UNIVERSITY OF WALES, LAMPETER

 FILM & MEDIA   STUDIES

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The Film and Media Stud-ies programme at Univer-sity of Wales, Lampeter offers a unique oppor-tunity to combine vital practical training with challenging academic ap-proaches to studying cin-ema and the mass media. In the following pages, you will find details of the courses on offer in each year of the degree. With excellent facilities and experienced staff, this is a well-resourced programme that equips students for a range of employment opportunities in the media and related industries.

For further information on Filmand Media Studies at Lampeter,

please contact:

Caron McKee-Hands,Department of Film and Media,University of Wales, Lampeter,

Ceredigion, SA48 7ED.

Tel: 01570 424790Fax: 01570 423669

E-mail: caron@lamp.ac.uk

For general information about the University of Wales, Lampeter,

please contact:

Recruitment, Marketing and Admis-sions,

University of Wales, Lampeter,Ceredigion, SA48 7ED.

Tel: 01570 422351Fax: 01570 423423

E-mail: recruit@lamp.ac.uk

www.lamp.ac.uk

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Course Content And Structure

Year One Compulsory Modules

Year One Optional Modules

Year Two Compulsory Modules

Year Two/Three Optional Modules

Year Three Modules

Staff Profiles

Facilities and Equipment

Open Days

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E In the first year of this de-gree, students take a number of compulsory modules that provide a solid platform for practical and academic media study. Subsequent years have less in the way of compul-sory requirements, allowing students to pursue a range of optional modules in areas of study that are of partic-ular interest to them.

Year 1 Compulsory Modules:

1) Introduction to Film Studies2) Digital Video Production Level 13) Introduction to Media Studies4) Creative Computing+ a choice of optional mod-ules offered within the De-partment of Film and Media and across the University.

Year 2 Compulsory Modules:

1) Film Stars: Representation and Performance2) Understanding Television3) Research Methods in Film and Media and a choice of optional modules offered within the De-partment of Film and Media and across the University.

Year 3 Compulsory Modules:

1) Dissertation and/or Media Studies Project and a choice of optional modules offered within the Department of Film and Media and across the University.

Individual module descriptions are provided on the following pages. Please note that new op-tions are added to the programme

every year.

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BA Film and Media Studies - Year One Compulsory Modules

Introduction to Film StudiesThis module is intended to introduce students to the academic study of cin-ema at undergraduate level. The course will provide a basic outline of narra-tive techniques and stylistic conven-tions to enable them to develop their appreciation of cinematic form. Some of the major theoretical issues in relation to the study of film, including author-ship, genre, systems of representation and the role of the spectator, will be examined. The course is supported by a series of screenings which will allow students the opportunity to view some of the classics of film history, providing an overview of many of the most influential movements, including German Expression-ism, the French New Wave, Hollywood and Soviet political cinema. By the end of the course, students will be armed with a solid grounding from which to develop their scholarly interest in the medium.

Digital Video Production - Level 1A practical and intensely hands-on in-troduction to the basic skills used in single and multi-camera digital video production. During the module you will experience working as a team member in the studio-based, multi-camera sessions, while as an individual you will produce a 2-minute video using a digital camera and Adobe Premiere editing equipment. Teaching consists of 10 x 2 hour workshop sessions in groups of 10 - 15 students. On successful completion of the course, you should be able to demonstrate basic technical competence while understand-ing the roles and processes which support creative video production.

Introduction to Media StudiesThis module introduces student to the study of the mass media from a variety of critical and theoretical perspectives. Initially the module examines key moments and institu-tions in the historical develop-ment of the mass media using case studies drawn mainly from America and the UK. In the second half of the module, students will engage with the major issues and theories that have concerned media studies as an academic discipline. Through subjects such as semiotics, ideol-ogy and reception theory, students will gain a firm foundation for theoretical and practical studies in the second and final years of the degree.

Creative ComputingUtilising industry standard soft-ware in the Mac Lab this module concentrates on design and pub-lishing skills in desktop publish-ing for business. After being in-troduced to word processing and basic design principles, you will be taught how to use Adobe Photo-shop to retouch and enhance photo-graphic images from a variety of sources, such as the World Wide Web, scanners and PhotoCD. The primary focus of the mod-ule is then on the use of Adobe Pagemaker to incorporate text and images in a desktop publish-ing project. Suitable for all stu-dents wishing to learn presentational and publishing skills to enhance their degree work and employment prospects, this module is completely assessed by coursework.

