Course coordinator
Please email me at l.bode@uq.edu.au with your questions or concerns, or to make an appointment for a consultation.
This course provides students with a historical understanding of film and television in terms of aesthetic, technological, social, economic and industrial frameworks and their interrelationships.
Film and television are two the of most powerfulᅠand influential forms of narrative art and cultural transmission of the 20th and 21st Centuries. But where did they come from, how and why have they evolved over time, and what impacts are new technologies such as AI and streaming platforms having on how they are made and how we experience them? MSTU2160 is the compulsory second year course of the Film and Television Studies major. It examines key moments of technological change in film and TV, from the emergence of film in the late 19th Century, to the coming of sound in the late 1920s, the rise ofᅠtelevision as a mass entertainment medium in the 1940s and 50s, to the current era of computer generated imagery, digital effects, Generative AI and streaming. This course will give studentsᅠa strong understanding of how these two media evolved as popular artforms and cultural forces; an ability to identify how the development of media technologies is shaped by cultural, political, and economic factors; the impact of technological change on creative practice and screen aesthetics; and how artists working in screen production have explored and shaped the creative potential and limits of new technologies. It will also teach key research and analysis skills, such as how to design a small research project; how to find, contextualise, and analyse historical sources; and how to identify and analyse changes and patterns of influence in screen style.
ᅠStudents need to PASS theᅠcourse, MSTU1001 Introduction to Film and Television Studies,ᅠbefore attempting MSTU2160 Film and Television History.ᅠ
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
MSTU1001
Please email me at l.bode@uq.edu.au with your questions or concerns, or to make an appointment for a consultation.
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
This course aims to give students an understanding of theᅠindustrial and cultural factors that have instigated technological change in film and TV andᅠenabled some screen production cultures to become dominant, as well as the expressive possibilities of new technologies and techniques, and the ways these possibilities are taken up, reshaped, or discarded, in different cultural contexts. ᅠ
It aims to teach skills in using digital archives and analysing primary historical sources.
It aims to enable students to formulate hypotheses about the application of new technologies in film and television and their expressive possibilities, while analysing how cultural and industrial factors may shape these possibilities.
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand key technological developments in the history of film and television
LO2.
Understand how the media of film and television have been defined and understood historically by practitioners, industries, and audiences; summarise and analyse how these ideas were formalised in the writings of key theorists.
LO3.
Clearly and concisely summarise, evaluate, and formulate arguments in writing
LO4.
Independently conduct archival research on the history of film and television in a focused, coherent fashion, and be able to organise research materials into meaningful patterns on which hypotheses and arguments can be built
LO5.
Understand the complex cultural and industrial factors that instigate technological change in film and television in different cultures, and make hypothesises about future changes.
LO6.
Work with others to find information and solve problems with database searches.
LO7.
understand some of the social, political, and institutional anxieties and debates about the the impact of new media forms.
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Participation/ Student contribution |
Participation and Engagement with Course
|
20% |
Week 1 - Week 13
In person: Weekly workshops. If you cannot participate in class: While it is recommended that you submit the worksheets weekly in order to keep up with the course, the final deadline is 4pm Friday of Week 13. |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project | Archive Research Project - Part A | 20% |
30/08/2024 4:00 pm |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Project, Reflection | Archive Research Project - Part B | 20% 800 words |
6/09/2024 4:00 pm |
Essay/ Critique | Final Essay OR Video Essay | 40% 2000-2500 words |
4/11/2024 4:00 pm |
Week 1 - Week 13
In person: Weekly workshops.
If you cannot participate in class: While it is recommended that you submit the worksheets weekly in order to keep up with the course, the final deadline is 4pm Friday of Week 13.
There are flexible options for participation and engagement in this course, for those students who may struggle with speaking in class, or who may experience illness through the semester.
In person - in-class speaking or in-class writing in the Google Doc: Actively participate in class discussions and activities throughout the semester. This would involve responding to discussion prompts on the microphone in the seminars, and, in the workshops, participating in in-class archive research training exercises, analysis of primary sources, and writing short viewing reflections during class time, which we can then use as basis of further discussion. Those students who find speaking in class difficult will be given the option of synchronous participation using the Google Doc that will be sent out each week.
If you cannot attend class due to illness, or have not participated in the in-person class: You can earn marks by doing the catch-up worksheet. The worksheets will be placed on Blackboard in the assessment folder, and each week will have a different set of short questions and tasks. While it is recommended that you submit weekly in order to keep up with the course, the final deadline is 4pm Friday of Week 13. They are to be submitted via the assignment submission button in the worksheets folder on Blackboard.
In terms of learning outcomes, in-person participation is better, as students learn the archive research skills in the workshops (and these skills are the key to doing well in the archive research essay), gain continuous feedback within the seminars and workshops, and can talk their ideas through and test them with others, in more depth.
For marking criteria and more information please see the assessment information on Blackboard.
