Teaching. Modules taught in current post, Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool ( ) LEVEL 1

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1 Teaching Modules taught in current post, Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool ( ) As part of a number of undergraduate joint honours programmes that Communication and Media offers in collaboration with partner departments in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, I have taught on the following modules: LEVEL 1 Perspectives on Media (contributor) This module, as its title suggests, is primarily interested in exploring the media from a number of perspectives. It introduces students to the study of media language focusing on visual and moving images and their production contexts. In the first six weeks students study aspects of narrative (narration) and visual style focusing on photography, contemporary television and film texts. They develop skills in close textual analysis and apply these skills to interpreting contemporary television and film, focusing on the ways in which these texts depict contemporary social, political and historical issues. In the final five weeks the module covers issues of multi-media conglomeration, digital convergence and the new media market place. Outline Syllabus Weeks 1-7 Approaches to the study of the media text This part of the module is designed to foster the development of skills in close textual analysis. Students are introduced to the study of texts through the application of theories of semiotics, and learn how to analyse texts through an emphasis on narrative, visual style, genre and questions of representation and realism. Students are also introduced to a number of theories pertaining to the relationship of audiences with media texts. Weeks 8-12 Media Contexts This block of work explores contextual issues, that is, the industrial, economic, technological and institutional contexts which shape media texts and which tend to remain hidden from the public. More specifically, students learn about the structure of the media industries and the forces that control them, the culture of commerce that shapes media texts in the western world, the globalisation trends that have created increasingly homogeneous media products and the resistance that independent media texts tend to represent against the wave of homogenisation. This introductory module is leading on to modules in Year 2 such as Global Media and Entertainment, British Cinema, Hollywood Cinema, Media and Gender and in Year 3 such as American Independent Cinema and Public Service Broadcasting, all of which involve the analysis of moving images among other things. LEVEL 2

2 Global Media and Entertainment (module designer and leader) The module explores the ways in which media texts exist within a global culture of commerce. It focuses on particular modes of production, distribution and reception/consumption of a wide range of media texts (films, television programs, popular music, computer games, etc.) and examines the economic and commercial imperatives that shape these texts as well as the industrial and economic landscape within which they circulate. Particular emphasis is placed on the small number of transnational entertainment conglomerates that have tightly controlled the media in an increasingly globalised environment, their business practices and the regulatory frameworks that allowed their almost total domination of the media business. Specific topics examined in the module are: globalisation; the conglomeration of the various strands of the entertainment industry and their increasing convergence; media synergies; alternative media business and many others. Outline syllabus Weeks 2-7 The conglomeration of the entertainment/media Industries and its impact on media texts This block explores the impact of corporate media on formerly individual media industries (film, music, games and television). Emphasis is placed on examining the ways in which the rise of conglomerate giants like Sony, Viacom and News Corporation affected the above industries and the types of products they create. Weeks Case studies: Media producers and texts within a culture of commerce In this block we examine a number of case studies that help us understand better the contemporary global media environment. We look at whether independent film offers alternative entertainment; how a media producer and cable broadcaster like HBO has become a global force in film and television; the rapid rise of social networking media like YouTube, and the strategies TV producers employ in order to make shows like Lost global commodities. Hollywood Cinema (contributor) Hollywood films combine the entertainment values of action, comedy and spectacle with narrative forms of popular genre fiction. This introductory course examines the combination of creative and industrial practices that give shape and substance to popular films, emphasising their function as entertainment commodities and investigating the formal and aesthetic properties of these commercially produced texts. Starting with an examination of the industrial structures that created what is now termed classical Hollywood cinema of the studio era ( ), the appeal and entertainment values of Hollywood movies are analysed in relation to issues of realism and spectacle, stars and performance values, narration and visual style. The usefulness of the critical concept of genre as a way of marketing and interpreting popular films forms a focus for the second part of the course, which moves from analysing classical films of the 1950s and 1960s to a consideration of the contemporary film industry and the development of high concept production and marketing techniques. Throughout the course, issues of interpretation, cultural identity and social history form a focus for discussion and analysis in seminars.

