100-level

CINE104
The Oscar for Best Picture: The Envelope Please!
Description
This course will trace the trajectory of the Academy Awards: from 1930s screwball comedies and backstage musicals to celebrated wartime classics; from 1950s Minnelli musicals to 1980s post-Vietnam war films. It will provide a concentrated, thumbnail history of American Cinema, which challenges students to consider and question the formal criteria (cinematography, acting, sound, editing) upon which critical judgement is based. It will introduce students to the canonical classics of American Cinema, inviting them to explore diverse film genres and even the occasional Academy extravaganza.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2025
Points
15 points

200-level

TITO202
Kiriata: Maori film and media
Description
This course is about Maori and Indigenous film, media and other creative works. It examines the political, historical, social, cultural and ideological influences that have shaped dominant mainstream constructions and counter-hegemonic representations of Maori and Indigenous peoples in film, media and creative works. It also highlights the roles of artist, director and industry to produce Maori stories and aesthetics. A number of films will be screened throughout the course.
Occurrences
Semester One 2025
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Any 15 points at 100 level from CINE, MAOR, TITO, TREO, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or BDigiScreenHons.
Restrictions
MAOR268, CINE213
DISC210
Film project 1
Description
This class is a film making workshop focused on conceptualising, designing, shooting, and editing a very short film. In the first section of the course students will pitch projects and a selection of scripts/proposals will be chosen for production. The second section of the course will involve forming teams to produce each project. Students will be able to specialise in various roles. All students will be involved in the post-production process for the film they work on. The nature of the work involved in this course will require compulsory attendance at all workshops.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2025
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
DISC211 and DISC212
DISC211
Lights, lens, mics
Description
This course introduces students to the basic principles of light and sound as they are employed in film production. Students will acquire the necessary skills and gain practical experience with operating lights, camera and sound equipment through a series of exercises and the production of a short project. They will also learn about the development of the technology of film and sound. Techniques for fiction and non-fiction will be discussed with topics including focus and filters, lens length, lighting set up, moving the camera, types and functions of microphones, sound recording. Teaching is delivered via lectures and compulsory workshops for technical learning and group work.
Occurrences
Semester One 2025
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
DISC102
DISC212
Screenwriting: research and story development
Description
Through the format of the short film, students will be exposed to various types of film, including narrative, documentary, and experimental films. They will then develop their own short film ideas, including initial concept or story idea, research, character exploration, dialogue, scene structure and plot development. Written work includes character profiles, plot outlines, a treatment and initial draft - or the equivalent documents relevant to a documentary or experimental film. An important feature of the course is feedback, whereby student’s critique and support each other’s projects. Finally, students will learn the essential elements of the screenplay format and deliver a completed short film screenplay.
Occurrences
Semester One 2025
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
DISC101 and DISC102
DISC213
Editing and postproduction
Description
Editing is a conceptual and creative process as much as it is a technical skill. What happens when two film images are brought together on the editing bench? How are they cut to advance the story, to establish or undermine point of view, to bring different spatial and temporal locations into relation or opposition, to enhance or frustrate the spectators’ expectations? This course teaches conceptual and practical aspects of editing. Students acquire hands-on experience of the techniques and aesthetics of film editing and related post-production processes including compositing, colour grading and sound mixing. Additional emphasis is placed on workflow, file management and the latest software tools. Students will study scenes and sequences from exemplary film models and complete a series of hands-on exercises and workshops that reflect the established industry practice.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2025
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
DISC211 or DISC241

300-level

DISC312
Advanced Film Production
Description
Exploration of a variety of filmmaking practices with an emphasis on creative approaches. Students will learn to extend their knowledge, and skill sets with a deeper understanding of aesthetics. An emphasis will also be placed on ethical and community-based filmmaking. Compulsory attendance required for all classes.
Occurrences
Semester One 2025
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
DISC210

Not Offered Courses in 2025

300-level

TITO301
Indigenous Stories, Digital Realms
Description
This course considers the representation of Indigenous narratives within the digital world. By closely analysing a series of case studies from various media including gaming and VR (virtual realities), as well as trends in film, television, and other media, we discuss thematic and stylistic trends in Indigenous texts as well as production methods and ethics utilised in their creation and development.
Occurrences
TITO301-25S1 (C)
Semester One 2025 - Not offered
For further information see TITO301 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
TITO201 or TITO202