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A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO THE AS AND A LEVEL IN FILM STUDIES
What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course?
Film Studies is designed to deepen your understanding, appreciation and
enjoyment of film. You will study cinema as a medium, as an art form and
as a social and economic institution. You will engage with a wide variety of
films, developing skills of observation, critical analysis and personal
reflection. In order to study this course, it is usual to have a GCSE
qualification in English grade A*, A, B (or a C grade with your teacher’s
recommendation).
What will I learn on this A level course?
The course will enable you to develop your interest in and appreciation of
cinema through a study of:
 the ‘language’ of film and the process of ‘reading’ a film
 how films create meaning and produce both intellectual and
emotional responses
 the film industry as producers and audiences as consumers
 the messages, values and representations made in film, particularly
in British and American cinema
 world cinema and its cultural diversity
 significant directors, producers and their films
What kind of student is this course suitable for?
This course will appeal to students who:
 have an interest in watching and discussing a wide variety of films,
past and present and from different cultures and countries
 enjoy expressing their opinions and justifying their comments on films
 enjoy studying a subject which is relevant to their own lives and
experiences and culturally important
The course will enable you to:
 watch and analyse a wide range of films from different genres,
countries and times
 examine how narratives are constructed in film
 learn to understand and use the language of film such as ‘mise-en
scene’, ‘cinematography’ and ‘editing’
 understand what it means to be a ‘spectator’ or audience and
examine film consumption
 create film sequences, write screenplays, storyboards and film
reviews
 examine aspects of the film industry as a business including aspects
of finance, production and distribution
 analyse the messages and values communicated in films
 undertake research tasks based on a specific director, actor, auteur
or genre
 analyse and discuss examples of world cinema such as Japanese
Cinema or Hong Kong Cinema
 develop an understanding of film forms, history and culture
 undertake specialist studies in aspects of cinema such as
experimental film making, censorship, interpretation and gender.
AS Film Studies
Unit 1: Exploring Film Form
40% of AS
Coursework
This unit explores how films create meaning and emotion in audiences.
You will examine the ‘micro’ aspects of film-making such as mise en scène,
performance, cinematography, editing and sound; you will explore what it
means to be a spectator of film and what film means in our and other
cultures. You will also explore aspects of film production.
You will produce two pieces of coursework for this unit. In one piece, you
will write an analysis of a short film sequence which explores how an
aspect of film-making (such as editing, sound or performance) creates
meaning and provokes a response.
The second piece is a creative project (such as a photographed
storyboard) and a reflective analysis of your own work.
Unit 2: British and American Film
2 ½ hour exam
60% of AS
This unit focuses on three key aspects of Film Studies:
 producers and audiences and the relationship between them
 the role of narrative and genre in film and how they make meaning
 the messages and values suggested in films
At least four films will be studied in detail. This may include a detailed
investigation of a genre such as horror or comedy or exploration of the
work of a particular actor, studio or cultural period. Two American films
from a particular genre will also be studied and compared.
Section A: Producers and Audiences
You will explore how both the British and American film industries work,
including aspects of finance, organisation, production and distribution. This
unit emphasises the interaction of its twin areas of study: the film industry
(as producer/supplier of films) and audiences (as purchasers/consumers of
films). In the exam you will answer a question in which you draw on the
work you have done during the year and respond to source materials
provided in the exam.
Section B: British Film Topics
For this section, you will study at least two films with a focus on how macro
elements of film, particularly narrative, construct meanings and raise
issues. Your work will focus on a particular area of British film – we
currently study British film comedy. In the exam you will write an essay
exploring how meaning is made in the films you have studied.
Section C: US Film – Comparative Study
You will study two American films for this section which are chosen from a
particular genre or which deal with a specific theme. We currently study
American Science Fiction films. In the exam you will be asked to write an
essay in which you compare and contrast aspects of the films. This might
be a comparison of the ways two films present ideas about identity, for
example, or the presentation of a genre in two films made at different
periods.
Advanced Level – A2
Unit 3: Film Research and Creative Projects
50% of A2
Coursework
This unit focuses on two projects related to the production of meaning: one
is research-based and the other is creative. You will complete a smallscale research project designed to develop your research and creative
skills as well as deepening your understanding of film as a medium.
Small-Scale Research Project
You will conduct a research project based on an area of interest to you.
Past projects have included a study of the work of Shane Meadows, an
exploration of the work of the costume designer in period drama, an
examination of George Romero’s zombie films and an investigation into the
role of the gang leader in the films of Martin Scorcese.
Creative Project
The creative project should demonstrate how you have developed as a
student of film over the course. You will produce a creative piece of work
such as a screenplay, short film or outline for a documentary; your planning
and reflective analysis of your creative piece is also assessed.
Unit 4: Varieties of Film Experience – Issues and Debates 50% of A2
2 ¾ hour exam
In this unit, you will study complex films from different contexts, extending
your knowledge of the diversity of film and its effects. You will explore
spectatorship issues in relation to a particular type of film and apply key
concepts and critical approaches gained throughout the course. A different
film forms the focus for each section.
Section A: World Cinema
You will study films from a particular country – we currently study Japanese
cinema. You will study around four films in detail
Section B: Spectatorship Topics
In this part of the exam, you will write an essay on Spectatorship and
Documentary.
Section C: Single Film - Critical Study
In this section, you will write a detailed essay in which you analyse a
specific and challenging film. This section assesses all the different skills
you have developed in your two years of study. We currently study Pedro
Almodovar’s film ‘Talk to Her’.
The AS and A2 in Film Studies acknowledges that most students already
have a high degree of ‘visual literacy’ and develops this. The AS would
make a good ‘fourth’ subject for many students and also offer a sound
basis for progression to undergraduate studies in Film, Media and many
other technical and artistic areas. With its options in creative work, it opens
up the study of film aesthetics and film form, as well as broader political
and ethical issues through experiential learning. It requires students to
consider individual, moral, ethical, social, cultural and contemporary issues.
Film Studies is only offered by WJEC. The full specification and other
details are also available on the WJEC website at www.wjec.co.uk.
Contact
Ms S Gray
Head of Sixth Form
Hartismere School
Castleton Way
Eye
Suffolk
IP23 7BL
Telephone 01379 870315
Website www.hartismere.com
Email [email protected]