3 Outline Syllabus Weeks 1-7 Hollywood in the classical era Sessions include: The Art of Entertainment; The Business of Fantasy; African Americans and Hollywood; Genre and Structuralist Film Criticism (The Wastern); Genre and Feminist Criticism (Women s Pictures and Melodramas); Stardom, Spectacle and Exploitation. Weeks 8-12 Contemporary Hollywood Sessions include: The New Hollywood (1): Towards a Post-classical Cinema in the Years of Transgression ( ); The New Hollywood (2): The blockbuster; Postclassical Cinema: The High Concept Film; Post-classical/post-modern cinema and Genre Hybridity. Research Methods in Media and Communication (contributor) This module serves to offer students an introduction to the approaches and methods commonly used to undertake research in the field of communication and media. These include: an introduction to some of the theoretical and ethical debates which surround researching the field of media and communication; designing a research project, including the principal features that particular kinds of research should include; familiarising students with the primary methodologies that are routinely used when framing research projects; providing practical guidance to enable students to determine the most appropriate methods and methodologies to answer particular research questions; an helping to develop transferable skills in terms of research planning, critical analytical skills and data analysis skills, using a range of different data and forms of analysis. The module also acts as a prerequisite and training ground for those students wishing to undertake a dissertation in the final year and Outline syllabus Weeks 1-6 The Fundamentals of Research The first section is concerned with the fundamentals of research in the broad field of media and communication. Beginning by examining the purposes of research and the kinds of ethical issues which might arise during research involving human subjects, it moves to look at information sources and principles of research design. After examining how new research should connect with existing knowledge in the field, we look at how researchers select appropriate research methods, with an overview of the benefits of qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Weeks 7-12 Data Analysis and Project Planning The second section focuses on forms of data analysis common within communication and media research. In turn, the module examines approaches to the analysis of moving and still images, language use and news journalism. The module concludes with two weeks devoted to the process of dissertation planning. Here we look at the construction of an argument in writing up research and review the module and the dissertation proposals that it has generated. The module is a prerequisite for students undertaking the dissertation (COMM 401) in Year 3 so, for some students, these final weeks will serve as a basis for the planning of their own dissertation research.

4 LEVEL 3 American Independent Cinema (module designer and leader) This module examines the independent sector of contemporary American cinema. With the global conglomerates that control Hollywood increasingly emphasizing the production of blockbusters, remakes and other films based on pre-sold properties or established franchises, it has been left to the often loosely defined independent sector of American cinema to produce original films that often push the envelope in matters of politics, aesthetics, representation and cultural commentary. This Level 3 course examines what critics have labelled American Independent Cinema with particular emphasis on the post 1980 period. Starting with some early examples of independent filmmaking (such as John Cassavetes Shadows) the course moves to discuss a number of key independent films released in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and explore the parameters that determine those films independence by focusing on three main areas of critical interest that are explored throughout the seminars: who finances/produces/markets/releases these films and how they differ by the major film production and distribution companies, often called the major studios; how these film break away from dominant aesthetic regimes such as the classical aesthetic that tends to characterise mainstream Hollywood films; and whether these films promote alternative/radical/subversive political views and messages Outline Syllabus The course is organized in 4 blocks. The first block (3 sessions) examines the issue of independence in American cinema and looks back to some early examples of films, filmmakers and companies that practiced this particular mode of filmmaking. The second block (4 sessions) explores key independent films from the 1980s, especially as responses to the political and cultural landscape during the Reaganite years and as responses to the changing economics of the American film industry. The third block (2 sessions) looks at the post-1989 years when independent cinema entered public consciousness and became commercially successful. The main question raised here is the nature of its relationship to mainstream Hollywood cinema. The final block (3 sessions) examines particular trends in American independent filmmaking of recent years and brings together a number of questions about the nature of independent cinema. American Independent Cinema: Problems of Definition Early Declarations of Independence (1) Outside Hollywood Early Declarations of Independence (2) Trends within Hollywood The Beginnings of Contemporary Independence: Against the Conservatism of the New Right The Independent Auteur Mini-majors, Major Independents, Quasi Studios and Classics Divisions New Line Cinema and Independent Horror film From Independent to Indie The Rise of the Sundance Film Festival The Miramax Factor

5 American Independent Cinema in the Age of Digital Reproduction The Independent Blockbuster Does American Independent Cinema Still Exist? Dissertation (supervisor) Some of the topics I supervised include: Hollywood s Hard Bodies of the 1980s; Representation of History in Pocahontas and Braveheart; Social Network Media and the Branding of Everton FC; Titanic: Blockbuster and Progressive Feminist Politics; Romantic Comedies in the 1950s and Now; Japanese Horror Films and their US Remakes; The Rebirth of Musical in the 2000s; Sex and the City and the High Concept Film; 1950s Hollywood and Social Anxieties; Advertising and its uses of Hollywood style; Civil Rights Movement on Film; Contemporary US Science Fiction Film; TV Advertising and its Impact on Childhood Obesity; Representation of Britishness and Branding in Harry Potter and Heritage Films; 1970s Horror Films and Nihilism; Comic book films and Patriotism in America; MASTER S LEVEL As part of the MA in Cinema and Politics, I have taught the following modules Historical and Theoretical Approaches to Cinema and Politics (contributor) This module introduces students to academic historical approaches with regard to the relationship between film and politics, with particular emphasis on a number of manifestos and production practices that have shaped perceptions of cinema and politics internationally; on the complex relationship cinema and the state in a number of international historical contexts; and on particular theoretical models that facilitate an understanding of the relationship between film viewing and subjectivity. Following an introductory session that explains the rationale behind the course, the module is divided into three sections that chart major shifts in film and political culture. Film, Politics and the State This section investigates the relationship between cinema and the state through a focus on issues of propaganda and persuasion in Soviet Cinema of the 1920s, German cinema in 1930s, British cinema during World War II and East German cinema in the 1950s. New Waves and Third Cinemas This block explores aspects of the British and French New Waves, Brazilian Cinema Novo, Cuban Cinema and Counter-cinema in America; and Spectatorship and structuralism The final section examines the influential theories of cine-psychoanalysis and the return to Brechtian approaches that dominate ideas about the relationship between film and politics in the 1970s and 1980s. A case study of Black British cinema in 1980s examines the legacy of Third Cinema in the context of post-colonial filmmaking in Britain. Contemporary Approaches to Film and Politics (contributor) This module introduces students to a range of approaches to analysing and assessing the relationship between contemporary films and politics based around three thematic

