96443 - Laboratory of Film and TV Criticism (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the laboratory the student: knows the basic methodologies of interpretation and evaluation of films and audiovisual products; knows how to place film and tv criticism within the broader context of media and editorial production; is able to autonomously produce a written or audiovisual critical essay.

Course contents

The workshop will be divided into lectures and seminar discussions, in which the outlines of the history of film criticism with particular reference to the Italian case, the principles of interpretation and argumentation and the most important genres of film and tv journalism, by means of concrete examples. An integral part of the workshop will be the discussions with the students regarding the historical and contemporary function of film criticism, as well as meetings with professionals active in criticism and promotion of film and television culture.

Readings/Bibliography

The basic texts for an introduction to the history of film criticism and the techniques of interpretation and argumentation are Claudio Bisoni La critica cinematografica. Un'introduzione, Archetipolibri, Bologna, 2013 and Alberto Pezzotta, La critica cinematografica, Carocci, Roma, 2018. Other materials will be made available to students through the Virtuale platform.

Teaching methods

Lectures with reading and commenting on articles, essays, reviews, websites, video-reviews. With regard to the final assessment, will be considered attending students those who are enrolled in the lecturer/student list prepared for the course and able to demonstrate a reasonable attendance record (at least 75%).
Attending students will be required to carry out weekly writing exercises via the virtual platform.

Assessment methods

Written and oral examination.

Attending students will discuss with a critical essay on a topic agreed upon during the lessons (review, analysis, interview, videoessay...).

Non-attending students will have to make up the exercises already proposed to attending students and available on Virtuale they will take a written multiple choice test (20 questions, 10 minutes) whose positive result (12/20) will give access to the oral exam, in which they will discuss a critical essay on a topic agreed upon by e-mail.

It will be assessed as excellent the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the workshop contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection on the course contents.
It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the discipline. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the discipline. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse the subject.

Attending students shall take a written test within two weeks of the course end. Students negatively graded or those refusing the grade shall take the exam as non-attending.

Teaching tools

Teaching materials will be available on virtuale.unibo.it.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Noto