Module UXS-1062:
Film Language
Module Facts
Run by School of Arts, Culture and Language
20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits
Semester 1
Organiser: Dr Steffan Thomas
Overall aims and purpose
- To provide knowledge of key terms and issues surrounding the analysis of film/television form.
- To introduce students to a range of formal choices that can be made by filmmakers.
- To interrogate the way in which filmmakers construct meaning using a range of devices in film.
Course content
This module provides students with a toolkit for the analysis of the moving image and aims to provide students with a technical vocabulary to enable them to analyse and to discuss how films communicate meaning. The individual elements of this toolkit are analysed in detail. Lectures cover topics such as: Mise-en-Scene, Editing, Camerawork, Sound, Lighting, and Style. Weekly screenings illustrate relevant aspects of film form.
Films to be screened may include: A Man Escaped (Bresson, 1956), Heathers (Lehmann, 1988), Run Lola Run (Tykwer, 1998), Bourne Ultimatum (Greengrass, 2007), Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958), Cabin in the Woods (Whedon, 2012) and Moulin Rouge! (Luhrman, 2001)
Assessment Criteria
good
B
- Strong knowledge
- Understands most but not all
- Evidence of background study
- Focussed answer with good structure
- Arguments presented coherently
- Mostly free of factual and computational errors
- Some limited original interpretation
- Well known links between topics are described
- Problems addressed by existing methods/approaches
- Good presentation with accurate communication
excellent
A
- Comprehensive knowledge
- Detailed understanding
- Extensive background study
- Highly focussed answer and well structured
- Logically presented and defended arguments
- No factual/computational errors
- Original interpretation
- New links between topics are developed
- New approach to a problem
- Excellent presentation with very accurate communication
threshold
D
- Knowledge of key areas/principles only
- Weaknesses in understanding of main areas
- Limited evidence of background study
- Answer only poorly focussed on question and with some irrelevant material and poor structure
- Arguments presented but lack coherence
- Several factual/computational errors
- No original interpretation
- Only major links between topics are described
- Limited problem solving
- Many weaknesses in presentation and accuracy
Learning outcomes
-
Be able to read and analyse a moving image text in a structured and informed way
-
Have access to a technical and critical vocabulary relevant to the discussion of audio-visual imagery
-
Understand the workings of shot structure and scene composition
-
Be able to analyse short film clips, paying attention to their formal techniques
-
Be able to assimilate visual information and use that information to construct a written argument
Assessment Methods
Type | Name | Description | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Film analysis | 60.00 | ||
Sight-unseen audiovisual analysis | 40.00 |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Hours | ||
---|---|---|
3 hour screening per week |
33 | |
Private study | 145 | |
Workshop | 1 hour workshop per week |
11 |
Lecture | 1 hour lecture per week |
11 |
Courses including this module
Compulsory in courses:
- W62B: BA Film Studies (4 year with Incorporated Foundation) year 1 (BA/FLM1)
- W62P: BA Film Studies with Placement Year year 1 (BA/FLMP)
- 2W89: BA Film Studies (with International Experience) year 1 (BA/FSIE)
- W610: BA Film Studies and Production year 1 (BA/FSP)
- P35W: Film Stud with Theatre & Performance with International Exp. year 1 (BA/FSTPIE)
- V1W7: BA History with Film Studies with International Experience year 1 (BA/HFSIE)
- P31B: BA Media Studies (4 year with Incorporated Foundation) year 1 (BA/MS1)
- P30F: BA Media Studies [with Foundation Year] year 1 (BA/MSF)
- 8U76: BA Media Studies (with International Experience) year 1 (BA/MSIE)
- P30P: BA Media Studies with Placement Year year 1 (BA/MSP)
Optional in courses:
- W890: BA Creative&Professional Writing year 1 (BA/CPW)
- W89P: BA Creative and Professional Writing with Placement Year year 1 (BA/CPWP)
- W899: BA Creative & Professional Writing with International Exp year 1 (BA/CRIE)
- WPQ1: BA Creative Studies (with International Experience) year 1 (BA/CSIE)
- WPQ0: BA Creative Studies year 1 (BA/CST)
- WPQB: BA Creative Studies (4 year with Incorporated Foundation) year 1 (BA/CST1)
- WP83: BA Media Studies & Creative Wrtng year 1 (BA/CWMS)
- 32M8: BA English Literature with Theatre and Performance year 1 (BA/ELTP)
- 2P17: BA English Literature and Creative Writing year 1 (BA/ENCW)
- 8H25: BA English Literature year 1 (BA/ENGL)
- 8H2P: BA English Literature with Placement Year year 1 (BA/ENGLP)
- 8H26: BA English Literature (with International Experience) year 1 (BA/ENIE)
- 3P3Q: BA Film Studies and English Literature year 1 (BA/FSEL)
- P3W5: BA Film Studies with Theatre and Performance year 1 (BA/FSTP)
- WW39: BA Music and Creative Writing with International Experience year 1 (BA/MCWIE)
- P316: BA Media Studies and Production year 1 (BA/MEDP)
- 3HPQ: BA Media Studies and English Literature year 1 (BA/MEN)
- R803: BA Modern Languages & Film Studies year 1 (BA/MLFS)
- R802: BA Modern Languages & Media Studies year 1 (BA/MLMS)
- PW33: BA Media Studies and Music year 1 (BA/MSMUS)
- P3WL: BA Media Studies with Theatre and Performance year 1 (BA/MSTP)
- P3WB: BA Media Stud with Theatre & Perform (4yr with Incorp Found) year 1 (BA/MSTP1)
- WW38: BA Music and Creative Writing year 1 (BA/MUSCW)
- WW36: BA Music and Film Studies year 1 (BA/MUSFS)