Studying at York
Story - TFT00026C
Module summary
This module will introduce you to the centrality of story and story-telling to cinema and television. It will identify and explore certain dominant forms and traditions of cinematic and televisual story telling. It will examine how films and television programmes tell a story by introducing and examining key principles such as: narrative premise, structure and development; the dynamics and interrelation of plot, character and dialogue; the relationship between audio visual text and audience; the function of key aesthetic properties including visual style, performance and sound design in relation to storytelling; and the key principles of literary adaptation. The module will also consider certain institutional factors that inform and constrain storytelling for specific audio-visual media.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
The main aims of this module are:
- To acquaint you with the notion of "story" as a first principle for organising material, and for mediating between subject-matter and audience across a range of media contexts: film, drama, documentary, news and so on.
- To encourage a critical sensitivity to the effectiveness of narratives and a critical understanding of the contexts in which they operate.
- To promote an understanding of "film language" as a whole, i.e. "the ways in which sound, vision and performance combine" and how it can be applied to the telling of stories.
- To develop practical skills for the origination, research, development and delivery of stories in screenplay or script form appropriate to a variety of media contexts.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, you should:
- Understand the centrality of story and storytelling to the popularity of cinema and television as mass media.
- Understand the construction and function of the components of cinematic and televisual story- telling including narrative premise and structure, plot development, character and dialogue and other aspects of audio-visual storytelling.
- Have knowledge of various forms and traditions of storytelling in film and television.
- Understand how films and television programmes use story and story techniques to impart information to and emotionally engage with an audience.
- Have knowledge of certain institutional factors, including commercial and political imperatives, in film and television and how these inform and constrain the process of storytelling.
- Understand the principles of formatting scripts to industry standard.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Indicative reading
(** indicates essential reading)
Aristotle, (2000) The Poetics, London: Penguin Classics.
**Bordwell, D. (2004) The Way Hollywood Tells It: Story and Style in Modern Movies. Berkeley, CA and London: University of California Press.
Cobley, P. (2001) Narrative: The New Critical Idiom. London: Routledge.
**Thompson, K. (2003) Storytelling in Film and Television. Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press.
Hiltunen, A. (2002) Aristotle in Hollywood: The Anatomy of Successful Storytelling. Bristol: Intellect Books.
McKee, R. (1999) Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting. London: Methuen.
Harrison, S. (2005) Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Bernard, S. C. (2007) Documentary Storytelling. Amsterdam and London: Focal Press.
Moran, A. and Malbon, J. (2006) Understanding the Global TV Format. Bristol: Intellect.
Steemers, J. (2004) Selling Television: British Television in the Global Marketplace. London: BFI.
Cardwell, S. (2002) Adaptation Revisited: Television and the Classic Novel. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Livingstone, S. (1998) Making Sense of Television: The Psychology of Audience Interpretation, 2 nd Edition. London and New York: Routledge.
Thornam, S. and Purvis, T. (2005) Television Drama: Theories and Identities. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
**Potter, C. (2001) Screen Language: From Film Writing to Film-making. London: Methuen.
Nelson, R. (2007) State of Play: Contemporary High End TV Drama. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Andrew, G. (1999) The Director s Vision: A Concise Guide to the Art of 250 Great Filmmakers. Chicago: A Cappella Books.
Hardy, F (Ed.) (1979) Grierson on Documentary. London; Faber.
**Mamet, D. (1992) On Directing Film. London; Penguin.