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Unit of Study COM10082 - Film Studies: Cinema, Culture, Context (2015)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit description

Addresses film as a major communication medium in terms of its form, history and its social, cultural, economic and political contexts. By examining the production and reception of film texts in their cultural contexts students are given an understanding of the place of film in everyday life - its passion, politics and pleasures. Films are not just made in Hollywood and so different styles, traditions and aesthetic concerns from around the globe shall be considered.

Unit content

Section 1  Film Narrative And Form

Topic 1: Cinema, culture, context
Topic 2: Celluloid storytelling
Topic 3: The truth is out there: Documenting culture

Section 2  Elements of Film

Topic 4: Writing in light: Cinematography
Topic 5: Manipulating time and space: Editing
Topic 6: Sounding out the image

Section 3  Approaching Film Texts

Topic 7: Vision, style and politics: Auteur theory
Topic 8: Familiar pleasures: Genre and film
Topic 9: Projecting desires: Stars and fan-tales
Topic 10: Beyond the frame: De-fragmenting cultural identity

Section 4  National Cinemas/ Transnational Audiences

Topic 11: Chinese cinema: Allegories of gender and nation
Topic 12: Indian visions: The Other Hollywood

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 Session 2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 analyse and discuss a variety of films from across the globe in their historical, cultural and cross-cultural contexts
2 engage with, apply and acknowledge the value of theory and criticism in film studies
3 identify the basic elements and principles of film form and narrative structures
4 interrogate categories of difference (ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, class etc.) as they are represented in film texts
5 demonstrate an understanding of the significance of cinema as a form of cultural expression, and a deeper analysis of the production and interpretation of film texts
6 exchange ideas, experiences and opinions about films with each other
7 research and study independently.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. analyse and discuss a variety of films from across the globe in their historical, cultural and cross-cultural contexts
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  2. engage with, apply and acknowledge the value of theory and criticism in film studies
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  3. identify the basic elements and principles of film form and narrative structures
    • GA4:
  4. interrogate categories of difference (ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, class etc.) as they are represented in film texts
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  5. demonstrate an understanding of the significance of cinema as a form of cultural expression, and a deeper analysis of the production and interpretation of film texts
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  6. exchange ideas, experiences and opinions about films with each other
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  7. research and study independently.
    • GA4:
    • GA7:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.