Singapore University of Social Sciences

This course provides the foundation for students who wish to study film analytically. Students will first look at film form, with an emphasis on narrative form. They will then be acquainted with the key film techniques: mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound. They will identify these techniques in specific films and consider how they are put together to support the film’s overall form, shape viewer expectations, and create meaning in film. Students will be exposed to a range of different films so they can survey how various filmmakers have used the techniques. Students will also look at how the techniques are deployed to create a distinctive style (or a film’s look and feel). Students will learn how to systematically perform close reading of specific films so that they can harness this knowledge and apply it to all other films.