ARCHITECTURE AND CINEMA

REGENCE

Syllabus

The Semestral Unit Architecture and Cinema aims to find, within the Course lectures, some less obvious relations between the two disciplines. For this purpose, the Course will be structured into six modules:

1_ From the City to the Cinema (the city as an appropriate scenario to serve the narrative)

2_ The City in the Cinema (the wonderful opportunity to appear either the past or the future)

3_ The Cities of the Cinema (studios, sets and decors)

4_ Architecture in Cinema (architecture while a dramatic device)

5_ The Architecture of Cinemas (the architecture of the movie theatres)

6_ The Architectural Cinema (how to film and give to see the architecture)

 

Each of these modules will be preceded by a small theoretical illustrated session with audio visual materials (frames, scenes from films, quotations), which will act as a gateway to a second part of debate around the central theme, during which the candidates will be invited to review and discuss all kind of issues that the lecture have motivated, in order to increase the extent of the doubts.

 

Main Bibliography

ALBRECHT, D. Designing dreams: Modern architecture in the movies. London: Thames and Hudson, 1987.

AL SAYYAD. N. Cinematic urbanism: A history of the modern from reel to real. London: Routledge, 2007.

BARBER, S. Projected cities: Cinema and urban space. London:  Reaktion Books, 2002.

BRUNO, G. Public intimacy: Architecture and the visual arts. Cambridge (Massachusetts): MIT, 2007.

CINEMATECA PORTUGUESA (ed.), Cinema e Arquitectura. Lisboa: Cinemateca Portuguesa/ Museu do Cinema, 1999.

CLARKE, D. The cinematic city. London: Routledge, 1997.

COVERT, N.  Architecture on screen. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1994.

DIMENDGBERG, E. Film noir and the spaces of modernity. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard University Press, 2004.

FITZMAURICE, T. & SHIEL, M. Cinema and the city: Film and urban societies in a global context. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001.

MAKEIEFF, M. Jacques Tati: Deux temps, trois mouvements. Paris: Naïve; 2009.

NEUMANN, D. Film architecture: From Metropolis to Blade runner.  London; New York: Prestel, 1996.

NINEY, F. Visions urbaines: Villes d'Europe a l'ecran. Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 1994.

PALLASMAA, J. The architecture of image: existencial space in cinema. Hämeenlinna: Karisto Oy; 2007.

PENZ, F. & THOMAS, M. Cinema & architecture: Méliès, Mallet-Stevens, multimedia. London: British Film Institute, 1997.

PERRATON, C. Un nouvel art de voir la ville et de faire cinéma: Du cinéma et des restes urbains. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2003.

SCHAAL, H. Learning from Hollywood: Architecture and film. Fellbach: Edition Axel Menges, 1996.

SCHWARZER, M. Zoomscape: Architecture in motion and media. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004.

SHONFIELD, K. Walls have feelings: Architecture, film and the city. London: Routledge, 2000.

URBANO, L. Histórias simples: Textos sobre arquitectura e cinema. Porto: AMDJAC/FAUP, 2013.

URBANO, L. (ed.) Revoluções: Arquitectura e cinema nos anos 60/70. Porto: AMDJAC/FAUP, 2013.

WEBBER, A. & WILSON, E. Cities in transition: The moving image and the modern metropolis. London: Wallflower Press, 2008.

 

 

Main Filmography

We also propose, as an integrated part of the Course, to boost a short Film Cycle (six sessions), open to the City and outside the Course schedule (night sessions, at Casa das Artes, once a week, for example), where, feature films or documentaries, which scope could be considered around each one of the six themes, could be seen and discussed.

 

Many films could be called to appear in this gallery, only depending on their distribution availability (we also consider the hypothesis, in some cases, of showing video copies).

 

The following is a desirable list that could run in parallel with this first Course edition.

 

THEME 1_ From the City to the Cinema

Sunrise: A song of two humans. F. W. Murnau, 1927

 

THEME 2_ The City in the Cinema

Blade runner. Ridley Scott, 1982

 

THEME 3_ The Cities of the Cinema

One from the heart. Francis Ford Coppola, 1982

 

THEME 4_ Architecture in Cinema

Verdes anos. Paulo Rocha, 1963

 

THEME 5_ The Architecture of Cinemas

Chacun son cinéma or ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence. Various authors, 2007

 

THEME 6_ The Architectural Cinema

Eames: The architect and the painter. Jason Cohn & Bill Jersey, 2011

 

Teaching Methodology (Including Evaluation)

In the beginning of the Course a collective work will be proposed (for that, the all class will be divided into six groups). This work will consist essentially in the construction of short filmic objects, written, produced, directed and edited by the groups.

 

The theme of each one of the six short films will run, mandatorily, around each of the topics discussed during the Semester. Then, it is expected that the produced object (that should rely on the candidates themselves as "actors", if necessary, to the development of a possible "story"), could explain and increase the scope of each of the main themes, motivating and preparing, some how, in an invisibly way, at least one of the groups, for greater critical sharpness during the session that respects it.

 

Given the small number of weekly meetings scheduled for this Unit, during the Semester, the final rating, between 0 and 20, will be the result of three main factors, namely:

1_ attendance;

2 _ the ability to generate discussion and stimulate, both the whole class as the group in which each candidate will enter;

3_ critical capacity manifested in problematize the distributed issue, through out the work (film) produced by the group.

 

Students whom a significant participation should not be recognized, neither a satisfactory level of contribution to the final result, shall not be classified suitable.

LUÍS URBANO