Course Resources Archive

This module aims to introduce students to the fundamental aspects of film theory, history and textual analysis so that they can understand how film becomes a marketable and creative product.

The film industry has long established traditions for conveying meaning and engaging with its audiences, from the set pieces of the western to the complex narratives of art cinema. Each of these structure certain responses to the film text and invite the audience to read and decipher what takes place, whilst situating any given film within a certain market demographic. This module explores the core techniques of composition and students will be introduced to fundamental principles such as editing, cinematography, sound and mise-en-scène. The specific engagement that narrative offers will be addressed through the exploration of its basic values, the classical style and art cinema variations.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Confidently use and understand key terminology, concepts and theories in relation to the principles of film

2. Understand and analyse the techniques that are used to construct films and their meanings

3. Establish the differences between classical narrative and alternative narrative techniques

4. Understand how audiences make meaning out of film

5. Conduct academic research using a variety of sources

6. Convey understanding through analytical writing skills

7. Understand and implement academic conventions

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.