International Film Industry: Issues and Debates

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

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

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• critically research and analyse films and film industry practice in academic writing
• 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

Knowledge and Understanding

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

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

We will begin by looking at the essentials of any given film industry. Weekly lectures will revolve around the chosen film(s) of the week to explore key themes. This module employs a wide selection of films, which might typically include films such as Brief Encounter (dir. David Lean, 1945), Jaws (dir. Steven Spielberg, 1975), Days of Being Wild (dir. Wong Kar-wai, 1990), Taste of Cherry (dir. Abbas Kiarostami, 1997), Dancer in the Dark (dir. Lars von Trier, 2000), Red Cliff I and II (dir. John Woo, 2008 and 2009), as the core texts of discussions. They will enable you to understand different film industries’ sociocultural and political-economic concerns in different time periods in a globalised world.

Assigned readings will further support the weekly discussions in lectures and seminars that aim to familiarise you with a broad range of discourses, 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.

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

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

Textbooks

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Summative assessment description

Referral

Referral assessment description

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External