Units / AMU2448
AMU2448 · Film genres
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 2Malaysia School of Arts and Social Sciences
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit introduces learners to a wide variety of film genres. They include traditional genres such as the western, melodrama, noir, the musical and horror, as well as newer ones like the biopic and the martial arts film. Learners will consider the socio-cultural and historical influences on genres, and in some cases, understand significant differences between Western and non-Western works within a particular genre. Theoretical concepts related to the study of genres, such as intertextuality and hybridity, will also be emphasized.
Areas of study: Communication, media and screen studies Global Asia Screen studies Writing
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digital content | Artefact | 35% | — |
| 2 | Multimedia presentation | Presentation | 25% | — |
| 3 | Take home final assessment | Written | 40% | — |
Within semester assessment: 100%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Identify the conventions associated with film genres;
- Evaluate the differences between Western and non-Western works classified under a particular genre;
- Interpret genre using concepts like intertextuality and hybridity, and how they are part of what constitute a genre;
- Write a detailed research into a specific genre;
- Explain the ways in that genres are socio-culturally and historically determined and often ambiguous and tend to encompass divergent, even contradictory;
- Evaluate the ambiguous nature of genres in terms of their apparently contradiction; i.e. being bound by certain conventions while simultaneously transgressing them.
Workload
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.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 24 hours |
| Lectures | 36 hours |
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