AMU3127 · Stardom, screens and society

Overview

Since the early 20th century, stars have been a central feature of screen media and have attained a prominent place within broader culture and society. They appear in magazines, on television, across social media platforms, and in a wide range of digital content. This unit explores the role of stars in shaping the meanings and affects of screen texts, their significance within the media industries, and their ideological function in constructing popular conceptions of identity. In this unit you will engage with key theoretical frameworks from star and celebrity studies and apply them through close analysis of films, star personas, and a range of extra-filmic materials such as interviews, reviews, and promotional content. In addition to critical analysis, you will also take part in practical filmmaking activities, offering further perspectives on the phenomenon of stardom. The unit will encourage you to reflect on how stars contribute to the pleasures of screen media, while remaining attentive to the broader political and cultural implications of celebrity.

Areas of study: Communication, media and screen studies Gender studies Global Asia Screen studies

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

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

1. analyse the construction and function of star personas across a range of screen media contexts;
2. explain the significance of specific stars to the media texts they appear in and to the broader cultural contexts from which they emerge;
3. apply key concepts from star studies to specific case studies, focusing on the cultural, industrial, and ideological dimensions of stardom;
4. evaluate the political and ideological significance of stardom in general and of specific stars in particular;
5. create audiovisual work that demonstrates critical engagement with ideas of stardom and celebrity.

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.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.