MCH2001 : Film Theory for Practice 2: Why Cinema?
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Raisa Sidenova
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
This module builds on Film Theory for Practice 1: What is Cinema?, which provided an introduction to classic and contemporary film theory. In Film Theory for Practice 2: Why Cinema? students will engage with advanced topics in film theory. Drawing on a range of theoretical approaches to film such as cognitive film theory, film philosophy, Third cinema among others, students will explore the political and cultural impact of cinema in contemporary society.
The module will pay particular attention to the impact of digital technologies on thinking about film and its place in arts and society. As Film Theory for Practice 1, this module will focus not only on important theoretical texts but also on writings of filmmakers-theorists from around the world.
Aims:
1. To provide students with a critical survey of the principal authors and concepts in contemporary film theory.
2. To provide students with an insight into the aesthetic debates and their relationship to broader politics and ideologies of today.
3. To provide students with an understanding of social forces and functions of cinema as a mass art in the era of the mobile screens.
4. To facilitate students to be able to write in a scholarly way about cinema and contemporary society.
Outline Of Syllabus
Topics may include:
Advanced theoretical approaches to film including Marxism, postcolonialism, film philosophy, cognitive film theory.
The digital turn and its impact on film production, aesthetics, and political functions.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Lecture materials on theoretical frameworks, concepts and debates. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 57:00 | 57:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 55:00 | 55:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 1 | 55:00 | 55:00 | Reading and watching in preparation for class. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Student-led interrogations and discussion of theories. On-campus. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This module will be delivered through a combination of lectures and student-led workshops / seminars that set out and test key theories and concepts. The combination of illustrated lectures to give a structure and context for learning and reading-based discussion in seminars will enable students to have both the breadth and depth of understanding.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | A | 90 | 3000-word manifesto |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | A | 10 | Participation and engagement |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The rationale for the assessments is to enable the students to demonstrate their intellectual grasp of film theory and key concepts through class participation and engagement as well as through the writing of a 3000-word manifesto.
They will be expected to draw on a range of film theorists and movements (fiction and documentary) in order to demonstrate their knowledge and critical understanding of different and divergent critiques of film theory, the cinema and society.
The professional skills assessment (10%) will account for students' classroom contribution and module citizenship. This is not based solely on registered attendance - seminar contribution, feedback discussions and peer-to-peer engagement will be monitored on a weekly basis.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MCH2001's Timetable