Film Programme - Course Offerings

Course Offerings

A complete undergraduate degree from the University of the West Indies consists of 90 credits or 30 courses depending on the degree programme and the Faculty. The Major in Film Studies shall consist of a minimum of 36 credits in Film. The Major in Film Production consists of a minimum of 45 credits in Film. Students will be required to complete courses from this list.

Courses and Descriptions

FILM 1001 Introduction to Cinema

This course introduces students to film as an art form and in so doing provides the theoretical and philosophical basis for the study of film at undergraduate level.

FILM 1101 Introduction to Photography

The Introduction to Photography course explores a highly technical, multi-functional artistic medium. It will help students develop a historical, conceptual, aesthetic and technical foundation to this visual communication tool.

FILM 1102 Introduction to the History of Narrative Cinema and its Structural Composition

This course introduces students to the history of narrative cinema, providing basic principles of structural composition in narrative cinema and the dynamic relationship between sight and sound. This knowledge will form the basis upon which students may interrogate narrative films.

FILM 1399 Fundamentals of Film Production

This course is an introduction to the roles, tools, organisation, and processes used in the production of a video. The students will be exposed to many different aesthetic and storytelling problems and solutions as an introduction to the many aspects of filmmaking.

FILM 2101 Cinema and Gender

The focus of the course is the development of the gendered ‘gaze’. While the films analysed in this course are drawn from international cinema, the course will pay particular attention to the portrayal of masculinity and femininity in popular international films about the Caribbean, as well as screening and analysing films made in the Caribbean by Caribbean filmmakers.

FILM 2201 Directing

This course teaches the skills necessary for directing a film.

FILM 2202 Production Sound for Film and Digital Media

Sound is a key element in the production of a film or television programme. This course details the relative and technical aspects of production sound recording. It includes an understanding of signal flow and other basic audio concepts, recording and mixing equipment.

FILM 2299 The Making of a Documentary: Film Editing and Production

In the Caribbean the documentary production is the most popular arena of film-making, especially with the emergence of digital video as a low cost production medium. Students will be encouraged to produce projects for community groups, heritage organisations and non-profit agencies.

FILM 2301 Cinematography

Cinematography is a key element in the production of a film or television programme. The course will provide knowledge of the fundamental principles of contemporary motion picture cinematography, related and support equipment, film stocks, lab procedures and terminology. It will include lighting techniques and the use of different lenses.

FILM 2302 Editing

Through lectures, demonstrations and practical postproduction assignments this course exposes students to a full range of editing technologies and techniques.

FILM 2401 Screenwriting

This course focuses on the effective writing of the short original screenplay with coherent dialogue, exposition and structure, developed from an understanding of terms such as back story, suspense, set ups, pay offs, dramatic through-line and “stops”.

FILM 2402 Documentary Cinema: History and Aesthetics

This course provides critical understanding as well as a survey of the history of documentary film-making, concentrating on works which show radical, innovative and influential approaches to form and content.

FILM 2403 Caribbean Cinema I: Caribbean Film History

This course, which is part of a two course sequence, seeks to create awareness of the traditions of film-making within the Caribbean, focusing on developments from the time of decolonization up to approximately 1990.

FILM 3001 Sound and Visual Dynamics

This course will seek to furnish students with the terminology and critical frameworks necessary to appreciate this vital aspect of film narrative and experimental aesthetics. Students will be encouraged to create short experimental films.

FILM 3005 Caribbean Cinema II: Contemporary Caribbean Cinema

This course surveys the major trends of the period while spotlighting key filmmakers and the challenges they have overcome.

FILM 3099 Advanced Research Seminar

The course enables students to explore the archives of Caribbean cinema in an analytical and critical way and to interact at an advanced level with Caribbean filmmaking.

FILM 3101 Indian Cinema

This course examines postcolonial cinemas with a specific focus on Indian cinema, exploring its themes, forms and distinctions from European and Hollywood traditions.

FILM 3104 Cinemas of Africa

Given the importance of African culture to the Caribbean, this course explores cinema produced after political independence in different regions of the African continent.

FILM 3201 Film Marketing and Distribution

This course introduces the practices of film marketing and distribution, a critical issue for filmmakers from the developing world.

FILM 3202 The Film Producer

This course develops the skills producers need to complete a project successfully, including budgeting, scheduling and team management.

FILM 3203 Cinemas of Latin America

This course addresses Caribbean filmmakers’ limited exposure to Latin American cinema, focusing on the relationship between film production and political history.

FILM 3299 Capstone - Making a Film

This year-long course involves the production of a compelling film. Students work in teams and rotate through professional roles including producer, director, writer, editor, sound operator and cinematographer.