Unit information: The Film Musical in 2022/23

Unit name	The Film Musical
Unit code	MUSI20144
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Heldt
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	Department of Music
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

The film musical is a core genre of film history: the breakthrough of sound film was brought about by a musical, The Jazz Singer in 1927, and in the 1930s musicals were at the forefront of the technological and aesthetic development of sound cinema in many countries. The musical was to remain a crucial genre of popular cinema until the mid-1960s, especially, but not only in Hollywood, and though its career has been more chequered since then, it is still a vital part of the genre landscape of film and has found an intriguing second life on television and the internet. The unit will look at a range of historical and structural aspects of film musicals, such as the following:

1. the place of film musicals in the genre landscape of film and their relationship to other kinds of musical films;
2. the relationship between screen and stage musicals;
3. the way film musicals build musical numbers into their storyworlds and narrative structures;
4. the emergence of and experimentation with the film musical in different film cultures in the 1930s;
5. different types of film musicals in the Hollywood studio era and their features and contexts;
6. different waves of retro- and neo-musicals since the 1990s and their takes on the genre tradition;
7. film musicals in non-western cinema cultures;
8. the reception and creative refraction of film musicals in television and social media such as YouTube.

The general aims of the unit are:

1. to allow students to explore different disciplinary perspectives that can help them to make sense of film musicals;
2. to bring students into contact with a range of film musicals of different kinds, from different eras of film history and from different film cultures;
3. to enable students to discuss cinematic and musical techniques used in film musicals;
4. to enable students to understand different historical contexts (media, cultural, social, economic, political) that have affected how film musicals have been produced and received;
5. to enable students to write knowledgeably, perceptively and critically about film musicals;
6. to equip students to present insights into film musicals in audiovisual form.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1) explore and discuss film musicals from different disciplinary perspectives;

2) describe with confidence the filmic and musical techniques and procedures employed in film musicals;

3) demonstrate an understanding of the historical contexts in which this genre developed;

4) assess and discuss how political, economic and social situations have influenced the production and reception of film musicals;

5) write knowledgeably, perceptively and critically about film musicals;

6) construct a coherent argument about aspects of film musicals in audiovisual form.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures and self-directed exercises.

How you will be assessed

1) Audiovisual essay (8 minutes) (35%) (ILOs 1 - 4; 6)

2) Coursework essay (2,500 words) (65%) (ILOs 1-5)

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MUSI20144).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.