Academic Integrity and AI/MT:
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
In-class participation/engagement: Write your name on the class sign-in sheet and raise your hand to speak into the microphone or write your responses to in-class questions into the Google Doc.
OR
Catch-up worksheet: The worksheets will be placed on Blackboard in the assessment folder, and each week will have a different set of short questions and tasks. While it is recommended that you submit weekly in order to keep up with the course, the final deadline is end of Week 13. They are to be submitted via the assignment submission button in the worksheets folder on Blackboard.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
30/08/2024 4:00 pm
The film/TV studies archive research project has two parts. Part A must be completed and submitted, and Part B will not be eligible to be graded without Part A.
In order to be eligible to pass, your assignment must contain all the parts listed below:
Part A: Project design, primary research source collection, and source annotations
Design a project related to at least one of the weekly topics from weeks 1 to 6. Develop a film or TV history research question that is 1) related to one or more of the weekly topics (1-6), and 2) can be answered (in large part) through finding and analysing historical trade, fan, industry, film culture or news print primary sources.
For Part A, submit:
1) the research question; a brief explanation of its relevance to one of the weekly topics for weeks 1-6; and a few sentences about the kinds of primary sources (eg. fan magazines, trace publications? newspaper articles? film reviews? promotional materials?) that might help answer the question, and why.
2) your primary source collection with annotations. This is a document containing screenshots or PDFs of the primary evidence that you have found in Media History Lantern, OR Proquest Historical Newspapers, or Proquest British Periodicals. These are the pieces of evidence that you will use to answer the question for your film/ TV historical research project. Each source should have an annotation. It should be correctly referenced using Chicago style, with a brief description of what it is, and what it says, and how you are interpreting it as evidence to answer your research question.
The first five weeks of workshops will be dealing with archive research to help you design and find the primary sources for this project.
Academic Integrity and AI/MT:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Further information on the "appropriate" and inappropriate uses of AI and/or MT for this assessment will be available on Blackboard in the assessment section.
Submit via TurnItIn through Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
6/09/2024 4:00 pm
An 800-word written submission that corresponds to the research question submitted for Part A. Part B draws upon, quotes, discusses, analyses and contextualises the primary sources collected and submitted for Part A, and is followed by a short reflection on the research process. Attach Part A to Part B for the submission for cross-checking by your tutor.
More information will be available on blackboard in the Assessment section.
Note: Part B must have Part A attached, and follow the instructions, in order to be eligible to pass
Academic Integrity and AI/MT:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Further information on the "appropriate" and inappropriate uses of AI and/or MT for this assessment will be available on Blackboard in the assessment section.
Submit via TurnItIn, and attach Part A to Part B for cross-checking.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
4/11/2024 4:00 pm
The assignment may be submitted in written form with captioned screenshots from the examples discussed, OR as a video essay with voice-over narration /intertitles or captions and a 500-1000 word written introduction/contextuation.
Please see the assessment tab on Blackboard for more information. Essays must follow the source requirements and other assessment rules, which will be provided on Blackboard.
Academic Integrity and AI/MT:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Further information on the "appropriate" and inappropriate uses of AI and/or MT for this assessment will be available on Blackboard in the assessment section.
Submit via TurnItIn. Video essays to be submitted via the separate named link on Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
---|---|---|
1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Seminar |
Week 1: Introductory Seminar Thinking about Film and TV History. *It is vital that you attend this first seminar, otherwise you will find it very difficult to catch up* In preparation for this first class, please watch the Week 1 screening and do the reading for Week 1. Both of these will be in the Week 1 subfolder of the "Learning Materials" folder on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 1 Workshop: Please ensure you make this first week as it is crucial for learning how to design the film TV archive research project (assignment 1) and how to develop your research skills. What kinds of research questions can be investigated through online archive research? How do archive databases work differently from search engines, and how do we start searching for useful, relevant, and interesting sources? What kinds of words work best? Learn how to become a database whisperer and unlock buried film/TV history treasures that will help you complete the assignment successfully. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Seminar |
Week 2 Seminar: Early Cinema, early possibilities This week we look at early cinema forms (1894-1910s), their expressive possibilities, some of the early writing on cinema, and how the shift from short 'attractions' films to narrative cinema has been explained by historians. In preparation for this week's class, please watch the screening and do the readings on Blackboard in the learning materials folder for Week 2. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 2 Workshop: This week as well as discussing the week's topic in more depth we continue developing our archive research skills. We'll go over lots of tips for finding useful primary sources for your first assignment, and dedicate some time for you to work on your projects and gain assistance. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Seminar |
Week 3 Seminar: The Emergence of Film Studios This week we examine the rise to dominance of the Hollywood studio system in the USA in the wake of WWI, and studios elsewhere. We look at studios as both infrastructure (building complexes that allow for the control of filming environments and the centralisation of labour) and as production companies. Our big questions are: what impact did the emergence of the Hollywood studios have on the way films looked? To what extent have the studios driven technological transformation in filmmaking? Can what are essentially filmmaking factories produce art? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 3 Workshop: This week, we are discussing the week's topic as well as looking at how to find sources in magazines and newspapers from the 1910s and 1920s, and how to read and contextualise them, and how to cite them. Learning outcomes: L01, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Seminar |
