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Bachelor of Film

LOOK THROUGH THE LENS TO SEE YOUR FUTURE IN FILM
Film set. SAE Melbourne
Available at
Adelaide, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Fees
FEE Help available
Bachelor of Film
Domestic Fees

Units x Costs ($AUD)
4 x $3,807
6 x $2,728
4 x $5,456
2 x $8,184

Indicative Annual Course Fees*
(based on 1.0 EFTSL)
$26,140 AUD Year 1
$21,824 AUD Year 2
$21,824 AUD Year 3
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

Indicative Total Course Fees*
(based on 3.0 EFTSL)
$69,788 AUD
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

* The Indicative Total Course Fee & Indicative Annual Course Fees reflects that students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.

For more information view the SAE Fee Schedule or visit the Fee & Payment page.

FEE-HELP Available
Bachelor of Film
International Fees

Units x Costs ($AUD)
4 x $4,439
6 x $3,178
4 x $6,356
2 x $9,534

Indicative Annual Course Fees*
(based on 1.0 EFTSL)
$30,468 AUD Year 1
$25,424 AUD Year 2
$25,424 AUD Year 3
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

Indicative Total Course Fees*
(based on 3.0 EFTSL)
$81,316 AUD
Plus Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

* The Indicative Total Course Fee & Indicative Annual Course Fees reflects that students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.

For more information view the SAE Fee Schedule or visit the Fee & Payment page.

Duration(s)
6 Trimesters Full Time (Fast Track)

Complete your course faster by studying units across 2 years (6 trimesters).

Bachelor of Film
Course Durations
6 Trimesters Full Time (Fast Track)

Complete your course faster by studying units across 2 years (6 trimesters).

8 Trimesters Full Time

Complete the study units across 2.5 years. (8 trimesters).

9 Trimesters Full Time

Whilst still classified as a full-time study load, you will complete course units over a 3 year period (9 trimesters).

Part-time option available

If you want to take a little longer, that’s ok too. We’ll help you work out the best study load to suit your needs.

Note: Part-time is not available for international students.


We understand that things can change, so you'll have the flexibility to change your study load throughout your course if you need to.
Start Date(s)
September 2024
Bachelor of Film
Start Dates
Adelaide
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Brisbane
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Byron Bay
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Melbourne
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Perth
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Sydney
  • September 2024

  • February 2025

  • May 2025

Entry Requirements
Bachelor of Film
Domestic Entry Requirements
Domestic students must meet one of the following criteria:
Completion of a Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (QCE, WACE, HSC, SACE, etc) (like your Year 12 certificate or equivalent); OR
Completion of a Diploma level qualification issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF); OR
Completion of a Certificate IV level qualification issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF); OR
Experience-Based Entry – for applicants who do not meet the requirements of entry criteria above.
More info
Bachelor of Film
International Entry Requirements
International Entry Requirements
Minimum age requirements
International students seeking admission to SAE must be 18 years of age OR must be turning 18 during their first trimester of studies at SAE.
Academic requirements
Successful completion of secondary school studies (assessed as an equivalent of Australian Year 12 secondary studies). Minimum overall pass is required.
English language requirements
International English Language Testing Sydney (IELTS): An overall score of 6.0 or higher with no individual band lower than 5.5 (only the Academic Test is accepted), OR
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 73 overall (internet-based test), OR
Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic score of 46 or higher, OR
Completion of Year 12 English in an Australian secondary school or college or equivalent with a minimum result of “Satisfactory” or equivalent.
More info
Successful completion of an Academic English program with an SAE-approved Australian-based English partner. Please refer to our SAE International Study Pathways for more information.
More info

BACHELOR OF FILM

SAE’s Bachelor of Film puts you in the spotlight from day one, helping you gain the practical experience and technical knowledge needed to launch yourself in the world of motion pictures.

Starting with the fundamentals and rolling through to the finer, more complex aspects of cinematography, you’ll acquire a very particular set of skills during your time at SAE. Whether it be directing actors, managing production, designing sets or editing footage you’ll gain a broad skill set backed by rich knowledge of current screen production practices.

Your growth and development as a creative practitioner will be assessed through the completion of industry-based projects. This will ultimately help you build up a body of work and portfolio to share with potential employers or your first client.

In preparation for an industry that commands agility and adaptability, you’ll cut your creative teeth on projects alongside your peers. As your skills develop and you work on more dynamic projects, you’ll apply your experience to cross-discipline projects in audio, games, design, or animation. By the end of your course, you could be collaborating with fellow students across all SAE’s disciplines.

With a Bachelor of Film, you’ll be ready for cutting-edge industry roles using modern creative business concepts and strategies. Career options include Video Editor, Film Producer, Broadcast Specialist, or Camera Assistant.