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BA Film and Media Studies - Year One Optional Modules

Genre in FilmThe history of cinema has been dominated by the development of key film genres. Whether it is the western, film noir or melodrama, the genre film has provided audi-ences with a safe formula, seem-ingly guaranteeing the delivery of reliable entertainment. This mod-ule will examine the way in which generic conventions function and change. Students will be gently introduced to some of the domi-nant theoretical discourses that have shaped the academic study of genre cinema. Key issues, such as historical context, the centrality of gender and the role of the di-rector, will be discussed, and the course will be illustrated with examples drawn from both Hollywood and beyond.

An Introduction to Cultural StudiesThis module provides an introduc-tion to the cross-disciplinary field of Cultural Studies. This course traces the development of key debates and approaches to the meaning of ‘culture’ and the study of ‘popular cultures’. Us-

ing a wide variety of examples and case studies, the course engages with differ-ent ways that the relationship between culture, society and power can be under-stood.

Understanding the Social and the Cul-turalIntroduces various different ways of ap-proaching and researching the complexities of human societies and cultures, social and cultural processes. The course explores various methods (e.g. interviews, participant observation, tex-tual and visual analysis, questionnaires) used in research, highlighting the ap-plicability, strengths and limitations of each. Aswell as these modules, you can also choose from a range of other modules from other Departments across the Uni-versity.

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ESBA Film and Media Studies - Year Two Compulsory Modules

Film Stars: Representation And PerformanceOne of the central factors in the con-tinuing popularity of cinema has been the status of the film star. Pampered and promoted, egotistical and over-paid, the film star is still likely to be one of the key elements affecting our choice of viewing. This module will look at the creation of the star system in Hollywood and follow its influence. Changing styles of performance will be examined, from the silent period, through ‘the method’ style of Marlon Brando, to the modern anti-hero. Stu-dents will be introduced to theoretical approaches to the analysis of stardom and the key issue of representation will be examined in detail. The impor-tance of gender and sexuality will be addressed in relation to the creation of identity and the pleasures of spec-tatorship.

Understanding TelevisionTelevision is a hotly debated medium at the heart of contemporary popular culture, a powerful global indus-try and a key source for both in-formation and entertainment. This module will examine the history of TV, paying close attention to recent developments in public and private sector broadcasting.

Drawing case studies from America and closer to home, the module will consider television as a specific textual form, highlight-ing major genres including the soap opera and so-called reality television. Other elements to be covered will be the regulation of the industry, issues of represen-tation and the consequences these have for television audiences.

Research Methods in Film and MediaThis module provides vital prepa-ration for the Dissertation com-ponent in Year 3. Students will be introduced to the major areas of research methodology that they will need to employ in the Dis-sertation, testing each with a relevant exercise. Subjects cov-ered will include researching original source material, con-tent/ discourse analysis and in-terview techniques. The module will culminate in the production of a detailed proposal for the Dissertation that students intend to pursue in their final year.

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Advanced Digital Video ProductionThis module develops the basic skills acquired at Level 1. You will be introduced to advanced non-linear editing techniques and set exercises designed to extend your visual and aural awareness and creativity. You will be re-quired to submit 3 video produc-tions; a 30” sound and vision montage, a 1’ trailer / promo-tional video and a 5-minute fact or fiction film. Teaching will be by 10 x 2 hour workshops in the first term, while the 5’ video production will be supported by masterclasses and tutorials dur-ing the second term. Introduction to ScreenwritingThis is a practical course, in which the essential elements of effective screenwriting - charac-ter, narrative structure, action, plot, dialogue - are explored through lectures and workshops. Using a variety of screen narra-tives as examples, students are asked to submit a portfolio of written exercises designed to de-velop their writing skills lead-ing to the production of a short script.

The course also explores the role of the screenwriter within the context of com-mercial programme production.

