This module will introduce you to visual film analysis and key concepts of interpretation. You will undertake visual film analysis, looking closely at how cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scène work together to produce the emotional and intellectual viewing experience. We will also explore key concepts in film theory, for example, auteurism, genre, star studies, reception studies, feminism, Marxism, psychoanalysis, queer theory, semiotics and critical race theory. This module will enhance your ability to meet professional and employment expectations, such as clear communication, and the ability to work independently and to meet deadlines. It will also address ethical values, encouraging you to address issues of diversity and inclusiveness and learn to read texts critically. Your assessment will consist of a portfolio of written work, including shot analyses and textual analyses (a total of 6,000 words).
View the full module definitionThis practice-based module introduces you to film and the moving image through a series of briefs and exercises that investigate a number of principles regarding the language, conventions and aesthetic possibilities of film and the moving image. The range of projects will encompass the investigation of various principles involving composition and lighting, shot/reverse shot sequences, matching on action, graphic matching, continuity editing, synch/non-synch sound, and the rhythmic editing of pictures and sound. All are central to many film and moving image practices. The purpose and outcome of each project brief are aimed at experimenting and gaining an understanding of how they work rather than perfecting conventions. In the later part of the module, you'll make a film in creative response to codes and conventions explored in the first part of the module. No prior technical experience in filmmaking is required. The module will incorporate inductions in camera operation, sound recording, editing and the potential of online platforms. Practical workshops will be complemented by screenings of a range of complementary film and moving image works spanning narrative fiction, documentary and experimental work. In the process of pre-production and planning, you'll be encouraged to develop and practise methods of visualising and notating ideas. There will be regular presentations of your work in critical forums, to gain the feedback of your peers and tutors.
View the full module definitionIn this module you’ll explore digital media content and culture from the role of the practitioner. We’ll identify the key roles of ‘user’ and ‘content’ creator and you’ll analyse and understand the distinctions and overlaps of each. You’ll look at you own role as a digital ‘user’ through projects that explore contemporary digital phenomena and systems in online digital media (e.g. memes, datasets, AI and UI generation). Through the direct use of relevant platforms and interfaces you’ll address ideas of automation, appropriation, ethics, data and online communities in digital media technologies and digital cultural spaces. Building on this knowledge you’ll then create content for industry contexts including graphic design, apps and digital publishing. You’ll be introduced to Photoshop and After Effects and use these skills in the production of brief led projects. In addition, you’ll consider how broader communication practices and contexts (music, subculture, experimental, artistic) inform industry and how you to establish your own voice and the beginning of an individual media production practice.
View the full module definitionThis module explores key developments and debates in screen studies. It develops your knowledge and understanding of a range of screen media forms, their historical evolution and their significance in contemporary culture and society. Topics and case studies include television, video games, music videos, the internet and social media. You'll be introduced to theories of media convergence and participatory culture as important frameworks for the study of screen media in the digital age. The module will examine the evolution of television within key social, cultural and technological contexts. These may include the emergence of new programme forms and viewing modes that have had a significant cultural impact on the level of media convergence and audience participation, including reality TV, streaming and binge-watching. The module will also explore interactive screen media, including video games and social media. Throughout the module, you'll gain an understanding of key theoretical approaches to screen media and will apply these concepts to a range of case studies. You'll be encouraged to critically engage with a wide variety of media both in their independent study and through their assessments.
View the full module definitionEntering higher education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all our students to make the most of the opportunities higher education provides, reach your potential, become lifelong learners and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You'll be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you'll explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and complete mini tasks. You'll proceed at your own pace, though we you to have completed your Into ARU exploration by week 6. If for any reason you're unable to complete by that date, we'll signpost to existing services so that we can be confident that you are supported.
View the full module definitionIn this module you'll be introduced to the aesthetics of working with film, what film is, how it is different from video, its relationship to photography, plus the theoretical and practical benefits of it as a medium are the foundation of this module. This module replicates industry methods of production, as the film is shot in the analogue domain and post-production is entirely digital (editing, addition of sound etc). You'll develop your visualisation as well as conceptual skills, especially in the development of an idea in its pre-production phase where you will work with the economy necessary in producing analogue films. You'll also do this in the production of a non-synch soundtrack, wherein you will undertake sound design, and/or working with music. You'll receive technical tuition in using Super-8mm film cameras, cameras which have many creative features, and you'll be required to evidence your understanding of the camera’s capabilities in your final project.
View the full module definitionKnowledge of a foreign language can be a major asset both in your academic and professional life. The Anglia Language Programme offers you the opportunity to study a foreign language as part of your course.
