This is a course that any film fan will love.
Starting with a history of Hollywood, we will look at some of the best films ever made and the people who made them.
We will find out more about the film-making process and how the Hollywood studios set the standard for modern film making.
The class will involve informal discussion and lots of film clips; it will be an introduction to film studies for anyone who has always wanted to know more about the films they love and how they were made.
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Mondays, 7-9pm.
Week 1: Hollywood: how it began
Week 2: Hollywood directors past and present
Week 3: Genre films – what is genre and why is it important?
Week 4: Hollywood actors – the Star System
Week 5: The genius of the cinematographer
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Optional recommended reading list (pdf).
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £180.00 |
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.
Kiri has been teaching Film and Cultural Studies at OUDCE for over a decade. She started her career working in various roles (behind and in front of the camera) in film and TV before becoming an author and lecturer. She has been lucky enough to work with many ground-breaking directors. She has written books (published by Bloomsbury and Liverpool University Press) about the history of British film studios, entertainment during WW2 and the Michael Powell film Peeping Tom. She has lectured for the BFI and Picturehouse cinemas at Powell & Pressburger-related events.
This course will look at historical and contemporary films, introducing students to different themes within a Hollywood cinema context. Studying example films and directors in detail will enable students to appreciate films with more confidence and gain a wider understanding of academic film criticism and analysis.
This course is taught in seminar format. Each class will include a slide presentation, informal discussion and film clips. Further reading will be provided after each class for students who want to continue their studies outside the class.
By the end of the course students will have been given the opportunity to:
This course is not accredited, so there are no assessments or coursework.
Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.
