English syllabus - Gauhati University

42Option F: Book into FilmLiterature has contributed extensively to cinema, and some of the most significant films of all timehappen to be adapted from ‘literary’ texts. This paper aims to show the linkages between the epicnarrative,the notion of story-telling and drama in the two fields, and also indicates how the twocontribute to each other in terms of cultural interaction and re-readings.For Internal Assessment, the student will demonstrate his/her knowledge of various film techniques inthe form of a film ‘reading’. The film texts may be selected by the student. This will be evaluated by theinternal examiner.PAPER 19Film Theory & ConceptsMarks 75 (60+15) [15 Marks Internal Assessment] Credits: 6The first paper of this course is designed to introduce students to film theory, narrative techniques andthe language of cinema (screenplay, camerawork, sound, editing, politics of the gaze, and authorship).Students will be required to answer 4 questions of 12 marks each (4x12), and write 2 short notes of 6marks each on concepts in Film Theory (2x6). The questions may be drawn from both sections of thepaper. (4x12 + 2x6 = 60)Section A: Film TheoryStudents would be expected to acquaint themselves with the following texts on film theory: Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948): “Word and Image”; “Colour and Meaning” from The Film Sense(1943) André Bazin, (1918-1948): “The Evolution of the Language of Cinema”; from What is Cinema?(1971) Christian Metz, (1931-1993): “Some points in the Semiotics of the Cinema”; and “The ModernCinema and Narrativity” from A Semiotics of the Cinema (1974)Section B: Concepts:Adaptation, auteur, codes and conventions, cut, deep focus, dissolve, diegesis, fade, flashback, framing,jump cut, mise-en-scène, montage, musical, scopophilia / visual pleasure script / screenplay /storyboard, shot / reverse-angle shot, soundtrack, traveling / tracking shot, wipe, zoom.