Module manager: Dr Rob Miles
Email: R.J.Miles1@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Introduction to Film Studies 1 introduces students to the key concepts in film studies through an original and democratic approach. Rather than adopting the usual division between Hollywood and the rest of the world, the module looks at these concepts from the perspective of World Cinema; that is, a polycentric phenomenon with peaks of creation in different places and periods. Through the exploration of 3 thematic blocks comprising 'shot', 'sound' and 'colour', students will be introduced to key histories (from the silent period to the present day), ideas and concepts in films studies, and they will learn how to read a film and use film-specific vocabulary.
The objectives of the module are to:
- offer a positive definition of World Cinema, based on a polycentric approach to film studies;
- explain how films interconnect across history and geography;
- introduce students to research in film studies and new scholarship on the subject;
- teach students how to read a film and conduct film analysis;
- introduce students to the standard concepts, information and techniques relevant to film studies
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. awareness of the basic concepts, information, practical competencies and techniques which are a standard feature of film studies through written coursework and in-class discussion;
2. the role in the production of meaning and image-making;
3. some knowledge of the critical terminology relevant to film through critical analysis of films
Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. an ability to use critical terminology relevant to film and visual culture more generally
5. an ability to identify how audio-visual images circulate in the modern world;
6. engage in relevant debates pertaining to how visual images alter our understanding of identity, and vice versa
This module will introduce students to the key concepts in film studies, as well as exploring what we mean by ‘film style’ and ‘film form’. . An introductory session will set out the topics to be discussed throughout the programme: cinephilia and society, film history, genre, technical innovation and creativity, the role of the auteur, film, politics and economics. The rest of the module will be dedicated to exploring the specificity of film, as an audio-visual medium. Students will explore these topics through a combination of seminars and lectures.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Student progress will be monitored on a regular basis via classroom participation and group discussion.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 1,500 word film clip analysis (essay) | 70 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 70 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Online MCQ | 1.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 30 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 06/03/2024
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