Accessibility statement

Business for Screen (BCI) - TFT00031C

« Back to module search

  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Nathan Townsend
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

This module will introduce you to the key business models, and industrial conditions, which surround the production of creative content for the screen: the funding, distribution and marketing of movies; the commissioning and scheduling of TV programmes, the investment systems that fund game development and distribution. It will focus on how projects raise money - commercial and public - and how they make money, or deliver on their investment. This will be a cutting-edge module which considers the latest developments - streaming and online distribution, for example - alongside the established models whereby the screen industries develop and deliver their projects to audiences.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

This module aims to:

  • Acquaint you with the core business models that drive the financing and production of screen content: cinema, TV, interactive media.
  • Acquaint you with the impact audiences and markets have on investment in screen content
  • Explore the key business workflows that take creative projects through from conception to production and beyond.
  • Explore the differences between public and private investment, and content creation, models
  • Explore where traditional models persist and where new developments - streaming, online for example - are changing some of the terms of screen business

Module learning outcomes

At the end of this module, you will be:

  • Familiar with the key business models, and industrial workflows, that drive development, production and distribution in the screen creative industries: cinema, TV and interactive media.
  • Familiar with some of the ways in which different forms of finance - public and commercial - as well as markets and audiences affect screen content production.
  • Able to critically analyse how screen projects have been designed from a business and financial perspective with a view to designing business strategies for your own projects.
  • Able to respond to new business conditions - for example, streaming and online distribution - in critically evaluating and adapting business strategies.

Module content

This module will focus, in part, on key case-studies. You will be expected to work on researching case studies, in teams, for some of your module seminars.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Critical and Contextual Essay 2000 words		 N/A 70
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Researched case studies		 N/A 30

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

There are no formative assessments on this module.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Critical and Contextual Essay		 N/A 70
Essay/coursework
Presentation script : Researched case studies		 N/A 30

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times. Formative feedback will be delivered at each seminar.

Indicative reading

David Hesmondhalgh,The Cultural Industries (London: Sage, 2019)

Jeff Ulin, The Business of Media Distribution : Monetizing Film, TV, and Video Content in an Online World (New York: Routledge, 2019)

Aphra Kerr, Global Games: Production, Circulation and Policy in the Networked Era (London: Routledge, 2017)

Michael D. Smith and Rahul Telang, Streaming, Sharing Stealing: Big Data and the Future of Entertainment (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2016)

David Lee, Independent Television Production in the UK (London: Palgrave, 2018)


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.