Film Policy: National and Global Contexts (Research)

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

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

• the social, historical and economic contexts in which the cultural sector operates and has developed
• the place of aesthetic debates about traditional arts in a context where the cultural industries such as the film industry are increasingly dominant
• the shifting relationship between government policy and the cultural sector, such as that in the UK
• different models of cultural and film policy making internationally and their impact on the industry

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• analyse and interpret the social, cultural and economic factors that impact on the contemporary cultural sector, in particular in relation to the film industry
• make judgements about key aesthetic debates that impact on policy making decisions in the cultural sector, with particular reference to film
• analyse how ideas about culture are embodied in cultural and film policy
• evaluate different models of cultural and film policy

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• define and manage an extended interdisciplinary written task
• demonstrate effective research skills across discipline boundaries
• present coherent arguments on specific topics related to the cultural sector
• access recent research findings on the development of cultural & film policy

This module provides you with an introduction to the contemporary cultural sector, with a specific focus on the film industry, nationally and internationally. You will be able to scope the field by exploring the different meanings attached to the word culture and investigating its current salience: politically, economically, and socially. This will also involve examination of the key players in today’s cultural scene, such as national and international funding bodies. You will examine the place of culture on government agendas (currently and historically), and the impact of government policies on cultural organisations. You will study the film industry in particular in order to explore, for instance, UK government attempts to promote a national film industry and how this is being affected by the internationalisation of film production. The module will enable you to make comparisons between the development and implementation of film policies in the UK, Europe, the US and Asia, and to explore how different models are in operation with respect to the creation or preservation of film cultures at a national level.

Teaching and learning methods

• tutor-led presentations to introduce key issues and topics
• student presentations and plenary discussion
• tutor-supported individual work

Learning activities include

• preparation and participation in group discussion on a variety of relevant topics
• completion of assignment requiring you to research and make use of a range of primary and secondary sources

Resources & Reading list

Journal Articles

(2005). International Journal of Cultural Policy. , Vol. 11, No. 1.

Textbooks

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

Djya, E (2001). BFI Film and TV Handbook. BFI.

Hjort, Mette & Duncan Petrie (2007). The Cinema of Small Nations. Edinburgh University Press.

Williams, Raymond (1983). Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Fontana.

Selwood, Sarah (2001). The UK Cultural Sector: Profile and Policy Issues. Policy Studies Institute.

Moran, Albert (1996). Film Policy: International, National, Regional Perspectives. Routledge.

Beck, A. (2003). Cultural Work: Understanding the Cultural Industries. Routledge.

Puttnam, David (1997). The Undeclared War, The Struggle for Control for the World’s Film Industry. Harper Collins.

Chong, Derrick (2002). Arts Management. Routledge.

Jackel, Anne (2003). European Film Industries. BFI.

McGuigan, J (2004). Rethinking Cultural Policy. Open University Press.

Hesmondhalgh, D. (2007). The Cultural Industries. Sage.

Murphy, Robert (2001). British Cinema Book. BFI.

Assessment strategy

Assessments designed to provide informal, on-module feedback

• tutor-supported workshops
• peer discussion/support
• consultation with your tutor in preparation for the formal assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

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

Referral

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

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External