Programme overview
The Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Screen Arts), is an in-depth programme of study where you will engage in a combination of creative, academic and practice-based courses designed to equip you with skills and qualities that will enable you to work in Aotearoa’s screen sector.
It is the only undergraduate degree in NZ that offers a full ‘script-to-screen' experience
We work in an environment that is framed in Mātauranga Māori and the in the values embedded in our Te Noho Kotahitanga partnership. The whanaungatanga we embrace with other disciplines is woven throughout the school via shared noho marae and other whanau events. Partnering with Māori practitioners (Writers, Directors, etc ) strengthens this foundation for staff and students in our mahi. We are very fortunate to have the beautiful Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae and Maia centre onsite at Unitec, to provide us valued support in our practice
In Year One, you will learn about the filmmaking process and industry as a whole, the relationship between specialist skills, creative and critical thinking, and storytelling. From Year Two, you will start to specialise, gaining knowledge in a particular area of the industry.
Specialisation Options:
- Camera and field sound: includes cinematography, camera assisting, lighting and grip, new media technologies, sound recording and colour grading
- Post-production: includes editing and post-production sound
- Production: includes production management, assistant directing, location management and scouting
- Screenwriting: includes screenwriting craft, writing for different mediums (short film, feature film, TV series, etc.), and best professional practices for working writers (pitching, proposal documents, working with producers)
Highlights
- Participate in hands on learning through film, television and small screen projects designed to emulate the real world
- Experience different crew models, such as working in small, tight teams, as well as in full industrial crews, as you would on a television or film set
- The real world of performing and screen arts: work collaboratively with acting, art department and costume students to gain practical, on set experience when working in the studio and on location
- Small class sizes in specialist areas allow for lecturers to mentor students
- Students interested in directing can take a mixture of lectures, screenings and workshops
- Specialist programmes designed to develop the necessary skills to succeed in the screen industry.
Programme Structure
Year One is structured around building a foundation, with a focus on core skills in directing, production, camera, sound, lighting, editing, and scriptwriting. Throughout the year, you will gain an overview of the entire filmmaking process, which will help you choose the specialisation you would like to focus on in Year Two. You will engage in assignments that require creative and critical thinking, and you will perform a crew role on a studio shoot under the guidance of a professional director. Year One is about discovering who you are as a screen practitioner and beginning to think about the area you would like to specialise in your career.
Year Two is when you deepen your knowledge and practice within a screen discipline of your choice. Within your specialist field, you will work on a variety of projects, including a student-directed studio shoot. Year Two will also be your first opportunity to shoot on location. Writing students will write short film scripts, which will then be directed by Directing students, crewed by students from Production and Camera / Sound, and edited by students who choose Editing as their specialisation. Year Two is when you begin to develop focused abilities within a specific area of film and television.
Year Three puts all learning into practice, with a range of master classes and projects, including short films, web-series, and more. Year three is the time that students really hone their skills as filmmakers and collaborators and engage in concentrated opportunities for industry training and professional practice. You will be armed with a range of skills, industry practices and relationships that will set you up to transition from your training to the wider world of the film industry.
