HSUHK | CCCO

ENG1400 Film Art

Department
English
Semester
AY2021/22 Sem 1, AY2021/22 Sem 2, AY2022/23 Sem 1, AY2022/23 Sem 2, AY2023/24 Sem 2
Method
Lecture 3 hours
Cluster
1 (Humanities)

Prerequisite

GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education

Exclusion

Nil

Module Description

This module aims to provide students with a broad introduction to film language and storytelling through cinematic codes. Drawing from different types of films from a range of film genres and styles, this module covers an introduction to film elements and basic knowledge needed for visual literacy, including shot types, film space, form and narrative, colour and lighting, film sound and editing. In addition to teaching students film language for analyzing film form and style, it enables students to read and experience film like a literary text that tells a story, expresses a mood, conveys a message, and/or reflects the change of human traditions.  Students of the module will not only gain an appreciation of cinema, but also develop critical awareness of visual literacy and filmmaking techniques used in other visual media.

Module Intended Learning Outcomes (MILO)

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to: 
a. master the critical terminology relevant to film; 
b. decode and analyse the language of film; 
c. explore different types of film styles and their production contexts; and 
d. formulate a critical argument related to the artistic, cultural and/or political perspectives of film.

Module Content

1. Film space

  • 1.1 The image
  • 1.2 Tone
  • 1.3 Composition
  • 1.4 Camera angles
  • 1.5 Shots and movements

2. Film form and narrative

  • 2.1 Editing
  • 2.2 Sound
  • 2.3 Narrative
  • 2.4 Props
  • 2.5 Costumes
  • 2.6Performance and movement

3. Film style

  • 3.1 Realism
  • 3.2 Classicism
  • 3.3 Formalism

4. Elements of meaning

  • 4.1. Underlying meaning
  • 4.2. Visual and narrative symbols and motifs
  • 4.3. Point of view

5. Approaches to film reviews and criticism

  • 5.1 Texts and Audiences
  • 5.2 Genre studies
  • 5.3 Cultural criticisms (e.g. gender studies, the social Others)

Assessment Methods

1. Critical response/reflection (30%)
2. Test (20%)
3. Final essay (40%)
4. Participation (10%)

Texts & References

Set text(s):

1.Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. 12th ed. McGraw-Hill Inc., 2020.

References:

1. Bazin, André. What is Cinema? Essays Selected and Translated by Hugh Gray (Vol. I & II). University of California Press, 2005.
2. Benyahia, Sarah Casey, & Claire Mortimer. Doing Film Studies: A Subject Guide for Students. Routledge, 2013.
4. Bolas, Terry. Screen Education: From Film Appreciation to Media Studies. Intellect, 2009.
5. Bordwell, David. Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment. 2nd ed. Irvington Way Institute Press, 2011.
6. Braudy, Leo & Marshall Cohen (Eds.). Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. 8th ed. Oxford University Press, 2016.
7. Caldwell, Thomas. Film Analysis Handbook Essential Guide to Understanding, Analysing and Writing on Film. Insight Publications, 2005.
8. Codell, Julie F. (Ed.). Genre, Gender, Race and World Cinema. An Anthology. Blackwell, 2007.
9. Hutchings, Peter. The Horror Film. Routledge, 2013.
10. Nelmes, Jill. (Ed.). Introduction to Film Studies. 5th ed. Routledge, 2011.
11. Nichols, Bill. Engaging Cinema: An introduction to Film Studies. W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.
12. Perez, Gilberto. The Material Ghost: Films and Their Medium. The John Hopkins University Press, 2000.
13. Rawle, Steven. Transnational Cinema: An Introduction. Palgrave, 2018.
14. Sikov, Ed. Film Studies: An Introduction. Columbia University Press, 2010.
15. Singh, Greg. Feeling Film: Affect and Authenticity in Popular Cinema. Routledge, 2014.
16. Sobchack, Vivian (ed.). The Persistence of History: Cinema, Television and the Modern Event. Routledge, 2014.
17. Stam, Robert. Film Theory: An Introduction. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
18. Tam, Kwok-kan, & Dissanayake, Wimal. New Chinese Cinema. Oxford University Press, 1998.