MEDIA 101: Film Studies
SEMESTER 2, 2020
15 points
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Course Convenor: Dr. Jenny Stümer
Email - jenny.stuemer@auckland.ac.nz
Office - HSB (building 201E), rm 526
Office Hour: Tuesday 10-11
Tutors/GTAs:
Matt Allan (headtutor): mall745@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Office Hour: Tuesday 1-2, HSB rm 528
Laura Bunting: lbun626@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Office Hour: Monday 2-3, HSB rm 525
Reuben Fong: rfon572@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Office Hour: Monday 1-2 and Tuesday 3-4, HSB rm 534
Sunny Liu: zliu823@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Office Hour: Friday 12-1 HSB rm 528
Find out about the schedule and who your GTA is here.
Course Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/973443619764211/
TUAKANA MENTOR
Kura Turuwhenua: ktur869@aucklanduni.c.nz
For information about Tuākana click here.
Course delivery:
Lectures: Wednesday 2:00PM to 4:00PM Owen G Glenn, Room 115
Tutorials: 1 hour per week
Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)
PLEASE NOTE THAT TUTORIALS WILL BE TAUGHT CONSECUTIVELY AFTER THE LECTURE (This means tutorials start on Thursday and end on Wednesday (rather than Monday - Friday). If your tutorial is scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays your first Tutorial will be in week 1 after the lecture. If your tutorial is scheduled on Monday, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, your first tutorial will take place early in week 2 before the second lecture.
Class reps:
Mary Joy Colmenar: mcol790@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Chantal Dalebroux: cdal842@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Lisa Howard: lhow007@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Course Description:
This course explores a series of significant films, from the introduction of cinema to the present.We are interested in questions such as: What is cinema? How do we study film? And, most importantly, what kind of relationships does film establish with the world we live in?
Students will develop a historical perspective, an awareness of film-making as an art and an interest in the relationship between films and society, including debates about race, gender, etc. We will use the films we study to think about histories and futures, and use film as a lens to consider memory and culture. We will look at the ways in which film negotiates different identities and perspectives and how all this is related to larger questions of cultural politics.
The course provides an introduction to the formal techniques and conventions of feature filmmaking and presents some of the main traditions of film criticism. Over the semester students will become acquainted with the basic concepts of Film Studies, gain an appreciation for the depth and richness of narrative film, and acquire critical and analytical viewing skills.
Lectures Schedule:
(Please make sure you watch the film each week before the lecture)
I: The Myth and the Spectacle: Cinema begins…
Week 1 Introduction: Film begins
II: Hollywood vs. The French New Wave: Editing Iconic Styles and Style Icons
Week 2 Some Like it Hot (dir. Billy Wilder, 1959)
Week 3 Cleo from 5 to 7 (dir. Agnes Varda, 1962)
III: Sound Illusions: Hearing Film – Erasing Voices
Week 4 Singin' in the Rain (dir. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, 1952)
IV: Cinematography and Genre: Vampires around the World
Week 5 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (dir. Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014)
Week 6 What We Do in the Shadows (dir. Taika Waititi, 2014)
V: Time and Space through Mise-en-Scène: Memory and Loss
Week 7 The Grand Budapest Hotel (dir. Wes Anderson, 2014)
Week 8 Chungking Express (dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 1994)
VI: Perspective and Special Effects: Mapping the World through the Child’s Eye
Week 9 Coraline (dir. Henry Selick, 2009)
Week 10 Beasts of the Southern Wild (dir. Benh Zeitlin, 2012)
VII: Wakanda Forever - The Superhero Blockbuster and Radical Politics
Week 11 Black Panther (dir. Ryan Coogler, 2018)
* all films are available at the library
Course outcomes:
A student who successfully completes this course will be able to
- learn how to view films with an understanding of their historical, industrial and/or social background
- understand the key concepts of film studies as well as the main traditions of film criticism
- understand film as an aesthetic construct consisting of various formal elements
- carry out film analysis based on a strong understanding of film techniques and their effects
- acquire skills related to writing critically about film
How to succeed in film studies:
Reading Assignments
Written Assignments & Final Exam
Assessment Summary:
Weekly exercises and tutorial participation: 10%
Film analysis: 15%
Film essay: 25%
Final exam: 50 %
Prescribed Text (available from UBIQ):
Recommended Texts:
Recommended readings in the form of articles or chapters related to specific films will be made available on Canvas under 'Reading Lists'.
Required Films:
Many of the films can be streamed via the library/Talis. Please check the Reading list for details. All required films are available as DVDs at the library and you can watch them onsite.
Of course you can also source them through your own preferred channels.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE FILM EACH WEEK BEFORE THE LECTURE
Additional learning resources:
Lecture slides: posted on Canvas after each week's lecture (see Modules)
Lecture recordings: While lecture recordings will be available on Canvas, this is never a substitute for lecture attendance. We cannot guarantee that the recording technology will work smoothly each week or that recordings will be made available before the relevant tutorial (at which you will be required to discuss issues raised in the lecture). We may also edit material out for copyright reasons. International research has shown that students learn more effectively by using recordings to supplement in-class learning e.g. for clarifying or revising specific material, rather than relying on them as an alternative to attendance.
Workload and submission of coursework:
The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material.
Extensions and Late Penalties
You should submit your work on time. If you find yourself in circumstances that prevent you from submitting the assignment on time, you may seek an extension, but please do so before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised by loss of marks (1 mark/point per day). There should be a good reason for seeking an extension (e.g. illness, family emergency, etc.) and it will be up to your tutor or the lecturer to determine whether your situation warrants more time for the assignment. In general, we can only help you, if we know what is going on, so please come and talk to us.
Course summary:
Date | Details | Due |
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