Postgraduate Course: Poetics of Cinema (DESI11209)
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 | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores cinema as a vehicle for poetic expression, building directly on the deconstruction of cinematic elements in the Permanent Cinema course in semester 1. Students analyse key works that emphasise sensorial experience, examining specific techniques in haptic visuality, rhythmic editing, and sonority. Through a portfolio of reflective and practical exercises, students develop a sophisticated critical vocabulary for understanding the sensorial dimensions of film art, extending their exploration of cinema's fundamental elements from semester 1 into more complex poetic applications. |
| Course description |
Poetics of Cinema supports students in the MFA Film Art programme as they explore cinema as a vehicle for poetic expression. Building directly on the previous course, Permanent Cinema, where students deconstruct cinematic elements and begin to explore sensory dimensions, students will analyse key works that emphasise both poetic and sensorial experience from historical and contemporary contexts. The course examines specific techniques in haptic visuality, rhythmic editing, and sonority, tracing how these formal strategies create distinctive viewing experiences that prioritise direct sensory encounter and poetic resonance. Through engagement with theories of phenomenology and poetics, students will examine how filmmakers approach cinema as a contemplative practice, employing associative logic, rhythm and metaphor. Through creative prompts, students will develop a portfolio of small exercises that apply these concepts to their own creative work, extending their exploration of cinema's fundamental elements into more complex poetic applications.
The course is structured around weekly 2-hour seminar discussions. Students are expected to complete approximately 6 hours of independent preparation each week, including assigned readings, viewings, and creative development work. Students will follow a progression of reflective and practical exercises designed to scaffold their understanding of poetic approaches to cinema. These exercises typically include creative experiments with form, reflective writing on viewing experiences, and short audio-visual pieces that explore specific poetic strategies. Throughout the course, students will document their creative processes and viewing experiences for their assessed portfolio, allowing for broader experimentation with multiple approaches while developing a sophisticated critical vocabulary for understanding the poetic and sensorial dimensions of film art.
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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 course does not require additional costs to be met by the student. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically analyse and interpret cinematic works through relevant theoretical frameworks, addressing poetics, sensory experience, and contemplation.
- Create film works that apply technical skills and conceptual understanding to explore cinema's contemplative and sensorial potential, demonstrating original approaches to poetic expression.
- Articulate the relationship between theory and practice through critical reflection on their creative process, positioning their work within broader contexts.
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Reading List
Costa, Pedro (2013) Casa de Lava: Caderno. Edited by Pierre von Kleist. Lisbon: Pierre von Kleist Editions.
Deleuze, Gilles (1986) Cinema 1: The Movement-Image. Translated by Hugh Tomlinson and Barbara Habberjam. London: Athlone Press.
Dorsky, Nathaniel (2005) Devotional Cinema. 2nd edn. Berkeley: Tuumba Press.
MacDonald, Scott (2001) The Garden in the Machine: A Field Guide to Independent Films about Place. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Marks, Laura U. (2000) The Skin of the Film: Intercultural Cinema, Embodiment, and the Senses. Durham: Duke University Press.
Trakl, Georg (2011) Surrender to Night: Collected Poems. Translated by Will Stone. London: Pushkin Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and Enquiry: Through analysing poetic and sensorial film works using phenomenological frameworks, students develop critical thinking abilities that enable them to question conventional approaches and explore alternative ways of creating meaning in cinema. The portfolio exercises encourage experimental approaches to filmmaking that foster innovation and creative problem-solving.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy: The reflective writing components and independent creative exercises help students develop self-awareness of their own artistic sensibilities and preferences. By engaging with diverse approaches to poetic cinema, students learn to make informed artistic choices while articulating their own distinctive creative perspective and intellectual position in relation to the field.
Communication: By articulating complex sensorial experiences and poetic strategies in both written reflections and audio-visual exercises, students develop sophisticated ways of communicating that go beyond conventional language. The seminar discussions foster the ability to engage in nuanced dialogue about experiential and abstract aspects of cinema.
Personal Effectiveness: The iterative nature of the portfolio exercises develops students' ability to engage in sustained creative exploration, building resilience and adaptability as they experiment with multiple approaches to filmmaking. This process strengthens their capacity to develop and refine ideas through cycles of creation, reflection, and revision. |
| Special Arrangements |
Open as an elective course for students on the MA Film Directing programme, or with significant (ie. masters level) experience in moving image practice. Students not enrolled on the MFA Film Art or MA Film Directing programmes must request permission to enrol from the Course Organiser. |
| Keywords | haptic visuality,film editing,sensory ethnography,sound design |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Scott Barley
Tel:
Email: sbarley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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