English for Specific Purposes. English for Film Production - 3 – HSE University Course Catalogue – Higher School of Economics National Research University

2024/2025

Type: Optional course

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

When: 1-3 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Konstantin Khomutskii

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The discipline refers to the educational tracks offered to students within the curricula for Bachelor's and Specialist's degrees, while mastering the courses of English in accordance with the Concept of developing English-speaking communicative competence of students of Higher School of Economics — National Research University https://www.hse.ru/docs/381549301.html. The ESP course ‘English for Film Production’ for second-year bachelor students explores the following topics: ‘Society and Media’; ‘Three Ps: Pre-production, Production, Post-production’; ‘Screenwriting: structuring a story and developing concepts’; ‘Video storytelling methods and script creation’. Apart from a strong focus on mastering relevant and most frequently used subject-specific vocabulary and key terminology through communication practice, the course provides an empirically based understanding of the discourse and language used in the target ESP variety by involving students in projects related to film production. The course also aims at developing four major sets of language skills — listening, reading, writing, and speaking through various tasks (both in standard and creative formats) based on the communicative approach to foreign language teaching. Moreover, the course also provides task-based activities such as projects, most of which simulate workplace assignments and help students to practice them prior to real working experience. The prerequisite level of English for students willing to take the course is B2 or higher (according to CEFR).

Learning Objectives

To sharpen students’comprehension skills of manifold traditional and emerging (hybrid) types of media products (e.g., professional articles, reports/user-generated content) 2. To master essential genres and appropriate specialized registers of English 3. To enable students to acquire specialized vocabulary (key terminology) and a set of lexical items with the highest frequency of occurrence in various professional contexts 4. To develop the ability to use essential domain-specific and conventionalized grammatical structures prevalent in the target ESP variety 5. To master analytical and critical thinking/writing skills/to master writing skills in various spheres 6. To upgrade skills related to the solution of diverse professionally oriented tasks both individually and in teams 7. To foster awareness of long-term patterns and relevant trends in the spheres of cinematography and film production 8. To improve media literacy and develop a creative approach applicable to a range of professionally relevant tasks (content creation; storytelling; film production)

Expected Learning Outcomes

To sharpen students’comprehension skills of manifold traditional and emerging (hybrid) types of media products (e.g., professional articles, reports/user-generated content)
To master essential genres and appropriate specialized registers of English
To enable students to acquire specialized vocabulary (key terminology) and a set of lexical items with the highest frequency of occurrence in various professional contexts
To develop the ability to use essential domain-specific and conventionalized grammatical structures prevalent in the target ESP variety
To master analytical and critical thinking/writing skills/to master writing skills in various spheres
To upgrade skills related to the solution of diverse professionally oriented tasks both individually and in teams
To foster awareness of long-term patterns and relevant trends in the spheres of cinematography and film production
To improve media literacy and develop a creative approach applicable to a range of professionally relevant tasks (content creation; storytelling; film production)
delivers the presentation to the public
Analyzes the stage of a film product development
applies the theoretical knowledge to the practical tasks
comprehends professional dialogue and monologues including professional terms
Deals with long proffessoinal texts with ease
creates the basic frame of a future film project
Applies different storytelling techniques to create his/her own one(s)
applies the methods of storytelling analysis to understand different media products
comprehends long professional texts with ease
uses professional terminology in an appropriate context easily
uses professional terminology in a given context easily
writes a review of a film/documentary or TV series
writes a script or its part for a film/series/documentary

Course Contents

Unit 1. Media and Society
Unit 2. Three Ps (Pre-Production; Production; Post-Production
Unit 3. ‘Screenwriting: structuring a story and developing concepts’
Unit 4. ‘Video storytelling methods and script creation’

Assessment Elements

Written Assessment
Oral Assessment
Independent Work Assessment
Final Assessment
Script Project

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 3rd module
0.3 * Final Assessment + 0.2 * Independent Work Assessment + 0.2 * Oral Assessment + 0.1 * Script Project + 0.2 * Written Assessment

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

A new history of documentary film, McLane, B. A., 2012
Barry Keith Grant, Jeannette Sloniowski, Documenting the Documentary : Close Readings of Documentary Film and Video (Wayne State University Press, 2013).
Camden, J., & Oestreich, K. F. (2018). Transmedia Storytelling : Pemberley Digital’s Adaptations of Jane Austen and Mary Shelley. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1986609
Cinema studies : the key concepts, Hayward, S., 2013
Crossover cinema : cross-cultural film from production to reception, , 2013
De Fina, A., & Perrino, S. (2019). Storytelling in the Digital World. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Introduction to film studies, , 2012
Joyce, S. (2018). Transmedia Storytelling and the Apocalypse. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1876988
Nichols, B., Sloniowski, J., & Grant, B. K. (2014). Documenting the Documentary : Close Readings of Documentary Film and Video, New and Expanded Edition. Wayne State University Press.
Storytelling techniques for digital filmmakers : plot structure, camera movement, lens selection,..., Hockrow, B., 2014
TED talks storytelling : 23 storytelling techniques from the best TED talks, Karia, A., 2015
The complete film production handbook, Honthaner, E. L., 2010
The documentary film reader : history, theory, criticism, , 2016
The documentary filmmakers handbook, Jolliffe, G., 2012
Turo Uskali, Astrid Gynnild, Sarah Jones, & Esa Sirkkunen. (2020). Immersive Journalism As Storytelling : Ethics, Production, and Design. Routledge.
Video journalism for the web : a practical introduction to documentary storytelling, Lancaster, K., 2013
Visual storytelling : videography and post production in the digital age, Osgood, R. J., 2014
Английский язык. Медиакоммуникации и журналистика : учебник, , 2023

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Filmmaking : Direct your movie from script to screen using proven Hollywood techniques, Tomaric, J. J., 2011
Puzzle films : complex storytelling in contemporary cinema, , 2009
World cinema through global genres, Costanzo, W. V., 2014

Authors

KHOMUTSKIY KONSTANTIN IGOREVICH

Course Syllabus

English for Specific Purposes. English for Film Production - 3