Film Studies

Course summary

Film studies is a truly fascinating academic course that allows you to study one of the most popular mediums in society today. The A Level course allows you to develop a deeper, critical understanding of cinema – from analysis of film texts through to producing your own film or writing your own screenplay. WHY SHOULD I STUDY FILM STUDIES? Have you ever watched a film and asked yourself “How did they do that?” Does film excite and motivate you? Do you enjoy making and writing your own films? Do you like to explore different types of film? Are you interested in finding out how film reflects the world in which we live? If you are interested in film and you want to know more about how a film is constructed, explore the history and development of film, find out about film movements and styles and if you want to develop film production and screenwriting skills, then this is the course for you. COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT Film Studies is approached using a range of teaching and learning techniques with film screenings, seminars, discussions/debates, practical tasks, research tasks, presentations, lectures and field trips. The two-year course consists of 30% coursework and 70% exam modules: For the coursework you will make your own short film or write a professional screenplay for a short film. In preparation for the exam you will produce detailed essays analyzing how meaning is made in film and how spectator response is generated. You will be introduced to the codes and conventions of cinema so that you can read a film in specific detail; observe reasons behind camerawork, editing, sound, performance and mise-enscène. Topics covered include: • Film language: How films make meaning and generate response through the identification and analysis of film techniques. • History of cinema – An exploration of how cinema has developed into what it is today, achieved through studying silent cinema, golden age of Hollywood, independent cinema, the blockbuster era, digital cinema. • Film Movements – You will find out more about important film movements from across the globe that have influenced and shaped film, including Surrealism, Post-Modernism, French New Wave, Italian Neo-Realism and German Expressionism. • Styles / Types – You will appreciate and understand different styles and types of films from the mainstream, independent, documentary, short film and arthouse film. • Hollywood, British, and World cinema are all examined to appreciate and develop your awareness of film as a medium.