FTMSB: Screen Bodies

Module code: FTMSB

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Lisa Purse, email: l.v.purse@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module examines how diverse bodies move on screen, and how those screen bodies engage the spectator’s body. You will explore how the screen representation of the body is shaped by culturally situated ideas about the body and society, power and desire; by creative traditions, influences, technologies and innovations; and by conditions of production and reception. You will consider how the screen body generates meaning, and the ethics of representing the body on screen, including issues of access to representation, visibility, marginalisation, and consent. Case studies will have an international scope, and will focus on various screen bodies, which may include the fighting body, the dancing body, the documentary body, and the disabled body, drawing on body-centred writing in film and television studies, cultural studies, and philosophy. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of key critical and philosophical debates around the representation of the screen body;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural, industrial and artistic drivers for and consequences of the representation of the screen body;
3. Make detailed analyses of individual film and television texts informed by these critical, theoretical, cultural and industrial perspectives;
4. Develop other skills and competencies, which are central to the course. It is expected that the level of skills and competencies achieved in the following will be appropriate to the level of study: oral communication and argument in group situations; deployment of research using printed and electronic resources; critical analysis and coherent argument; undertaking self-directed, independent work; presentation of written work using IT; identifying and addressing problems in the analysis of film and television narration and aesthetics.

Module content

The module will comprise a series of case studies which each focus on a specific instance of screen representation of the body, and the cultural, artistic, industrial, and ethical contexts in which it emerges. Students will bring together their contextual reading and screenings of pertinent materials with seminar discussion. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Within the weekly seminar, a range of teaching styles will be used and may vary from week to week. Where appropriate, mini-lectures will be used to establish contexts and introduce issues for discussion and debate. The dominant teaching form will be the seminar, which will concentrate primarily on close analysis of film and television texts, and discussion of critical approaches, and through which students can test out and develop their thinking in a supportive environment. Seminars will require preparation in the form of weekly screenings and engagement with specified critical reading and sometimes other types of material. 

Study hours

At least 18 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback will be provided in class and via tutorials.   

Reassessment

Additional costs