Film Culture and Fandom

Overview

This module explores film culture and film fandom. It focuses on the different ways in which film as an object is engaged with, paying attention to ideas of performative film fandom and creative practice fandom such as ‘shipping’ and blogging and amateur filmmaking. It examines practices of film fandom and the importance of film as a cultural object as a site of identification, nostalgia, engagement and exploration. Research practices related to fandom will be examined and ideas of ethics, collation of personal response and the analysis of fan-created material will be explored in detail via the module assessment.

Students will develop their understanding of the practices of film fandom and how film acquires deeper meaning and significance within specific fan cultures. The module will also explore hierarchies of fandom, cult fandoms and specific controversies related to different fan activity such as the gendered responses to recent material, for example the fan created version of The Force Awakens which removes the central female protagonist.

These debates will be grounded within discussions of broader film and taste cultures, and will darw upon relevant analogous debated pertaining to spectatorship and audience behaviour. Sessions could explore participatory fan cultures, hierarchies of fandom, online and offline fan behaviour, cult cinema, cinema and nostalgia and film festivals.

Learning Objectives

1. To gain an understanding of fandom, fan culture and film.
2. To explore aspects of fan behaviour in relation to broader ideas about film culture.
3. To demonstrate advanced skills in the critical analysis of various aspects of fan culture
4. To plan and conduct an original research project which engages with the topics covered on this module, and present written work of a high quality
5. To demonstrate enhanced generic skills in written and oral communication, the process of research, the organisation of material, and the presentation of informed critical arguments that relate to relevant issues and debates.

Skills

1. Skills of analysis and critical engagement
2. Advanced level research skills
3. Ability to explore conceptual debates
4. Specific knowledge of fandom and interactive film culture

Assessment