104111 - HISTORY OF AUDIOVISUALS AND VIDEO GAMES

Subject type: Basic

Coordinator: Jorge Oter Gonzalez

Trimester: First term

Credits: 6

Academic year: 2025

Teaching course: 1

• Catalan

Classes will be held in Catalan. L'alumnat pot comunicar-se tant en català com en castellà durant les classes, de la mateixa manera que pot fer els treballs en qualsevol de les dues llengües. Linguistic correction is requested in all cases.

Nowadays, we are constantly surrounded by audiovisual messages of various types. In the "screen era", we receive these impulses through multiple channels and in the different facets of our lives, from professional to personal. It is important, therefore, to reflect on the nature of these messages that affect our daily lives, as well as on the way in which they are organized and related, and on their origin and evolution.

This course will cover the historical, aesthetic and technological development of photography, cinema, radio, television and, more recently, the Internet and video games. We will look at their appearance and trajectory, the expressive characteristics of each of them and, as a consequence, what they have in common.

To achieve this, we will be helped by many examples of specific cases, as well as other explanatory materials. It is important not only to know this route, but also to develop critical thinking around works that will influence students when developing their own products throughout the degree. Seminars and academic-style assignments will also be held to delve deeper into the syllabus through active learning (which will serve to familiarize students with a way of working that will be required during the degree) and readings that stimulate reflection will be provided.

The classroom (physical or virtual) is a safe space, free of sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory attitudes, either towards students or towards teachers. We trust that together we can create a safe space where we can make mistakes and learn without having to suffer prejudice from others. 

1. PHOTOGRAPHY

Birth and beginnings of photography.

Expansion of photography in the nineteenth century. Pioneers and pioneers.

Photojournalism and photodocumentary.

Evolution during the XNUMXth and XNUMXst centuries. Some authors.

2. THE CINEMA

Pre-cinema and origins of cinema. Pioneers and pioneers.

Consolidation of storytelling and cinematic avant-garde.

Cinematic classicism. Genres and authors.

National cinematographies.

New cinemas and some personalities from the second half of the XNUMXth century.

3. THE RADIO

Invention and beginnings of broadcasting.

Technical, programmatic and social evolution of the radio medium.

Radio in Spain and Catalonia throughout the s. XX.

4. TELEVISION

Origins of television.

Technological, programmatic and social evolution of television.

Modernity of the television medium.

Television in Spain and Catalonia. Birth and evolution.

5. INTERNET AND VIDEO GAMES

Origins and history of the Internet. Technological and social evolution of the network.

Video games: birth and history.

The evaluation system contains two distinct parts: the theoretical part and the part corresponding to continuous evaluation activities.

The theoretical part (midterm exam 15% and final exam 35%), corresponding to 50% of the grade, must have a weighted average equal to or greater than 5 in order to pass the subject. Otherwise, and regardless of the grade of the rest of the activities, the student will fail the subject. The theory part can be retaken during the recovery period as long as the student has taken the exam in the ordinary call.

The continuous assessment part is worth 50% of the final grade and consists of the following activities (non-retrievable) with the corresponding assessment percentages:

• Activity 1-  Collaborative timeline: worth 5%
• Activity 2 - Room sheet: worth 5%
• Activity 3- Puzzle (activity linked to the transversal competence of autonomy and critical thinking - CTT 5.1): worth 10% of the grade. 
• Activity 4 - Analysis work of one or more audiovisual works (joint work with the Language and audiovisual expression subject): worth 30% 

Rules for carrying out the activities:

The activities must meet the criteria indicated in class and/or the statements of the activities and must be submitted within the established deadline. If an activity is not done or not submitted on time, the student will receive a 0 for it.

Due to the nature of the subject, spelling and syntax in written expression are assessable, so misspellings and syntax will be penalized by subtracting 0,25 points each.

Papers submitted in previous courses, in whole or in part, may not be submitted.

Identification of plagiarism is considered a serious circumstance that may lead to a failing grade in the subject. In case of detection of plagiarism, the coordination of the degree will be informed so that the corresponding disciplinary measures can be taken.

Any form of academic fraud will be sanctioned in accordance with the center's assessment regulations. If signs of fraud are detected, including the improper use of generative artificial intelligence tools, the subject's teaching staff may call the student for an individual interview with the aim of verifying their authorship.

Baget Herms, Josep Maria (1994). History of television in Catalonia. Generalitat de Catalunya, Communication Research Center.

Castells, Manuel (2001). The Internet Galaxy. Plaza&Janés.

Sontag, Susan (2009). About photography. pocket

Altés, Elvira (2021). Women on the air The history of radio in Catalonia in the voice of women. Peasant Editors

Arboledas, Luis & Bonet, Montse (2014). The Radio in Spain: European Appearance, Franco's Legacy. Javnost-The Public, 21 (4): 67-82.

Bonet, Montse (2005). Spanish radio 1994-2004. A decade of consolidation and disenchantment. Public Sphera, (5), 59-70.

Brinson, Susan (2005), From Marconi to Cop Rock. An introduction to Broadcasting history. A: Winn, Emmet & Brinson, Susan (eds), Transmitting the Past. Historial and Cultural Perspectives on Broadcasting. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, p. 1-15. 

Bustamante, Enrique (2013). History of Radio and Television in Spain. A pending subject of democracy. Editorial Gedisa.

Camporesi, Valeria (2014). animated photos A new way of thinking about the world is born. A: Thinking about the history of cinema. chair

Domínguez, Vicente (coord.) (2007). Predator screens Cinema before digital visual culture. Editions of the University of Oviedo.

Donovan, Tristan (2018). Replay: The history of video games. Heroes of Paper

Franquet, Rosa (2001). History of radio in Catalonia in the twentieth century: from galena radio to digital radio. Generalitat de Catalunya, Department of the Presidency, General Directorate of Broadcasting and Television.

Freund, Gisele (1983). The first photographers A: Photography as a social document. Gustavo Gili.

Moragas, Miquel de (2022). Communication and its changes. From the origins to the mobile. Global Village

Navalbos, Lourdes (1998). The effects of world war on the audience. Triggers of "radio panic". Semiosphere, 8, p. 119-137.

Newhall, Beaumont (2008). History of photography. Gustavo Gili.

Pariser, Eli (2017). Content for relevance. A: The bubble filter. How the network decides what we read and what we think. Penguin Random House, p. 31-54.

Postman, Neil (1993). The era of "show business". A: Let's have fun until we die. Index books, p. 107-125.

Rosenberg, Alejandra (2016). About the Women Film Pioneers Project. Cinema Comparat / ive Cinema, vol. IV, num 8, p. 17-23.

Rueda, José Carlos; Galán, Elena & Rubio, Ángel L. (2014). History of the media. Editorial Alliance.

Sougez, Marie-Loup (1994). History of photography. chair

Sousa, Jorge Pedro (2011). Critical history of Western photojournalism. Manganeses de la Lampreana, Zamora Comunicación Social.

Vázquez Montalbán, Manuel (1997). History and social communication. Critic.

VV. AA. (1995). General history of cinema. Chair.