The module aims to develop your skills in web-based journalism and online media production using a range of online media formats. Through a series of topic led discussions, reading, class exercises and small project briefs you will examine the language and practice of new/digital media and reflect on its uses. Online Journalism is presented as a distinct practice involving the use of a variety of writing styles from multimedia content to interactive and social media. The module includes examples from factual and non-factual content and addresses a range of topics including fake/false news, blogging, vlogging, the rise of the image driven web, implications of media sharing, online communities, citizen journalism, personal online profile management, digital storytelling, working with images, building a freelance career.
View the full module definitionIn this module you’ll explore the contemporary development of screen-based practice into mobile and expanded terrains. You’ll investigate the evolution of screens and relevant media and how technology has increased the potential for networking, mobility and interactivity with audience and environment. We’ll look at how screens can be used in a variety of contexts (which might include installation, live streaming, or site-specific working) and you’ll design, manage, and produce screen media. You’ll focus on how contemporary screen devices can be singular or multiple as well as consider how these build on previous practices of expanded cinema and early digital media platforms. You’ll be encouraged to experiment and use equipment and technology creatively. This might be hands-on in the use of projectors and camera feeds, with mobile devices or publication on online platforms.
View the full module definitionContemporary media culture is primarily a culture of the digital, mediated through digital computers, mobile communication devices and networks. By now it is clear that social and networked media has transformed many of the ways that we communicate and connect, think, act, and feel in the 21st century. This module introduces you to the key themes and debates through which to understand digital culture, including the history of digital technologies and the internet. Themes discussed in the module include: the study of specific social media platforms and practices (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter); memes and virality; data visualisation and interface design; affective computing; Cyborgs, sentient robots, and AI; attention, distraction, and cognition in online cultures; GIF cultures; networked temporality; postdigital aesthetics; and other topics. You'll have the opportunity to engage directly with digital technologies and platforms, as well as to study and reflect on how they are used. The module seeks to promote digital literacy as well as foster critical thinking around digital media cultures and subjects.
View the full module definitionThis module focuses on the idea of ‘cult’ in relation to film, television and wider media. It explores key themes and debates concerning the distinction between cult and mainstream media, and how cult media, along with its cultures and practices, influences and shapes trends within mainstream media. In this module, we’ll explore the historical development and varied applications of the term ‘cult’, while also addressing theories of quality, taste, and cultural capital in a media context. We’ll look at how cult media articulates and explores alternative conceptions of cultural identity (in terms of sexuality, gender, youth cultures and fan cultures). You'll consider how discourses such as text, industry and audience contribute to the formation of cult genres, with case studies that may include horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and comic book media. Throughout the module, you'll engage with theoretical concepts such as genre, media convergence, fan studies, taste, cultural capital and camp.
View the full module definitionRuskin Modules are designed to prepare our students for a complex, challenging and changing future. These interdisciplinary modules provide the opportunity to further broaden your perspectives, develop your intellectual flexibility and creativity. You will work with others from different disciplines to enable you to reflect critically on the limitations of a single discipline to solve wider societal concerns. You will be supported to create meaningful connections across disciplines to apply new knowledge to tackle complex problems and key challenges. Ruskin Modules are designed to grow your confidence, seek and maximise opportunities to realise your potential to give you a distinctive edge and enhance your success in the workplace.
In this module, you'll have the opportunity to work exclusively with film. What film is, how it is different from video, its relationship to photography and the theoretical and practical benefits of its intrinsic nature, are the foundation of this module. The project requires you to work in a group of two or three. Each group is given one roll of 16mm film (100ft/3.5 minutes). You'll be required to devise a piece no shorter than one minute for your final project. The module seeks to develop your skills in visualisation as well as conceptual skills. There is a strong emphasis on pre-production in this module. You'll be required to plan/script/design your film before any shooting begins. The success of this piece is based on how well you stick to what you set out to do. You'll receive a strong technical induction in using the Bolex 16mm camera. Attention is paid to the features of the camera, exposure, and film stock. The module is informed by photography as well as film. Specifically addressed is the relationship the two have with each other. The module begins with an address to the proto-cinematic motion studies of Muybridge and Marey and work by Cindy Sherman and Hiroshi Sugimoto is also examined. Films that are screened range from artist filmmakers Stan Brakhage and Guy Sherwin, to European art house, Godard, Bergman, Antonioni, as well as a more mainstream auteur, such as Hitchcock. Theoretically, the module is underpinned by texts by Doane, Barthes, and Hamlyn. All texts seek to further establish issues arising through practice.
