The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

Online Course

The British Film Institute (BFI)

Future Learn

Go to Future Learn

Start Learning

The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

What is the course about?
Prerequisites & Facts
Cost, Certificate & Degree
Reviews & Experiences

What is the course about?

The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

The course The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film is an online class provided by The British Film Institute (BFI) through Future Learn. It may be possible to receive a verified certification or use the course to prepare for a degree.

Film takes a starring role in this course exploring the emergence of a new medium that was set to capture the world’s imagination

Course description

Explore the birth of film and the end of Queen Victoria’s epic reign
3 weeks

Roll up! Roll up! Take your seats for the ‘Living Picture’ craze! In this course we journey back to the end of the Victorian era; a time of intense modernisation and unprecedented change.
Using the BFI’s unique collection of surviving Victorian films we will debate common myths about the period and the materials, as well as examine what the films reveal about the society that produced them.
We will be your expert guides to these incredible films, leading you through the many spectacles and curiosities made during film’s formative years, 1895-1901.

Investigate the late Victorian period in Britain. Unravel and discuss common myths about the era, and examine what Victorian films reveal about the society that produced them.
Examine how film became a key medium to explore the rapidly-changing Victorian world; both at home and abroad. Discover why a phantom ride isn’t as scary as it sounds, and have the opportunity to make your own to share with peers.
Explore the Victorian imagination and learn about what audiences watched and why. Watch and examine a wide variety of films from comedies and trick films to serious dramas and adaptations.
Draw parallels with the visual spectacles available in Victorian period and our own multimedia landscape.
Programme a dynamic play bill for a Victorian audience and explain your choices.

Recognise different types of the earliest film materials made in the UK between 1895 and 1901.
Demonstrate an understanding of how myths and stereotypes of the period have developed and explain what viewpoints might be more appropriate.
Assess and discuss the origins of film (and film projection) and be able to identify who the key personalities were in its development.
Show some comprehension of the period – the tastes and fashions, along with the entertainment industry itself – by creating a curated film programme for a specific audience.

This course is designed for anyone with a passion for film and Victorian and British history. This includes lecturers, teachers and students of film, media, history or English literature.

The British Film Institute (BFI)
The British Film Institute (BFI) was founded in 1933 and is a charity governed by a Royal Charter. It has three priorities – education, supporting the UK film industry and unlocking film heritage.

Start Learning

Prerequisites & Facts

The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

Course Topic

British History, Creative Arts & Media, History, Photography and Visual Arts

University, College, Institution

The British Film Institute (BFI)

Course Skill Level

see course summary

Course Language

English

Place of class

Online, self-paced (see curriculum for more information)

Degree

Certificate

Start Learning

Degree & Cost

The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

To obtain a verified certificate from Future Learn / The British Film Institute (BFI) you have to finish this course or the latest version of it, if there is a new edition. The class may be free of charge, but there could be some cost to receive a verified certificate or to access the learning materials. The specifics of the course may have been changed, please consult the provider to get the latest quotes and news.

The British Film Institute (BFI)

The Living Picture Craze: An Introduction to Victorian Film

provided by Future Learn

Start Learning