Postgraduate Course: Cinema Lab 1 (DESI11208)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Cinema Lab 1 supports students to develop foundational technical skills and contextualise their practice while establishing or reinforcing a critically informed and collaborative grounding in film art. The course explores key disciplines and processes in film, situating them in relation to the creative industries and society more broadly. Students will be challenged to expand their reference points, reflect on core ideas relevant to contemporary filmmaking and engage with new artistic research methods. |
| Course description |
Cinema Lab 1 offers a foundational, holistic and technical exploration of film in an artistic context. Throughout the course, students will examine distinct creative elements of film such as image, sound, light, colour, duration and the projection/screening environment while contextualising their work and exploring new artistic research methods. Students are encouraged to analyse their film and/or creative practice to date, consider and question their point of view and begin articulating an understanding of the specific fields, texts and exhibition venues that are most relevant to their work. Through doing so, students will reinforce their technical skills and working processes across different areas of film, establishing a departure point for the development of their practice and creative voice throughout the programme.
In weeks 1-4, a series of 3 2-hour lectures will analyse film in various artistic contexts, providing a catalyst for students' independent research. This conceptual and creative exploration is complemented by technical and creative workshops in weeks 2-7 which offer practical engagement in applied aspects of film such as camera, lighting, sound, editing and colour grading. These workshops also coincide with a fieldtrip to Paris College of Art in week 5 where students undertake 18 hours of supported fieldwork during the creation of a collaborative film exercise. In week 6-8 a 3-hour critique screening and 1- hour small-group tutorials will offer detailed guidance and feedback on work in progress. Finally, in weeks 9-12 a series of 3 2-hour seminars will support students to contextualise their practice and situate their filmmaking in the wider creative industries and art world. Each seminar will centre on a case study of a practice-research project and introduce a key research method that could be applied in the students' work.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | This programme requires additional costs to be met by the Student.
Travel and Accommodation: There are required travel costs associated with the field trip to Paris College of Art. This trip is predominantly funded by the University, but students should expect to cover approximately £100-150 of food and living costs during the trip.
Materials: Students will be expected to fund the general costs for materials and production logistics during their coursework. Course Organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping these costs to a minimum, but students will be expected to fund optional costs as necessary for their own project work.
To fully participate in this programme students are recommended to budget a minimum of £500 over the two years.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Students are required to demonstrate core practical skills in image and sound as well as a critical understanding of film above SCQF 10, in line with graduates of a relevant undergraduate programme. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and employ relevant film techniques, both individually, collaboratively and in relation to artistic references.
- Apply appropriate research methods in developing their film practice.
- Evidence and communicate a detailed critical awareness of their creative context and relevant contemporary issues through informed, systematic and considered reflection.
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Reading List
Barrett, Estrelle. and Bolt, Barbara. (2010). Practice as Research: Approaches to Creative Arts Enquiry. New York: I.B. Tauris.
Chion, Michel. (2019). Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. New York: Columbia University Press.
Geuens, Jean-Peirre. (2000). Film Production Theory. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Hoser, Tania. (2025). Introduction to Cinematography: Learning Through Practice. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kerrigan, Susan. and Batty, Craig. (2018). Screen Production Research: Creative Practice as a Mode of Enquiry. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lambden, Julie. (2022). Film Editing: Emotion, Performance and Story. London: Bloomsbury Academic. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Personal and intellectual autonomy: Developing an individual film practice through self-driven research and experimentation during this course requires you to apply curiosity as you seek and evaluate new ideas and also to successfully navigate failure as you try new ways of working with images and sound.
Communication: Collaborative filmmaking supports you to build interpersonal skills and develop visual and oral methods of communication as you work collectively toward a shared goal. Similarly, using reflective writing and audiovisual essay methods to articulate your creative ideas furthers your abilities in different forms of communication.
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| Keywords | Filmmaking,artistic research,sound/image techniques,professional development. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alex Nevill
Tel:
Email: anevill@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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