Film and television history
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| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
Cinema came into its own in an era dominated by the USA, so American cinema is of paramount importance in film history. The American films you’ll study span a broad period, from those made in the 'golden age' of Hollywood, such as Stagecoach and Now, Voyager, to Titanic and the films of the Coen Brothers. You will also study British films of the 1950s and 1960s; West German, French and Italian films since the early 1970s; and soap operas, single plays, literary adaptations, science fiction, adventure series and mini-series from the world of television.
Course content
By studying this course you will:
- be introduced to the various approaches and methods involved in the study of film and television history
- explore the social role and cultural influence of film in the United States, Britain and Western Europe
- be able to analyse a range of film and television texts, and to place them in their contexts of production and reception
- develop your distance-learning skills through independent work on the preparation of a project that requires extensive analysis of selected visual texts.
Thirteen feature films and several television programmes, all on video, are included in the course materials, providing most of the visual sources you will need for the course.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably at the OU. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
You might find it useful to read through the introduction in the set book before the course begins.
If you would like more information about this course you can visit the AA310 website. This site includes further details about content (including a list of films to be studied) and some frequently asked questions.
The first chapter of the set book, Richard Maltby’s Hollywood Cinema is available online at Blackwell’s website.
Qualifications
AA310 is an optional course in our
- BA (Honours) History (B01)
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03)
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with History)
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with Media Studies)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Social Sciences (B06) (with Media Studies)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
There is a lot of visual material to watch and analyse. The written course material is available in comb-bound format. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. The course units and supplementary material are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The text is provided and, where available, a real voice recording. (The set book is not included). You will need your usual interface to access the material, e.g. a screen reader with synthetic speech output, screen enlargement software or Braille facilities. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course texts, offprint collections, other printed materials, video cassettes, audio CDs. You should be aware that some of the films provided carry an ‘18’ classification as designated by the British Board of Film Classification. This indicates that they deal with subject matter that some people may find disturbing. There is also an optional student online forum and a course website that contains a guide to relevant internet links.
You will need
Video cassette player, audio CD player.
Although most of the audio visual resources will be provided, you will need to buy or rent a few films.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Maltby, Richard Hollywood Cinema (2nd edn), Blackwell £24.99 - ISBN 9780631216155
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
One of the TMAs is an extended, project-based essay. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score’. In AA310 this rule can apply to one of the first four assignments only. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2011 when it will be available for the last time.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities.
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