'A perfect balance between clarity and intellectual complexity' Sight and Sound.

Written by a leading expert and practising university teacher, Film Studies gives you all the key knowledge and information you need to understand film studies quickly and easily.

Film Studies: An Introduction is a straightforward guide for anyone who wants to analyze, understand and evaluate films.

It provides an overview of the key areas in film studies, including aesthetics, narrative, genre, documentary and the secrets of film reviewing. You will learn to appreciate the special qualities of a film, acquire a broad knowledge of the inner workings of film, and be sensitive to the unique meaning of each camera movement or framing in each scene.

All film-makers use the same standard tools, but not in the same way. From Hitchcock and Tarantino to Spielberg and Bigelow, you will gain a critical understanding of legendary directors and the techniques and skills they use to achieve certain cinematic effects.

This book is your first step on the long and enjoyable path called film studies. Whether you are a film studies student or just a film buff wanting to know more, this book will give you an invaluable insight into the exciting and incredibly fast-moving world of film, helping you develop the critical and analytical skills that can be applied to any film.

An unpretentious guide for all those who want to learn to analyse, understand and evaluate films.

Film Studies: An Introduction provides an overview of the key areas in film studies, including aesthetics, narrative, genre, documentary films and the secrets of film reviewing. From Hitchcock and Tarantino to Spielberg and Bigelow, you will gain a critical understanding of legendary directors and the techniques and skills that are used to achieve cinematic effects. Whether you are a film studies student or just a film buff wanting to know more, this book will give you an invaluable insight into the exciting and incredibly fast-moving world of film.

Understand Film Studies includes:
Chapter 1: Film aesthetics: formalism and realism
Chapter 2: Film structure: narrative and narration
Chapter 3: Film authorship: the director as auteur
Chapter 4: Film genres: defining the typical film
Chapter 5: The non-fiction film: five types of documentary
Chapter 6: The reception of film: the art and profession of film viewing