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Course: 2020/2021

Film Studies

(13522)

Study: Bachelor in Film, Television and Media Studies (211)

Coordinating teacher: FERNANDEZ-RODRIGUEZ LABAYEN, MIGUEL

Department assigned to the subject: Department of Communication and Media Studies

Type: Compulsory

ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course: 4º

Semester: 1º

Students are expected to have completed

Students are expected to have completed 'Moving Image History' and 'Reading Moving Image'.

Competences and skills that will be acquired and learning results. Further information on this link

1-Competence to understand and analyse cinema from an academic perspective. 2-A broad knowledge of the main film theories and methodologies. 3-Competence to apply the different theories and methodologies in film analysis and research. 4-Competence to research the field of film studies and understand its problematics.

Description of contents: programme

1-What is cinema? Introduction and basic concepts. 1.1-Ways of understanding Cinema. Industry, Institution, Culture, Aesthetic. 1.2-Film Modes and Worlds: Documentary, Experimental and Fiction. 1.3-Development of film theories. 1.4-Film studies as a discipline. 2-Realism and Auteur Cinema. 2.1-The problem of realism: Aristarco, Bazin, Kracauer. 2.2-New realisms: from frame to pixel. 2.3-Film's vindications: auteur cinema and Third Cinema. Art and Politics. 3-Formalism and Textual Analysis. 3.1-Russian Formalism: Vertov, Eisenstein. 3.2-Textual passion and film as a language: semiotics and structuralism. 3.3-The post-stucturalist reform. 4-Identity Politics and Reception Theories. 4.1-Feminism and gender studies. 4.2-Cultural studies, multicultural phenomena. 4.3-Visionary pleasures. Reception and fandom.

Learning activities and methodology

1-Lectures Theoretical classes that give the student a notion about the different film theories. 2-Practices Case studies. 3-Student work Writing of an essay supervised by the professor. 4-Midterm exam

Assessment System

-Final Exam: 50 %

-Essay/Student work/Debates/Class Participation: 50 %

-Active participation is highly encouraged and will be taken into consideration in terms of the final grade of each student.

-Students must pass the final exam in order to pass the course. That is to say, a minimum grade of 2,5 out of 5 (5 out of 10) in the final is needed so as to be able to pass the class.

-Plagiarism is strictly forbidden and implies a 0 out of 10 on the final grade.

-Attendance to class is mandatory. Students who do not come to 70 % of the classes will have to take the final exam for a total of 60 % of their final grade in January (being their in-class grade a 0) or for 100 % of their final grade in June.

% end-of-term-examination 50
% of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 50

Basic Bibliography

CHURCH GIBSON, Pamela and HILL, John (eds.).. Film Studies: critical approaches.. Oxford University Press. 2000
CORRIGAN, Timothy. A short guide to writing about film. Longman. 2010
DAVIS, Glyn; DICKINSON, Kay; PATTI, Lisa; VILLAREJO, Amy. . Film Studies: A Global Introduction. Routledge. 2015
ELSAESSER, Thomas y HAGENER, Malte. Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses. Routledge. 2009
McDONALD, Kevin. Film Theory: The Basics. Routledge. 2016

Additional Bibliography

BORDWELL, David y CARROLL, Nöel (eds.).. Post-theory. Reconstructing film studies.. University of Wisconsin Press. 1996
BRAUDY, Leo y COHEN, Marshall (eds.).. Film Theory and Criticism. Introductory Readings.. Oxford University Press. 2009
CHURCH GIBSON, Pamela y HILL, John (eds.).. Film Studies: critical approaches. Oxford University Press. 2000
ELSAESSER, Thomas y HAGENER, Malte. Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses.. Routledge.. 2009
GLEDHILL, Christine y WILLIAMS, Linda (eds.). Reinventing Film Studies. Oxford University Press. 2000
GRIEVESON, Lee y WASSON, Haidee (eds.).. Inventing Film Studies. Duke University Press.. 2008
MILLER, Toby y STAM, Robert (eds).. Film and theory. An anthology. Blackwell Publishers. 2000
MILLER, Toby y STAM, Robert (eds.).. A Companion to Film Theory. Blackwell Publishers. 2004
NICHOLS, Bill. Engaging Cinema. An Introduction to Film Studies. W.W. Norton.. 2010
NICHOLS, Bill (ed.).. Movies and Methods. Volume 2. University of California Press. 1985
POLAN, Dana. Scenes of Instruction: The Beginnings of the U.S. Study of Film. University of California Press. 2007
RODOWICK, D. N.. The Virtual Life of Film. Harvard University Press. 2007
SITNEY, P. Adams (ed.).. The Avant-Garde Film. A Reader of Theory and Criticism. Anthology Film Archives. 1987.
WASSON, Haidee. Museum movies: The Museum of Modern Art and the birth of art cinema. University of California Press. 2005

Electronic Resources *

· Senses of Cinema : http://sensesofcinema.com
Catherine Grant · Film Studies for free : http://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.com.es
David Bordwell · David Bordwell's website on cinema : http://www.davidbordwell.net
Thomas Elsaesser & Malte Hagener · Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses : http://www.routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/9781138824300/

(*) Access to some electronic resources may be restricted to members of the university community and require validation through Campus Global. If you try to connect from outside of the University you will need to set up a VPN

The course syllabus and the academic weekly planning may change due academic events or other reasons.