Film Studies A Level

Year One

Course outline
FM1 Exploring Film Form
This unit focuses on the language of film and how a film’s construction can create meaning and emotion. Understanding will be fostered through:
• Studying what we call the micro features of film: mise-en-scène, performance, cinematography, editing and sound
• Identifying how these construct meanings and contribute to the sensory impact of film
• Reflecting on individual response to micro features of film as a means of exploring the relationship between film and spectator
• Creating a film sequence storyboard to demonstrate how micro features produce meanings and responses.

Throughout this unit, the emphasis will be on the interaction of film and spectator.

Assessment
• An analysis of a film extract - 1500 words (30 marks)
• Creative Project - aims and context, film sequence or short film and reflective analysis (50 marks)

FM2: British and American Film
This unit focuses on two key aspects of Film Studies:
• Producers and audiences of film and the relationship between the two.
• The role of macro features of film (narrative, genre and representation) in constructing meanings.

These will be studied in the context of two national cinemas – those of the UK and the USA. Critical understanding will be fostered through:
• The interrelationship between producers and audiences, with a
particular focus on aspects of the film industry as a business and
audience behaviour as a consumer of that business.
• Narrative and genre characteristics of UK and US films
• Personal response to films, mediated by the study of films and their contexts.

Assessment
Candidates will take an examination of two and a half hours, answering three questions.

Films studied include:
Rebel Without a Cause (Nicolas Ray, 1955), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (John Hughes, 1986), This is England (Shane Meadows, 2006), Zulu (Cy Endfield, 1964), Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994).

Teaching styles
Interactive lectures with film clips and analysis. Group work discussing aspects of films such as the use of editing. Small group presentations. Media suite workshops for editing and practical work – the edit suite is specifically designed and equipped with up to date software packages.

Key features
Technical support from experienced filmmakers, a designated room specifically for Film Studies, and the teacher is an award winning filmmaker and an experienced examiner for the subject. Trips to London, IMAX, Best value added scores in the country from 2005 to date.

Subject combinations
Compliments visual art based courses - Media Studies, History, Photography, English Literature.

Progression
Useful for progression into degrees in film production or theory. An A Level in Film Studies can lead onto either a practical media or filmmaking degree or degrees in theory and criticism.

Resources and facilities
Large screen projector, editing suite, DVD players, well-resourced LRC with relevant DVDs and books.

Provisional entry requirements
A minimum of five GCSEs at grade A*- C or 4 - 9, or the equivalent, including English Language.

Year Two

Course outline
A focus on world cinema. The topic for term one is Japanese cinema from the 1950’s to the 1970’s – focusing specifically on how Post World War 2 Japan is represented and explored in film. In term two students will look at documentary film and the techniques used to portray the ‘real’. The coursework module gives students the opportunity to create their own short film, or a screenplay. Students will also complete a 1800 word research project on a film and topic of their choice.
The course enables students to open their minds to new filmic experiences and develop their analytical and creative skills.

Films studied include:
Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa, 1950), Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1954), Touching the Void (Kevin MacDonald, 2003), Capturing the Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki, 2003) Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999).