Film Studies

Why Choose this course?

This course is ideal for students with a love of both film and literature. Study across Years 12 and 13 will give students the tools to read film, focusing on the choices made by directors across a range of both historical and contemporary cinema. This course is also for those with an active interest in film production, as the non-exam assessment offers the opportunity to create a short film or screenplay of their own design.

Prospects

This WJEC Eduqas specification provides a suitable progression to a range of higher education degree and vocational level courses or to employment. It is particularly appropriate for those who wish to continue with employment or degree courses in Film, Media and English Literature, as well as links with journalism. For those who do not wish to progress further with Film Studies, this specification also provides a coherent, engaging and culturally valuable course of study.

Course Content

Students will follow the WJEC/Eduqas GCE A Level specification.
The WJEC Eduqas specification is designed to introduce A level learners to a wide variety of films in order to broaden their knowledge and understanding of film and the range of responses films can generate. This specification therefore offers opportunities to study mainstream American films from the past and the present as well as a range of recent and contemporary British films, American independent films and global films, both non-English language and English language. The historical range of film represented in those films is extended by the study of silent film and significant film movements so that learners can gain a sense of the development of film from its early years to its still emerging digital future. Studies in documentary, experimental and short films add to the breadth of the learning experience.

Production work is a crucial part of this specification and is integral to learners' study of film. Studying a diverse range of films from several different contexts is designed to give learners the opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding of how films are constructed to their own filmmaking and screenwriting. This is intended to enable learners to create high quality film and screenplay work as well as provide an informed filmmaker's perspective on their own study of film.

Aims of the course
On this course you should develop your interest in and enjoyment of literature and literary studies as you:

a diverse range of film, including documentary, film from the silent era, experimental film and short film
the significance of film and film practice in national, global and historical contexts
film and its key contexts (including social, cultural, political, historical and technological contexts)
how films generate meanings and responses
film as an aesthetic medium
the different ways in which spectators respond to film.
apply critical approaches to film and
apply knowledge and understanding of film through either filmmaking or screenwriting.

Course Opportunities/ Activities

As students will study a total of eleven feature-length films, opportunities to attend screenings and special events will be taken advantage of if available. Course leaders will establish links with local/national cinema institutions to enable us to access these extra-curricular events.

Support and Challenge

Prospective students for Film Studies should be aware that the course is challenging in nature. Challenge will be evident in developing students' ability to read the components of what they see on screen, going beyond the plot line and considering elements such as cinematography, mise-en-scéne and the social, cultural and political contexts providing the backgrounds for these cinematic masterpieces. Support will always be available from teaching staff.

Student Comment

Film studies is my favourite A/Level. Not only do we study the greatest variety of films, but we're also taught the fundamentals of screen play writing and how to create a narrative to produce our own films for coursework. For University, film production is the first course on my list and this A/level has given me the opportunity to develop my skills, understanding and love for the industry.