Lecturer in charge: Dr Rachel Moseley-Wood [Room 59 – New Arts Block]

Literacy may be defined as ‘the capacity to interpret and negotiate a system of signs'. While most people in modern societies are already familiar with the system of signs that operates in mainstream or commercial cinema, the course seeks to introduce students to basic elements of film language, theory and practice in order to foster a critical and more sophisticated understanding of the rules, conventions and structures that govern film. The course will sensitise students to the complexity of meaning produced in films and will introduce them to the vocabulary of film criticism. Students will be required to view and analyse a core of six films. In addition, they will also be required to attend regularly scheduled screenings that will feature older films, independent, foreign and third world films, documentaries and ethnographic films. These screenings will both enhance students' study of the six core films as well as increase their exposure to film practices outside of commercial or dominant cinema.

Prerequisite: None

Instruction:

Two one-hour lectures and one two-hour screening session per week, plus one tutorial hour per week.

Evaluation: Tutorial presentation 10%
Review journal (comments, reviews, responses to films screened) 10%
Essay (2,000 words) 30%
Final in-course test 50%

Highly Recommended Text:

Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film . (Longman pb)