University of Technology Sydney

86150 The Interior In Film

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Architecture
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10271 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10272 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of International Studies OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10322 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10423 Bachelor of Design Interior Architecture Bachelor of Languages and Cultures OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10004 Bachelor of Design Architecture OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10413 Bachelor of Design Architecture Master of Architecture OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C10325 Bachelor of Design Architecture Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 48 credit points of completed study in 48.0000000000 Credit Points spk(s): C09079 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Note

Open for self-enrolment, maximum student capacity 24.

Description

‘I am the cinema-eye. I am an architect’, wrote Soviet film director Dziga Vertof in the 1920s, describing potently how film not only mirrors existing spaces but rather, with its unique capacity to frame, collage and montage is able to organize and even create spaces. In a most general understanding, the interior in film comprises the space of interaction, negotiation, drama, conflict, and resolution. In the interior, architectural spaces are lived in and reflect style, class, programme, time, behaviour. Filmed interiors become coded compositional elements through their deliberate detail (scale, materiality, colour, light and texture) as designed by the film architect, filmed by the cinematographer, and edited in postproduction. The focus of this elective is on the production design of wicked houses, absurdist rooms, industrial interiors, archeological and underground interiors, and many more. Students analyse given interiors (whole films and/or extracts/scenes) and present their findings in terms of:

Light/Technology/Dramaturgy/Time/Frame/Composition/Colour/Materiality/Props/ Period/Atmosphere/Furniture/Costume

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1. Gain the skills to interpret the elements that make up a interior scene in film
2. Gain practice to draw an interior space
2. Understand the principles of production design
3. Identify interior objects and styles and how these are staged in film

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Ability to communicate ideas effectively, including oral, written, visual, analogue and digital presentations (2D and 3D) (C.2)
  • Ability to rigorously explore, apply and extend multiple representational techniques (P.2)
  • Ability to analyse, formulate and synthesise complex ideas, arguments and rationales and use initiative to explore alternatives (R.2)
  • Ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of interior and spatial design precedent and to contextualise one's work within the extended discipline (R.3)
  • Ability to reflect on, challenge and interrogate theoretical speculation (R.4)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

Face-to-face sessions will incorporate a range of active learning strategies including close readings of filmic scenes amd whole films, student presentations, and discussion based on a range of filmic case studies and selected literature as well as in-class drawing and sketching activity.

Content (topics)

This subject addresses the following issues and topics:

1 Close reading of an image (of a space)
2. Analysis of the interrelationship of immaterial and material elements in an interior space

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Interior Sketches

Intent:

A minimum of 3 Interior Sketches from 3 films discussed in this subject

Each interior sketch must show a central interior in the film's narrative with its main furnishings, materiality and texture at the camera angle (like a still in a storyboard). Your sketches may be b&w or colour, handdrawn or digitally produced and at a chosen (practicable) scale and format. Your sketches must be titled (your name, name of film, sort scene and technical description)
Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

P.2, R.2, R.3 and R.4

Type: Portfolio
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
analysis 30 2 R.2
representation 30 2 P.2
design principles 20 2 R.4
history 20 3 R.3
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Group Presentation

Intent:

Group Presentation of chosen film with an emphasis on the analysis of the production design:

Its function, genre, formal and aesthetic language, production and postproduction, its historical era, its time of production in its socio-cultural and political context, its symbolic, representational and metaphorical role.

Duration: 120 mins powerpoint with film excerpts and set creative tasks w by in class discussion. Upload your powerpoint (one student only). Clearly title your pdf with full names of all group members.
Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

R.2, R.3 and R.4

Type: Portfolio
Groupwork: Group, group assessed
Weight: 30%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
analysis 40 1 R.2
design principles 20 2 R.4
history 40 3 R.3
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Engagement in Class

Intent:

Engagement in class comprises active and informed participation in class

  • Actively viewing weekly films
  • Uploading 3 points relevant to production design each Wednesday by 11am
  • Uploading 1 provocation/question for discussion each Wednesday by 11
  • Contributing to group discussions.
  • Asking relevant questions.
  • Listening actively
  • Offering constructive feedback and critique to peers
Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

and 1

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, P.2 and R.2

Type: Demonstration
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
analysis 20 R.2
representation 60 P.2
annotation 20 1 C.2
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.

Required texts

refer handout

Recommended texts

refer reading list

References

refer reading list

Other resources

Links to films and text on reading list