Advanced Multi-Camera ProductionUsing the well-equipped 3-camera studio at the Media Centre, this course will

build on the skills acquired at Level 1. The studio gallery will operate from our new multi-camera mobile unit, which will also enable us to produce “as live” broadcasts from a various loca-tions. You will undertake most of the roles necessary to multi-camera video production, acting as camera person, sound and vision mixer, production assistant, floor manager, producer /researcher, director and performer as required. Your team-working, manage-ment and communication skills will be developed to a high level during this course, as will your appreciation of the hard work and organisation that goes into the most formulaic of televi-sion programmes.

Asian Cinema: Politics And AestheticsThis module introduces students to ex-amples of several major film cultures that provide alternative models to Hol-lywood. This begins with an overview of cinema in the People’s Republic of China under the Communist government and the related film industries of Hong Kong and Taiwan. The second part of the course examines Indian cinema, the most prolific industry in the world in terms of production. In all cases students will examine the extent to which the films produced in these contexts reflect national and regional issues. Through-out, a key emphasis will be placed on textual analysis, paying close atten-tion to specific features such as the use of song and dance sequences in popular Indian film.

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Professional PublishingConcentrating on professional publish-ing skills using Quark Xpress software, this module covers the advanced tech-niques used in the magazine publishing industry. You will be taught the proce-dures followed in a commercial printing environment from production and pre-press through to the printing process itself. Issues explored are the role of process colour printing, techniques for colour trapping, prepress checklists and how to ensure that your printed output matches your expectations.

Popular Music: Industry and SocietyThis module approaches the study of popular music from two broad points of view. In the first half of the course, students will be introduced to the key institutions that are responsible for the global production and mediation of contemporary popular music. An impor-tant focus will be recent changes in the industry, not least those brought about by the impact of the Internet. The second half of the module will con-centrate on the role of popular music in contemporary debates about identity. Particular case studies will examine the representation of race and gender in popular music culture.

Culture and Media in Everyday LifeExplores the use and interpretation of language (English; spoken, textual, sung etc.) in interactions, social cultures and within news, ‘lifestyle’ and advertising media as situated prac-tices, that are shaped by and may also reshape wider social contexts. Us-ing examples in practical sessions, it investigates links between language, meanings, notions of identity and the operation of power.

Digital PhotographyTraditional photographic methods in-volving the use of analogue cameras are being extended and, in some respects, being replaced by new digital methods. This practical course explores the tech-nology of digital photography and (in the Departmental Macintosh Laboratory) the key computer software used in the creation of digital images. But digital photography is more than the supplant-ing of traditional methods by a digital alternative. New types of imagery can be created using digital technology, such as interactive ‘Virtual Reality’ tours for use on the world wide web. A major part of this course involves the cre-ation of such ‘beyond the still image’ products.

Cinema, culture and society: The 1960s in Europe and AmericaAre the 1960s the most influential decade of the twentieth century? This module explores an era whose influence is all around us to this day, whether it is in contemporary pop music and fashion, or in debates about the effects of permis-siveness on our society. Whilst this course is centred largely on films, there will be the chance to look at other key cultural developments of the period, in-cluding pop music, photography and tele-vision. The social and economic context will also be studied. Whilst focusing mainly on Britain and the United States, the module will also look at important developments in other European countries such as France and Italy. From The Beat-les to the hippies, via Vietnam, civil rights and the counterculture, this mod-ule will take students past the Austin Powers stereotypes into the heart of the revolution.

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Encompassing RepresentationsExplores various issues connected to cultural and media representations of places and spaces at a variety of scales: from the globe as an icon of supposed unity and equality through to the neighbourhood and the home. It ex-plores links between representation and power, through examining how a variety of different kinds of dominant ‘stories’ about peoples and places are retold, re-drafted and subverted through how these ‘stories’ are told to different kinds of audiences.

Cultural TechnologiesExplores technologies involved in the production, consumption and circulation of cultures and cultural artefacts. The course builds from the idea that tech-nologies do not exist ‘apart’ from hu-man societies and cultures, and are much more than particular arrangements of metal and plastics etc. built and used for specific purposes. The course is di-vided into three lecture blocks that look at the key debates around processes of production, consumption and circula-tion, using examples drawn from TV, film, music and ‘everyday life’ in contempo-rary and historical contexts.

Bodies and RepresentationFocuses on the significance of bodies and their connections with individual and collective identities, personal and so-cietal anxieties (e.g. in relation to health, beauty, sex etc.). These issues are explored through examining a wide variety of ways that bodies are managed, (re)presented and interpreted within different social, cultural and media contexts.

