Kick-start your creative career with a first year full of hands-on experience across multiple creative and digital media disciplines. You’ll explore different formats, channels and tools to uncover the ones that resonate with your unique skills and ambitions. By year two, you’ll be fully immersed in one of three industry-driven pathways: filmmaking, photography or graphic design.
Our curriculum is designed to ignite your creativity and ground you in real-world skills, right here in the heart of Bristol’s dynamic creative scene. You’ll graduate with a substantial portfolio and the confidence to advance directly into university or leap into an inspiring career in the creative industries.
What you’ll learn
Course Breakdown
As a Creative and Digital Media student, you’ll dive into a wide range of creative techniques and gain real-world experience working with live clients. Throughout the course, you’ll develop project and event management skills while connecting directly with industry leaders to understand what today’s employers are looking for.
Equipment
Premiere Pro
After Effects
Photoshop
Lightroom and Audition
DSLR cameras with multiple choices of lenses
Blackmagic
Studio Fee
The £150 Studio Fee is a one-off payment that covers both years of the course and covers extra costs that help to enrich the student programme, such as software licenses, online services, maintenance and use of equipment and to fund or subsidise additional trips and opportunities. In addition, it also includes an external hard drive, hard drive case, personal SD card for storage of captured film and photography, a Boomsatsuma ‘crew’ t-shirt, and full Adobe Creative Cloud license.
Year 1
Photography Zine Explore the world of photography and zine-making as you research creative practitioners, develop ideas and produce your own original photographic zine. Move through planning, test shoots, final image creation, editing and layout design, documenting your creative decisions and technical development along the way. The project finishes with a final zine PDF and a reflective evaluation looking at strengths, challenges and future goals.
Promo Video Create a polished promo video by planning, assembling and refining your edit using industry-standard techniques. Develop narrative sequencing, make purposeful creative decisions and build confidence in visual storytelling through hands-on digital editing. The final outcome demonstrates genre awareness and effective post-production workflows.
Posters for Change Design bold, impactful digital graphics by researching ideas and producing two professional posters, including one pitched to real-world client Clear Channel. Develop practical skills in visual communication, idea generation, technical production and reflective evaluation through a full, industry-aligned creative process.
Creative Identity and Career Planning Develop the essential planning, documentation and creative processes used in pre-production for digital media projects. Build practical skills to plan, manage, document and evaluate your work to industry standards while shaping your creative identity and career direction.
Final Major Project Pitch a fully developed digital media product or service idea to a potential client by taking it from concept to presentation. Refine your idea, build a business plan, prepare a professional pitch, and evaluate your performance through a structured, industry-focused process.
Year 2
Everyday People Documentary Tell real human stories by combining narrative imagery with purpose-built audio for digital media platforms. You’ll craft visuals and sound that work together to create authentic, engaging documentary content while building both creative and technical storytelling skills.
Building a Website Build a professional, multi-page interactive website that showcases your personal brand and creative work. Research, plan, design and develop a polished portfolio site using web design principles, audience insight and industry-standard tools to support future creative and career opportunities.
Music Video Produce a professional music video by planning, shooting, and editing a visually striking final piece. Combine creative camera work with purposeful lighting design to shape mood, style, and impact, developing technical and artistic skills across production planning, lighting and post-production.
Social Media Campaign Plan and deliver an effective social media campaign by analysing, repurposing, and creating digital content for real-world platforms. Explore current tools, formats, and audience-focused techniques to develop, deliver, and evaluate a professional content strategy that promotes a chosen product or service.
Final Major Project Create an original creative outcome by developing, planning, and producing a final project such as a film, photography, or graphics piece. Take a professional, end-to-end approach from concept proposal through to final delivery, drawing on the full range of skills built across the course and evaluating your creative journey.
Student Work
See the bold, original projects our students are creating! From day one, they bring fresh ideas to life across film, photography, game design and digital media. From concept to final cut, experience the talent and creativity at the heart of Boomsatsuma.
Hear from the people living it – what it is like, how it feels and why it matters
“I loved boomsatsuma because it allowed me the freedom to explore and develop my own style and creativity.”
“Starting at Boomsatsuma at 16 was the best decision I’ve made—its hands-on experience, industry connections, and supportive environment helped launch my career in the creative industry. It’s more than education; it’s a lifelong network.”
“Attending Boomsatsuma has allowed my creativity and technical skills to flourish, preparing me to enter the creative industry. I now feel ready for whatever challenge is given to me.”
“Boomsatsuma launched me into career opportunities I hadn’t imagined possible until well after university.”
what makes us different
Why Study Creative and Digital Media at Boomsatsuma?
Industry Expertise
Learn from tutors with real industry experience, who bring their current creative practice into the classroom
Real-World Projects
Work on live projects with real clients, building a portfolio that reflects genuine industry collaboration
Public Showcase
Share your work with the public and industry professionals at our end-of-year exhibition
Where Are We?
Portland Square
9 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 8ST
Where can this course take you?
Graduates of Creative and Digital Media are ready to step into entry-level roles across film studios, creative agencies, publishing houses and digital marketing firms. Opportunities span content creation, branding, graphic design and other forms of contemporary storytelling.
Alternatively, you might choose to continue your studies at university. Here’s a selection of specialised degree courses at boomsatsuma that could be the perfect next step.
How is this course connected to industry?
Gain real-world perspective through a series of career development talks and industry events. From personal branding sessions to deep dives into specific creative software and workflows, these talks are led by working professionals keen to share their journey. Don’t just attend events, organise your own, building confidence, networks and practical skills that go far beyond the classroom.
Don’t miss this opportunity – come and see for yourself
Our Open Days are a fantastic chance to meet your tutors, your fellow students and see exactly what life will be like at Boomsatsuma.
All courses provide you with a Level 3 Extended Diploma worth up to 168 points. When you’ve completed the course, you’ll be awarded an overall grade of Distinction*, Distinction, Merit or Pass.
There are no exams for these courses. Instead you’ll be continually assessed through coursework.
You’ll need to be on track for at least five GCSE grades 4-9, two of which must be Maths and English. Alternatively you could be working towards a BTEC Level 2 Diploma and on track for a Merit or Distinction. We don’t offer level 2 courses but can recommend courses that you could do before studying at level 3 with us.
Absolutely! The Level 3 Extended Diploma award has equivalent UCAS points to A Levels, and the qualification is recognised by universities in the UK. Different courses have different requirements though, so we recommend that you check the entry requirements of the university course that you’re interested in.
Boomsatsuma College are responsible for over 500 learners in 10 centres and we have our own robust quality assurance procedures. We work in partnership with the Cabot Learning Foundation (CLF), one of the largest academy chains in the South West, who monitor our standards. Our students are enrolled as CLF students.
Boomsatsuma further education courses adhere to the policies maintained by Digitech Studio School (part of Cabot Learning Federation) and Patchway Community School (part of Olympus Academy Trust). You can find all policies here.
