Film Studies

📘 About This Book

Film Studies: A Global Introduction reroutes film studies from its Euro-American focus and canon in order to introduce students to a medium that has always been global but has become differently and insistently so in the digital age. Glyn Davis, Kay Dickinson, Lisa Patti and Amy Villarejo’s approach encourages readers to think about film holistically by looking beyond the textual analysis of key films. In contrast, it engages with other vital areas, such as financing, labour, marketing, distribution, exhibition, preservation, and politics, reflecting contemporary aspects of cinema production and consumption worldwide. Key features of the book include: clear definitions of the key terms at the foundation of film studies coverage of the work of key thinkers, explained in their social and historical context a broad range of relevant case studies that reflect the book’s approach to global cinema, from Italian "white telephone" films to Mexican wrestling films innovative and flexible exercises to help readers enhance their understanding of the histories, theories, and examples introduced in each chapter an extensive Interlude introducing readers to formal analysis through the careful explication and application of key terms a detailed discussion of strategies for writing about cinema Films Studies: A Global Introduction will appeal to students studying film today and aspiring to work in the industry, as well as those eager to understand the world of images and screens in which we all live.

📖 Summary

Film Studies by Glyn Davis and co-authors provides a comprehensive, globally minded approach to understanding cinema in the modern era. Published in 2015, this substantial volume steps away from traditional Euro-American centered perspectives and canonical frameworks that have long dominated academic film analysis. Instead, it recognizes that film has always been an international medium and emphasizes how digital technologies have transformed the production, distribution, and consumption of movies worldwide. Rather than limiting the study of cinema strictly to textual analysis of individual films, the authors encourage a holistic perspective that incorporates the entire life cycle of a motion picture. Readers are introduced to the complex social science behind filmmaking, exploring vital areas such as industry financing, labor practices, marketing strategies, global distribution channels, theatrical and alternative exhibition, film preservation efforts, and the underlying politics of the cinematic medium. This multifaceted framework allows students and enthusiasts to understand how films are not merely aesthetic objects, but commodities and cultural artifacts shaped by global economic and social forces. The text also features clear, accessible definitions of foundational terms used in film studies, alongside valuable coverage of major theoretical thinkers whose ideas are explained within their specific social and historical contexts. By bridging the gap between traditional film criticism and contemporary industry realities, the book serves as an essential guide for anyone seeking to comprehend the true scale and scope of global cinema today.

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