MP5040 - Genre: Critical and Creative Approaches

Classes are designed to develop student understanding of key theoretical and historical issues within the study of genre, alongside practical considerations for the production of genre films, and the application of these to specific case-studies. They will be illustrated by appropriate excerpts from relevant film and television programmes. Classes will also involve group discussions of the issues covered as well as practical exercises in working in genre productionYou are required to make positive contributions to the learning experience. You are expected to prepare for class by undertaking reading and viewing activities specified in the module guide (and available via the electronic reading list). These allow you to critically engage with the concepts introduced in the related class. Student-led seminar discussions are also intended to develop your communication skills and your ability to develop and respond to ideas in a collaborative environment. Tutorials are used to assist you in the preparation of your essay.

Seminars will involve group discussions with the tutor and fellow students, alongside practical exercises, providing a constructive environment for the enhancement of knowledge and understanding of the subject, preparation for the assessment tasks, and the development of communication skills. Class material (such as Powerpoint slides, links to clips and discussion points) will be accessible via the e-Learning portal, along with supplementary learning material (which may include web links, suggestions for further viewing and reading). A list of key and further reading material will be available on the eLP, and an electronic reading list will link you directly to key sources, allowing you to access them anytime and anywhere. The module will also incorporate assessment preparation discussion, with advice on how to approach the essay task. Furthermore, the module tutor will offer set office hours for academic support.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

• A familiarity with key genres in film and television, and the critical approaches to them

• An ability to contextualise film and television genres in terms of how they are influenced by broader social, institutional and technological changes

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

• An ability to articulate, evaluate and apply key theoretical and critical issues associated with genre

• Demonstration of analytical and communication abilities s

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• Appreciation of the global and cultural contexts of film and television production

The assessment strategy for this module is to encourage you to develop a critically and contextually informed understanding of genre film and television and to be able to communicate this clearly in written and/or audiovisual form. The project requires you to research and analyse a particular genre in relation to one or more of the key topics or case studies examined on the module, applying the appropriate critical, theoretical, or practical frameworks. It addresses all of the MLOs relating to knowledge/understanding and intellectual/professional skills, in testing: a familiarity with critical approaches to genre, an ability to contextualise a specific example, an ability to evaluate and apply critical/theoretical issues to a case-study, and an ability to communicate ideas in written form. Submission and receipt of feedback is via Turnitin.

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This module builds upon your understanding of the significance of genre within the production, reception and analysis of film and television. It explores what we understand by the term genre in film and television through an analysis of the codes and conventions of major screen genres. It considers how genres change over time according to evolving aesthetic, social, cultural, technological and industrial contexts. It examines the practical implications, considerations, and issues of making genre films, including but not limited to questions around budget, story development, set design, costume, special effects, and performance. You will learn about key developments in genre scholarship, and how critical, theoretical and creative approaches can be utilised in researching and producing genre film and television. After a series of introductory sessions that define and then problematize major issues of genre, the module then explores the concept through a series of detailed case studies, which may include science fiction, comedy, and musical alongside topics such as global film genres, genre in short form, adapting genre across media, genre and audience and fandom ).