AS/A2 Film Studies

AS/A2 Film Studies
AS/A2 This course aims to extend your understanding of all aspects of Film. Whether you are interested in Hollywood blockbusters or World Cinema, this course will offer new cinematic experiences. There will be screenings and analyses of different types of films, some practical film-making, and small group and whole class discussions as well as note-taking and essay writing.

In your own time, you will be expected to broaden your cinema viewing experience by watching films you may not have considered before.

AS Course Content
The AS course comprises two modules:
1. Exploring Film Form
You will be introduced to the key ideas and terminology of Film Studies through your coursework, which will be a written analysis of a sequence from a film of your choice, along with a creative project which involves making a two-minute film in a small group.
Assessment: coursework: practical project and essay (40%)
2. British and American Film
This involves three elements: a study of the film industry and its audience, particularly through the analysis of source material such as posters and websites, a study of how national or regional identity is represented in contemporary British films and a comparison of two American films from different historical periods.
Assessment: exam (60%)

A2 Course Content
The A2 course comprises a further two modules:
3. Film Research and Creative Projects You will carry out a research project built around a film of your choice and group work (making a 5 minute film plus a DVD commentary)
Assessment: coursework: practical project and research project (40%)
4. Varieties of Film Experience'Issues and Debates You will study spectatorship and emotional response in film viewing, an aspect of World Cinema such as urban stories, and finally a detailed case study of a single film.
Assessment: exam (60%)

Is Film Studies for you?
You will enjoy and benefit from Film Studies if you:

• are a keen cinema-goer, interested in viewing a wide range of genres from around the world.
• are interested in the way that cinematic techniques are used to express a range of themes;
• would like to look at the practical side of film-making;
• are keen to carry out independent investigative research, including using the internet, rather than just listening and reading, and feel confident about expressing your views in writing.

Film Studies and your future
Film Studies at this level, in combination with other courses, can lead to a range of further studies and careers, including cinema, media studies, art and photography.

What's the difference between Film and Media Studies?
The main difference is that Film focuses on analysis of film texts and the cinema industry, rather than the much broader range of media covered in Media Studies.

Visits & Visitors
Recent visits and trips in Film Studies have included screenings at the Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge as well as a trip to New York with Photography A level students.