View the full module definitionThe module introduces you to many of the critical discussions and debates surrounding the historical, technological, aesthetic and socio-political developments of the documentary approach to film and video-making. As well as paying full regard to the key trends and film-makers to have contributed to the history of this important genre, the module responds to the renewed public interest in documentary film and its crossover into the mainstream with the most up-to-date commercial and critical hits. You'll focus on the nature, specificity and evolution of the documentary form, and its relationship to cinematic realism. You'll address the historical and theoretical contexts of the study of documentary film, and engage with topical debates regarding the relationship between reality and representation, documentary ethics, and the role of cross-cultural documentary and ethnographic film. You'll discuss the different modes of address in documentary film-making, the role of the documentary film-maker, and the relationship between film-maker and subject(s). Current and future modes of distribution and exhibition for the documentary film are explored, including an address to specialist festivals devoted to documentaries. Throughout the module there are opportunities for critical analysis of key film texts.
View the full module definitionThe democratising power of the digital has turned all of us into photographers in a way that George Eastman (the founder of Kodak) could never have imagined. His motto for the Box Brownie Camera - the first truly mass produced affordable camera - was ‘you press the button we do the rest’. Digital cameras, iPhones and platforms like Instagram have allowed photographers complete control of how their images are made, and how they are seen, often within seconds of being taken they can be distributed and consumed. Building on from the photographic projects in Sound/Text/Image, the module will introduce you to a history of photography and key practitioners. The module is structured around lectures, seminars and workshops. There is an emphasis on photographers engaging in broadly documentary modes of photography; street photography, photographers documenting sub-cultures, the urban landscape, and transformations in society. The module is informed critically by historic trends and practitioners and will teach you how to read an image as well as compose one. We will also explore different modes of presentation, online, projection and print. There will be a series of weekly projects on a series of themes, which you will upload for reflection/critique/discussion in class. This will encourage you to make images regularly and use digital means of distribution to make your work as accessible as possible. We will also engage in analogue image making to provide an alternative photographic experience.
View the full module definitionYou'll examine the nature and practice of documentary filmmaking, focusing on the aesthetics of documentary concerning expository, poetic, observational, performative, participatory, and reflexive modes of practice. You'll be encouraged to consider, reflect and implement appropriate responses to the range of issues that might arise in your work, including the ethical, creative, methodological, theoretical, and technical concerns that relate to documentary. Examples of contemporary, historical, independent, mainstream, television and film documentaries are examined in detail to rationalise the subject of non-fiction film and video in terms of forms and conventions of documentary language. A range of work will be screened and discussed during the module, which provides a context for the projects that you undertake in small groups. The module begins with you being asked to make a number of concise introductory pieces that explore concepts and aesthetics concerning documentary and 'non-fiction' filmmaking. You'll then pitch a more substantial project to the module tutors and seminar group, followed by feedback and further discussion of ethical, creative and practical issues raised by each proposal. Groups should then produce a shooting script and production schedule making sure to gain all permission from interviewees, copyright and location owners, prior to filming. The module tutors will supervise the production and editing processes and require students to attend group tutorials.
View the full module definitionIn this module you’ll develop critical and practical skills in the field of animation. You’ll be introduced to a range of conventional and experimental work that helps to inform practical and conceptual understanding focussing on the frame-by-frame manipulation of shape, colour and form over time. You’ll work in a number of ways encompassing analogue approaches, to working with the digital image and we encourage you to take an ideas-driven and experimental approach to the production practices. Key aspects of animation are explored, from colour and form in geometric abstraction (Hans Richter, Viking Eggling, John Whitney, Ion Lucin), animated mark making in camera-less films (Lye and Brakhage), type in title sequences (Saul Bass), time-based infographic communication (Max Hattler) and GIFs. You’ll explore various techniques including camera-less, 2D animation stop motion (cell and rotoscoping), pixelation, 8 bit animation, and computer-based animation and we’ll look at how these are used in both industry and artistic and creative practices.
View the full module definitionThis module provides you with the opportunity to explore creative and technical processes involved in devising and developing a short narrative film, from script to screen. The module thus differs from other screenwriting modules in that you'll actualise your scripts in video. In particular, it draws attention to the importance of visualisation, communicating narrative through image, sound and action. Although films are created in a collaborative way, the distinct roles of producer, director, writer and editor are defined and discussed so as to encourage understanding of the interrelationships between each of them in ensuring the most effective realisation of the script ideas. You'll begin by viewing and discussing script and film work by new and established writers and directors and use these discussions to develop their original ideas into five-minute screenplays. A pitching session to peers and lecturers allows for the selection of some of those scripts to be produced into short films, with you working collaboratively in small groups to devise and realise those scripts to completion. You'll be expected to undertake script revisions and rewrites during the production process, as an integral part of interpreting and developing your ideas, and as the realities and practicalities of the production become evident. The module ends with a screening and critical discussion of all short films, with an opportunity to receive feedback from peers and lecturers.
