module specification

Film and television since the 1950s has periodically undertaken significant shifts in terms of production, texts, audiences, and relation to politics, society, technology, and culture. This history reads as a series of revolutionary changes and developments. This module introduces students to the revolutions and history of film and tv from 1950 to date.

Students will explore key developments in the history of film since 1950 such as the series of waves and new approaches to realism; the development of European and international art cinema; the impact of television upon film; the development of the blockbuster and franchise model of production; the relation of film to political history; new social movements and cinema; the emergence of third-cinema and postcolonial film; postmodern film movements; and the digital revolution impacting film and television streaming. You will identify key aspects of these revolutions in national cinema, new realism, art cinema, relations to technology, society, culture, politics and history. The transformation of Hollywood and ambition of Italian Neorealism, the British New Wave, the French New Wave, European and International art cinema, and new American cinema will be discussed and you will analyse editing techniques, elements of mise en scene, and cinematography. The emergence third-cinema, film of the global south, and post-colonial texts will be evaluated. Postmodern movements, such as Dogme 95, and the move to digital platforms will be critically assessed. 

Students will understand key moments in the revolution of film and tv and be able to contextualise within broader cultural, industrial, technological, political and social contexts.

Attention is primarily given to feature films, but documentary, experimental, and non-canonical films will be scrutinised, and both feature and short-length will be screened and considered.

The aims of this module are to:

1. Introduce students to a range of a range of core developments in the history of film and television post 1950.
2. Encourage students to deploy critical methods of analysis to film and television history.
3. Enable students to critically appraise the historical landscape of film and television post 1950.
4. Explore the relationship between film and television and the contexts of history, politics, society, technology, and culture.

The module provides an overview of some key developments in the revolutionary nature of film and television history post 1950. This is examined in broader cultural, industrial, technological, political and social contexts. LO1-3

The module also examines where relevant aesthetic and formal features including the evolution of editing, mise en scene, cinematography, sound, narrative, non-narrative and generic characteristics.  LO1-4

The module introduces students to the history of film from 1950 to date. It explores key developments, movements and trends in countries such as America, Britain, Italy, France, Japan as well as the global south, including the transformation of Hollywood; Italian Neorealism; British Social Realism; European art cinema (Scandinavia); international art cinema (Japan); the French New Wave; New American Cinema; the blockbuster and franchise mode of production; third and postcolonial cinema; new social movements and identity in cinema; Dogme 95; and the digital revolution in film and tv. LO1-4

This module introduces key academic skill for students of film such as historical analysis, research sources, referring to secondary sources in academic writing, and essay writing so that students acquire the necessary knowledge and theoretical background to move to level 5. These skills are embedded with an essay.

Scheduled teaching provides the guidance and foundation to ensure that independent study is effective in addressing the module’s learning outcomes and assessment tasks.

• Lectures

• Seminars

• Varied student-centred approaches such as active, flipped, and blended learning.

• Screening and analysis

• Student presentations

• Individual coursework

• Blended learning through the use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)

• Embed the ESJF in fostering learning that is enjoyable, accessible, relevant and that takes account of the social and cultural context and capital of its students.

• Activities foster peer-to-peer community building and support for learning. Reflective learning is promoted through interim formative feedback points asking students to reflect on their progress, identify the opportunity for improvement, and make recommendations to themselves for future development.

Formative and summative feedback is provided after each coursework, in written form on WebLearn, in-class after the in-class presentation, by email or in person after an individual appointment.

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

LO1: Understand and analyse film texts within their context of production.

LO2: Deploy accurately established models of analysis in the field of film history.

LO3: Manage their own learning and make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources appropriate to the subject.

LO4: Exhibit skills of oral presentation, group work and reflexivity through the seminar process and course work.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/6B4FB155-E122-DE14-9555-E61929B1BD77.html