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  3. Australian Film and Television

Australian Film and Television (SCRN20013)

Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1
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This subject is an introduction to the study of Australian film and television. Beginning with post-war Australian film and television, we will trace the emergence of the modern entertainment industry in Australia locating it within national and international frameworks and examining the growing debates around what constitutes a national cinema and television industry. The focus will be upon examining specific films and a range of media in television locating products within local and global contexts, analyzing cosmopolitan and nationalist impulses that drive the industry forward. We will study a range of indigenous and non-indigenous products and genres including feature films, video, documentaries, television series, sitcoms and news programs. Road movies, comedy, history films, animation, romance and melodrama are among the genres studied.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Describe the historical developments and cultural contexts that produced the Australian film and television industry, from the 1970s to the present day.
  • Evaluate the concept of national cinema, and its relationship to national identity, in the context of Australian film and television texts and their narratives, styles, genres and aesthetics.
  • Analyse national debates regarding gender, race and class as they pertain to Australian film and television, including in onscreen representations as well as within the Australian screen industry itself.
  • Apply textual and formal analysis skills to the films and television programs studied in the subject, critiquing how screen texts create meaning.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • Acquire fundamental research and analytic skills
  • Acquire critical and ethical self-awareness
  • Acquire the ability to develop and communicate effective arguments in both oral and written form
  • Acquire fundamental skills in media and information literacy and management.

Last updated: 10 June 2025