Reading the Screen: An Introduction to Film Studies module (EN11003)

In this module you will view films hailing from the birth of cinema to the present day. We teach you how to 'read' a film, with a focus on film-making technique as well as historical and cultural context. We explore key techniques and issues in Film Studies including:

• Mise en scene – lighting, costume, sound, colour, framing, camerawork
• editing
• narrative
• auteur theory
• voyeurism, spectatorship and the ‘male gaze’
• genre

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• be introduced to the critical study of film
• establish the technical vocabulary for analysing film
• learn to identify basic theoretical concerns associated with Film Studies
• develop skills in reading for, and preparing written papers
• explore key debates surrounding Film Studies

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• identify the significant elements of a film frame and sequence of shots
• discuss and write about film using an appropriate vocabulary
• critically analyse a sequence of film
• demonstrate the ability to engage with key theoretical and historical issues in Film Studies
• demonstrate skills in research, working to programme referencing conventions

Assignments / assessment

• close analysis exercise 1,500 words (40%)
• final essay 2,500 words (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

There is a

• weekly lecture (1 hour)
• weekly seminar (2 hours)

Here is an example of a schedule of weekly topics to be studied: