See What You’ve Been Missing: The Secrets Behind Great Films



Overview

Have you ever watched a film and wondered why it made you feel a certain way, or how its visuals and sounds created that effect? This summer course in Oxford invites you to move beyond simply watching movies and start truly reading them.

Designed for anyone curious about film but new to theory and analysis, this week-long journey will introduce you to the hidden language of cinema. You’ll explore how filmmakers use editing, sound, lighting and framing to build meaning, and how critics and theorists decode those choices to reveal deeper ideas about art, culture and identity.

Each day we blend short lectures, hands-on analysis and lively group discussions. You’ll watch scenes from a range of films, test out key concepts, and practise putting your own interpretations into writing.

By the end of the week, you’ll not only understand how to 'read' a film, you’ll have the tools to craft your own arguments, sharpen your eye for detail, and engage in thoughtful debate about the art of the moving image.

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school programme, held at Brasenose College.

Programme details

Daily schedule

After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).

Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.

Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).

Social programme 

We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:

  • Croquet on the quad
  • Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
  • Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
  • Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
  • River Thames afternoon cruise
  • Quiz night in the college bar
  • Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)

Seminars

Monday

The Language of Film: Seeing Through Structure

Discover how filmmakers communicate meaning through images and sound. You’ll learn the essential vocabulary of film from camera angles and lighting to editing and mise-en-scène, and practise applying it through guided comparisons of key scenes. By the end of the day, you’ll be fluent in the basics of cinematic language and ready to analyse films with confidence.

Tuesday

From Observation to Argument: Writing the Film

Learn how to turn what you see and hear into strong, insightful analysis. You’ll explore short films and sequences, then transform your observations into written interpretations that connect style to meaning. Through guided exercises and peer exchange, you’ll develop your own clear and persuasive critical voice.

Wednesday

Histories and Theories: Contextualising Cinema

Step back and see how film has evolved, both as an art form and a global industry. You’ll explore key moments in film history, from silent movies to modern auteurs, and encounter major debates and theorists who have shaped film studies. Expect lively discussions around questions like: Is film art or entertainment? Can it be both?

Thursday

Deep Dive: From Scene to Argument

Now it’s your turn to take the lead. Choose a scene or sequence that fascinates you, and begin crafting your own mini-analysis or presentation. You’ll get guidance on how to build an argument, use theory effectively, and connect visual evidence to ideas. The day ends with group review and preparation for your mini-presentations.

Friday

Screening Ideas: Your Voice on Film

Share your insights with the group and celebrate what you’ve learned. Present your analysis, discuss feedback, and reflect on how your understanding of film has transformed.

You’ll leave with sharper analytical tools, a critical framework for exploring film on your own, and a deeper appreciation of cinema’s creative power.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2625.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2275.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2435.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1855.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Inspiring Oxford Summer School programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis

Included in the course fee:

  • Any included excursions (see programme details above) and the full optional social programme.
  • Breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.
  • Morning refreshments and the welcome and closing drinks receptions.

Participants attending multiple weeks

Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. Please  email inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk to arrange this.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee

Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Programme Administrator, up to 1 May 2026; however, in accordance with our terms and conditions for our open access courses, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.​

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Neil McCartney - Tutor

Dr Neil McCartney is currently based in Oxford as an independent researcher and has taught courses for Oxford Lifelong Learning including The Films of Orson Welles, Self-identity in Cinema, An Introduction to Film Studies, and Film Analysis and Theory.

Neil was awarded his PhD in Film Studies by the University of Kent under the supervision of Prof. Murray Smith. His doctoral thesis analysed unconventional character portrayals in film narratives within the wider context of psychological and philosophical theories of self-identity. He is particularly interested the relationship between real-world selves and fiction film characters, and specifically the cognitive dissonance generated by films which display a disruption to conventional cinematic norms relating to character portrayal and development. His research is broadly aligned with the cognitivist approach. Other areas of interest include film-as-philosophy, the portrayal of memory and subjectivity in fiction film, and avant-garde deviations from conventional narrative trajectories and continuity of characters.

He has published work on the expressive use of internal space in Soviet cinema and on defining the narrative style of David Lynch’s films.  

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people.

Teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Seminars/group discussions

  • Student presentations

  • Short, written in-class exercises

  • Video recordings

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2026 at 2pm BST (UK time).

If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single person accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page. Please do not complete an enrolment form for these. 

If you have any trouble booking online, please contact the Programme Administrator by emailing inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Twin bedrooms

Those requiring a twin en-suite room (for two people) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. Please note these rooms have limited availability. 

If requesting a twin room, each person should complete an enrolment form and name the other person who they wish to share a room with. 

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Brasenose rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form and indicate your requirements, or contact the Programme Administrator directly at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be completed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to Inspiring Oxford, Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Inspiring Oxford programme is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. Courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. All meals included are served in Brasenose College's dining hall. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.

Accommodation options at Brasenose

During your course, for an authentic Oxford University experience you can stay in typical student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. 

Please note that bedrooms are student rooms. They are simply and modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. You can find out more about Brasenose and its facilities by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available. 

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together, with private bathroom facilities.
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Non-residential option

Prefer not to stay on site? We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose College, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. Breakfast is not included.

Non-residential participants are warmly encouraged to take part in every aspect of the academic and social programme and enjoy the same access to Brasenose facilities as residential participants.

Participants attending multiple weeks

We welcome students who want to attend multiple Inspiring Oxford courses. Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. This option ensures a seamless and enjoyable stay in Oxford.

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Brasenose College prior to or following your course. Please visit universityrooms.com if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support