Week 4 Seminar: The Transition to Sound This week we examine the late 1920s/early 1930s when the Hollywood studios embraced sound cinema. What kinds of filmmaking expression were lost? What were the expressive possibilities and problems of sound film making? How were the first sound films received? To prep for seminar: 1. Watch screening 2. Do readings in the Week 4 folder on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 4 Workshop: This week we deep dive into the industry press, newspapers, and film magazines from the late 1920s and early 1930s to see how people at the time felt about the movies' transition to synchronised sound. "Movies that talk? How vulgar!" More practice in finding and citing primary sources. The more you do this, the easier you will find the first major assignment. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Seminar |
Week 5 Seminar: The Coming of Television This week we look at how television was introduced to the home, and how different countries grappled with the problems and opportunities of the new medium. To prep for seminar: 1. Watch screening 2. Do readings in folder on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 5 Workshop: This is the last of our archive research workshops. This week we dive into early discussions in the media (the 1930s-1950s, depending on the country) speculating about television. what kind of weird or prescient notions about television will we find? Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Seminar |
Week 6 Seminar: TV's 'First Golden Age' in the 1950s This week looks at the aesthetics of early TV, its focus on liveness and the expressive possibilities of liveness, its move to pre-taped content, early discussions of what kind of artform TV might be, and its first "golden age". To prep: 1. Watch: Marty (NBC, 1953) in the screening slot. Recommended: The Quatermass Experiment (BBC, 1953) 2. Do readings in the folder on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 6 Workshop: This week we change activities from archive research to screen analysis. How can we see the impact of technological change on the screen, and what impact can technology have on how film and TV express meaning, story, character, and theme? We will learn how to watch more closely, and how to write succinctly about what we watch and what it means. Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L07 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Seminar |
Week 7: Film fights back - colour, widescreen, 3-D In this seminar we examine how and why in the 1950s cinema embraced a range of technologies to enhance its capacity for spectacle and viewer immersion. Which of these were temporary, and which became a permanent part of film-making, and why? To prep: 1. Watch the screening 2. Do the readings on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 7 Workshop: In this workshop we continue to develop our skills in identifying technology as a shaping factor in screen style and thematic meaning. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L07 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Seminar |
Week 8: 1970s innovations in sound design, VFX, and cinematography The 1970s are significant for giving us dolby sound, steadicam, and motion-controlled camera. How were these technologies used expressively and to serve new styles of realism? what difference did they make to the way movies looked and sounded? To prep: 1. View: The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) 2. Do the readings in the folder on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 8 Workshop: This week we look in some detail at how 1970s innovations in cameras, film speed, and sound recording and mixing had an impact on how films looked and sounded. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L07 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Seminar |
Week 9 Seminar: VCR/DVD and the disruption of home viewing This week we examine a key precursor to online streaming and Netflix. In the 1980s-early 1990s, long before online streaming services, the video cassette recorder disrupted the film and TV industries, transformed the relationship between viewers and content, and in turn shaped new kinds of TV programming and film-making. To prep: 1. Watch Twin Peaks, Season 1, Episode 1 (Lynch/Frost, 1990-1991) 2. Do readings on Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 9 Workshop: This week we workshop the questions for the final assignment and go over the expectations for the assignment in class. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L07 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Seminar |
Week 10 Seminar: The digital revolution - Part 1 As with the coming of sound, the rise of digital effects, computer 3D animation, and computer generated imagery (CGI) in film-making and television has been the subject of anxiety and excitement. How has it been written about? what do we lose, and what do we gain? What are the expressive possibilities of CGI? To prep: 1. Do the readings on Blackboard. 2. Watch the screening, Tron (Lisberger, 1982) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 10 Workshop: This week we consider CGI remakes in comparison to their originals (made with pre-digital effects techniques) in order to analyse the difference (if any) that CGI makes to our impression of screen bodies, spaces, and actions. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L07 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Seminar |
Week 11: NO SEMINAR DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY Monday public holiday. No classes for MSTU2160. Enjoy a day off! |
Workshop |
Week 11: NO WORKSHOPS DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Seminar |
Week 12 Seminar: The digital revolution - Part 2 This final week we look at the wholesale digitisation of film and TV production in the 2000s, from being able to shoot a movie on your phone, to digital editing, the digital intermediate, and digital exhibition. What differences do these tools made to how films look and sound? What difference do they make to arguments about film as an artform? To prep: 1. Watch Side by Side in the screening slot or online. 2. Do the readings in the folder. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L07 |
Workshop |
Week 12 Workshop In this final workshop we look in more detail at the impact of such things as digital cinematography, editing, and the digital intermediate on screen. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L07 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Seminar |
Week 13: NO SEMINAR |
Workshop |
Week 13: NO WORKSHOPS |
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.