FILM THEORY I
| Title | ΘΕΩΡΙΑ ΚΙΝΗΜΑΤΟΓΡΑΦΟΥ Ι / FILM THEORY I |
| Code | 1ΘΚ2 |
| Faculty | Fine Arts |
| School | Film |
| Cycle / Level | 1st / Undergraduate |
| Teaching Period | Winter |
| Coordinator | Eleftheria Thanouli |
| Common | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 280007575 |
Programme of Study: UPS of School of Film Studies (2009-2013)
Registered students: 45
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Compulsory Course | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Academic Year | 2026 – 2027 |
| Class Period | Winter |
| Faculty Instructors |
|
| Weekly Hours | 4 |
| Total Hours | 52 |
| Class ID | 600300691
|
Course Type 2021
General Foundation
Course Type 2016-2020
- Background
Course Type 2011-2015
General Foundation
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600300691
- At the Website of the School: https://www.film.auth.gr/el/spoudes/proptyxiaka/mathimata/220
- eLearning:
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
Learning Outcomes
To analyze any film by identifying its key technical and formal elements (mise-en-scène, cinematography, framing, editing, sound).
To understand the concept of narrative and observe, in each film, the distinction between story, plot, and style.
To classify each film into a specific narrative model based on its characteristics.
To observe the evolution of narrative forms and identify deviations and variations.
General Competences
- Apply knowledge in practice
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Work autonomously
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
This course presents and analyzes the fundamental formal and narrative characteristics of films, covering the entire spectrum of cinematic production from the emergence of the medium to the present day.
Week 1
Introduction to the concept of “theory”: What is cinema? What is film theory?
Week 2
Mise-en-scène: The composition of the frame in two dimensions. Aspects of mise-en-scène: The set design – Costumes and makeup – Lighting – Actors’ expression and movement. (pp. 199–242)
Film analysis: Kiss Me Deadly (Aldrich, 1955) and Lost Highway (Lynch, 1997)
Week 3
Cinematography: The composition of the frame in three dimensions (the moving frame). Basic cinematic units: frame, shot, scene, sequence. Creating depth of field, perspective, image texture. (pp. 243–260)
Film analysis: Son of Saul (Nemes, 2015)
Week 4
Framing: Frame composition in two dimensions. (pp. 260–305)
Film analysis: Touch of Evil (Welles, 1958) and Rope (Hitchcock, 1948)
Week 5
Editing (cinematic “punctuation”): The connection between shots. (pp. 306–353)
Film analysis: The Birds (Hitchcock, 1963)
Week 6
Sound in cinema: Basic elements and possibilities of cinematic sound – Types of film sound – Rhythm – Fidelity – The spatial dimension of sound – The temporal dimension of sound. (pp. 354–394)
Film analysis: The Conversation (Coppola, 1974)
Week 7
Narration: plot/story/style and the three systems (causality – space – time). (pp. 116–129)
Film analysis: Witness for the Prosecution (Wilder, 1957) and Meet John Doe (Capra, 1941)
Week 8
Exercise: Film language in Citizen Kane (Welles, 1939) (pp. 138–152)
Week 9
Narrative Models I: The classical narrative model in American cinema, 1917–1960 (instructor’s notes).
Film analysis: Rebecca (Hitchcock, 1940) and Gangs of New York (Scorsese, 2002)
Week 10
Narrative Models II: The art cinema narrative model in European cinema (instructor’s notes).
Film analysis: Persona (Bergman, 1966) and 8 ½ (Fellini, 1962)
Week 11
Review – Film analysis exercises
Week 12
Review – Film analysis exercises
Week 13
Participation in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is considered part of the course schedule.
Keywords
film language, mise-en-scène, cinematography, framing, editing, narration, narrative model
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Multimedia
- Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
- Use of ICT in Student Assessment
Description
elearning, powerpoint, e-mail
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 52 | 1.7 | ✓ | ||
| Reading Assigment | 38 | 1.3 | ✓ | ||
| Written assigments | ✓ | ||||
| Total | 90 | 3 |
Student Assessment
Description
There are explicitly defined criteria in the course syllabus. The written exemption paper carries 100% of the final grade.
Student Assessment methods
- Written Assignment (Summative)
Bibliography
Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
Εισαγωγή στην τέχνη του κινηματογράφου, Bordwell David,Thompson Kristin κωδικός:33153075
Additional bibliography for study
Bordwell, David. Narration in the Fiction Film. Routledge, 1985.
Last Update
16-09-2025
