Film Studies

Course summary

This course of study encourages students to watch, engage critically with and explore a wide range of film; to develop and sustain confident, personal responses to film via textual analysis; and to enjoy a variety of critically acclaimed films across the major genres. These include films from different cultural perspectives, films from the Silent Era to the present day, and different forms of film, including documentary, shorts and experimental. The course consists of a mix of examined and practical non-examined assessments (NEA) which is essentially coursework. Practical (NEA) work offers students the opportunity to produce a short film together with an evaluation. Students are required to study a range of critically recognised and culturally significant set films from a range of different national cinemas, contexts and film forms (including documentary, short and experimental). The micro elements of film form (cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing and sound) are still the primary tools of film analysis. Performance has been introduced as an additional micro- element. Students must study set films from a range of time periods from the silent era to present day as well as aesthetics and a range of specified critical approaches, including two filmmakers’ theories on film.