Rationale
This introductory module is coupled with and follows directly on from Film Studies One. The module is designed to stimulate the student’s intellectual curiosity in the field of Film Studies. It will develop the student’s critical knowledge and skills base in ways which complement and inform the conceptual and practical work being done in Video Practice and Production: Introduction, as well as students’ work in the other Level 4 modules. The module introduces Film Studies as an academic discipline, provides the student with a toolkit of concepts for the close analysis of a range of film texts and genres, linking concepts to longstanding issues within film criticism and theory, and sets the student on the path of historical and contextual film enquiry through the study of a diverse range of films from around the world. The student will be introduced to a range of subject-specific and generic skills needed for the development of effective academic study. Links between criticism, theory, practice and creative work will be stressed throughout, with the overall aim of developing the student’s critical abilities in the close analysis of texts within appropriate historical and other contexts. These are vital in developing the student’s intellectual capacities as a confident independent learner with a critical voice of their own and as a knowledgeable reflective practitioner.
Indicative Content
This module introduces students to the study of Film History. After an initial session on varieties of film history in Film Studies, the screenings are linked to key phases, moments or issues in the history of Hollywood and world cinema. These may include the silent era, the emergence of the studio system and the classical Hollywood narrative film, the advent of sound, key production cycles, the historical development of the representation of race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, the emergence of post-classical Hollywood after the breakup of the studio system and the growth of blockbuster culture since the 1970s.
The module also focuses on developing essential academic skills for film study, so attention is given to the requirements of independent and self-directed study, using the VLE, viewing (including viewing foreign language films), reading, note-taking, researching in the library and online, discriminating between different types of sources, planning and writing essays, referencing and plagiarism and exam skills.
Assessment
Test Papers, eight short quizzes equivalent to 1500 words, 35%
Historical Case Study, 2500 – 3000 words, 65%