Outline

Overview

What is cinema in the twenty-first century? Where do we locate the essence of a medium that has undergone such a radical transformation? This course examines the intersection of film, digital cinema, and new media platforms such as YouTube, mobile cinemas, and virtual reality technologies. Where many have spoken of the death of cinema in a digital era, we will conceptualise the complexity of cinema's evolution from its earliest celluloid incarnation to the technologies of digital simulation.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Art History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Art History or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Film Studies or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Digital Cultures or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Critical Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ARHT3601
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Matilda Mroz, matilda.mroz@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Matilda Mroz, matilda.mroz@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Blythe Worthy, blythe.worthy@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Stuart Cottle, stuart.cottle@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Essay Research Essay	40%	Formal exam period Due date: 01 Dec 2021 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Special Journal Issue: Project Proposal Groups develop a structure and argument for their final project.	20%	Week 06 Due date: 17 Sep 2021 at 23:59	750 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Special Journal Issue: Digital Special Journal Issue Submission Final project submission in Google Sites/ Presentation in Wk 13 tutorials.	25%	Week 11 Due date: 29 Oct 2021 at 23:59	1000 words or equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Special Journal Issue: Critical Reflection Students reflect on the project development and group collaboration.	15%	Week 12 Due date: 05 Nov 2021 at 23:59	750 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

1. “Digital Experience: A Special Journal Issue”

This assessment has individual and group components
Weighting of your final mark: 60%

This assignment enables you to think critically and analytically about the “digital turn” and the “posthuman turn” within studies of cinema, media and art, and to produce material suited to a real-world context.

In groups of approx 4, you are required to develop and produce a special issue using Google Sites of the online journal (Digital Experience) on one of the themes of the course.

It’s important to approach this assignment as a group work, that is, collaboratively.

All groups must have a clear and open platform for discussion and communication. We have allocated some time to project development in class, but this will not be enough: you will need to meet (via Zoom or another platform) at least 2-3 times during semester to ensure your project is developing smoothly.

Stages of Development and Submission:

(1) Project Proposal (group) [750w total, not including headings or notes]
Weighting: 20% of final mark

The proposal is due Week 6

This proposal must include (word counts are indicative only):

Your project title, group members, and contents (page numbers not required)
Introduction/overview statement of project [150w]
Your profile figure and a rationale for their inclusion in the journal issue [150w]
A thesis statement explaining your central concepts and the basic structure of your analytical/theoretical article. [150w]
An annotated bibliography of possible relevant scholarly sources [150w]
An annotated filmography of possible supplementary films/works [150w]

(2) Journal Submission
Weighting: 25% of final mark

Your journal issue must be made up of the following components with each group member assigned to and responsible for ONE component. Whilst they are to be marked individually, the group collaboration process should continue to ensure they are submitted together and form a coherent whole:

Title and Introduction to the Special Issue
Frame the journal issue with an original title and contents page. Then lay out an overview of your topic, providing some explanation of the major historical and theoretical contexts that underpin and frame your project. Note that your title should emerge from one of the provided topics, or a combination of several topics. These topics will be deliberately broad and generalized to give you the scope to develop your own project. You might therefore consider the topics as a prompt for a more specific, narrowly focused study of your own conception.[1000w, not including titles, subheadings and notes]
A Profile (with interview, if feasible) of a Key Figure
This person should be an artist, critic, theorist, academic or someone working specifically within the area of focus. [1000w (or 7 minute interview + authored voice recording) + 3-4 images/moving images]
Analytical/Theoretical Article
In this piece, imagine you are a theorist working within the field. Offer an article in the form of an essay delving into the depth of a specific aspect of your topic. A useful prompt: start with 1-2 provocative questions posed in your general subject area, and frame your argument around those questions. [1000w + 3-4 images/moving images]
Film Review Article
Offer an essay reviewing 2-3 films or works in related media that exemplify your topic area/approach/object of study. In terms of approach and tone, your reviews should be written for a non-academic though sophisticated cinema journal audience. Remember here that the emphasis in this piece should not be on a simple evaluative judgment of the films but exploring how they are related to the conceptual issues highlighted by the course. [1000w + 3-4 images and/or moving images]

Your special issue must be created and presented as a Google Sites website. It must be finalised in Google Sites and its content submitted as a pdf in Turnitin in Week 11.

(3) Critical Reflection [750w total, not including headings or notes]
Weighting: 15% of final mark

The Individual Reflection is due Week 12.

