Film & Media Studies

This course explores the ways that Hollywood has used film form to create a naturalized style and viewing experience. It studies its conventions as well as the variations and deviations that push the envelope or constitute alternative constructions of the realistic. 

This course examines cinematographic theory. It covers the antecedents of Cinema Theory and the basic notions of related theoretical backgrounds. Students carry out critical reviews of films in text and video, critical film essays and experimental films based on the theoretical concepts covered in the course.

The course introduces a wide range of issues concerning the role of cinema in the British cultural context, as distinct from and in connection with the cinemas of Hollywood and Europe. The course focuses on the following aspects: cinema as an economic system operating within an international audio-visual market; cinema and national identity, particularly representations of London as Metropolis; genre in cinema; and cinema as a formal system, considering questions of authorship, narrative and audience.

This course explores the nexus between media, culture and society in the digital age. It examines the developments in digital transformation and its implications on everyday life, with emphasis on media/cultural industries, connective media, new media art and design, civil society and public cultures. It provides an understanding of how digital media and culture are being transformed by networks, convergence and algorithms, and the training to approach and make use of digital media critically, creatively and productively.

This course examines the work of the director in film and digital media, focusing on the development of aesthetic values, cinematic languages and advanced interpretative cinematographic skills. It focuses on directorial decision-making, visual storytelling, plot development, scene continuity, dramatic interpretation and use of narrative structures. It also explores the role of the director as a team leader in pre-production, production and post-production.

This course examines East Asian Cinema in the framework of transnationality. With focus on inter/intra cultural junctures it probes thematics, stylistics, and socio-historical and political contexts of cinemas of South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Throughout the course, notions of national cinema and nation-bound culture are questioned and issues of gender, ethnicity, national identity, and etc. that are presented in those cinemas are addressed. Through the practice of visual and theoretical analysis, this course enables students to explore East Asian cinemas on a shifting transnational scene of media.

This course examines subtitling in the context of Hong Kong's media and entertainment industry. Students will learn about the technical and creative aspects of subtitling, as well as the ethical and cultural considerations that are involved in this field. The course also includes practical assignments and workshops that allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. With consistent case-based analysis of contemporary audiovisual contents, platforms and creators, this course will showcase the latest convergence between professional and fan-based subtitling in the age of streaming. It is designated to prepare the students for their future accreditation by the AVT Pro certificate – the first and only professional accreditation for audiovisual translation.

This course examines we human beings use on-line technology to interact with others, as well as how cognitions and behaviors are affected by this technology. It covers topics ranging from on-line relationships and how people construct their digital identities, to gaming and artificial intelligence as well as the psychological applications of virtual and augmented reality to our lives. It also aims to facilitate understanding of the field of cyberpsychology. In particular, the implications that on-line technologies can have for the subjective self and interactions with others; in addition to the wide array of practical applications of Internet-based technologies to our daily lives

This theoretical course develops knowledge and understanding of the roles and impacts of media in society, including elements of media, issues of power and control, representation of social groups and cultures, and communication theories.

This course examines East Asia cinemas in the framework of transnationality. It focuses on inter/intra-cultural junctures, stylistics, thematics, and socio-political and historical contexts of cinemas of South & North Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. It also discusses the issues of gender, ethnic, and national identity that are raised and contested in these cinemas, questioning the notions of national cinema and nation-bound culture.