International Film Industry: Issues and Debates

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

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
critically research and analyse films and film industry practice in academic writing
engage critically with a range of theories, discourses and films

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

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

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

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

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

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

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).

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

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

Textbooks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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