BA (Hons) Film Studies

Summary 2012/13

• Immerse yourself in the culture of film and develop your understanding from basic approaches to highly sophisticated interpretative and analytical strategies;
• Make the most of an academically acclaimed programme and some of the best facilities in the country.

Glamorous, seductive and global in its significance, film is one of the most powerfully influential media forms to emerge in the twentieth century. For over a hundred years, it has shown us how to behave, worked upon our sense of right and wrong, and suggested what society expects of men and women. It has given us spectacular illusions, told us extravagant lies and provided glimpses of shadowy truths.

Film Studies takes you under its skin, exposing its mechanics, its artistry and artifice, and reveals how film can structure and manipulate our understanding of the world. It enables you to understand how, in the darkness of the cinema, film might shape your thinking and how you can become aware of its influence. As such, it is one of the most interesting academic subjects available to students in Higher Education.

Since film is constantly changing, film studies is dynamic, challenging and open to a variety of new and contrary perspectives. As a student of film, you may help shape the future direction and development of the subject.

2012 Entry Requirements

280 UCAS tariff points overall.

BA (Hons) English / English Language / English Literature and Film Studies: Preferably to include A level English.

BA (Hons) Film Studies and History: Preferably to include A level History.

Details

Who is this course for?

This programme is for those with a passion for films, a thirst for global cinema and an interest in what makes it such an influential medium. You will encounter avant garde cinema, mainstream and popular movies, controversial films from around the world, epics, shorts, trailers, comedies, musicals, dramas, film noir, westerns, horror films and science fiction.

What will I gain from this programme?

Taking a Film Studies programme at Edge Hill offers you much more than the prospect of three years' academic study; it encourages you to immerse yourself in a culture of film. It has been designed to develop your understanding from basic approaches to highly sophisticated interpretative and analytical strategies. Film Studies will help you develop your own opinions and arguments about this most attractive of media - your relationship with film will never be the same again.

What will I study?

Year 1 offers modules which give you the language and skills needed to examine, interpret and write about films. You will examine different films each week, gradually developing your skills in critical analysis. You will also discover the rich history of film and be introduced to several important critical concepts such as auteurism, genre theory, Marxism, feminism and postmodernism. You will also study the technological, industrial and artistic history and development of film in America, Britain, Europe and beyond.

The modules offered in Year 2 develop and broaden your understanding of film by examining the nature of film genres, the concept of the film author, gender, race and sexuality in film, and the thorny issues surrounding the censorship of the cinema.

In year 3, you will conduct an in-depth study of film adaptations and how a range of texts are translated into film. You will investigate ideas about national cinema by examining the relationship between cinema and national identity, before undertaking a study of a specific non-Western cinema case study (for example, Japanese cinema). You will have the opportunity to compose a dissertation on a topic of your own choice, working with a supervisor throughout the final year of the degree, or select two modules, such as Cult Cinema, Animation and the Cinema, Contemporary Film Cultures and Future Cinemas.

How will I study?

Every student is allocated a personal tutor, who will offer you as much support as you require which makes the transition to being an undergraduate student much easier. As well as multiple film screenings that form part of your studies, you also have access to the Short Cuts Cinema at our Studio Theatre, which screens seasons of great films on a big screen.

Who will be teaching me?

Our programme is staffed by dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers and tutors, who are not only actively publishing their own work but are also continually revising their modules to ensure the programme reflects latest research.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment for Film Studies is varied, ranging from traditional essays to critical reviews, practical readings of film extracts under exam conditions, and oral presentations.

What are my career prospects?

Film Studies provides you with a valuable body of knowledge and range of experience for careers in the media industries, IT, journalism, project management, specialisted film schools, teaching (further training required) or marketing. You will also be well placed to progress to further study or research.

Whether you want a career in the film-related industries or wish to enjoy the benefits of a good education in a subject that interests you, a degree in Film Studies will serve you well because we help you develop key transferable skills essential to employers, including the ability to think critically and creatively, to work in groups, to present your ideas clearly and to use IT.

