1. University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh
(ULAB)
Media Studies and Journalism Department
COURSE SYLLABUS
SPRING 2012
APPROACHES TO FILM STUDIES
MSJ 241

2. 2
MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
Course Code: MSJ 241
Course Title: Approaches to Film Studies
Course Overview:
This course is initiated to give students an understanding of film offering a very brief
history and language of film. Knowing film history students will have an overview of film and
its different movements (students will learn major characteristics of each movement) and with
the film language they at the end of the course will be able to tell story in their own & can
analyze the film. Students will also learn of how meaning is produced in film and hence they
will have a glance of how film is a cultural product. Apart from these they will be told about
different theories – auteur theory, genre theory, audience theory to some extent so that they
can find themselves prepared for the next advanced courses.

3. 3
MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
Course Objective:
The first and prime objective of introducing this course is to make students aware of film’s
visual techniques as well as its capacity to tell story. And, the second objective is to make
students capable of reading film as text rather than seeing.
GRADING
ATTENDANCE 10%
Attendance in this course is a mandatory requirement. You are expected to attend every class
and stay for the entire duration. Tardiness, early departures, lack of being prepared, or lack
of awareness or attention during class will count as absences--two incidents of any of
previously stated will equal one absence. A student may be absent from class maximum of
five times during the semester with the deduction of his or her attendance marks. There are no
excused absences beyond those five. Any further absences (without the permission of
Department Head) – the 6th absence the student will receive a failing grade.
***An attendance includes the classes and seminars related to the course curriculum integration
programs.
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
TEAM WORK 5%
You will be graded on the quality of the specific tasks in the role you are assigned. You will
perform different roles in the class projects.
QUIZZES 5%
There will be several reading quizzes to prove your knowledge of course content.
EXERCISES 10%
There will be several exercises to prove your knowledge of course content.
ASSIGNMENTS 10%
There will be couple of written assignments to prove your knowledge of Film reviews.
MID TERM EXAMINATION 20%
There will be MCQ/short note/fill up the blanks questions for Mid Term to recall your
knowledge of video technology.
ORAL REPORT 10%
There will be several oral reports to prove your knowledge about the course.

4. 4
MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
PROJECT 10%
There will be a project on Film analysis (3000-5000 words).
FINAL Exam 20%
There will be MCQ/short note/fill up the blanks questions for final to recall your knowledge
of film theory.
Grade Chart
ATTENDANCE 10%
TEAM WORK 10%
QUIZZES 5%
EXERCISES 10%
ASSIGNMENTS 10%
MID TERM EXAMINATION 20%
ORAL REPORT 10%
FINAL PROJECT 25%
Total marks 100
GENERAL INFORMATION
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
Equipment
The use of all ULAB equipment, outside classroom exercises, will require a signed request and
policy form. You are responsible for replacement and repair costs of all damaged or lost
equipment.
Emails
Communication will occur through email. Be sure to check your email daily. You are responsible
for emails sent by the faculty.
Late Assignments
Plan ahead for this intensive class, there will be no late assignments accepted (unless I have
given you permission beforehand).
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the intended or unintended use of someone else's language and/or ideas without
revealing the source of that material, leading the audience to believe that the work is original.
So attribute all your sources. Minimum penalty for plagiarism is a zero on the assignment (and
possible course failure); I will also follow University rules and report any instances of
plagiarism to the administration.
Accommodations
If you need course adaptation or accommodation because of a disability (physical, learning,
psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.), please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

