southampton

Module overview

Film as industry plays out against the backdrop of a global economy, and at any given location witnesses high volumes of transnational flows of money, ideas and talent. At the intersections of these transnational flows we can detect influences of stakeholders such as filmmakers, press and media as well as power structures embodied by politicians, governments and corporations. Internet technology development and new digital ‘content platforms’ from smart phones and TVs to tablets and ‘all-in-one entertainment systems’ have changed audiences’ viewing habits drastically and continue to do so. This in turn has influenced how various film industries with national and transnational dimensions have acted and reacted.

This module explores key issues and discourses of a range of distinct film industries since the end of WWII, and investigates their forms and impact from historical, sociocultural and political-economic points of view. Drawing on examples from mainstream film industries and independent cultural film practices from around the world (e.g. North America, Europe, East Asia), this module will introduce you to key themes as well as the latest trends of film finance, production, distribution and dissemination, marketing and publicity, and exhibition. Topics such as crowdfunding, creative labour accumulation and migration, film distribution via digital platforms and international film festival circuit will be discussed.

Linked modules

FILM1001 or FILM2006 or FILM1020 or FILM1027 or FILM1020

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

the range of film industries from around the world and their key concerns
the themes explored in this module and be able to connect them to other international contexts
the relationships among various stakeholders that are in play within and among distinct film industries
the historical, social, cultural, political and economic contexts of film industry practice across the world since the end of WWII

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

independently research appropriate resources
produce appropriate critical analysis
communicate effectively in writing and speech
organise your time effectively

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

apply the module’s concepts and themes to other contexts, and expand knowledge of these themes into other areas
engage critically with a range of theories, discourses and films
critically research and analyse films and film industry practice in academic writing

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

Lectures, used to introduce key issues and themes
Seminars, incorporating small group work and larger group discussion
Screenings of selected films
Individual consultations with tutor

Learning activities include:

Independent study, research and viewing
Critical thinking, reading and writing
Engagement in seminar discussions as both speaker and listener
Preparation of written assignments

Study time
Type	Hours
Lecture	10
Preparation for scheduled sessions	30
Seminar	10
Completion of assessment task	70
Practical classes and workshops	30
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Taste of Cherry (dir. Abbas Kiarostami, France/Iran, 1997).

Jaws (dir. Steven Spielberg, USA, 1975).

Days of Being Wild (dir. Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong, 1990).

Dancer in the Dark (dir. Lars von Trier, Argentina/Denmark/Finland/France/Germany/Iceland/Italy/Netherlands/Norway/Spain/Sweden/UK/USA, 2000).

Brief Encounter (dir. David Lean, UK, 1945).

Red Cliff I and II (dir. John Woo, China/Hong Kong/Japan/South Korea/Taiwan, 2008 and 2009).

Textbooks

Finney, Angus with Eugenio Triana (2010). The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood. London and New York: Routledge.

Cheung, Ruby (2015). New Hong Kong Cinema: Transitions to Becoming Chinese in 21st-Century East Asia. Oxford and New York: Berghahn Books.

Davis, Darrell William and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh (2008). East Asian Screen Industries. London: BFI.

Jäckel, Anne (2003). European Film Industries. London: BFI.

McDonald, Paul and Janet Wasko, eds (2008). The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell.

Kindem, Gorham, ed (2000). The International Movie Industry. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Ashby, Justine and Andrew Higson, eds (2000). British Cinema, Past and Present. Oxon and New York: Routledge.

Assessment

Assessment strategy

Differentiation between 2nd and 3rd level work

For 3rd level students taking this module, expectations will be higher than those for 2nd level students. The overall assessment criteria will be accordingly stricter. In particular:

Topics chosen for the assignments should allow a greater degree of focus and detail, whether of analysis, examination of and commentary on facts, critical insight, independent argument, or other factors.
Conversely, assignments should demonstrate a broader knowledge and understanding of context, a more confident use of analytical and critical tools, and a more mature handling of argument, etc.
Optimal standards of presentation are required, in terms of spelling, punctuation, and grammar; sophistication of vocabulary; provision of footnotes; inclusion of full bibliographic and related details; physical appearance of work, etc.

In short, 3rd level students should aspire at all times to the highest possible levels of undergraduate work.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Research project	70%
Report	30%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Coursework	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External

International Film Industry: Issues and Debates