Embedded Files
Come and explore the power films have over the spectator and the impact cinema has had on the world. Film Studies A-Level is a fantastic course which combines the academic with the creative. Film students get the opportunity to learn about a wide range of films from the mainstream. Films from all eras are explored including the Golden Age of Hollywood and controversial international films such as Taxi Tehran. Alongside the analysis of films, students will have the opportunity to learn about screenwriting and produce their own short film.
Film Studies at a glance
In the first year of study we will cover...
Hollywood 1930 - 1990 (Vertigo / Bonnie and Clyde)
American Film since 2005 (Selma / Captain Fantastic)
British Film since 1995 (This is England / Trainspotting)
We will also start on your non-exam assessment (coursework) project, writing your own screenplay for a short film.
How do we approach these films?
They key areas we focus on when studying film are;
Film form - how the 'language' of film creates meaning for audiences - cinematography, mise-en-scéne, sound, editing and performance
Representation - how are representations of different social groups constructed?
Contexts - how film reflects the social, political, cultural and industry context in which it is made
Your summer task
To prepare for the course, you need to first have seen the films. We will watch them in class, but they will often be paused for discussion and spread over multiple sessions. This isn't the way they were made to be enjoyed! So try to see as many of the case study films as possible before you start with us in September.
Next, let's get you started writing about film. Then write 250 words on the film that made the biggest impact on you. That could be the one you enjoyed the most, the one that had the biggest emotional impact or the one that was most visually striking. Alongside this, take 3 screengrabs from the film and annotate them. Start to think about how these shots have been put together - what creative decisions have been made and why?
Google Classroom
The code for our Google Classroom is lw7mfnx
There will be plenty more activities and materials there to get you ready for Film Studies!
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