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MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
Course Content:
The content of the course will be as follow:
Topic
Week/Session
Content
Films
to
be
screened
Introducing
the
course
1
Session
–
Course
Contents;
and
defining
Cinema
1,2
What
is
Cinema/Film/Movie?
Pre-­‐history
of
Cinema:
Why
do
we
see
that
film
moves?
The
Beginnings
2
Session
-­‐
Early
Cinema
(1895
–
1903),
Arrival
of
a
train,
Workers
Leaving
Brief
History
of
Film
3,4
the
Lumiere
Factory,
Baby's
(will
be
discussed
in
the
development
of
Classical
Breakfast,
1995;
A
trip
to
the
accordance
with
major
Hollywood
Cinema
(1903
–
1927)
moon
(1902),
The
Great
Train
film
movements)
Robbery(1903),
The
birth
of
a
Nation(1915),
Intolerance(1916),
Our
Hospitality
(1923)
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
3
Session
–
The
Silent
Age’
The
Cabinet
of
Dr.
Caligari
(1919),
5,6
Nosferatu
(1922),
Entr'acte
1913-­‐1927
(1924),The
Seashell
and
the
Internationalist
age
of
cinema
Clergyman
(1928),
Un
Chien
Andalou(1928),
Battleship
Potemkin
(1925)
4
Session
–
Transition
age
The
Jazz
Singer
(1927),
Ossessione
7,8
(1942),
Bicycle
Thieves
(1948),
New
wave
age
Four
Hundred
Blows
(1959),
Breathless
(1959)
Hollywood
age
Mass
Media
Age
5
Session
–
Japan,
Third
World
and
Sub-­‐ Rashomon
(1950),
The
Turning
9,10
continental
Cinema
Wind
(1962).
Kandahar
(2001),
Crying
Ladies,
Pother
Panchali
(1955)
MID
TERM

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MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
Language
of
Film
6
Session
–
Film
technical
theory:
Grammar
of
Griffith’s
film,
Clips
from
any
film.
11,12
shot
7
Session
–
Grammar
of
shot
(continuing),
13,14
Introduction
to
mise-­‐en-­‐scene,
Intolerance
depth
of
field,
deep
focus
8
Session
–
Production
design:
Sets,
Props,
&
15,16
Costumes;
Titanic
Basic
Lighting,
Sound
9
Session
–
Editing
&
how
meaning
is
produced
17,18
in
film
and
Eisenstein’s
films
for
montage
discussion
on
short
filmmaking
using
still
photograph
10
Session
–
Film
form,
genre
&
narrative;
19,20
How
to
review
a
film,
Finalizing
the
stories
for
short
film.
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
11
Session
– Our
Film:
a
critical
overview
Jeebon
Theke
Neya
(1969),
any
21,22
/addressing
audience
contemporary
film.
And
very
brief
discussion
on
different
theories
of
film
and
final
comments

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MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
Book of References:
• Bazin, A. (1967). What is Cinema? Volume 1, Sel. And
trans. H. Gray, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of
California Press.
• Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson (2001). Film Art: An
Introduction. London: McGraw Hill.
• --(2003) Film History: An Introduction. New York, London:
McGraw Hill.
• Eisenstein, Sergei (1947). Film Sense. New York: Harcourt,
Brace & World.
n (1949) Film Form. New York: Harcourt, Brace &
World
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
• Hayward, Susan (2000). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts.
London: Routledge.
• Hill, J. and Gibson P.C. (1998). Oxford Guide to Film
Studies. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
• Lacy, Nick (2005). Introduction to Film. Palgrave Macmillan,
New York.
• Metz, Christian (1974). Film Language: A Semiotics of the
Cinema. Trans. Michael Taylor. New York: Oxford
University Press.
• Monaco, James (2000). How to Read a Film. Oxford, New
York: Oxford University Press.

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MSJ 241 Approach to Film Studies
• Parkinson, David (1995). History of Film. Thames and
Hudson.
• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish and Paul Willemen (eds) (1994).
Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute.
• Srinivas, S.V. (2009). Megastar: Chiranjeevi and Telugu
Cinema after N. T. Rama Rao. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
• Thomson, Roy (1998, reprinted in 1999 – 2004). Grammar
of Shot. Focal Press.
• Turner, Graeme (1999, reprinted in 2000-2005). Film as
Social Practice (3rd edition). London & New York:
Routledge.
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)
Faculty
Razibul Hossain Khondoker
Senior Lecturer
Media Studies and Journalism Department
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB)
Email: razibul.chithi@gmail.com
Call: +88 0173 83 01 003

9.
9
MSJ 241 Approach
to Film Studies
Media Studies and Journalism Department (MSJ)