Film Studies

Course summary

Film Studies promotes independent thought and develops media-literate students, who are able to critically analyse representation in the media, including geographical and historical contexts, through the medium of film. In an increasingly media-saturated world, this course will help you develop a critical understanding of the modern world. The course will develop your appreciation and understanding of: • the significance of film and film practice in national, global and historical context including social, cultural, political and technological contexts; • the ‘language’ of film and the process of ‘reading’ a film; • how films create meaning and produce emotional responses; • how to create your own short film and screen play; • the history of film and the development of film industry; • the messages, values and representations made in film, through study of British and American cinema and independent films; • world cinema and its cultural diversity; • award-winning directors, producers and their films. You will develop your analytical skills, allowing you to become confident readers of narrative, genre, aesthetics and spectatorship. Using critical frameworks, you will learn how to evaluate representation and meaning in film.