View the full module definitionKnowledge of a foreign language can be a major asset both in your academic and professional life. The Anglia Language Programme offers you the opportunity to study a foreign language as part of your course.
The Major Project module will allow you to engage in a substantial piece of individual research and creative/technological work, focused on a topic of your choice that is relevant to your degree course. Your topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. Your project can be a dissertation or an agreed combination of solo or group creative/technological practice and an individually authored piece of writing. In Trimester One you'll have a series of lectures to prepare you for this level of research, help you develop an appropriate methodology, and help you decide upon the shape of your project. Your supervisor will then meet with you to formalise your negotiated assessment outcomes, agreeing and documenting any % split between writing and creative practice. In Trimester Two regular meetings with your supervisor will take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. The project developed in this module is the most self-directed piece of work that you will produce during your undergraduate studies. The successful completion of this module will enhance your employability, evidencing your ability, appropriate skillset and specialist interests.
View the full module definitionWhat can we learn from studying celebrities and celebrity culture? While the very idea of celebrity is often denigrated and dismissed as so much cultural fluff, it is a profoundly important and socially significant subject – perhaps now more than ever. This module offers you a unique chance to dig into the world of celebrity culture -a topic that has deep cultural and social significance. You'll examine what celebrity means in a 21st-century mediascape from the ‘insta-famous’ to YouTubers, from reality TV presidents to young environmental activists, from film stars to sporting icons. Drawing from a range of academic literature, this module seeks to define and interrogate the notion of ‘celebrity’ across different historical and national contexts, from pre- to post-digital eras. You'll explore fraught political and range of spheres including film, TV, music, politics, and sports.
View the full module definitionThis module will develop your skills producing short dramatic works adapted for video. The videos produced may form part of your showreel after completing your degree. You will explore the preparation of video material for a variety of new media and accordingly develop basic video production skills. Regular video playback will allow for critical reflection on the work produced and highlight where improvements may be made in performances or choice of shots.
View the full module definitionThis module is built around several workshops that encourage you to explore a range of experimental approaches to filmmaking and the moving image. An indicative list of workshops includes: multi-screen filmmaking; the moving image in-situ, live performance with film; single-frame filmmaking; working with found footage and experiments in soundtrack recording. Each workshop will involve a concise brief, advanced technical inductions, an introduction to a range of associated film and video works, a short period of time to undertake the project and a discussion of the work that is produced. In the latter part of the module, you'll propose, develop and produce a project following the premises and lines of enquiry suggested by one of the earlier workshops. You'll be required to show and discuss the development of your project in the context of individual tutorials and wider work-in-progress sessions. You can work individually or in small groups.
View the full module definitionThis module builds on the skills you have acquired in Screenwriting: The Short Film at Level 4 and Script to Screen at Level 5. Through small group work and discussion with the seminar leader, you'll develop an original screenplay idea. The module will cover basic narrative conventions, including the role of conflict, the line of action and plot reversals, character building, and atmosphere. You'll be encouraged to experiment with the representation of place, space and time, and build in subplots when appropriate. You'll be expected to consider your target audience, and will be given the opportunity to explore the role of genre as a means of making narrative choices.
View the full module definitionThis module will give you the opportunity to study a topic that will be taught by a member of staff whose particular academic interests and/or research is reflected in that area. You will extend your knowledge and understanding of a specific subject area that you may have encountered earlier in your studies, and in which there is deemed to be scope for more reading, critical commentary, analysis and discussion. Alternatively, this module may be used to introduce you to a topic which is not found elsewhere in the existing degree provision. A topic may be the study of a single filmmaker (e.g., Charlie Chaplin; Claire Denis) or cognate group of filmmakers (e.g., the French New Wave; New Queer Cinema), a genre (e.g. Global Horror; the Teen Movie), or a topic that allows for in-depth discussion and consideration of a defined area in film theory (Cinema & Sexuality; Digital Aesthetics in Contemporary Cinema; Film-Philosophy). The designated topics vary from year to year, and topics will be communicated prior to module choice. There will be no formal lectures - the module will be taught in seminars in which you will take part in group discussions.
