Film Studies
About the major
Studying film draws on both our intellect and our imagination. As an accessible and even ubiquitous transnational cultural form, film opens us to other worlds, other lives, and other ways of seeing.
People have been making, watching and writing about movies for just over a century. In a culture that increasingly relies on visual information, an understanding of the moving image is essential to understanding society. The major in Film Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary program that develops this critical visual literacy. It equips you with a range of skills for understanding and analysing cinema as a vital and yet everyday part of modern life. Through close familiarity with a range of case studies, you will come to understand the social, cultural, aesthetic and political dimensions of cinema in different contexts and at different times.
In Film Studies you will learn scholarly terms that will enable you to describe what you see on screen in relation to, for instance, camera movements and editing techniques or traditions of screen performance. You will develop rich understandings of concepts such as national cinema, genre and spectatorship through a diverse range of case studies. And you will study the historical development of film as a cultural and technological form and analyse its transformations across the 20th century to the present day.
Requirements for completion
The Film Studies major and minor requirements are listed in the Film Studies unit of study table.
Learning outcomes
| No. | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
| 1 | Demonstrate an extensive, complex and sophisticated knowledge of film as a cultural, historical, technological and aesthetic phenomenon that spans local and global contexts. |
| 2 | Apply high level skills in identifying and interpreting film texts from a range of historical and cultural backgrounds. |
| 3 | Apply high level skills relevant to the analytical study of film and become proficient in medium-specific modes of analysis. |
| 4 | Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of key concepts, theories and critical approaches to the study of film and its relationship to related humanities disciplines. |
| 5 | Examine and solve complex problems related to the study of film through research, critical analysis and industry-relevant practical tasks. |
| 6 | Demonstrate the skills, integrity and confidence to construct and defend coherent, evidence-based arguments by drawing on a critical understanding of the medium and employing the language of formal film analysis and interpretation. |
| 7 | Exploring critical contexts surrounding the development, application and use of digital and new media technologies and platforms. |
| 8 | Synthesize knowledge and skills within the discipline through collaborative problem-solving tasks. |
Advanced coursework
The Bachelor of Advanced Studies in the School of Literature, Art and Media (SLAM) offers students a program tailored to their disciplinary interests. Through units of study and individually designed projects, each student, guided by a disciplinary expert, will engage in advanced seminars that complement their individual research in project units. This may be within the study of arts-based practices such as visual art, film, performance and writing, as well as literature, linguistics, or live and digitised media. Each student will be encouraged to develop and apply advanced disciplinary knowledge and methodologies to researching the past, present and future at local, regional and global levels in creative ways. In the Bachelor of Advanced Studies, students will have the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledges and methodologies to the legacies of the past, the complexities of the present and possible futures in the areas of communication, literature and art.
Requirements and units of study for advanced coursework can be found on the Film Studies advanced coursework units of study page.
Honours
An honours year in Film Studies allows students to specialise further in their area of interest. The honours year comprises two 4000-level seminar units of study and a thesis of 18,000-20,000 words in length.
Honours admission requirements
Admission into Honours is via the Bachelor of Advanced Studies and requires the completion of a major in Film Studies with an average of 70 percent or above and completion of a second major.
Prior to commencing honours, you will need to ensure you have completed all other requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or other bachelor degree, including Open Learning Environment (OLE) units.
Requirements and units of study for honours can be found on the Film Studies honours units of study page.
Contacts and further information
Website: Department of Art History
School of Literature, Art and Media (SLAM)
Example pathways
Film Studies major pathway
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Film Studies Major |
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Year 1 |
Sem 1 |
Core: FILM1000 Introduction to Film Studies |
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Sem 2 |
Core: FILM1001 Hollywood: Art, Industry, Entertainment |
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Year 2 |
Sem 1 |
Selective: 2000-level unit listed for Film Studies major |
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Sem 2 |
Core: FILM2000 From Silent to Sound Cinema |
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Year 3 |
Sem 1 |
Interdisciplinary Project Unit: FILM3999 Interdisciplinary Impact |
Selective: 3000-level unit listed for Film Studies major |
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Sem 2 |
Core: FILM3000 Cinematic Transformations |
Selective: 3000-level unit listed for Film Studies major |
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Film Studies minor pathway
| Year and Semester | Units of study | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | S1 | Core: FILM1000 Introduction to Film Studies |
| S2 | Core: FILM1001 Hollywood: Art, Industry, Entertainment | |
| Year 2 | S1 | Selective: 2000-level unit listed for Film Studies major |
| S2 | Core: FILM2000 From Silent to Sound Cinema | |
| Year 3 | S1 | Selective: 3000-level unit listed for Film Studies major |
| S2 | Core: FILM3000 Cinematic Transformations | |