Film Studies

Course summary

The course is an academic study of film designed to develop an understanding of a diverse range of cinema. It will explore film practice within a social, political and cultural context, applying critical approaches to a range of cinema. Film will also be studied as an aesthetic art form via a series of key analytical techniques. Across the two years, you will study a wide range of cinema exploring key movements, as well as complete a creative piece of coursework. Units will include: Examined Units: Component 1: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking A) Hollywood 1930 - 1990: A study of the golden age of cinema and the subsequent changes to the industry. B) American Cinema since 2005: A study of spectatorship theory and how films are shaped by the ideologies that inform them. c) British Film since 1995: A study of narrative and how directors use it to engage and challenge audiences. Component 2: Global Filmmaking Perspectives A) Global Cinema: A study of global cinema and how films from around the world are shaped by contextual issues. B) Documentary Film: A study of documentary techniques and how filmmakers use them to engage audiences. C) Film Movements - Silent Cinema: A study of the impact of cultural movements such as realism and expressionism on early cinema. D) Film Movements - Experimental Film: A study of alternative cinema and how it reinvents the way cinema is constructed. Coursework Unit: Component 3: Production - In the production unit you will develop your creative skills, building on your knowledge of cinema and film as an aesthetic art form. You will study a range of short films as part of your research and then produce your own short film and evaluation. This will be in one of the following formats: Either • A Short Film (4-5 minutes) OR • A Screenplay for a short film (1800 words) AND a digitally photographed storyboard for a section of the film. PLUS • An Evaluative analysis making reference to the short films studied as part of your research.