View the full module definitionThis module explores the appeal of contemporary popular cinema and builds on the critical ideas and theories you have already studied in previous years of the film studies program. By examining current debates in the field of film studies, you'll be encouraged to engage deeply with film theory and get a better understanding of the impact and meaning of popular cinema. We'll define and critically discuss the nature of popular cinema and how multiplex culture has grown in places like North America and the UK. Key topics will include: the pros and cons of the multiplex; analysis of dominant genres and conventions; consideration of the recyclable nature of popular film narratives; the depiction of gender, sexuality, 'race' and class on screen; audience and spectatorship; representations of violence; the rise of the blockbuster and star studies. The module considers the force of popular cinema as an important site for working through societal fears and fantasies by closely examining a variety of films, from, for example, Jaws (Spielberg, US, 1975) to Titanic (Cameron, US, 1998).
View the full module definitionStarting with an exploration of the various modes within which film journalism functions, you'll explore the world of professional film journalism, enabling you to create original features for a variety of readerships in a range of media. Seminars are structured around an exercise designed to illustrate - with the aid of examples from the professional context - how to work with editors; planning and structuring interviews; developing, drafting and revising reviews and features; tailoring output according to a professional brief and/or a specific audience type; and developing a personal style. You will understand the practicalities of professional journalism in print and other media, with examples drawn from mainstream and specialist sources, at national, regional and local level.
View the full module definitionIn this module, you'll get to build on what you learned in Experiments in Film and Moving Image, developing a particular method of working, or honing a specific approach to practice - whether that's in the context of narrative drama, documentary, animation, or experimental mode. You'll also be encouraged to consider the wider context of their work. The first few weeks of the module will comprise conceptual workshop projects that encourage you to think critically, through practice, and re-examine concepts associated with the fundamental aesthetics of film and video. These projects will also encourage you to develop your project proposals by way of showing and discussing specific images, sounds and their combination. The content of the module will be led by the discussion of issues and concepts that arise in relation to your projects. Your progress on these projects is addressed in detail throughout the trimester in the context of seminars and individual or group tutorials with staff from across the school. A guest lecture by a visiting filmmaker will also be a key element. You'll also be encouraged to assist in organising the end-of-year screening. This usually takes place at the Arts Picture House. Staff will oversee the project, but you'll be centrally involved in writing copy, designing posters and compiling the work. By the end of the module, you should also have made your work ready for distribution to film and video festivals.
View the full module definitionThis module focuses on contemporary television, exploring a range of different genres, including drama, comedy and ‘reality’ shows. We'll explore and analyse specific programmes in screenings and seminars. These programmes will be examined not simply as texts but as specific examples around which larger areas of debate and discussion (including, for example, genre, feminism, the representation of family, etc.) can be explored. The wider context in which these programmes are situated (e.g. technology, institution, audience and the changing context of television) will also be explored. Your research and writing skills will be refined through an assessed study of a popular television show of your choice. You'll be assessed on the basis of your ability to apply theoretical ideas and debates to a close study of individual programmes. Possible programmes for discussion range from classic series (such as The Singing Detective, Six Feet Under, The Wire, and Twin Peaks) to the most recent hits, which are updated on a year-by-year basis.
View the full module definitionOn this module you will explore the way stories are told in films from around the world. You will study key aspects of cinematic narrative structure, including order, duration, cause-and-effect patterns, and the distinction between fabula (story) and syuzhet (plot). You will also examine how character and voice are handled in film, the function of 'point of view', focalisation, and internal vs external characterisation. You will address theoretical aspects such as narrator and narratee, reception theory, suspense vs surprise, the key 'seven' narrative functions, narrative and genre, and the ideology of 'show vs tell'. You will analyse non-narrative (and anti-narrative) aspects of narratives, such as description, iconic shots, music, and other disruptive elements. You will also be thinking about the different roles of words (dialogue, text, sub-titles) and imagery. You will study all of these narrative topics with regard to global cinemas. You will compare and contrast mainstream commercial Hollywood movies with non-American examples, ask to what extent continuity narrative has become the dominant pattern across the globe, examine narrative structures that do not fit the mainstream model, and analyse the intersection of global narratives with diverse identity formations. You will view films and clips from various European countries and non-Western regions, in addition to co-productions and transnational examples. Your assessment will comprise a narrative analysis (1000 words) and a critical (2000 words).
View the full module definitionKnowledge of a foreign language can be a major asset both in your academic and professional life. The Anglia Language Programme offers you the opportunity to study a foreign language as part of your course.