FM4129 Film Materiality

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Module description

This module is dedicated to thinking about film as a physical material. We will explore what “film” (aka celluloid, film stock, or raw stock) is made from and how its materiality has informed the production, distribution, and consumption of the medium. Although often conceived as a medium of light, film is in fact produced from a host of raw ingredients (such as cotton, silver, and gelatin) that imbricate its production within networks of industrial agriculture, extractive mining, weapons manufacture, and the global chemical industry. Throughout this module we will therefore consider how the material demands of making and accessing film stock have informed the aesthetics of cinema and the politics of its consumption. We will examine specific films that have been shaped by these material concerns and will also look in detail at artists and filmmakers who engage with questions of materiality directly in their work.

Intended learning outcomes

• • On completion of the module students will be familiar with a range of new technological terms related to the material history of film and understand their importance for interpreting film and its histories.
• • Students will have gained a deeper knowledge and understanding of the historical, political, and economic, conditions under which films are made and consumed in global contexts.
• • Students will be able to identify a range of film formats (e.g. different guages, bases, perforations etc).
• • Students will improve their research and writing skills, developed for both academic and non-academic audiences.
• • Students will have a better understanding of the ecological impact of the film industry on our climate.