| Unit name | Topics in Film and TV History |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FATV10012 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Alex Clayton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Film and Television |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
Why is this unit important:
In this unit students are introduced to the multiple histories of film and television through the study of a selection of topics. These might be organised stylistically (e.g., expressionism, realism), geographically (e.g., the French New Wave, British Public Service Broadcasting) or thematically (e.g., the city in film and television, the past on screen), among others. Through such approach, students will be introduced to key touchstones in film and TV history, including significant films, programmes, events, movements, and genres. At the same time, students will learn about different ways film and TV are periodised and historicised, and the politics informing such conceptualisations.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study:
The unit will provide contextual reference points for future study and develop student expertise in researching, analysing, debating and discussing film and television texts within historical frameworks. It also helps students develop an understanding of how film and television have changed over time, with regard to technological advances, national and industrial contexts, artistic innovations, and contexts of reception.
Overview of Content:
The unit provides a set of contextual frameworks (topics) within which students will address specific histories and case studies relating to film and television. Topics will draw from the across the history of the media, from the invention of cinema to the beginning of mass television ownership. Topics will also be designed to consider the implications of technological, cultural, and aesthetic developments and movements. Topics will vary but may include silent cinema and the arrival of sound, ‘Classic Hollywood’ and European film from 1930-1960, Japanese cinema in the 1950s, national broadcasting and early live television drama, among others.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit:
Students will develop critical expertise in researching, analysing, debating and discussing film and television within historical frameworks. They will also learn to criticize and contextualise historization and periodisation, reflecting analytically on how these processes are informed by and inform different politics and traditions.
Learning Outcomes:
Weekly seminar, lecture and screening, supported by self-directed tasks where appropriate.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
1X 500 word essay plan
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1X 2500 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FATV10012).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