Provide a critical reflection on how your group developed the project in terms of the development of foundational ideas/concepts and the development of methodology/structure of the final journal. This part should focus on the group collaboration process, its benefits and challenges.
Provide a critical reflection on your research process. How did the material you encountered help to develop the group's ideas, concepts, and methodologies. These sources can be drawn from the tutorial readings or from your own research. This part should focus on scholarly materials.
Project Evaluation:

Provide a critical evaluation of the project in terms of the success of bringing your ideas to fruition. Have your ideas (as an individual, and as a group) been successfully communicated in the final form of the project?
You might like to reflect more broadly on group collaboration as a mode of working and learning. What opportunities does it afford that are different to working individually? What challenges does it also present?

2. Research Essay

Weighting: 40%
Word Length: 2000w, not including headings, notes and bibliography.

The conceptual framework for this essay is the intersection of the major topics we’ve examined in this unit: post-humanism and post-cinema. In your essay, you should reflect on cinematic transformation in terms of one or more of the following: cinema technology, aesthetics, politics, ethics, culture, and modes of experience. You may incorporate any material used in the course. You are expected to draw on assigned readings and your own research.

You need to incorporate analysis of at least two films set as primary screenings in the unit. You may draw on films not set as primary screenings, but all such films must be approved by your tutor.

Note that you can’t reproduce material from Assessment 1. You may draw on sources used in Assessment 1, but this material, formulated within an argument for the research essay, should be substantively different. Feel free to check with your tutor on this issue.

Style and Formatting

Title your essay (as if you are publishing the piece). Let the title reflect the major line of argument.
Make sure the essay is properly referenced, using either Chicago or MLA. You may use footnotes or the author-date style, so long as the referencing is internally consistent and contains the key bibliographic information.
Include a bibliography/filmography of all works cited in the essay.
Edit your work for precision, clarity and continuity.

Essay topics will appear on Canvas in due course.

Assessment criteria

Assessment Criteria

This unit uses standards based assessment for award of assessment marks. The following grade descriptors are also available online at:

http://sydney.edu.au/arts/art_history/student_resources/

This guide indicates broadly the qualitative judgements implied by the various grades which may be awarded. A more precise evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of individual essays will be provided in the markers’ comments. Evaluation is made with due consideration of the different standards likely to be achieved by students in junior and senior intermediate (2nd year) and advanced (3rd year) units.

85%+ (High Distinction)

Work of exceptional standard.

Work demonstrates initiative and originality in research, analysis and argumentation; presents innovative, insightful interpretations of specific works of art, architecture, film and/or other media, which are used throughout to demonstrate points being made; effectively integrates visual analysis and critical engagement with scholarly debates to develop a rich and thorough analysis of its object(s) of study; indicates awareness of complexities and qualifications in argumentation; demonstrates careful thought about the critical, historical and/or theoretical context; provides evidence of wide ranging reading; is properly referenced and well presented; writing is clear, fluent, and persuasive.

A High Distinction is distinguished from a Distinction by the depth and sophistication of visual analysis deployed, and by the evidence of independent, critical thinking. Work which is awarded a mark of over 90% in senior level units of study will often contain some publishable or potentially publishable elements.

75-84% (Distinction)

Work of a superior standard

Work demonstrates an intelligent understanding of, and individual engagement with, material; visual analysis is well developed and harnessed to the argument, with thoughtful, detailed visual exposition of specific works used to demonstrate points; addresses an issue and presents a well argued, coherent case; demonstrates careful thought about the critical, historical and/or theoretical context; demonstrates an independent and critical attitude to readings; written work is properly referenced and well presented, with a clear structure and coherent overall argument; writing is characterized by individuality, clarity, and independent insight.

A Distinction is distinguished from a High Credit chiefly by the quality of its analysis of the works of art under discussion, and by its level of critical understanding and intellectual enquiry.

70-74% (High Credit)

Highly competent work demonstrating clear capacity to complete Honours successfully. This level of work is considered above average.

Work provides evidence of independent reading and thinking about relevant works of art and their contexts; demonstrates capacity to undertake close analysis of works of art and develop with c independent observations; demonstrates a sound grasp of subject matter and a good appreciation of key issues and contexts; shows understanding of relevant critical and theoretical considerations and of the conceptual issues raised; avoids summary; indicates an intelligent attempt at a critical or theoretical argument; is clearly and effectively written; is well referenced.

A High Credit is distinguished from a Low Credit chiefly by the extent of independent analysis of works of art, and by some obvious attempt to interpret the outcome of close analysis.

65-69% (Low Credit)

Very competent work though not necessarily of the standard to complete Honours.

The work shows some understanding of relevant critical and theoretical considerations and of the conceptual issues raised by a unit of study; demonstrates some independent reading and thinking about key works of art and their contexts; uses close critical analysis; avoids summary; attempts a critical or theoretical argument; is clearly and effectively written; is adequately referenced.

