Film Studies

Course summary

Film A-level is ideal for students who want to explore how and why films are made. This course of study encourages learners to watch, engage critically with and explore a wide range of films; to develop and sustain confident, personal responses to films via textual analysis; and to enjoy a variety of critically acclaimed films across the major genres. These include films from different cultural perspectives, films from the Silent Era to the present day, and different forms of film, including documentaries, shorts and experimental. What you’ll study The course involves studying 12 very different films: from Hollywood classics such as Scorsese’s Raging Bull and Hitchcock’s Vertigo to modern classics including Whiplash, The Dark Knight Rises, Ex Machina, District 9, The Grandmaster and the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire. Students will also study the critically acclaimed silent film, The General, and three films from the French New Wave movement. Looking at film form, meaning and response, context, spectatorship, narrative, ideology, authorship, critical and theoretical debates, Film A-level will introduce you to a wide range of film-making processes so that you develop, through discussion, analysis and debate, a wide range of technical skills for both constructing and deconstructing film. OCR’s A-level in Film Studies has been designed to ignite a passion for film and encourage broader cultural and historical perspectives on this academic area of study. Where Film can take you A-level Film Studies students can go on to study Film, TV or Media at University. Students have the option to study a practical degree, theoretical degree or a combination of the two. This can lead to a very broad range of professions with many students able to develop skills that will enable them to apply for production roles within the Film, TV and Media industries. Some students opt for careers in Journalism and photojournalism. A good degree in a creative arts subject like Film Studies can also develop a wide range of transferable skills including analysis, visual communication, problem-solving, as well as communication, presentation and organizational skills. It is our strong desire that an A-level in film should inspire learners to continue learning beyond