Geographies of ViolenceFrom verbal to nuclear confrontation, this module investigates ‘violences’ of many different kinds. It examines how various socio-cultural-political, legal and moral considerations combine to jus-tify, ‘naturalise’, deem ‘viewable’ or deem illegitimate certain forms of ‘vio-lence’ within a variety of cultural con-texts.

Multimedia: Creative Web Page DesignTaught in the Apple Macintosh Laborato-ry, the module teaches the concepts and techniques required to create web sites using graphical web design software. You will learn how to plan, create and main-tain a suite of web pages; how to create background designs for your web site and prepare images for the web using Adobe Photoshop; effective use of a digital camera and 35mm slide scanner; how to create animations for web page; and how to conform to accessibility standards for the less able. Critically, you will also learn how to ensure that your web site is accessible to users on Windows PCs and other computer systems.

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ESIn their final year, students take at least one of the following:

DissertationA 12, 000 word piece of original work on a subject of the student’s choice. Based on the proposal written during Research Methods in Film and Media during the second year, this module requires stu-dents to pursue in-depth research into a media-related topic.

Media Studies ProjectBased on the skills acquired in the first two years of the degree, students devise a project of their choice. Projects un-dertaken by past students have included the construction of a web site or shoot-ing a short documentary. In all cases, students a required to produce a report on their project, detailing the process-es involved.

In addition to the above, students can choose from a range of options including those listed under Year Two and those below which are intended for Year Three students only:

Alternative Cinemas Is Hollywood all there is to cinema? One result of the all-pervading influence of Hollywood has been to provoke reactions and occasionally revolt against its dom-inant style and values. This has taken many forms, from experimental art cinema to the attempt to counteract Hollywood’s glossy surface values with a cinema ded-icated to capturing the rawness of re-ality. There have also been those audi-ences who feel that their concerns and interests have never been fully catered to by the mainstream and who look else-where for their entertainment.

This wide-ranging course will look at a variety of alternatives to mainstream popular narrative cin-ema: from documentary realism to European art cinema and the avant-garde; from exploitation and niche films to animation and surrealism. Material that is sometimes chal-lenging, but always rewarding, will be used to offer an alternative view to the one from Los Angeles.

The Films of Spike LeeSpike Lee is one of the most con-troversial directors working in contemporary American cinema. He has made films as an independent and in mainstream Hollywood, produc-ing a body of work that has pro-voked strong reactions from audi-ences and critics alike. With films such as She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, and Jungle Fever, Lee has been celebrated and vilified in equal measure for the way in which his work has engaged with racial politics. This module will examine Lee’s films in the context of key debates about representation and, in particular, the portrayal of African-Americans.

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The Media in WalesThis module provides students with a unique opportunity to study the media in Wales. Examining the history of key in-stitutions such as S4C and the Western Mail, the course will look at the way Wales has been represented in cinema, television, the press and popular music. In all cases the specificity of the Welsh experience, in relation to government policy or the role of language, for in-stance, will be placed in the context of developments in the broader UK and glob-al media.

Introduction to SubtitlingThis highly practical module conveys the basic elements of subtitling. Each stu-dent will have access to a sophisticated PC unit at the Media Centre in a dedi-cated Subtitling Suite. In addition to formal tuition there will be assistance in the form of surgery hours to support students as they become competent in operating the equipment. Students will learn to subtitle a range of material whilst adhering to the guidelines and conventions specified by the ITC (Inde-pendent Television Commission).

Introduction To Television Drama - Its History And DevelopmentAn exploration of the development of television drama, from the televised single play to the multi-narrative soaps and series that fill our screens today. Technological advances have affected the stories we tell and how they are told on the “small screen.” We will look at the innovative presentations of the past, such as Bleasedale’s “Boys from the Blackstuff,” Potter’s “Singing Detec-

tive,” as well as the emergence of the “made for TV movie” and the “classical adaptation”, the move towards formulaic narratives and genres.

