Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding:
- Acquire sufficient elements of orientation with regard to film and audiovisual language: the main phases, movements, trends and personalities in the history of cinema; acquire a basic knowledge of the issues related to film analysis, the film industry, and the different meanings given to cinema on a social, political, and artistic level.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- Understand the technical and artistic solutions of film, its historical developments, film as a cultural object, and the function of film in different contexts.
Autonomy of judgment:
- Develop autonomy of judgment and ability to analyze films and cinema.
Communication and soft skills:
- Explain, using correct terminology, problems of film history and language; conduct film analysis autonomously.
Learning skills:
- Identify the main elements of definition of film images; understand past and contemporary audiovisual images with appropriate interpretive tools.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of main historical and artistic events of the 19th and 20th centuries;
Appropriate language skills for understanding complex texts.
Course unit content
The course is divided into two parts.
- Institutional part (30 hours), prof. paolo Villa: it will examine the general characters of film language and the history of cinema, from its origins to the present, through the main authors and movements that mark its development. Against the background of the forms and functions covered by the film medium in different sociocultural contexts, examples of particularly significant films will be offered. The basic elements of film language, useful for conducting film analysis, and film theory will also be introduced.
• Workshop (36 ore), proff. Benedetta Bragadini e Filiberto Molossi, devoted to film criticism and promotion.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Required text:
David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Jeff Smith, Storia del cinema. Un'introduzione, Italian ed. edited by Elena Mosconi and David Bruni, McGraw-Hill Education, 6th ed., 2022: parts to be studied will be indicated during classes and in the detailed syllabus available on the course page on Elly platform.
Optional text for further study:
Antonio Costa, Saper vedere il cinema. Nuova edizione riveduta e aggiornata, Bompiani, Milan 2018.
For non-Italian-speaking students who opt for the oral exam, the required book is Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, The History of Cinema. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2017. The entire filmography is also mandatory.
Teaching methods
For the institutional part: lectures with presentation of multimedia material; discussion time; analysis of film sequences.
Assessment methods and criteria
Verification of learning will take the form of a written test with both open and closed questions.
The questions will cover the basic outlines of film history and the elements of film and audiovisual language. The student will be expected to be able to correctly place the objects and issues under consideration in their relevant historical and cultural context. Questions about the films in the filmography will be included in the examination.
The following will be considered for evaluation: correctness, mastery and extent of argumentation, ability to apply acquired notions, and terminological accuracy.
Duration of the test: 2 hours
21 multiple choice questions (only one correct option): 21 points.
5 open questions: the student must answer 2 of them of his/her choice with a complete and concise answer (between 10 and 20 lines).
A failing grade is determined by a lack of knowledge of the minimum course content. A sufficient assessment (18-23/30) is determined by an acceptable level of preparation by the student; average scores (24-27/30) are awarded to the student who demonstrates a more than sufficient (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) level of knowledge and critical learning. The highest scores (28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded based on the demonstration of a very good to excellent level, accompanied by considerable personal and critical acquisition of the content (30 cum laude).
The filmography, provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the course, is an integral part of the exam. Some questions will focus on the films included in it, which must be seen in their entirety.
There are no midterm or out-of-course exams.
The written exam is in Italian language only. In exceptional cases, for foreign and non-Italian-speaking students, it is possible to request in advance to convert it into an oral interview in English, with specific bibliography; the lecturer will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Other information
There are no differences in the programme for attending and non-attending students. However, attendance and active participation in class is strongly recommended.
Students should register on the course page on Elly platform to find the detailed syllabus with filmography and all materials pertaining to the course.
Attendance at the 36-hour workshop (in the second term of the semester) is strongly recommended.
For any questions or clarifications, students are invited to contact the lecturer at paolo.villa@unipr.it
Those interested in a thesis in Film and Audiovisual Theories and Techniques may contact the lecturer. The grade-threshold to do a thesis is 27; no thesis requests will be accepted less than four months before the graduation session in which one intends to graduate; a complete first chapter will be required no later than one and a half months before the final delivery date, or in any case by the date of submission of the application for graduation. Students are encouraged, when requesting the thesis, to propose one or more topics of their interest, which will be discussed with the lecturer.
The following are some topics of interest to the professor (on which he may assign the thesis in case the student prefers not to propose a topic of his or her own interest): European cinematic avant-gardes in the 1920s, Italian and European documentary cinema, relations between cinema and the visual arts, biopics on artists, the image of Italy in Hollywood and European films, costume films from the 1980s to the present, contemporary European cinema, cinematic representation of the landscape and the city, history of movie theaters, history of the film posters.
Office time: During class period, Tuesday afternoons from 3 pm. Outside the class period, see the lecturer's page: https://personale.unipr.it/it/ugovdocenti/person/256402 for the reception schedule, and for any notices and cancellations. The reception is held at the Unità di Arte, Musica e Spettacolo, Palazzo della Pilotta (fifth floor), Piazzale della Pace 7/A. Please send a preventive email in case you intend to attend reception, especially outside of teaching periods.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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