Film and screen studies ba(hons)

Year 1

• Screen Histories 1

  In this module you will explore a range of screen practices and screen histories from the Victorian period to the emergence of the ‘Movie Palace’ to the rise and decline of the Hollywood studio system in the post-war period. You will be introduced to the scientific, technological, economic and cultural factors which led to the development of the film industry. The module draws attention to the continuities and discontinuities that are found across these histories, and presents a critical perspective on the methodologies used to understand the past.

• Screen Industries

  In this module you will look at the industrial and professional aspects of screen media institutions, and issues of economics, politics, creativity and cultural labour. You will be introduced to theories of political economy and draw on contemporary examples across a range of areas including film, television, video games, and digital media. You will be taught with input from industry practitioners. Consideration is also given to the pressing issue of media convergence.

• Key Issues in Screen Studies

  This module will introduce you to major concepts used for the analysis of screen texts, by drawing on elements from the disciplines of film studies, media studies and cultural studies. Each week you will focus on one particular concept, such as narrative, editing, cinematography, ideology, representation and so on. You will be encouraged to consider the ways in which these concepts are useful in analysing different screen media.

• Screen Histories 2

  In this module you will examine screen practices during the global development and expansion of screen cultures in the latter half of the twentieth century, and the early twenty-first century. You will explore the emergence and development of post-war screen media, such as television, the personal computer and networked digital technologies, and explore issues of public service broadcasting, the video nasties debate, the emergence of the Internet, and the impact of smart screens on communication and culture. Attention is drawn to the continuities and discontinuities across these screen cultures’ distinct histories.

• Key Theories in Screen Studies

  This module will provide you with a wide range of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of screen media. Structured classes and key readings introduce a topic each week – such as Marxism, feminism, psychoanalysis and screen theory, audience studies, authorship – and seminar exercises will enable you to understand key concepts, debates and theories of popular culture and the production of meanings of screen texts and their social relevance.

• Screen Consumption

  This module will provide you with an introductory survey of various critical approaches to screen consumption. The module surveys changing audience engagement with screens and the relationships between consumption and production. It demonstrates the changing critical models around audiences and screen consumption, drawing on a range of screen forms including cinema, television, digital games, and social media. You will be introduced to various methodological approaches to analysing screen consumption through weekly research methods workshops exploring different approaches to analysing audience activities.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

Screen Archive South East is an excellent resource for students and is also based at our Edward Street media centre in central Brighton.