Course Description

Film Studies is an exploration of a wide variety of films across time and style, and helps broaden knowledge and understanding of the range of responses films can generate. There are opportunities to study mainstream and independent British and American films from the past and present, as well as more recent global films, both in English and non-English languages. The theoretical knowledge and understanding of film will be assessed in exam components and applied to practical non-exam assessment of either a short film or pre-production work.

Course Content

The year one course introduces you to the language of film and provides you with the tools to decode and analyse film texts. You will study Global films made inside and outside of Europe, not in the English language as well as American film forms and the growth of Hollywood. You will investigate the codes and conventions of these Hollywood and global films, and explore issues of representation that reflects the production context of the films. The final element of the year is a study of a documentary film and the significance of digital technology.

The year two course takes you away from the comforts of Hollywood/popular cinema and challenges you to explore more technical and complex film texts in the quest to become a more rounded student of film. You will study a film movement such as expressionism, constructivism or a New Wave. You will also study a British film, exploring narrative and ideology. The Non-Exam Assessment constitutes one production and its evaluative analysis. There will be a brief to follow, which will give some requirements within the product, which can be either a short film (4-5 minutes), or a screenplay for a short film and a digitally photographed storyboard, each requiring an evaluative analysis of 1250 – 1500 words.

How am I assessed?

Assessment at the end of year two will be two examinations totalling 70%, including the topics covering classical Hollywood, Hollywood across time, contemporary independent film, film movements, documentary, global film and short films. The non-exam assessment is worth 30% of the qualification. This will take the form of a short film (3-5 minutes) or a screenplay for a film and a digitally photographed storyboard, both accompanied with an evaluative analysis.

What could I do next?

Film Studies is a popular subject for Higher Education. In a rapidly developing world where media forms are pervading all aspects of life, the study of the film text at this level often requires that students have interests beyond the realm of a single subject. Transferable skills are often acquired through acute awareness, therefore, in subjects such as History, Politics, Sociology, the Arts and English Literature to name a few.

These skills are enabling and have permitted many Film Studies graduates to continue onto an equally wide-ranging career path including occupations such as screenwriters, journalists, producers, publishers, photographic journalists, directors, teachers, sound engineers, writers, radio producers, animators and film industry exhibition.