Introduction to Film Language, History & Theory

Key information

Start date
End date
Year of study
Year 1
Duration
Term 2
Module code
158100009
FHEQ Level
4
Credits
15
Department
School of Arts & Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies

Module overview

This module is primarily designed to introduce students who have no background in Film Studies, or in analysing cinema, to the vocabularies used to understand and analyse film language.

The module will thus focus on the close reading of specific films – from the early days of cinema, just after its invention in 1895, to the present – so as to deconstruct and analyse their technical, visual, aural and spatial features.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module students will be able to

  • Closely analyse films and use the correct vocabulary when doing so.
  • Understand the history of cinema in the 20th century.
  • Understand the main theories of cinema.
  • Understand different methodologies for writing and thinking about film, including new “creative” research methodologies such as audiovisual criticism.

Workload

A 2-hour in-person seminar, plus engagement with the pre-recorded lecture, screening and essential reading before the seminar.

Method of assessment

  • 500-word film scene analysis (worth 10% of marks)
  • 2,000-word essay (worth 50%)
  • 10 minute presentation (worth 40%)

Suggested reading

  • Comolli and Narboni, “Cinema/Ideology/Criticism,” in Movies and Methods: An Anthology, ed Bill Nichols (1976)
  • Cham, Mbye, “Oral Traditions, Literature and Cinema in Africa”, in Literature and Film: A guide to the theory and practice of film adaptation, eds Stam and Raengo (2005)
  • Chion, Michel Film, A Sound Art (2009)
  • Dovey, Lindiwe and Angela Impey, “African Jim: sound, politics, and pleasure in early ‘black’ South African cinema.’ Journal of African Cultural Studies 22.1: 57-73.
  • Razlogova, Elena. “The politics of translation at Soviet Film Festivals during the Cold War. SubStance 137 – 44.2 (2015)

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.