equipment bond of $110 a year to access things like a live television floor with a 3-camera and control room. Griffith’s Soundstage Studio offers a permanent green screen and hydraulic lighting hoist.
#2: A practical degree
“Most of this degree is practical and you are able to learn how the film industry would work properly,” Olivia said.
Studying a practical-based degree means students understand how to use film technology. More importantly, though, it means you graduate with an understanding of how a set or film studio works.
You will know how to relate to other professionals, boosting your profile!
#3: Support from staff
This is a degree that recognises and rewards hard work. Students who are focused on their subjects can receive help from industry professionals, who guide them through technical skills like storyboarding and filming.
Top 3 Cons of a Film degree
#1: Limited employment opportunities
“Film is about who you know, not what you know. Therefore this degree wouldn’t work in the same sense as a doctor’s degree, where you could get a job … by having the degree in hand,” Olivia mentioned.
Film is a very competitive industry, and students must have contacts or prove themselves to find employment. Olivia admits that the degree isn’t everything.
“Having a degree helps, sure, but not in the way you might originally think,” she added.
#2: Time pressures
Such a practical degree can have its drawbacks, including the amount of time you have to spend planning, shooting and editing projects. As it is a collaborative process, you are often time managing with other people.
“Have to deal with multiple full-time projects [means] having little to no personal life in the process,” Olivia said.
#3: Working for free
“You can be used to do ‘free work’ as a student,” Olivia said.
Many of us in creative fields know this sinking feeling. Whether you’re interning or just doing a favour for a friend, free work is something that students find difficult to navigate.
This is especially true in a degree like film, where you are working to a high skill level.
Any regrets?
“I have deferred from this degree a few times, so my regret is not finishing the degree straight up,” Olivia explained.
Given this is a very practical degree, students benefit from continually working on projects, enrolling in subjects and growing a contact base. However, it’s great that this degree is flexible, with deferment plans accommodating to student needs.
What do you wish you had known before starting at Griffith Film School?
“I wish I had known that the degree wouldn’t [give] me the contacts I was looking for to get into the industry, so I could have started looking for them outside of uni,” Olivia expressed.
Though this degree offers contact with industry professionals such as lectures and tutors, it doesn’t provide many working contacts. Olivia believes that students should look for professional film projects outside of classes, so that when they finish uni, they have a good network to pull from.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
#1: Practical aspects
“This degree is more practical and hands-on than most. I know people doing the same degree at different unis… they have a lot more theory to do. They [also] don’t get to touch equipment or work with a camera unit until into their second or third year,” Olivia shared.
A Bachelor of Film and Screen Media and Griffith offers practical subjects from the first semester. Whilst completing a short film project, students learn how to use a camera and create content.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said of her first year subjects.
#2: A large cohort
Griffith Film School is the largest of its kind in Australia. This means students get to work with many different types of students and staff.
It also makes the degree more competitive, which can be great for increasing work ethic!
What inspired you to choose this degree at Griffith Film School?
Olivia said, “I was inspired to do this degree as I loved film. As I had little to no knowledge about the degree, I wanted to know more about film and what it entailed. I was very passionate about getting into the industry if I could.”
“When I was choosing what uni to go to, I chose Griffith as I truly believe it is the best uni in Queensland for film. The teachers are warm and welcoming, and they are keen to help you learn about the industry,” she elaborated.
What are the possible career paths?
Gone are the days when the film industry was merely feature length cinema flicks. Film professionals now work across many industries, including television, commercial and digital.
There is also new scope for freelance and contract work, as many major companies grow their brand through video. Students can find work with clients in a variety of different fields!
Lucinda Garbutt-Young hopes to one day be writing for a big-shot newspaper… or maybe just for a friendly magazine in the arts sector. Right now, she is enjoying studying a Bachelor of Public Communication (Public Relations and Journalism) at UTS while she writes on the side. She also loves making coffees for people in her job as a barista, and loves nothing more than a sun shower.
