Course Catalogue

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Academic Filmmaking explores films made by academics. The course responds to the recent upturn in what is variously termed 'creative research', 'practice research', and 'practice as research', and to the increased acceptance of filmmaking as a valid and valuable mode of research. The course will both historicise and theorise this upturn in academic filmmaking through the examination of specific academic filmmakers' work and associated written texts in journals such as Media Practice and Education and Screenworks.

10 x 1 hour lecture over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus 

10 x 1 hour seminar over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

10 x 2 hour film screening over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into MA Film and TV, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation

None

None

Essay (1500 words) - 35%

Essay or AV Output (2500 words or 8-10 minutes) - 65%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Introduce students to key debates surrounding academic filmmaking 

■ Familiarise students with the variety of approaches used by academic filmmakers in making and reflecting on their own creative outputs.

■ Provide students with the skills to evaluate academic filmmaking, and writing about academic filmmaking, in a variety of contexts

■ Equip students with the knowledge and skills to historicise and theorise academic filmmaking.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically evaluate the contribution that academic filmmaking makes to university research.

■ Utilise an understanding of the institutional and ideological contexts in which academic filmmaking emerges 

■ Recognise the wide variety of forms which academic filmmaking takes

■ Undertake independent analysis of, and reflection on, academic filmmaking in a variety of contexts.

■ Theorise and historicise academic filmmaking in written and/or audio visual form

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.