Related Programmes

If you are interested in having a practical element in your Film Studies degree, you may be interested in our BA (Hons) Film Studies with Film Production degree.

A Great Study Environment

Film Studies students have exceptional facilities, including three major lecture theatres with projection systems, seminar rooms fitted for the screening and close analysis of film extracts and stills. For those students studying the Film Studies with Film Production programme, the CMIST centre houses state of the art resources, including Apple Mac studios. The Learning Innovation Centre boasts a fully-equipped television studio and digital editing facilities .

Based in 160 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ormskirk Campus is a unique and inspirational place to study. Industry standard resources and cutting edge technology combine to make an interactive and highly advanced teaching and learning environment. Everything you could want is on one site with 25 acres of sport and leisure facilities, more than 1,000 rooms in halls of residence and fantastic modern spaces in which you can study and socialise.

The University library gives you access to thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision. You'll get all the support you need to succeed, reflected in Edge Hill University being ranked in the top two in England for students' personal development, and the top three in the country for assessment and feedback, in the 2011 National Student Survey. The University is also featured in the top four in England for graduate employment.

How do I apply?

Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.ac.uk.

See our How to Apply pages for more information on the application process and our Admissions criteria.

Fees and Finance

For academic year 2012/13, Edge Hill University will charge £9,000 for full-time BA, BSc and LLB degrees. Eligible students will not have to pay upfront for their tuition. The cost of tuition will be paid by a loan which you will only start to repay once you have finished the course and are earning over £21,000.

Eligible full-time students can also apply for a maintenance grant, subject to household income, and a non-means-tested loan to help with living costs.

Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships for prospective full-time students. These include £2,000 Entrance Scholarships rewarding determination, commitment and achievement in creative arts, performing arts, sport and volunteering. Eligible entrants with outstanding grades are recognised through the £1,000 High Achievers Scholarship.

The University will also be offering awards, worth £3,000 in cash benefits and fee/accommodation waivers for academic year 2012/13, to eligible prospective full-time students through the National Scholarship Programme.

For more information on scholarships, including eligibility criteria for each award, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.

To find out more about fees, grants and loans for academic year 2012/13, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradfees2012.

Please note, the above information is for UK and eligible EU students only. International students should check the fees and finance information at www.edgehill.ac.uk/internationalfees2012.

Not got the entry requirements?

Students returning to education may present their previous experience in work (paid or unpaid) to support their application.

Students with relevant study through either a professional body or appropriate academic course can apply to join the programme at an advanced stage.

For personalised advice based on your circumstances, please contact us or come to an event.

Where can I find out more?

If you would like to receive a copy of our prospectus or be kept updated about forthcoming events, contact the Course Information, Advice and Guidance Team by emailing study@edgehill.ac.uk or calling 01695 657000.

If you want to attend one of our open events held throughout the year, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays to book your place.

You will also find Edge Hill University staff at many national careers fairs and UCAS events.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about this course, please contact:

• Dr Jenny Barrett, Department of English and History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 584093
• Email: barrettj@edgehill.ac.uk

Overseas students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk for further information.

Combinations

Joint

• BA (Hons) Creative Writing and Film Studies (WW69)
• BA (Hons) English and Film Studies (WQ63)
• BA (Hons) English Language and Film Studies (QP33)
• BA (Hons) English Literature and Film Studies (QP3J)
• BA (Hons) Film Studies and History (WV61)
• BA (Hons) Film Studies and Media (WP69)

Combined

• BA (Hons) Film Studies with Creative Writing (P3W9)
• BA (Hons) Film Studies with English (W5Q3)
• BA (Hons) Film Studies with Film Production (P3W6)
• BA (Hons) Film Studies with History (P3V1)

Modules

Year 1

How to Read a Film: Sound and Image gives you the language and skills needed to examine, interpret and write about films, examining a different film in depth each week. It is full of truly valuable activities, advice and guidance in becoming an efficient reader of film.

