Undergraduate Course: Film Studies: An Introduction (CLLC07006)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Film Studies: An Introduction will introduce students to the academic study of film through discussion of key topics such as narrative, genre, editing and authorship. The course will also consider the history and development of film theory and criticism and explore a diverse range of approaches to the study of film.
The course is open to all first year undergraduate students across the University who are interested in film. No prior film study is necessary but if students have a passion for cinema and are keen on engaging seriously with its study, then Film Studies: An Introduction will provide an ideal opportunity to think, learn and write about film in more depth. The course will survey a variety of film styles including contemporary popular film as well as art house cinema. |
| Course description |
This course will introduce students to the academic study of film through discussion of ten key topics ranging from narrative to editing, sound to adaptation. The course will be taught via lecture and online discussion.
Each week, students will focus on a key topic through two main case study films which they will view in their own time via accessible educational streaming platforms such as Learning On Screen and Media Hopper. After viewing these films, students will complete some complementary reading (usually an academic journal article or book chapter) which will be available via the course's online Resource List. Students will discuss these materials with their tutor via appropriate online platforms..
In the weekly lecture, students will be introduced to some of the most important concepts in that particular area of Film Studies and will be shown some illustrative extracts drawn from across the globe and spanning more than a century of film history. This guided examination of the similarities and differences between a range of extracts will help students to develop the analytical skills and knowledge that will be called upon for both elements of the course assessment.
The assessment will consist of five 500-word scene analyses and one 2500-word essay. The scene analyses will be carried out every second week (beginning in Week 2) and will each be worth 10% of the final mark, while the essay will be due at the end of the course and will be worth 50%. A range of set essay questions will be provided, but the students will also have the option of choosing their own topic of study (which will have to be agreed with the course tutor). Written feedback will be provided on each element of assessment.).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Articulate the major approaches to Film Studies
- Analyse individual films from a number of perspectives
- Write critically about film in an academic tone
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Reading List
Essential Reading
Hayward, Susan (2000) Key Concepts in Cinema Studies, 2nd ed.: London: Routledge.
Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson (2013) Film Art: An Introduction, McGraw Hill.
Branigan, Edward (1992) Narrative Comprehension and Film, London: Routledge.
Corrigan, Timothy (2010) A Short Guide to Writing About Film, New York: HarperCollins.
Recommended Reading
Barsam, Richard (2012) Looking at Movies, New York: W.W. Norton.
Bordwell, David (1985) Narration in the Fiction Film, London: Methuen.
Buckland, Warren (1998) Film Studies, London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Cook, Pam, ed. (1985) The Cinema Book, London: British Film Institute.
Further Reading
Gianetti, Louis (2013) Understanding Movies, Prentice Hall.
Kawin, Bruce (1992) How Movies Work, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Nelmes, Jill, ed. (2011) Introduction to Film Studies, London: Routledge.
Salt, Barry (1992) Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis, London: Starword |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Knowledge of a range of films, genres and aesthetic forms and the ability to produce close and informed analysis of these
- Engagement with forms of critical analysis, argument and debate, expressed through an appropriate command of oral, written and other forms of communication
- The ability to consider critical, ethical, and analytical views other than the student¿s own, and exercise a degree of independent and informed critical judgement in analysis.
- The ability to work across a variety of group and independent modes of study, and within these to demonstrate flexibility, creativity and the capacity for critical self-reflection |
| Keywords | Film,Film Studies,Cinema,Film Theory,Film Criticism |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Pasquale Iannone
Tel:
Email: P.Iannone@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Monique Brough
Tel: (0131 6)50 3618
Email: Monique.Brough@ed.ac.uk |
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