Bachelor of Film students are provided with an opportunity to undertake workplace internships in the final trimester of study.

Making the leap from being a fan of film to becoming a force in the film industry happens at SAE.

Career Outcomes

What jobs will this course lead to?

  • Video Editor
  • Producer
  • Cinematographer
  • Colourist
  • Director
  • Screenwriter
  • Production Designer
  • Camera Assistant
Man wearing a hoodie adjusts the ties of a light screen fixed to a frame on a film set

Why study a Bachelor of Film at SAE?

Students Filming in Green Screen Wonder Room. SAE Sydney
Access and develop skills in world class studio environments Develop skills using equipment like 4K Red, Sony and Canon cameras and learn advanced techniques and management strategies to apply to industry software like DaVinci Resolve colour grading software, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Practical, immersive training Learn as you collaborate on real-world projects and briefs. Build a portfolio to share with an employer or first client.
Creative collaboration Use your developing skills in film and collaborate with audio specialists, artists, designers, game developers and animators.
Expand your career Graduate with a portfolio, work experience, employability and entrepreneurial skills and a network of fellow creatives.

YOUR CAREER IN FILM BEGINS NOW

Tools & Software

Film Skills

High-level cinematography Directing Production Screen editing Lighting Sound Production design

YOUR CAREER IN FILM BEGINS NOW

Course Structure

The Bachelor of Film is broken up into three distinct stages, each designed to develop different skills.
Yellow. Infographic explaining Trimesters 1-6 for the Diploma, Associate Degree and Bachelor Film courses at SAE.
Stage 1: Foundations
Develop the essential technical film skills and the knowledge required to collaborate with other creative media students and professionals.
Credit points: 10

This unit introduces you to the fundamental principles of screen studies, including theory and history, to explore ways in which these principles are connected to screen practice. Emphasis is placed on how these concepts and approaches work within screen production, allowing you to develop analytical, critical reflection and creative thinking skills by applying your understanding of topics in project-based activities. Finally, this unit should assist you in becoming more critically aware of your craft and introduce you to ways of developing your knowledge of screen production.
Credit points: 10

This unit aims to instil a basic working knowledge of the structures, aesthetics and technologies involved in digital post-production. There is a particular emphasis on the editing process, as well as a general introduction to audio mixing, titling, colour grading and authoring processes within an industry-level non-linear editing tool.

Editing techniques and approaches vary between different mediums and this unit focuses on both documentary and drama workflows and file management protocols. Effective communication of narrative is the main focus of the unit, and you will learn to edit for narrative clarity, performance, subtext and dramatic effect. Historical and contemporary perspectives on montage theory and continuity editing theory will be explored to broaden your understanding and approach to the art of editing.
Credit points: 10

You will be introduced to the theory and principles of storytelling across a range of contemporary creative media contexts, which will then be applied to the creation of storytelling documents appropriate to your discipline. Theoretical approaches to plot, structure, character, story world, theme and genre will be explored and applied to a range of story development tools to engage your audience. Feedback processes and reflection are essential in the development of engaging stories, and you are expected to document your process and feedback from your facilitator and peers.
Credit points: 10

In this unit, students will draw upon practical theories of screenwriting and engage in industry standard iterative practices to produce high quality screenplays for short film production. The unit will introduce strategies for concept development, provide students with the opportunity to refine supporting documentation such a synopsis, outline or treatment, and guide students in applying stylistic conventions and narrative theories to their story ideas. The unit focuses on communicating strong characters and story worlds on the page, and crafting effective dialogue and scenes that engage audiences emotionally. Screenwriting is a learned craft that requires discipline, perseverance and an understanding of industry practice. You will engage with professional feedback processes as you develop your story concepts through to script stage, and then a pitch deck and final draft script.
Credit points: 10

In this unit, students will strengthen and consolidate their emerging filmmaking skills through the application of industry standard directing and producing techniques. The unit will introduce key principles of scene analysis and directing for students to produce a short showreel scene, and guide students to the best praxical application of directing and producing protocols.  The unit focuses on the essential collaboration of directors and producers to work together to deliver high-quality, on-screen outcomes such as complex and realistic actor performances, and a shared creative vision.  Understanding the roles of the director and producer and the need to support each other in a collaborative group to realise the best possible on-screen outcomes  is an essential part of professional filmmaking, and will establish and hone transferable skills necessary for your work at SAE and beyond.
Credit points: 10

You will be introduced to the craft of filmmaking through participation in practical film shoots. An introduction to camera, lighting and sound equipment will be supported by a study of the fundamentals of frame composition and cinematography. Key roles and responsibilities of a working film crew as well as production processes and protocols are covered, including workplace health and safety. Familiarity with the equipment and its safe assembly and use is as important in this subject as the technical and creative elements.
Credit points: 10

