CE5310: The World of Cinema

School Continuing and Professional Education
Department Code LEARN
Module Code CE5310
External Subject Code 100439
Number of Credits 10
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Michelle Deininger
Semester Spring Semester
Academic Year 2018/9

Outline Description of Module

This module explores the rich world of cinema, considering key technological, conceptual, theoretical and aesthetic issues in order to gain a better insight the films themselves, the companies that produce them, the money that goes into them, and the audiences who love, and sometimes hate, them. The module will consider how film has shaped knowledge in different contexts and discourses, its ability to represent, and also how shifting spaces have shaped audiences’ experiences of cinema. We will examine the roles of key pioneers of cinematic technologies and debate topics such as: recognising genre, subtexts, “art vs. commerce”, audience demographics, and “truth-telling”. In doing so, this module will survey theoretical, industrial, economic, and cultural aspects ranging from Hollywood to independent cinema, from silent film to 3D screenings, from shocking documentaries to fantastical movie monsters.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

Apply critical textual analysis to films using a range of approaches and theories

Demonstrate a solid understanding of the various industries that produce cinema, and their economic and political structures

Recognise a range of audience types/demographics, how they engage with films, create meaning, and form cinema communities

How the module will be delivered

Mixture of lecture, group work and seminars, screenings, and independent research

 

Skills that will be practised and developed

  • The ability to communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in class discussion or in written form.
  • The ability to work effectively with others in groups and to learn collaboratively through discussion and interaction.
  • The ability to think critically, analyse sources, evaluate arguments and challenge assumptions.
  • The ability to formulate and justify your own arguments and conclusions and present appropriate supporting evidence.
  • The ability to locate relevant resources in the library and online and use them appropriately in academic work.
  • The ability to use a range of information technology resources to assist with information retrieval and assignment presentation.
  • The ability to independently organise study methods, manage time effectively, and prioritise workload to meet deadlines.

How the module will be assessed

Formative assessment / feedback will occur on a weekly basis through class discussion and group work.

Type of assessment % Contribution Title Duration (if applicable) Approx. date of Assessment Submission

Assignment 1 (Textual analysis) 25% Textual analysis that critically deconstructs an aspect of a film 500 words Week 4

Assignment 2  (Essay) 75% Exact nature of task will vary from year to year 1000 words 1 week after final session

 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 The World Of Cinema N/A

Syllabus content

Week 1 – Introduction

Week 2 – From Watching to Reading: Textual Analysis of Films

Week 3 – Negotiating Consistency and Difference: Genre and Cinema

Week 4 – Losing the Plot: Narratives Structures and Cinema

Week 5 – From Reel to Real Part I: Film and Aesthetics

Week 6 – From Reel to Real part II: Documentary Films

Week 7 – Popcorn and Profit: Film Industries

Week 8 – Taking Cinema Home: Packaging, Marketing and Reformatting Films

Week 9 – Room With a Viewer: Cinema’s Audiences 

Essential Reading and Resource List

Indicative Reading and Resource List:

  • Paul Martin Lester, Visual Communication: Images With Messages (Wadsworth: 2000)
  • Theo van Leeuwen and Carey Jewitt, eds. Handbook of Visual Analysis (Sage: 2006)
  • James Monaco, How To Read a Film: The Art, Technology, Language, History and Theory of Film and Media (Oxford Press: 2009)
  • Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, Film Art: An Introduction (McGraw-Hill: 2004)
  • Michele Pierson, Special Effects: Still in Search of Wonder (Columbia University Press: 2002)
  • Richard Maltby, Hollywood Cinema (Blackwell Publishing: 2003)
  • Simon Popple &  Joe Kember, Early Cinema: From Factory Gate to Dream Factory, (Wallflower Press: 2004)
  • Jim Collins, Hilary Radner, and Ava Preacher Collins (eds), Film Theory Goes to the Movies, (Routledge: 1993)
  • Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film,(Pearson: 2012).
  • James Bennett and Tom Brown (eds), Film and Television After DVD. (Routledge: 2008)         
  • Barbara Klinger, Beyond the Multiplex. Cinema, New Technologies, and the Home. (University of California Press: 2006)
  • Jonathan Gray, Show Sold Separately. Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts. (New York University Press: 2010).
  • Thomas Austin, Hollywood, Hype and Audiences. Selling and Watching Popular Film in the 1990s. (Manchester University Press: 2002).
  • Matt Hills, Fan Cultures, (Routledge: 2002)
  • Rick Altman, Film/Genre. (BFI: 1999)

 


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