Film and television industries and technologies: key contexts

The meaning of a film or television series comes not just from what is represented on screen but from the contexts in which this representation takes place. This unit examines some of the key industrial and technological contexts that frame, support and mediate our understanding of film and television. These contexts, both official and public, include: industry publicity and marketing; advertising and commercial tie-ins; media coverage of stars and celebrities; censorship and studio self-regulation; and reviewing and criticism. Taking a longer, historical view the unit also considers the impact of cinematic and televisual technologies over time, such as: wide-screen formats in the fifties and sixties; home video and suburban multiplexes in the seventies and eighties; and the development and evolution of digital technologies, media franchising and streaming platforms through the nineties and into the present day.