Film and Media History- Period 1

Film will be the central focus. The literature focuses on American and West- European cinema, but the lectures will contain extra information on precinema, cinema in the Netherlands, cinema vs. television, and conventional vs. New Film History. Cinema developed in its first decades from a vaudeville-like programme of attractions to a story-telling, narrative medium; from an invention to a popular mass medium, an industry and an art form. Technological, economical, social and aesthetical factors played important parts. For instance: 1) the introduction of the feature film, sound and widescreen; 2) the growth and expansion of cinema's infrastructure such as cinema exhibition and film distribution; 3) the rise of serious film criticism and the changes in the audiences; 4) the role of stardom and the language of performance; and 5) the interchange with such arts as literature, fine arts and theatre, but also with television and new media. Therefore, attention will also be paid to the idea of an integral or comparative media history. All lectures will be followed by related viewings of features or groups of shorts.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.