A Low Credit is distinguished from a High Pass by the degree of independent discussion of works of art, the clarity of the writing and the extent to which it attempts a more general critical and/or theoretical argument.

58-64% (High Pass)

Work of a good, satisfactory standard

Work demonstrates a broad and reasonably accurate command of the subject matter and some sense of its broader significance; demonstrates a genuine attempt at independent reading and thinking about works of art; generally avoids summary, paraphrase or unsubstantiated assertion; arguments may contain some oversimplification or superficiality; may sometimes present quotation for illustrative purposes merely, but does also present the outcome of some critical analysis; is adequately expressed; is adequately referenced.

50-57% (Pass)

Work of an acceptable standard

Work provides evidence of having read and thought about relevant works of art and issues; attempts a coherent argument though there may be ellipses in argumentation; discussion of works of art tends towards description rather than analysis; insufficient preparation for a visual test may be indicated by missed or incorrect identifications, lack of familiarity with periods, styles, key critical issues; may paraphrase fairly extensively; tends to use quotation for illustrative purposes only; may tend towards generality in answering a question; may present simplistic comment or unsubstantiated assertions; is adequately expressed though there may be some weaknesses in this area; may contain some referencing errors.

Below 50% (Fail)

Work not of an acceptable standard

Work may fail for any of the following reasons: little or no analysis of works of art; in a visual test, an inability to correctly identify works, periods and styles; serious mistakes in identification, indicating lack of understanding of the material taught; minimal research; irrelevance of content; unacceptable levels of paraphrasing; excessive use of quotation for illustrative purposes only, without any attempt at analysis; excessive level of generality in answering a question; sloppy, inconsistent presentation; inappropriate or obscure expression; incoherent general structure; inadequate referencing; late submission of work without extension.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0. Details of the Faculty Resolutions and Provisions regarding late work: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/rules/faculty_resolutions_arts.shtml

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: Posts and Affects	Online class (1 hr)
Week 01	Introduction: Posts and Affects	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	From the Index to the Digital	Online class (1 hr)
Week 02	Groups Formation; La Jetee and Russian Ark	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	The Digital Turn: The Matrix	Online class (1 hr)
Week 03	The Matrix	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	The Meaning of (Digital) Life	Online class (1 hr)
Week 04	Group Project Proposal Workshop; Affect and Humanity in the Digital Age	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	The Posthuman in 2019: Blade Runner	Online class (1 hr)
Week 05	Group Project Proposal Workshop; Blade Runner	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	The Posthuman in 2049: Blade Runner Redux	Online class (1 hr)
Week 06	Blade Runner 2049	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Posthuman Precarities: Advantageous	Online class (1 hr)
Week 07	Advantageous	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Film in the Anthropocene: Snowpiercer	Online class (1 hr)
Week 08	Snowpiercer	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	The Non-cinemas of Digital Multitudes	Online class (1 hr)
Week 09	This is Not a Film and A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Digital Dust: Atlantics	Online class (1 hr)
Week 10	Atlantics	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Drone Vision: Eye in the Sky	Online class (1 hr)
Week 11	Eye in the Sky	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Phone Vision: Tangerine	Online class (1 hr)
Week 12	Tangerine	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Reviewing Cinematic Transformations	Online class (1 hr)
Week 13	Group presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance

According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark. For more information on attendance, see https://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts/rules/faculty_resolutions_arts.shtml.

Class Requirements

All lectures for this unit will be conducted online and available as recordings. Based on student preference and availability, students will be allocated to either an online or face-to-face tutorial. Please check your individual timetables.

Face-to-face classes will be subject to government Covid restrictions.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please see Canvas for week-by-week reading and viewing requirements.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. engage with current theories of cinema as text, image and new media technology
LO2. identify the key industrial, artistic and cultural coordinates of the ‘digital turn’
LO3. demonstrate complex, subtle image analysis across celluloid and digital cinema platforms
LO4. work within collaborative environments to develop independent, creative, and analytical content
LO5. demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the impact of digital and virtual technologies on contemporary social and cultural life

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The reading and viewing list for this unit has been revised since the unit was last offered. We have also integrated 2 additional workshops for the group project assessment task.

Additional information

Additional costs

Students may be required to rent or purchase films for this unit. This is due to copyright restrictions in operation during the pandemic. We have tried to keep costs to an absolute minimum and will warn students in advance where purchases might be necessary.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

1. “Digital Experience: A Special Journal Issue”

Stages of Development and Submission:

2. Research Essay

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

FILM3000: Cinematic Transformations

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

1. “Digital Experience: A Special Journal Issue”

Stages of Development and Submission:

2. Research Essay

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect