Film Studies
A-Level Film Studies is a challenging but accessible course that allows students to study film as an art form. In many ways the course is similar to English Literature but substitutes the study of written texts with visual texts. The course includes film that some students may already know and a great deal of films that they will not. Students learn how to analyse film but also how film contexts, whether they be social, political, historical, contribute to their understanding.
Awarding Body: Eduqas
Specification: 601/7467/5
Film Studies helps students develop core academic skills, such as research and essay-writing skills. Whilst the course includes viewing films, it also requires student to read around film and engage with a variety of film theorists and texts. It is also a great deal of fun and uses a medium that many students are already engaging with as a platform for developing their study skills.
This course prepares students very well for undergraduate study. Obvious progression routes would include Film Theory and Film Studies and universities such as King’s College London, University of Exeter and University of Warwick are excellent choices.
Requirements:
There are no formal entry requirements to study A-Level Film Studies. However, students would benefit from having a grade 5 or above in English Literature or Language. Students will benefit from having studied GCSE Film or Media Studies but this is not essential.
Course structure:
A-Level Film Studies is comprised of three components.
- Component 1: Varieties of Film and Filmmaking
- Component 2: Global Filmmaking Perspectives
- Component 3: Production
Component 1
includes the study of US and British cinema, including a mixture of mainstream and independent cinema. Students can choose from a range of films including Inception, La La Land, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Casablanca, Vertigo, Shaun of the Dead, This is England and Moon.
Component 2
includes the study of Global Cinema. Students can choose to focus on Life is Beautiful, Pan’s Labyrinth, City of God and Ida. This component also includes documentary films and film movements, including silent cinema and experimental cinema.
Component 3
involves the creation of a practical portfolio and this is assessed internally. Students can choose to produce either a screenplay or a short film.
Assessment:
Varieties of Film and Filmmaking and Global Filmmaking perspectives are both assessed through written examinations. Both exams are 2.5 hours long. One of the most unique aspects of this course is the practical Production component, which allows students to produce a short film or screenplay. This mixed approach to assessment ensures that candidates have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways.
Subject combinations:
Film Studies works very well with other humanities and essay-based subjects, such as Psychology, English, Drama & Theatre Studies, History, Art and Music. As a subject that contains a great deal of international cinema it can also compliment the study of languages very well. With a strong practical element, Film Studies works well with the Media Production course offered at OLA.
Preparing for A-Level Film Studies:
Many newspapers, such as The Guardian, include sections concerning Film and reading this can provide you with an appreciation of how to write about film and an understanding of film context. There are a number of introductory texts, such as An Introduction to Film by Nick Lacey which offer a concise and accessible introduction to the subject. Journals, such as Sight and Sound, also provide a good grounding for writing about film. Challenging yourself to watch films from other countries and reading more widely about the production context of film can also be very useful.