Digital Media Production and Marketing

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Brand Management

  You’ll progress your existing marketing and business knowledge into the sphere of product branding (both physical goods, services and business to business). You’ll look at contemporary brand literature, both academic and professional, building your understanding of the brand knowledge that underpins the core themes you will cover. You will investigate the function of brand management within the various stages of the brand positioning process such as 

  • brand analysis
  • strategy development 
  • and implementation.

• Real World Production

  You’ll look at issues and meet creative challenges that are involved in working with clients and also respond to real-life briefs. The briefs will combine a mixture of technical and creative problems to be addressed and you’ll work in production teams. Together you’ll develop solutions and approaches for the client using methodologies and approaches specific to your path of study.

  You’ll develop skills of concept artwork, art direction and scriptwriting, drawing on learning from previous modules. You’ll work in collaboration and you’ll evidence your workflows and prototypes developed specifically to realise the brief and agreed production outcomes using the technical skills and knowledge that you’ve all built in previous modules

• Social Media and Influencer Marketing

  Get to grips with social media marketing, how and why it has become one of the most important tools used by businesses to find and engage with customers and the increasingly key role that Influencer Marketing plays. Through both a strategic and practical approach you will build a Social Media and Influencer Marketing Plan for a real business; gaining an understanding of the changing face of Social Media and Influencer Marketing, how to choose and find influencers and how to use them to improve customer engagement and ultimately drive sales.

Optional modules

• Creative Digital Marketing

  This is your introduction to the concept of creativity and its role within a digital marketing context.  You will explore creativity in general terms and how it manifests within digital marketing practice. And you will have the opportunity to develop your own creative skills in relation to identifying marketing problems / opportunities and developing customer centred solutions. 

• Festivals, Cinemas and Streaming

  Explore the dynamic shifts in how movies reach audiences, both in public spaces and private settings. In today's digital era, film distribution, the key profit driver, faces challenges from piracy and on-demand streaming, disrupting the industry.

  Film festivals play a crucial role as a marketplace where independent producers sell and distributors buy films. Beyond commerce, festivals nurture interest in films and cater to specific fan cultures, like horror enthusiasts. The exhibition sector spans various cinemas, from multiplexes to independents, incorporating innovations like event cinema, pop-up screens, and immersive experiences. You’ll look into the intricate process of how films connect with their viewers, and you’ll hear from guest speakers from festivals, distribution, and exhibition sectors. Building your knowledge of the evolving landscape of film consumption and further developing your understanding of audiences.

• Contemporary Marketing Communications

  The communications environment is rapidly changing and you’ll look at contemporary approaches to integrated marketing communications in a wide range of contexts. You’ll also be introduced to Digital asset management as a concept for curation of digital artefacts and assets in the context of marketing communications, building your understanding of marketing communicative methods.

• Digital Consumer Behaviour

  You’ll develop your skills to identify and evaluate the latest developments in digital consumer behaviour, including emerging consumer behaviour trends across different consumption contexts. You’ll progress your application of appropriate research methods and tools to collect your findings.

• Stars and Audiences

  The use of stars is central to the view of film as mass entertainment and their appearances and their effect on the medium sometimes bring it slightly closer to art. A star is a performer with a particular mystique, a specific persona, who somehow engages with audiences in specific ways. Their qualities appear to be natural, but they are actually manufactured and marketed, and often depend more on the surrounding culture than on any personal features of individuals. Stars change with time as dreams and expectations of audiences change. 
  
  Looking at film stars is a way of looking at film reception. You’ll examine star careers and their significance to film audiences. Also you’ll  also focus on how stars epitomise certain aspects of movies and represent genres.
  
  Specific examples of study will include 

  • Bette Davis
  • Jane Fonda
  • Judy Garland
  • James Dean
  • Clark Gable
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Tom Cruise
  • Ryan Gosling or George Clooney.

• Visual and Special Effects

  Learn how to plan and design visual and special effects for film, TV, immersive technologies and live event production. You’ll study the development of effects from early practical effects through to the latest virtual cinematography techniques.

  You’ll experiment with traditional practical effects, motion capture and CGI to create and develop visual and special effects. Developing your knowledge of which approach and materials are the most appropriate to deliver the desired outcome. Also you’ll build your collaboration skills by working with fellow students to ensure the safe, accurate and effective execution of the desired effect.

• Creating Soundtracks

  This creative module will help you build on your skills gained on Curating Soundtracks and it will enable you to investigate the process of composition for 

  • television
  • film
  • advertising media
  • mobile apps 
  • and computer games 

  by composing for a variety of instrumental, electronic and vocal resources. Composition for visual media forms an important role in today’s music industry. You will be able to work to a written brief, develop creative strategies and learn to use recording, editing and composition software along with the music studio as a song writing, compositional and notational tool.

Year 3 (Optional Career Development Year)

Optional modules

• Career Development Year

  The aim of this module is to develop the professional profile and professional confidence of a student through experiential learning opportunities and engagement with external organisations by undergoing work placements, internships and industry experiences. It aims to enable students to manage their own learning and self-direction through identifying opportunities that align to their disciplinary ambitions, situating their practice in a professional context.