6 clusters: War and Peace, Gender and Sexuality; Movements and Migrations. It aims to help students become cognisant of theoretical issues raised by these three thematic areas of contemporary filmmaking practice, to be able to consider and apply a range of theoretical tools that explore and elucidate political issues in contemporary films and filmmaking practice, to develop oral and written skills of theoretical and critical analysis. More specifically, following an introductory session that explains the rationale behind the course, the module is divided into three sections that chart some of the major debates in contemporary film and politics: Questions of Realism in War and Peace The section focuses on the ways in which war and peace are treated in contemporary films including questions of realism and truth in drama documentaries, post-holocaust cinema, US cinema post 9/11, and British cinema. The Politics of Sexuality These sessions on gender, sexuality and the body include feminist approaches to cinema, post-feminism and queer theory and a focus on body genres such as horror, pornography and sexploitation. Movements and Migrations (co-ordinator Alison Smith) These sessions introduce new perspectives on transnational cinema, national cinemas and post-colonialism focusing primarily on film, language and diaspora in contemporary world cinema. Research Methods in Film and Politics 2 (module designer and leader) Following from Research Methods for Film and Politics 1, a module that focused primarily on research methodologies that are not only applicable to the research and study of film but also to the study of cultures and languages, Research Methods for Film and Politics 2 has been designed with a considerably narrower focus in mind and deals largely with debates and issues that emerged from the study of cinema. In this respect, the module examines such important topics as the field of film studies and the types of research that it sustains (historical; theoretical; analytical); film history and its various strands; style and genre analysis as methodological tools and others. The module equips students with specific skills which they are able to utilise in any film, especially when trying to locate its political positioning and meanings. Outline Syllabus The first six weeks of the module are formally taught. Week 1 introduces the module and focuses closely on John Cresswell s proposals for designing a research project. Week 2 offers a survey of film studies and distinguishes between film history, film theory, film criticism and film analysis. Weeks 3-6 focus on particular methodologies deemed relevant to the study of film and politics: The Politics of Film Style; Political Film as Genre; and Cinema as a Political Tool. Week 7 is dedicated to a survey of information resources on the study of cinema available in Liverpool and access to national and international resources. In Weeks 8-11 students are expected to design their research and prepare for a 20 min presentation that explains the decisions made when designing research, the methods used, etc. Week 12 is dedicated to presentations. Master s Dissertation (supervisor)

7 American Independent Cinema and Neo-Realism (1 st Supervisor); Political Comedy in France and Poland (2 nd Supervisor) Modules that are now retired and on which I also taught were: LEVEL 1 Analysing Communication (contributor) This module was primarily interested in the analysis of communication, i.e., the discussion of meaning and how it is created through words and images in particular contexts. One half of the module (Block One) pursues this focus by concentrating upon language. The other half of the module (Block Two) concentrates upon visual communication. Communication and Business (module designer and leader) The module explored the ways in which media texts exist within a global culture of commerce. It focused on particular modes of production, distribution and reception/consumption of a wide range of media texts (films, television programs, advertisements, etc.) and examined the economic and commercial imperatives that shape these texts as well as the industrial and economic landscape within which they circulate. Specific topics examined in the module were: the conglomeration of the entertainment industry; product placement in films and television shows; marketing of films (trailers, websites, making of documentaries); boxoffice figures; television spin offs; and other related topics. LEVEL 3 Political Cinema (contributor) This third level module focused on three key aspects of the relationship between film and politics: cinema and the state, the form and content of film texts and contemporary production practices and their viewing contexts. It followed a broadly historical trajectory, beginning with case studies of cinema/state relations in the 1920s and 1940s, then considering questions about the use of realism and melodrama in mainstream film culture and the development of third cinema film movements in the 1960s and 1970s. In the final section, a series of case studies examined contemporary production and distribution practices. Modules taught at Liverpool John Moores University ( ) As part of a number of undergraduate joint honours programmes that Screen Studies offered in collaboration with partner departments in the School of Media, Critical and Creative Arts I taught on the following modules: LEVEL 1

