Introduction To Film Studies (DSE6)

By Ms Juhee Prasad, Mr Suvats Avasthi | School of Media and Communication Studies, Doon University, Dehradun, Sharda University, Greater Noida

Learners enrolled: 791

What is the language of cinema?
What is the relationship between films and society?
How is meaning constructed in a film?

To find answers to many such questions Enroll Today and earn a certificate upon completion.

The course will facilitate a fundamental understanding of cinema, its vast history and the role it plays in society. It will enable the students to develop the necessary skills to critically analyse and study films as artworks and social texts. The course will encourage critical thinking in the students while also developing a respect for cultural diversity as they become acquainted with it through the means of cinema.

Course Objectives
To trace the history and development of cinema
To comprehend the role and impact of cinema in society and vice-versa
To develop an understanding of the political, cultural and aesthetic nuances of film making
To critically analyse and appreciate cinema as an art

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Multidisciplinary
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	17 Jan 2022
End Date :	26 Mar 2022
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2022
Exam Date :

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Language of Cinema
Module 1: Visual Language, Cinematography, Visual Universe
Module 2: Mise‐en‐scene, Colour as storytelling device
Module 3: Editing - History and Development
Module 4: Continuity Editing, Soviet Montage

Week 2: Language of Cinema
Module 5: Beginnings of sound, Manifestations in cinema, Music in cinema
Module 6: Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, Sync, Non-Sync
Module 7: Beginnings of Cinema
Module 8: Silent Era to Studio Era

Week 3: Social Context and Film Form
Module 9: German Expressionism - WW I and Expressionism
Module 10: German Expressionism - Filmmakers, Impact and Legacy
Module 11: Italian Neorealism - Realism, Advent of Neorealism
Module 12: Italian Neorealism - Neorealist Cinema, Downfall and Legacy

Week 4: Social Context and Film Form
Module 13: French New Wave - Cahiers du Cinema, Philosophy
Module 14: French New Wave - The French Masters, Cinematic Style and Legacy
Module 15: Third Cinema - Socio-Political Milieu
Module 16: Third Cinema - Ideology, Movement and Legacy

Week 5: Alternative Visions
Module 17: Auteur Theory - French Cinema, Cahiers du Cinema
Module 18: Auteur Theory - Theory, Legacy, Auteurs
Module 19: Feminist Film Theory - Visual Pleasure, Feminist Criticism
Module 20: Feminist Film Theory - Freudian Psychosexual Theory, Critique

Week 6: Alternative Visions
Module 21: Queer Theory - Gender and Its Representation
Module 22: Queer Theory - Film as Queer Text, Criticism
Module 23: Postmodernism - Modernism and Cinema
Module 24: Postmodernism - Postmodernist Cinema and Characteristics

Week 7: Alternative Visions
Module 25: Film Genre - Genre Theory
Module 26: Film Genre - Western Film, Anthology Film
Module 27: Film Genre - Film Noir, Gangster Film
Module 28: Film Genre - Genre Blending, Genre Bending

Week 8: Hindi Cinema
Module 29: Parsi Theatre, Silent Era
Module 30: The Talkie, Studio System
Module 31: Narrating the Nation in Cinema
Module 32: Nation Building, Golden Age

Week 9: Hindi Cinema
Module 33: Indian New Wave, Parallel Cinema
Module 34: Parallel Cinema - Decline and Legacy
Module 35: Liberalisation and Indian Cinema
Module 36: Rise of Multiplex Cinema

Week 10: Film Culture
Module 37: Evolution of Censorship
Module 38: Film Criticism, Cinephilia
Module 39: Exhibition, Distribution and Production
Module 40: Festivals, Events and Communities

Books and references

A History of the French New Wave Cinema - Richard John Neupert

Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema - Tejaswini Ganti

Chick Flicks: Theories and Memories of the Feminist Film Movement - B. Ruby Rich

Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts - Susan Hayward

Film History: An Introduction - Kristin Thompson, David Bordwell

Film Studies: An Introduction - Ed Sikov

German Expressionist Films (Pocket Essentials) - Paul Cooke

Grammar of the Shot - Christopher J. Bowen

Introduction to Film Studies - Jill Nelmes

Italian Neorealism and Global Cinema - Laura E. Ruberto, Kristi M. Wilson

New Queer Cinema: The Director's Cut - B. Ruby Rich

Our Films, Their Films - Satyajit Ray

Questions of Third Cinema - Jim Pines

The 5 C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques - Joseph V. Mascelli

The Film Book: A Complete Guide to the World of Film - Ronald Bergan

The History of Film - David Parkinson

The History of Italian Cinema: A Guide to Italian Film from Its Origins to the Twenty-first Century - Gian Piero Brunetta

Instructor bio

Ms Juhee Prasad

School of Media and Communication Studies, Doon University, Dehradun

Ms Juhee Prasad completed her masters in Mass Communication from AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia and holds a BA (Hons) degree in English from Delhi University. She has been associated with the School of Media and Communication Studies, Doon University in the capacity of Assistant Professor since 2013, indulging in rigorous teaching and training. Her areas of specialisation include photography and filmmaking while her research interest lies in Film Studies. Prior to starting her career as an academic, she engaged in freelance work taking on roles like assistant director, scriptwriter and content developer for various independent filmmakers and production houses. She was engaged with PIB for Commonwealth Games 2010 as Desk Manager.

Mr Suvats Avasthi

Sharda University, Greater Noida

Mr Suvats Avasthi hails from Lucknow, where he completed his graduation in Mass Communication and English from Lucknow University. He went on to acquire a post- graduation degree in Mass Communication from AJK MCRC, Jamia Milia Islamia. He became active in the Mumbai film industry from where on he began acquiring field experience while working in shoots for corporate films and short films. He was also associated with Totalfilmi Pvt Ltd as an Executive Producer (pre-production). He made the switch-over to academics, starting with Amity University Rajasthan as Assistant Professor and later at Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun and G D Goenka University, Gurugram. Presently he is working with Sharda University, Greater Noida, while pursuing a PhD in Film Studies from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He is also an avid photographer and an independent filmmaker.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from.
However, if you wish to get a certificate, you need to register and appear for a proctored exam.
Exam Registration Fee: Rs. 1000/- for General Students, Rs. 599 for SC/ST Students
Date and time of Exam:
If you succeed in the examination, a certificate will be issued by the host university (Doon University). All related information will be notified on SWAYAM platform.
Assessment: 30% for in-course assessment, 70% for end-term proctored exam.

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