Year 4 (or year 3 if no placement)

Compulsory modules

• Creative Communication Management

  You will practise marketing problem-solving using marketing communications throughout this module. Your taught input and practical exercises will help you develop a holistic view of marketing communications campaigns, their role and how they are developed, managed and evaluated in a variety of organisational and social contexts, cultures and communities. 

  You’ll build on your knowledge of marketing communications tools, ability to conduct independent research into a variety of markets and sectors. You will further develop and hone your knowledge and skills, which will be utilised throughout this module in a way that prepares you to be effective within a marketing communications-focused area.

• Creative Industries

  Develop your strategies and skills, preparing for a career in the vibrant realm of the ""creative industries."" What does that include? Think media journalism, film festivals, education, media distribution and publicity, heritage industries, and even academic and research-based positions.

  This isn't just about learning; it's about preparing you for the dynamic landscapes of various creative fields. Whether you envision yourself in journalism, organising film festivals, shaping education, or delving into research, we’re here to offer you support to achieve your aim.

• Critical Issues in Digital Marketing

  Look at the emerging digital environment and future trends, which will help you to develop a critical understanding of the research and practice trajectory of digital marketing. You’ll progress your critical understanding of how consumers engage with brands online and the ethical dilemmas that may require critical consideration with the further adoption of future digital developments.

Optional modules

• Please choose a maximum 60 credits from the modules below:

• Future Marketing Trends (15 credits)

  Today’s professionals in the field of marketing management, like many other fields, deal with major changes and challenges which are driven by emerging technologies, economic changes, climate change and other social challenges. This requires marketing management professionals to develop an agile mindset and required skills. 

  This module will help you understand, critically evaluate, and appreciate future marketing trends and how to respond to them using suitable methods and tools. You’ll also progress your appreciation of

  • diversity
  • inclusivity
  • ethics
  • sustainability 
  • and responsible marketing within different future marketing contexts. 

• Immersive Practice (15 credits)

  Embark on a journey into immersive practices with this module. We're diving into how immersive techniques reshape the connections between practitioners, audiences, and artefacts. Get ready to explore the impact of co-creation, participatory practices, interactive storytelling, and user agency in crafting immersive experiences for diverse audiences.

  You'll delve into the emotional and psychological dimensions of immersive work, unravelling the ethical considerations of creating a ""sense of presence"" and crafting experiences that transport the audience into virtual worlds. Are you ready to redefine the boundaries of immersive storytelling?

• Experiential Marketing (15 credits)

  This is your introduction to Experiential Marketing and how it combines digital platforms, new technologies and Artificial Intelligence to engage with its customers in unique, emotional, and immersive ways across both physical and digital (hybrid) settings. 

  You’ll explore how Experiential Marketing has evolved from the product and service focus of the traditional marketing mix to the point where customers and businesses are co-creating new products and immersive experiences. You will examine the effectiveness of Experiential Marketing in real businesses and in doing so, apply theory to practice.

• Marketing Strategy and Innovation (30 credits)

  On this module, you’ll have the opportunity to develop, evaluate and implement both traditional and contemporary marketing strategy theories in as realistic a situation as possible. In parallel with lectures, you will be involved in workshop format sessions that will further consolidate and deepen your understanding of strategic marketing theory and concepts. In your workshops, a marketing strategy simulation game will run throughout the semester. Within the simulation, you will work in teams running brands that are competing with each other. This will help you to shape and implement strategic marketing plans with an innovative solution-oriented mindset within the context of a competitive environment.

• Global Marketing Management (15 credits)

  Build upon your marketing knowledge and apply it within an international context. Brands operating in international markets need to be mindful of the various challenges posed by an ever changing and dynamic global market. You’ll proactively understand these global market dynamics that help brands establish a sustainable competitive advantage. You’ll also look to develop understanding of various ethical and sustainable issues in a global context and respect cultural differences in different markets.

• Or choose to undertake a capstone project with the module combination:

• Critical Study

  Throughout your course, you've honed your critical, contextual, and self-evaluative abilities. This module offers a supportive and structured environment to craft an extended critical study. It’s your opportunity to delve deep into a subject that sparks your intellectual curiosity. You'll sharpen your analytical prowess, broaden your contextual understanding, and enhance your ability to evaluate your own work. You’ll act as a researcher, a critical thinker, and a creator of meaningful insights.

• Preparation for Final Production Portfolio

  Kickstart your journey towards the final production portfolio in semester 2! Here's what you’ll do on this module:

  You, with guidance from your tutors, will dive into detailed planning for your upcoming production portfolio. This is your time to initiate, research, and negotiate ideas for your project work. Think of it as laying the groundwork for what's to come. Once the plans are set, you'll form production teams, gearing up for the exciting transition into production when the Final Production Portfolio module kicks off. Get ready to turn your ideas into reality.

• Final Production portfolio

  You're about to enter into an intense, self-directed production period. What does that mean for you? It's time to bring to life those projects you meticulously pre-produced in preparation for your Final Production Portfolio.

  You'll be completing, delivering, and screening portfolios of your work. It's not just about showcasing your technical prowess; it's about demonstrating the professionalism, innovative thinking, and mature team-working skills you've mastered throughout your studies. This is your chance to shine, and we're here to help you make it happen.