Industry Connections
- New Zealand Film Commission
- NZ On Air
- Film Auckland
- Film New Zealand
- Documentary NZ Trust
- Story Edge
- Transmedia New Zealand
- Ngā Aho Whakaari
- PIFT (Pacific Islanders in Film & Television)
- Asia New Zealand Film Foundation
- SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association)
- New Zealand Advertising Producers Guild
- WIFT (Women in Film and Television)
- New Zealand Writers Guild
- Screen Directors Guild
- Entertainment Technology NZ
- New Zealand Game Developers Association
- New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild
- New Zealand Cinematographers Society
- Screen Education Alliance New Zealand
- Creative Digital Content New Zealand
Interview
Programme Structure
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 | PASA5303 Screen Technologies and Techniques Class number(s): 1778 30 credits | PASA6303 Screen Technology Collaboration Class number(s): 1790 30 credits | PASA7301 Contemporary International Cinema Class number(s): 1799 15 credits |
| Course 2 | PASA5902 Professional Development 1 Class number(s): 1779, 1780 or 1781 15 credits | PASA6903 Contextual Studies 2 Class number(s): 1792, 1793 or 1913 15 credits | Elective Level 7 30 credits |
| Course 3 | PASA5961 History of Cinema Class number(s): 1784 15 credits | Elective Level 5, 6 or 7 15 credits | Elective Level 5, 6 or 7 15 credits |
| Course 4 | PASA5302 Film and Television 1B Class number(s): 5840 30 credits | PASA6304 New Zealand Cinema Class number(s): 5848 15 credits | PASA7304 Screen Projects Class number(s): 5857 45 credits |
| Course 5 | PASA5312 Screen Basics 1B Class number(s): 5841 15 credits | PASA6902 Professional Development 2 Class number(s): 5853, 5854 or 5999 15 credits | PASA7902 Professional Development 3 Class number(s): 5858 or 5859 15 credits |
| Course 6 | PASA5903 Contextual Studies 1 Class number(s): 5842, 5844 or 5843 15 credits | Elective Level 6 30 credits | |
Admission requirements
What you will need to study this programme.
Domestic students
International students
Academic requirements
As a part of this requirement, you must be at least 16 years of age and meet one of the country-specific admission requirement;
And meet English entry requirements;
If English is not your first language, you will also need at least one of the following qualifications:
- Evidence of an IELTS (Academic) band score of at least 6 with no band score lower than 5.5
- University Entrance Literacy: 8 credits at Level 2 or above in English or Māori (4 in Reading, 4 in Writing); or
- Evidence of English language proficiency as outlined in the NZQA Rules on the Unitec English Language Requirements for International Students Web-page.
Don’t meet these Academic requirements?
- If you don’t meet the academic criteria, our Bridging Education Programmes can help you qualify. Simply apply online, and we’ll discuss your next steps.
- If you don’t meet the above criteria, special or discretionary admission may apply; your eligibility will be determined at the interview.
Non-academic requirements
- Complete a medical declaration form.
- Interviews, submissions, and/or auditions will be required - we'll notify you of what is required.
For more information, download the programme regulations (PDF 731 KB)
Courses and timetables
For more details on the courses, please click on the course names below. Please note that our systems are updating with new course timetable information for 2025; please check back again soon.
| Courses | Credits | Aim |
|---|---|---|
| Film & Television 1B (PASA5302) | 30 credits (0.25 EFTS) | To enable students to acquire a wide range of basic skills, knowledge and practices in the development, production and technologies of screen works. The course focuses on developing professional self-management approaches for production work through practice in a specialist role as well as developing the student’s ability to identify personal areas of their own creative development. |
| Screen Technologies and Techniques (PASA5303) | 30.0 credits (0.25 EFTS) | To enable students to gain a practice-based understanding of fundamental methods, procedures, techniques, concepts, and a range of technical skills associated with screen production and technologies. |
| Screen Basics 1B (PASA5312) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | To enable students to employ fundamental theories, concepts and techniques in practice-based settings to develop their creativity and artistic growth through experiential exploration of film and television technologies and processes. This course continues to work collaboratively across a range of discipline areas and focusses on establishing habits and methodologies appropriate to the profession. |
| Professional Development 1 (PASA5902) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | To introduce students to the basic professional practices associated with the performing and screen arts industries and their own professional development. This course focuses on building capability for students in self-management, communication and presentation, as well as academic literacies such as text analysis and academic writing. |
| Contextual Studies 1 (PASA5903) | 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) | Students will develop a broad understanding of the history, contexts, language and relevant theoretical frameworks of performing arts and screen arts. Students will acquire skills in critical and analytical literacy through engaging in research and project work focused on performing and screen arts practices in Aotearoa and beyond. |
| History of Cinema (PASA5961) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | To enable students to examine and reflect upon the historical development of cinematic languages and theories in an interactive multi-disciplinary learning environment. This course focuses on placing selected movements and developments of production and performance in the context of the student?s specialist discipline. There is a focus on experiencing festival and world cinema through field trips and site visits. |
