| Unit name | Topics in Film and Television History 2 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FATV20040 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Street |
| 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 |
Why is this unit important:
This unit allows students to expand their understanding of Film and Television histories through the study of a selection of topics. These might include specific currents or periods (such as Italian Neorealism, New Hollywood or the Second Wave of Iranian Cinema), genres (e.g., the western, the musical, the biopic, the sitcom, the crime drama) or themes (e.g., masculinity in film and television, the relationship between TV, gender and domesticity, the representation of children in Japanese anime), among others. As part of this unit, students will refine their contextual study skills and develop research projects on selected aspects of film history and historiography.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study:
This unit will build on the foundational knowledge introduced in Topics in Film and Television History 1 and equip students with a robust set of landmarks they can use to situate works, artists and currents, among others. As part of this unit, students will plan, research and write longer essays, which will prepare them for the Dissertations they can carry out in their Final year.
Overview of Content:
The unit is organised around advanced contextual frameworks (topics) through which students develop a critical understanding of film and television history and historiography. Though topics will be varied and include materials from different geographical and cultural contexts, they will have precise foci to enable students to acquire deeper knowledge, develop advanced research skills and articulate nuanced perspectives on the chosen case studies. Topics will vary but may include early British documentary, post-Franco Spanish Cinema, UFA and the birth of German Expressionism, New Argentine Cinema of the late 90s and early 2000s, the history of Channel 4's Independent Film and Video Department, or TV’s historical relationship with the Vietnam War, among others. Students will critically examine the historiography of canon formation and other dominant disciplinary historical narratives, while engaging with an assortment of foregrounded and hidden or neglected film and television histories.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit:
Students will develop a robust understanding of Film and Television history and historiography in general, and concrete topics specifically. They will also be able to critically situate, analyse, and discuss film and television works and artists within historical frameworks. Students will also develop advanced research skills, working with primary and secondary sources to produce scholarship that offers a nuanced and critical perspective on the relationship between film, television and history.
Learning Outcomes:
Weekly lectures/seminars and screenings.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
This unit does not carry credit-bearing formative tasks, but there will be several formative tasks and exercises. You will receive feedback for these tasks, and they will prepare you to develop and submit successful summative outputs.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3500-word essay or 15-minute-long video essay (100%) [ILOs 1-3]
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. FATV20040).
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.
