Study information

The Contemporary Film and Television Industries

Module titleThe Contemporary Film and Television Industries
Module codeEAF1507
Academic year2020/1
Credits30
Module staff

Professor Linda Williams (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

30

Module description

This module will introduce you to the practices, structures and roles which make up the film and television industries today. It asks how these industries function by looking at the work of key organisations, influential industry bodies, and important individuals and players in the UK, Europe and Hollywood industries since 2000. The module provides a foundation for studies of the film industry, and especially of contemporary practices, in the following years.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module is a primer in the workings of the contemporary film and TV industries, particularly the principles of the value chain. It will focus on and be anchored to exemplary case history texts,  from Hollywood, Bollywood and European cinema, mostly in current release. You will benefit from direct experience of the London-based industry, Exeter’s connection with the London Film School, and an international trip, offering a global perspective on these dynamic industries. In addition to perspectives from visiting speakers the module includes a field trip to the Berlin Film Festival (or equivalent if field trips cannot run).

The module aims to prepare you for more advanced work in the second and final years on the creative industries, contemporary cinema and TV, and is designed to enhance future confidence and employability opportunities, connections and work-placements. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the structures and operations of the film and television industries in the 21st century.
  • 2. Apply your understanding of industry business and organisations to readings of key film and TV texts.
  • 3. Demonstrate an understanding of how UK-based film and TV industries are part of and relate to a global media landscape.
  • 4. Work with a variety of source and research materials, including trade press, web-based materials, electronic press kits, and academic resources.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Develop an understanding of film and TV texts as the product of industry structures and creative labour.
  • 6. Use a variety of film/TV specific research materials and resources to write about, think about and discuss the contemporary industry.
  • 7. Demonstrate a knowledge of current industry practices in the context of examples from film history.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 8. Consolidate your new knowledge in the context of new learning situations, and communicate this through assessed and group work.
  • 9. Present new knowledge in a compelling way through group work and collaboration with peers.
  • 10. Demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, develop articulate, coherent and persuasive written arguments, and write accurately in clear prose.

Syllabus plan

The module will cover the value chain in the entertainment industries, the producer’s role, film and television production, film sales and marketing, distribution, exhibition, festivals, audiences, ancillary markets, and the relation of the UK and US film and TV industries to global industries (including mainland Europe, Hollywood and Bollywood). 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
992010

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching8Lectures (1 x 1 hour for 8 weeks)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching18Seminars (1 x 2 hours for 9 weeks)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching7Workshops (1 x 1 hour for 7 weeks, including 6 x visiting speaker and 1 x BDCM)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 24Field trip: three days at Berlin Film Festival (8 hours of learning activity per day = 24 hours, plus overnight stays and travel time). The College of Humanities will pay for: travel and accommodation including breakfast, and funds for an evening meal. Any other minor costs will be paid for by individual students. If field trips cannot run due to Covid-19 we will provide equivalent online and/or Exeter-based teaching.
Scheduled Learning and Teaching30Screenings (2 x 2.5 hours weekly for 6 weeks)
Guided Independent Study78Seminar and workshop preparation (individual)
Guided Independent Study45Seminar and workshop preparation (individual)
Guided Independent Study78Research and essay writing

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group (group size = 4) PowerPoint presentation on a key issue in the contemporary industry, with a handout. The topic will be approved by the module convenors two weeks before, and could include any area of the industry already covered, or a new issue.15 minutes1-10Oral feedback from co-convenors

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
50050

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group (group size = 4) PowerPoint presentation plus 1000-word individual written reflection on a key issue in the contemporary industry, with a handout. The topic will be approved by module convenors in advance, and will focus on an aspect of learning from the field trip.4015 minutes 1-10Written and oral
Essay502000 words1-11Written and oral
Class participation10Continuous1-11Oral

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Group presentationEssay (1000 words)1-11Referral/deferral period
Essay (2000 words)Essay (2000 words)1-11Referral/deferral period
Class participationMitigation/Repeat Study1-11Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

  • Angus Finney, The International Film Business, London: Routledge 2014
  • Jason E Squire (ed), The Movie Business Book, London: Routledge 2016
  • David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, “Part Six: Cinema in the Age of Global Media”, in Film History: An Introduction, New York: McGraw Hill 2019, pp. 652-722.
  • PLUS further reading to be assigned at commencement of module.

Indicative viewing:

  • The King’s Speech (dir Tom Hooper, UK 2011).
  • The Crown (Prod. Peter Morgan et al, Left Bank Pictures/Sony Pictures for Netflix)
  • The Levelling (Hope Dickson Leach, UK 2017).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

Film, television, industry

Credit value30
Module ECTS

15

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

4

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

16/01/2019

Last revision date

12/07/2020