Film and Screen Studies (Taught)

Explore film philosophy, find out how images create meaning in experimental modes, and discover how we can think through the moving image on this eclectic Masters.

• This theory-led MA Film and Screen Studies course goes beyond the borders of a traditional film studies degree. We go back to the beginning of film history to explore what it means to fashion yourself in a moving image, or for society to see itself reflected.

• You’ll explore how images gain meaning from the past, to consider where they’re going next in terms of digital aesthetics, AI, and immersive interfaces.

• We’re interested in the cultural evolution of the moving image through the historical avant-garde, cinematic technology and culture, in both mainstream and underground filmmaking, to then contextualise contemporary and emerging screen cultures.

• You’ll engage deeply with philosophical approaches to film, where moving images represent, reflect and refract established ideas, but also generate a form of non-verbal thinking of their own. How do screen technologies impact on perception, feeling, and memory? How can we experimentally use them to think differently (or do they experiment on us)?

• This is not a film-making course, but as audiovisual media constitute more and more of our communication, you will have the opportunity to put your thoughts into audio-visual form on several modules. As part of your dissertation, you can choose to include video work as part of your submission. Production values are not the focus–we’re interested in what you do with an idea.

• You'll study in one of the top Media, Communications and Cultural Studies schools globally. We are ranked second in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (REF, 2021) and 16th in the world (third in the UK) in the 2024 QS World Rankings by Subject.