Sound in the environment is crucial in our daily lives and in the production of nearly all media. When working with sound, we constantly desire to control our acoustic environment in the first instance to obtain uncontaminated recordings and, secondly, to clinically listen to and work with these recordings. The goal of this Unit is to guide you through and expose you to various disciplines of sound and sound recording that exist outside of the controlled environment of the studio—to lead through sonic encounters with the world around us. From Film sound and its associated location recordings, documentary recordings and acoustic ecology to recreating these environments through Foley recording, this Unit aims to expose you to practical and theoretical experience with location sound. Exploring recording devices, microphones and microphone techniques to multi-track digital audio workstations (DAWs)– this course expands through ideas and practices of location sound, exposing these components and exploring their connection to various media.
Credit points: 10

This unit explores the concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation and project design. You will develop approaches to identify promising opportunities and actionable strategies to transform them into tangible successes. Through exposure to developing new ideas, processes and ways of working - both individually and in entrepreneurial teams - you will hone skills to put creative ideas into practice and achieve real-world impact.

As Alan Kay explained, "The best way to predict the future is to create it", so let's get at it!
Stage 2: Refine & Expand
Broaden your scope to work on complex multidisciplinary projects in accordance with industry-standard practices.
Credit points: 10

In CIM210 you will be working on interdisciplinary projects that relate to some of the most important concepts in contemporary media production. You will learn practical and analytical skills in order to help you develop your creative powers and meet briefs that take you out of your comfort zone. You will need to bring all of the skills you have learned so far: technical skills, research skills, communication skills and a growth mindset, and be prepared to encounter new concepts and new ways of working.
Credit points: 20

In this unit, you will step into the dynamic world of filmmaking, mirroring industry processes from conception to distribution. Through hands-on experience, you will navigate the stages of development, pre-production, principal photography, post-production, and distribution. Emphasising a real-world approach, you will collaborate on creating a short film, honing your skills in creative leadership and teamwork as you specialise in a critical production role. FLM216 fosters a holistic understanding of the filmmaking craft and prepares you for the challenges and opportunities in the landscape of the industry.
Credit Points: 20

This unit offers a deep dive into the art and craft of documentary filmmaking. Through a series of hands-on workshops, insightful lectures, and practical exercises, participants will learn the fundamental principles of storytelling, cinematography, sound design, and editing specific to the documentary genre. From conceptualization to production and post-production, students will explore the ethical considerations, creative techniques, and technical skills essential for creating impactful and authentic documentaries. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of documentary styles and filmmakers, participants will have the opportunity to develop their unique voice and vision while gaining practical experience in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with audiences.
Credit points: 10

In this unit, you will expand your knowledge in the areas of camera and lighting, which are essential skills required to have a career as a Director of Photography. The skills you learn in this unit can be applied to any form of film/TV production; short films, documentaries, music videos, TV commercials etc. You will learn to use technically advanced cameras, prime lenses and follow-focus units, as well as learn to shoot in LOG format and utilise LUTS to enhance the look of your footage. Lighting fixtures will be introduced, starting with standard three-point lighting set-ups, and then utilised in studio shooting scenarios including day/night interiors and also green screen sequences. Further focus will be placed on effective shot coverage and framing techniques in both drama and documentary settings.  
Credit Points: 10

This unit seeks to deepen an understanding and proficiency in advanced techniques. It delves into sophisticated methodologies across color grading, visual effects, sound design, and advanced editing. Through rigorous exploration and practical application, students will gain insight into the complexities of post-production workflows and refine their technical skills. Emphasizing critical analysis and practical exercises, this academic unit provides a platform for participants to engage in scholarly discourse, collaborative learning, and hands-on experimentation. By interrogating theoretical frameworks and industry practices, participants will develop a nuanced understanding of film post-production and enhance their ability to produce compelling cinematic works.
Credit points: 10

Media and culture are not simply entertainment, but something that affects the “real world”, our everyday lives, and our worldviews. As such, we will not ask whether media accurately reflect the real world but instead ask how media shape, reinforce, and challenge power structures that influence our understanding of the world and ourselves. This unit takes a ‘critical theory’ approach to analyze media and culture. In this unit, you will explore media texts, contexts and meaning, society and subjectivity, pop culture aesthetics, and critical cultural discourses that inform creative media practices.

Drawing on a range of creative content and analytical frameworks, you will be encouraged to develop ways of thinking about media and culture that demonstrate a broad awareness of aesthetic principles and stylistic trends; subjectivity, agency, ethics, and relations of power; contexts, disciplines and discursive formations. In support of this exploration, you will produce a range of media artifacts that explore and contextualize the relationship of media to culture through individual analysis, collaborative and interdisciplinary creative practice, and critical reflection.

Stage 3: Showcase
Execute a project of your own design which is of a high quality and externally published, with the knowledge to commercialise if you choose. You'll also apply your skills through industry work placement.
Credit Points: 20

Through a combination of theoretical examination and practical application, this unit provides students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to excel in client-driven film production environments. Students will explore key concepts such as client communication, project management, budgeting, and delivery expectations within the context of filmmaking. Through case studies and hands-on exercises, participants will develop strategies for meeting client objectives while maintaining artistic integrity and creative vision. Emphasizing collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability, this unit equips participants with the tools and techniques needed to navigate the dynamic landscape of client-based film production successfully.
Credit points: 10

Developing new creative skills and improving upon existing skills is an essential part of the creative media practitioner’s professional development. Identifying industry-relevant skills, making an action plan for improvement, and building in a reflective process for future development assists creative practitioners to continually build their skills portfolio.

In this unit you will undertake a skills self-reflection process where you will identify an area you wish to improve upon. Through a study of goal setting and deliberate practice processes, you will plan and implement a personal creative media project to develop these skills under the tutelage of a mentor. Peer and facilitator feedback sessions will help you to tune the projects and examples of great goal setting from industry professionals will be used to guide this personal exploration. Through the completion of this unit, you will develop a practice that can be taken with you and aid your personal and professional life.
Credit points: 10

The transition from study to work is an important step for you as an emerging professional in the creative industries. Work Integrated Learning provides you with a professional experience opportunity that both complements and deepens the skills and knowledge you have gained from study. Placement requires a minimum of 80 hours at one or more host organisations.
Credit points: 10

Major Project Development forms the first component of your Capstone Project. In this unit you will work to conceptualise, plan, design and iterate the development, pre-production and early production stages of a full scale creative project. This will be assessed by two projects: a research component and a production planning component. Together, both of these documents will inform the basis for your CIM330 project, and will identify key moments of production, testing and oeprative cycles designed to help make your creative project a success.

Your class facilitator will work with you to control and guide the scope of your project. This process ensures that by the end of CIM330 Major Project Production you will have a portfolio piece that represents the sum total of your skills and experience, delivered on time and to specification.
Credit points: 10

The aim of this unit is to introduce you to the core business structures, management frameworks and marketing strategies used by contemporary creative professionals. You will discover the key behaviours and practices of successful creative business people and the business principles they implement – strategies you can use in your own professional practice. This knowledge will assist you in effectively exploring your creative business niche, encouraging you to develop and operate as a sustainable professional within your chosen media field. Through an examination of marketing strategies and processes, you will be able to identify and target specific consumers and markets. You will then research and develop a product- or service-based business that meets the demand within these target markets. You will also develop fundamental marketing, promotional, communication, and financial skills essential to running a creative media business as well as exploring start-up methodologies and structures within the creative industries.
Credit points: 20

CIM330 Major Project Production, along with CIM310 Work-Integrated Learning and CIM312 Major Project Development, form the final capstone experience of your undergraduate studies. In CIM330, you will build on the project plan and pre-production work that you have completed in CIM312. You will now complete the production and delivery of your final creative work. This will include the execution of the marketing and distribution plan developed in CIM312. Broadly speaking, this unit is about production and exhibition.

You will apply all of the production processes and procedures you have learned over the course of your degree and record these in your Documented Professional Practice as a means of demonstrating your progress and contribution within your team.

In this unit, your final project will now move into its production phase. Over the coming weeks, you will work collaboratively to deliver your creative work. You will apply the processes and standards you have learned throughout your learning at SAE. You will keep a record of this production process via Documented Professional Practice and deliver the production documentation appropriate to your project. Your CIM330 project supervisor will be a reference point for this documentation process.

Your project supervisor will meet frequently with you and your team during the trimester and will work with you to control and guide the scope of your project. This process ensures that by the end of CIM330 Major Project Production you will have a portfolio piece that represents the sum total of your skills and experience, delivered on time and to specification.
Credit Points: 10
CRICOS Course Codes
PRODUCTION: FF7F4 080193A (6 TRIMESTERS) 062747K (8 TRIMESTERS) 102341H (9 TRIMESTERS)
Australian Qualifications Framework
AQF Level: 7 FULLY ACCREDITED BY TEQSA
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We consult closely with industry professionals so you can expect a course that’s highly relevant and equips you with sought after skills.

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CREDIT AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING



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For full details, please refer to SAE's policy on recognition of prior learning and credit transfers.
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