Aims

Film Theory for Practice will offer an introduction of major film theories and explore the relationship between film theory and practice. By presenting the debates around cinema from its birth to the present day, this module will allow for an engagement with cinematic form and creativity that will develop students' practice.

Film theory encompasses questions about film’s relationship to reality and the world, to style and technique, and to politics and ideology. This module will chart out the history of ideas concerning cinema as well as discuss historical context of various film theories from around the world. Particular attention will be paid to filmmaker-theorists who triggered a new theoretical take or exemplified a theoretical stance. Addressing André Bazin’s foundational question “What is Cinema?”, this module will introduce students to such topics as formalism, realism, documentary film theory, Marxism, feminism, race, cultural identity, semiotics, and non-Western approaches to film theory.

Aims:
1. To provide students with a critical survey of the principal authors and concepts in film theory.
2. To provide students with an understanding of the dialectic relationship between film theory and practice.
3. To provide students with an insight into the aesthetic debates and their relationship to broader historical events and cultural movements.
4. To provide students with an understanding of social forces and functions of cinema as an industry and a form of mass art.
5. To facilitate students to be able to write in a scholarly way about film, the cinema and society.

While this class does not have a pre-requisite, it requires interest in cinema and knowledge of the basics of film history and film analysis.

Outline Of Syllabus

Themes covered can include:
Early film history and theory
Formalism and realism
Marxism and ideology
Feminism and psychoanalysis
Race and cultural identity
Post-cinema and digital cinema

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The combination of illustrated lectures to give a structure and context for learning, and reading-based discussion in seminars will enable students to have both the breadth and depth of understanding.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The rationale for the assessments is to enable the students to demonstrate their intellectual grasp of film theory and key concepts through writing a research paper. They will be expected to draw on a range of film theorists and movements in order to demonstrate their knowledge and critical understanding of different and divergent critiques of film theory, the cinema and society. At mid-semester point, students will be quizzed on their knowledge and understanding of key concepts in film theory via an online quiz on Canvas. This is a zero weighted pass/fail assessment.

The professional skills assessment (20%) will account for students' classroom contribution and module citizenship. This is not based solely on registered attendance - seminar contribution, seminar facilitation, feedback discussions and peer-to-peer engagement will be monitored on a weekly basis.