MP5030 - Hollywood

Students will learn via a variety of mechanisms. These include lectures, seminars, online activities (where appropriate) and independent learning. Lectures will provide the contextual and theoretical information students need to understand the module’s themes and approaches. The lecturer will provide examples that will demonstrate how to apply relevant critical techniques, and to stimulate student engagement with the course material (by, for example, presenting various challenges and conflicts raised in the field). Seminars will provide space for students to interrogate and discuss the ideas raised in the lectures, both with their peers and with the tutor. Seminars are oriented around discussion questions and activities to stimulate student engagement. Outside of the taught sessions, students will be expected to engage with module-relevant reading in preparation for the sessions. An electronic reading list is supplied via the e-Learning Portal, which will guide students towards appropriate resources, although students are encouraged to explore the wider library catalogue to engage with additional sources too. During students’ independent working time, it is also expected that they will apply the ideas raised in the reading and the taught content to film examples beyond those cited in the lectures. Where appropriate, additional materials will be supplied on the eLearning Portal. These independent activities will facilitate students’ development as they progress through the module, laying a foundation for their assessed work.

Students will be supported by the module lead; they will introduce the module at the start of the semester and offer advice and guidance throughout. Student learning is mapped out via documentation on Blackboard Ultra, the Northumbria University online electronic learning portal; this is accessible online on and off campus. The e-Learning Portal will include guidance notes and key dates to help students organise and plan their time. It will also include teaching materials, announcements and updates, and detailed information on assessment.
We support student learning by providing on-going feedback (Formative and Summative) through the range of teaching and learning approaches offered. We ask students to submit their work electronically, and we will supply feedback via Turnitin. Formative assessment is offered throughout the module, and summative assignments will receive written feedback within 20 working days of assignment submission. Every tutor has set weekly feedback and tutorial drop in hours, wherein students can seek advice on their academic progress.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• To understand the different critical understandings of Hollywood cinema, including textual and contextual approaches.
• To locate the development of the studio system within historical contexts, relating to social, institutional and technological issues.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Communication of academic theories and ideas, demonstrating leadership and communication skills.
• Cultivation of archival research skills.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• To cultivate an awareness of the global dimensions of Hollywood cinema and how this impacts on cultures.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: To prepare you successfully to undertake the summative assessment(s) on this module, formative assessments will be set by the module team. These may take the form of in-class tasks or projects, developmental activities undertaken between classes, or learning exercises/activities set over a longer period. Feedback (written and/or oral) will be provided to help you learn from, reflect on, and develop in light of these formative assessments.


Summative Assessment is by one archival report of 1000 words (40%) – this will be a critical report on doing archival research – and one 2000 word essay OR a 6-minute video essay (60%).

The tasks address all the MLOs relating to knowledge/understanding and intellectual/professional skills; an understanding of critical approaches to the subject, an appreciation of historical contexts, the communication of critical understanding, and (in the case of the archival task) the cultivation of archival research skills.

Students will receive formative feedback from their peers and the module tutor during the seminars throughout the course, allowing students to consider how their critical skills are developing. Students will receive a detailed commentary and a summative mark on their written work in accordance with the assessment criteria (supplied on the eLP). Under normal circumstances, students will receive written feedback on their summative submissions within 20 working days. The feedback will normally be supplied electronically as part of the ESAF process. This feedback will provide a detailed account of students’ skills, critical engagement and communicative ability, as well as supporting future learning by indicating areas for development. Students can also request additional verbal feedback on their submissions by arranging a meeting with the module tutor.

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Hollywood is the most powerful and dominant global cinematic industry, a position it has maintained since the late 1910s. Knowledge of the economic, aesthetic and ideological working of Hollywood is crucial for any film studies student and researcher, for not only has Hollywood established a set of norms and practices that have influenced subsequent international cinemas, but these practices have also acted as important benchmarks for some filmmakers to act against. As such, an extensive knowledge of Hollywood cinema is crucial to a deep understanding of various types of cinema, both mainstream and alternative. This module will allow students to explore key aesthetic, economic, ideological and historical issues in relation to Hollywood cinema. These include analysing the formation of the studio system and how this led to Hollywood becoming a global, dominant force; how Hollywood representations can be linked to broader ideologies; how aesthetics and representations are influenced by censorship; and how Hollywood has changed historically in relation to social and technological factors. The focus on these issues throughout the module will lead to a critically-informed understanding of: periodisation (particularly in relation to the ideas of classical and post-classical Hollywood); technical innovations and their impacts (such as the introduction of sound and CGI); the changing nature of stardom and popular film genres; the increasing acceptance of Hollywood as an art form; and the ways in which Hollywood has absorbed international trends and personnel.