CS4027 NARRATIVE FILM & TV:CONCEPTS & APPLICATIONS

This course is designed to encourage students to discover and explore the main currents and concepts in practical film theory to give them a better understanding of how to create compelling narrative films. The syllabus is divided into two sections. The first deals with specific theoretical concerns and will be covered in the lectures. The second looks at advanced film practice and key movements in the development of film narrative. Both will be examined regarding their implications for style and will be covered mostly in the tutorials. Throughout the course, theory and its relationship to practice will be questioned in an attempt to answer the following: Does film narrative have a natural vocation for realism or artifice and stylization? Should style draw attention to its self or be self-effacing? Is there an ideal style? What ways are there of telling a story? How does digital cinematic narration work? What does the spectator do in comprehending a narrative film? What features and structures solicit story comprehension and how is it exploited in film practice? What role can the properties of the digital medium play in the process of narration?

Prerequisites Tree