Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the School of Modern Languages, this
module aims to introduce students to the systematic study of cinema as an art form, signifying system
and cultural expression of the society within which it is produced.

In addition, this module aims to make aspects of the above available to students from outside the
Degree.

Outline Of Syllabus

Lecture materials and synchronous teaching activities (both present-in-person and online) will introduce students to the knowledge and skills required for the comparative analysis and study of films as texts in their contexts.

Films will be drawn from a wide range of countries (e.g. from East Asia, Europe, Latin America) and
will be studied in relation to a variety of stylistic features and/or theoretical approaches (e.g. ideology, aesthetics, genre, stars, gender, race, class, and sexuality).

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Regular present-in-person seminars will take the form of small-group teaching to provide the students with the opportunity to discuss a topic both individually and in groups, present their ideas and develop their independent thinking and critical analysis as they engage interactively in debate. The seminars are designed to be student-led. Students are asked to prepare specific seminar tasks. Seminar leaders facilitate discussion and provide feedback on the discussion.

Lecture materials will be delivered in the form of non-synchronous lecture materials available on the Canvas VLE. Students are asked to work through these materials in preparation for in-person seminar groups. These materials will allow definition of the scope of the syllabus, give an introduction to a body of knowledge, and model suitable critical approaches within the framework of Film Studies. These lecture materials will make use of PowerPoint, podcast style recordings, and clips accessible on the IPTV streaming service. They also focus on developing the skill set required for essay writing. These materials and activities should serve as a foundation to support seminars, students’ own independent study and assessment preparation. In addition to this, online guided learning activities seek to bridge the gap between seminars, lecture materials and independent study by offering some structure to independent study tasks, such as secondary reading, close film analysis and seminar preparation.

All knowledge outcomes are addressed by this combination of in-person seminars and non-synchronous online guided learning formats. The module is taught in English. All primary materials and secondary materials are either in English or subtitled. Drop-in surgery hours provide a space for individual feedback and support, in addition to staff feedback and consultation hours.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The semester 1 summative assessment, in the form of an in-person exam, allows students to build on the feedback gained from the formative assessment and the knowledge and skills developed over both semesters to author an assessed essay that asks them to develop a comparative approach to at least two films studied on the module in relation to broader conceptual and/or contextual frames. Students will demonstrate an awareness of the wider film context as well as demonstrate further their awareness of film style and technique.

The semester 2 summative (and formative) assessed essay allows students to demonstrate their awareness of the specificity of the film medium and the styles and techniques used in different films, which they are asked to approach comparatively. It enables them to practice and receive timely feedback on comparative approaches to analysis and essay writing, where they engage with conceptual, contextual and/or historical frames of reference in order to structure these comparisons.

In addition to this, students are offered to opportunity to complete a practice essay during Semester 2 (to be submitted no later than Week 8). Feedback will be provided with a view to supporting completion of the summative assessment at the end of Semester 2.