ATS2538 Film and television industries and technologies: Key contexts
Faculty of Arts
ATS2538 Film and television industries and technologies: Key contexts is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield and Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield, Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before ATS2538
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2538
No unit lists ATS2538 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: FTV2240, FTV3240
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Overview
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.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Paratexual analysisProject24%
- Case studyWritten58%
- In class testQuiz / Test18%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Recognise that meaning is not simply an intra-textual property of a particular text but an effect of historically specific extra-textual, material technologies or institutions;
- 2
Demonstrate an understanding of historically specific material technologies of production, distribution, exhibition and reception, in relation to a range of contemporary and historical film and television examples;
- 3
Develop a methodology for investigating the material - social, historical and political - difference of specific national film and television texts and industries.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Where it fits
ATS2538 is part of 6 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
- COMMUNIC05Level 2 and 3 elective unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- COMMUNIC06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- FILMSCRN06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsFilm and screen studiesNo reviews yet
- FILMSCRN07Level 2 cornerstone unitsFilm and screen studiesNo reviews yet
- MEDIA02Media elective unitsMediaNo reviews yet
- SCREEN03Level 2 cornerstone unitsScreenNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Constantine Verevis
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Constantine Verevis
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2538?
ATS2538 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2538 offered?
In 2026, ATS2538 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield and Clayton.
How much work is ATS2538?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2538 have an exam?
No. ATS2538 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2538?
ATS2538 is part of Communications and media studies; Film and screen studies; Media; and Screen.