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Film Studies

Introduction

The A Level Film Studies course will cover all aspects of film – past, present and world-wide. It will also give you the opportunity to make your own short film or write your own screenplay.

The course comprises three elements:

Component 1: Varieties of film and filmmaking (Exam 35%)

  • Hollywood 1930-1990: Casablanca and Bonnie and Clyde
  • American Film Since 2005: Joker and Get Out
  • British Film Since 2005: Trainspotting and This is England

Component 2: Global filmmaking perspectives (Exam 35%)

  • Global Film: City of God and Life is Beautiful
  • Documentary Film: Amy Winehouse
  • Silent Cinema – Sunrise
  • Experimental Film – Memento

 

Component 3: Production (Coursework – 30%)

  • an individually produced short film (between 4-5 minutes)
    or
  • an individually produced screenplay between 1600-1800 words plus a digital storyboard of a key section from the screenplay

You will be prepared for all exam questions by studying the films in terms of 3 core areas:

  1. Film Form – how the films create meaning through camerawork, mise en scene, editing, sound and performance
  2. Meaning and Response – how the films create representations of people, cultures and society and the ideologies associated with these.
  3. Contexts 
  1. the production contexts (e.g. mainstream, major studio productions or small studio, independent productions)
  2. the social, cultural and political contexts.

There will also be six ‘specialist study areas’ relating to specific areas of the exam:

  1. Spectatorship American film since 2005
  2. Narrative British film since 1995 / Film movements – Experimental film
  3. Ideology America film since 2005 / British film since 1995
  4. Auteur Hollywood 1930-1990 / Film Movements –Experimental film
  5. Critical debates Documentary film / Film movements – Silent Cinema
  6. Filmmakers’ theories Documentary film