FILM STUDIES

What is film?

Course Structure

Assessment

• Paper 01 - Film History and Film Form (2 hours)
• Paper 02 - Critical Approaches (2 hours)
• NEA - 5 minute short film

FIRST TERM

First term

• Micro-Features
• Aesthetics
• Hollywood Film History
• Practical tasks to practice for NEA - like editing.

SECOND TERM

Second Term

• Experimental film
• European Film
• Film Theories
• Authorship & Spectatorship
• Macro Features of film
• Filmmaking practice assignments

THIRD TERM

THIRD TERM

• Applying theory to practice
• Making storyboards
• Shooting
• Editing

SECOND YEAR

SECOND YEAR

• British & American Film comparison
• Documentary
• Ideology (comparing three films of the same theme)

Am I interested?

• Are you interested in cinematography, colours, music, dialogue or editing?
• Do you thrive on being creative?
• Are you curious about finding new films and stories?
• Do you have a favourite film?
• Are you a critical thinker?

What can I do with this?

Extras!

Extras!

CONTACT

• richard.donne@qmc.ac.uk
• james.fraser-murison@qmc.ac.uk
• niamh.james@qmc.ac.uk
• katherine.harnett@qmc.ac.uk

Any questions?

How do you get an A grade?

• Attend all lessons
• Complete all work
• Work at home
• Start revision from day one
• Use feedback to improve

Preparation Work

• Watch a film older than your parents
• Buy (and read!) a copy of Sight and Sound or Little White Lies (or both!)
• Watch a film, and answer the following: "Who is the target audience, and how is the film addressing them?"

Film History

FireFly

This section focuses on micro-elements and construction of meaning & response by filmmaker & spectator, focussing on US films from the Silent Era to 1990.

In the exam:

• 10 mark questions
• A 15 mark question
• 35 mark questions

Things to look for

• Mise-en-scene
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Sound
• Performance

You will be assessed on terminology and application of understanding

Untitled Slide

• Questions will focus on: • the micro-elements of film form • aesthetics • meaning
• Critical debates on: • film poetics

In short, you will be asked to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of elements of film and their development over time.
• Apply knowledge and understanding of elements of film to: 1. (a) analyse and (b) compare films, (c) including through the use of critical approaches 2. evaluate the significance of critical approaches

Sample questions

• With reference to examples from one film from the silent era and examples from one film from 1961–1990, compare how the use of sound and editing creates aesthetic effects for the spectator. (35)

With reference to a sequence from the film made between 1930–1960 which you have studied,explain how diegetic and non-diegetic sound have been used to create meaning in the sequence (10)

How do you think film has changed over time, from its invention to the present day?