MEDIA 743 : Chinese Film Genres

Arts

2020 Semester Two (1205) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores the evolution of major film genres of the Chinese-language cinemas (i.e., cinemas of mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora). Investigates the formal styles of such genres as melodrama, youth, avant-garde, and documentary as well as how the changing styles reflect some big issues of sociocultural significances.

Course Overview

Genre is an important approach in film studies, providing ways to group together films that are marked by similar characters, subjects, settings, styles and/or themes. This course investigates some major genres in the dynamic and proliferating Chinese-language cinema. The course comprises three sections. Section One focuses on youth film, a genre that began to draw attention from academia only in recent years. Section Two centres a best established genre of Chinese cinema, martial arts film. Section Three examines art film, the genre that has played a pivotal role in facilitating “dialogues” between Chinese cinema(s) and the cinemas in other parts of the world. In exploring these genres, the course pays close attention to the following aspects: generic conventions and inventions, aesthetic legacy and breakthrough, and implications of the wider context.
The course has a strong comparative perspective, covering three major film cultures in Chinese-language cinemas, i.e. Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.

Course Requirements

Restriction: FTVMS 743

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop and demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of Chinese-language films (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  2. Identify , evaluate and synthesise critical and theoretical texts in Chinese film studies, and formulate relevant research questions (Capability 1.3 and 2.1)
  3. Be able to produce coherent, cohesive and considered arguments regarding concepts, texts and contexts related to film studies in general and Chinese film studies in particular (Capability 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 5.1)
  4. Develop capacity to communicate media analysis effectively via long- and short-form writing (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
  5. Be able to make appropriate use of existing research in the field, acknowledging prior contributions via academic referencing (Capability 3.1 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 100% Individual Coursework

This course has three assessment components: Research proposal (25%); Class Presentation (15%); and Research Essay (60%).

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of seminars and 12 hours of reading and thinking about the content each week and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 25/07/2020 04:53 p.m.