Hello and welcome, my name is Carl Percival and I have been teaching A Level Film and A Level Media Studies here at Hartlepool Sixth Form for 15 years.  Please take the time to have a look around this A-Level Film Studies this site has been developed and will continue to be developed for the Film Studies A-Level Course. I have added a Yr 11 'Get Ahead' page that has been designed with the Year 11 school leavers in mind. Here you will find some information on the course, key theories and various tasks to complete so that you are ahead when we start in September.

You have a great opportunity to prepare for the course and to ensure that you are ahead and should hit the ground running in September. Hopefully you will have plenty to talk about and discuss when the course starts and by spending a bit of time reading and watching the videos and films I have suggested on this site we could have some lively and engaging classes.

You can see the topics listed on the pages section of this site and you should be able to see that there is quite a range of different topics, genres and films throughout the course. The films are not set in stone, I frequently change films if students are super keen to study alternative films from the specification. I have also included a few short films from the Eduqas list that students study in preparation fro the coursework (short film/screenplay).

If you have any questions about the course/sixth form or need any help with any of the activities please feel free to contact me at carl.percival@hartlepoolsixth.ac.uk. 

• STUDENTS: We have a superb track record for supporting our students, whether you're confident and talkative or shy and quiet, we make sure that the way we teach helps you make progress.

• SUCCESS: Hartlepool Sixth Form A-Level Film Studies pass rate is 100% and over the years we average over 60% of our students securing high grades - Film is often one of the most successful subjects at the college and well above the subject’s national average.

• LINK TO INDUSTRY: The UK film and television industry has never been so strong due to the volume of streamed content and the demand for digital moving images is expected to continue to increase in the future. Career opportunities and investments in this area have surged over the last few years, so much so that a Los Angeles-based developer has signed a deal to build a "world-class" film studio complex in east London leading to the creation of thousands of jobs, providing education and training opportunities for young people. When completed, Eastbrook Studios is expected to create 1,200 jobs and the first productions are due to start filming by mid-2022. Add this to the BBC studios in Salford and Channel 4 hub in Leeds it has never been a better time to study film studies.

• FRESH SUBJECT: We are aware that this subject is new to most students. The majority of our new students haven't studied Film before. Some have taken Media Studies at school, but for many it's a subject they have an interest in but no prior academic engagement with. Regardless of your skills and knowledge, we make sure that you quickly develop the confidence to study Film at a very impressive level. 

• DIVERSE COURSE CONTENT: The course content is carefully balanced to ensure it engages all students. We strive for a 50:50 mixed cohort and ensure that the films we screen are diverse, covering a wide range of issues (explore this site to see the range of films we have studied recently). We challenge stereotypes, resist tired, outdated ideas, and encourage you to question the films we explore.

• COURSE COMBINATIONS: Film Studies combines well with English Literature and/or English Language, making the most of those subjects' shared approaches to taking texts apart and analysing them, developing skills as an analytical writer and producing imaginative work as a creative writer. Many students combine their studies with Media and/or Art subjects, developing technical skills, engaging in analysis of screen culture, increasing their ability to make and understand images. Students also study History, Psychology, Sociology, Politics, Philosophy... because films are about the world we live in and part of our exploration of them involves exploring their contexts and messages and their impact on us and society. 

• DEMANDING COURSE: It's not an easy option but it is accessible and exciting. Part of the excitement in studying films comes from the realisation that they are complex, layered cultural texts that can be interpreted in a wide range of ways and explored using an array of theoretical frameworks. Furthermore, alongside studying popular Hollywood Film, we look at edgy independent films, hard-hitting British films, Global films that challenge us to look at our world differently, experimental films, documentaries and short films.

• CREATIVITY: As well as writing about the films we all study on the course you can develop your analytical skills by deconstructing sequences from films, develop your own creative ideas through your screenwriting and filmmaking, and consolidate the ideas and theories explored in class by exploring moving image texts outside of class too. The course's 30% coursework component is an area that you can have real ownership of, producing creative practical work that will be distinct and individual to you.

• TRANSFERABLE SKILLS: You'll become a better writer, a highly proficient analytical thinker, a strong creative writer and a technically-gifted maker of films. As teachers we teach you the skills of screenwriting and filmmaking, supporting your learning and ensuring you grow in confidence and sophistication regardless of your starting point. All the technical skills you need are taught in class.