8 Film Language: An Introduction (contributor) The module examined the stylistic and narrative dimensions of films. It took a Hollywood and an independent or arthouse as its primary examples and looked at the stylistic options available to filmmakers at particular historical moments, and the stylistic choices they made during the process of film construction. Film makers only use a small number of the options available to them, and one of the aims of the module was to determine why one stylistic choice is made over another. Understanding Film (contributor) Same as Film Language: An Introduction but for a different cohort of students Media Industries (contributor) The module introduced the political and economic structures of the major media industries by outlining certain historical developments in Western radio, television, cinema and digital media. By focusing on how and why these media developed in specific ways at particular times in history (and how and why other, alternative, media technologies were dropped) the module sought to identify the key institutional, political, cultural, legal and economic parameters that impact on the development of media. The key argument that permeated the module was that technology and technological development could not be understood separately from the social, political and economic context within which they are embedded. Hollywood in the Studio Era (module designer and leader) Hollywood in the Studio Era focused on American cinema at the time when a small number of film companies, the studios, dominated the film market in the United States (circa ) and produced particular types of films which proved extremely appealing not only in the local market but globally. The module examined those types of films by considering the influence of a number of technological, industrial, economic, social, political and cultural parameters as well as of certain cinematic techniques on the development of a specific mode of film practice, which some critics have called classical. LEVEL 2 Contemporary Hollywood: US Cinema since 1948 (module designer and leader) This was a year-long module that examined the transformation of American cinema from classical Hollywood to contemporary Hollywood. The module looked at the continuities and changes in the mode of film production that characterised US cinema post-1948; the influence of these continuities and changes on the development of film form, narrative and themes that permeated the films; and the major academic debates that have surrounded contemporary Hollywood cinema all the way to the mid 2000s. Introduction to Film Criticism (module designer and leader) The module explored a number of traditions of critical inquiry to the field of film studies including mise-en scène criticism, auteur criticism, genre criticism and textual analysis and applies them to a number of films from various geographic regions and from various periods in the history of cinema. Its main aim was to provide students with the necessary tools so that they were able to critically approach any film from a number of perspectives.

9 Persuasion and Propaganda (contributor) The module examined a number of arguments revolving around the use of film for political purposes. Some of the issues it discussed included: the differences between the concepts of persuasion and propaganda; the different types of documentaries, as these were identified by scholars like Bill Nichols; the ways in which the form of nonfiction film affect the way viewers access reality; the ethical problems triggered by the representation of real events; the relationship of advertising to the persuasion and/or propaganda; and the boundaries between fact and fiction on film Screen Work Based Learning (module designer and leader) This module was designed to enhance students knowledge of the world of work and to apply the knowledge and understanding they gained in the previous year of their course in a professional situation. It gave students a chance to experience what it is like to work within a particular environment, to develop valuable transferable skills and to see the inter-relationship between academic studies and the world of work. It was also a valuable opportunity for students to develop contacts and gain the kind of experience that can significantly improve their prospects after graduation. Screen Independent Study (contributor) This was a module that was designed to help students do research on a screen media company of their choice. Students spent time working in an organisation (usually taking the form of a one week minimum placement) and researching the company s background and media practice. The end result was a 6000-word report, which critically engaged with the company's media practice and the students general experience of studying and engaging with the company. LEVEL 3 Independent American Cinema: Industry Economics Aesthetics (module designer and leader) The module examined the field of independent American Cinema primarily from an historical perspective, emphasising industrial and economic aspects before tackling questions of film aesthetics. It also covered a broad historical sweep, starting from early independent cinema during the studio era to recently released films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Theories of Spectatorship (contributor) This course examined the major theoretical approaches to the study of spectatorship in film as these have been developed since the 1970s. It was organised around three distinctive and sometimes incompatible theoretical and methodological traditions: psychoanalytic film theory; cognitive film theory, and reception studies. Advanced Film and Television Research Project (contributor) The module was designed to further develop students research skills in the areas of film and television and provide them with the opportunity to undertake individual academic projects in the aforementioned areas. Screen Work Based Learning (module leader) Same as Level 2 but with additional emphasis to detail.

10 Screen Independent Study (contributor) Same as Level 2 but with additional emphasis to detail. Screen Dissertation (supervisor) Supervision of 8,000 word dissertations, especially on topics related to American cinema.