Australian film and television
E Stoney
6 points * 4 hours per week * First semester * Clayton
The aim of this subject is to provide a background for approaches to the study of cinema in general and to provide the opportunity for students to see a range of works which represent various traditions in Australian film and television production. The subject will focus on representations of Australian social experience as constructed by both fiction and non-fiction texts for Australian screens. We will look at approaches taken in Australian film and television texts to questions of class, ethnicity and gender, paying particular attention to Australian conceptions of `heroes,' `nature' and technology. Works produced for mainstream film and television as well as independent production will be studied. Theoretical perspectives that inform film theory and criticism will be introduced. There will be an emphasis on works which seek a critical engagement with the dominant or `mainstream' screen culture, such as documentary films, short fiction and recent feature films.
Assessment
First essay (1500 words): 35% * Second essay (2000 words): 45% * Visual test (1 hour): 20%
Prescribed texts
Dermody S and Jacka E The screening of Australia: Anatomy of an industry vol. 1, Currency Press, 1987
Moran A and O'Regan T (eds) An Australian film reader Currency Press, 1985