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esCarol Byrne Jones B.A., P.G.C.E. (Cardiff), M.A. (Sheffield)Carol has extensive experience in the production and direction of film and television programmes. For the past 25 years, her work has included feature film, drama, documentaries, and chil-dren’s programmes in Welsh and English for local and international markets. A Skillset External Evaluator, she has been closely involved with the development of nation-al vocational qualifications for broadcast and new me-dia industries, examining the “match” between aca-demic / vocational train-

ing and industrial needs. Her screenplay adaptation of

T. Llew Jones’ “Dirgelwch yr Ogof” will be broadcast on S4C

as their “Christmas special.” Her research interests include

story-telling, narrative practices and structures as expressions of cultural and national identity.

She is a director of “Small World Theatre”, a locally based company that uses pup-pets and mixed media to work with developing countries on social, cultural and envi-ronmental issues.

Geraint DaviesManager of the University of Wales, Lampeter’s Media Centre (see section on Facilities and Equipment), Geraint has over twenty years’ experience in video production for broadcast

and corporate video.

Trevor Harris B.Sc. (Ext London)With over twenty years’ experi-ence in a design and publishing environment, Trevor teaches elec-tronic publishing skills which range from Desktop Publishing through to New Media. A Mac user since the advent of computer based DeskTop Publishing, he su-pervises the Department of Film and Media’s dedicated suite of Macintosh computers and ensures that the facility is kept up to date with industry standard software. His current interests include the emergence of digital video technologies as interdis-ciplinary tools in education, the advent of ubiquitous computing using wireless technology and extending the reach of broadband Internet access into rural areas.

Simon Horrocks M.A. (Edinburgh), M.A. (Warwick)Previously Cinema Education Officer at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre, Simon has a wide range of teaching and research interests in the areas of film and media. These include Chinese cinema (and Asian cinema more generally) and the use of popular music in film and television. He is currently writing a book about con-temporary popular music culture, due to be published by Arnold in 2003.

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ENT The Department of Film and Media

provides students with access to some of the best training facil-ities in the UK.

These are updated every year to keep pace with developments in the media industries. Key fa-cilities and equipment are as follows:

1) Media Centre

This purpose-built facility in-cludes :

New Mobile Multi-camera produc-tion vehicle with web-streaming capabilities; PC Video Editing Stations with DVD drives, Matrox RT.X100 real time effects, Adobe Premiere 6.5 and DVDit; Tele-vision Studio (with three JVC Digital wide-screen broadcast cameras); Production Gallery;Access to Seven Portable Digital Video Cameras, Lights, Micro-phones etc. Subtitling Training Suite; Dubbing Suite and Access to the on-site Student Radio Station.

2) Video Conferencing Suite

3) The Mac Lab

This facility includes 20 Apple G4 computers, open access scanner, CD-Writer and networked colour and black-and-white laser printers.

The software suite comprises:

Design and Publishing software:Adobe PhotoshopAdobe InDesignAdobe PageMakerAdobe IllustratorAdobe StreamlineQuark XPress

Electronic Publishing software:VR WorxApple iMovie

Administration software: Microsoft Office 2001

Professional Scriptwriting software:Final Draft

Web Design software:Adobe PageMillMacromedia Dreamweaver MX Microsoft Internet ExplorerNetscape NavigatoriCab web browser

In addition to the above, students have access to a wide range of comput-ing facilities around the campus. VHS and DVD viewing facilities are also provided, both in the library and in a separate facility opposite the Media Centre.

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Open

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The Open Day is the perfect opportu-nity for you to find out as much as you can about the courses and facil-ities available at the University.You’ll get an insight into what life as a student is really like; find out about all our degrees and meet the academic staff; get answers to those questions you haven’t had the chance to ask from staff and students and show your friends and family around the place you could be living for three years or more.

If you can’t make it on the day, give us a ring and we’ll arrange an-other date for you and your friends.

To Book a Place...

You can call us on 01570 422351. Once we have received your booking, we will send you a letter confirming your place and giving you an outline of the day. If we require more in-formation from you, we will ask you to get in touch with us.

Alternatively, you can also visit the website to find an online booking form.

Other opportunities to visit usIf you apply to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and are offered a place, you may be invited to a departmen-tal visit day or for an inter-view. Information about these visits will be sent to you di-

rectly.

We look forward to welcoming you to University of Wales,

Lampeter.

UNIVERSITY OF WALES, LAMPETERLAMPETERCEREDIGIONsa48 7ed

01570 422351