How to Read a Film: Approaches takes you a step further into critical, analytical and theoretical spheres, examining films in close detail and discovering some of the many significant academic and critical approaches to the cinema. You will be introduced to several important critical concepts such as structuralism, post-structuralism, Marxism, feminism and postmodernism.

Cinema in Context: 1895-1945 introduces you to the major film movements and moments in cinema's rich international history, beginning pre-1895 and concluding at the end of the Second World War, enabling you to see film in its political, social and cultural context.

Cinema in Context: 1945 - Present concentrates on significant moments, movements and styles of post-war cinema to the present. You will consider a range of films and eras from American, British and European cinema.

World Cinemas: Europe enables you to recognise the impact of a range of significant national cinemas and directors from across the history of cinema within their particular, unique contexts. This module will concentrate on Europe.

World Cinemas: Beyond Europe concentrates on cinema outside Europe. Not only will your knowledge of international cinemas be dramatically broadened, but you will also discover the incredible breadth of styles, narratives and motivations in the making of world film.

Year 2

Film Genre explores a range of genres in order to discover how genre operates, how it is recognised and, importantly, what genre films communicate to us about our world. In the second semester, you will study a specific genre case study, currently the horror film.

Film Authorship. Auteurism is a common approach, or attitude, to cinema and its 'artists’. This module investigates the concepts of the film author and asks if we really can find the artist in the film.

Realism and the Cinema asks some fundamental questions about realism in film, what makes a 'realistic' film, what the key realist film movements are and what we understand 'real' to mean.

Identity and Representation: Race, Gender and Sexuality. This challenging and provocative module studies how certain identities have been represented on the screen throughout cinema's history, highlighting both prejudice and groundbreaking resistance to the norm.

Censorship and the Cinema. Through the course of this module, you will learn about and debate the power relationships between industry, audience and censor during such happenings as the imposition of the Production Code in Hollywood during the 1930s and the Video Nasty scare in Britain in the 1980s.

Year 3

Text to Screen. A large proportion of film is the result of adaptation of a novel, a short story, a graphic novel, and so forth. This module examines a range of examples, looking at the influences, restrictions and motivations in the adaptation of stories to the screen.

Cinema and National Identity builds upon knowledge and skills from throughout your degree to investigate and debate issues of national identity and representation. Currently, the cinemas examined are Australian and New Zealand cinemas, and debates cover both theoretical and cultural concerns including gender, race and landscape.

Dissertation. You will have the opportunity to spend a whole year on an academic project of your own choosing, demonstrating your learning and skills attained over the course of your degree. A successful dissertation is often an indication of your suitability for further postgraduate study or research in film.

Cult Cinema introduces you to films that are often marginalised in academic film discourse as a consequence of their modes of production, content or manner of consumption. It explores theoretically the interrelated concepts of 'cult', 'trash' and 'exploitation' cinema. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module. Please note, however, this module may not always be available.

Non-Western Cinema Case Study. In your final year, your studies will progress to a more specialist level and you will be studying in a more self-directed manner, taking responsibility for more independent research to aid you in your learning and assessments. This module explores an example of non-Western, non-English speaking cinema - currently Japanese cinema. It investigates cinematic, textual and ideological factors of Japanese films, both old and new, and considers global influences and effects.

Contemporary Film Culture and Future Cinemas offers a space for you to discover, discuss and assess new and evolving media technologies and their relationship to cinema. Core contemporary issues are debated, including globalisation, digitisation and conglomerisation, each of which affects traditional modes and understandings of cinema in significant ways. The module also looks ahead to impending changes and their potential effects on the viewer, such as increasing interactivity in narrative cinema. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module offered that year. Please note, however, this module may not always be available.

Animation and the Cinema provides a critical and historical overview of animation on film, encompassing mainstream, political and avant-garde forms and styles. The module encourages an appreciation of diverse animations from around the globe. You may choose this module instead of the dissertation, along with one other optional module offered that year. Please note, however, this module may not always be available.