Students further their understanding of how films are products of their time and place. Students will explore the evolution of film across time, space and culture. They will study examples of films that follow the same narrative and compare their differences based on culture and place in history, such as ‘Do The Right Thing’ and the history of black filmmakers.

Students will develop an understanding of mass communication and particular theories that underpin the interrelationship between audiences, organisations and media texts. Students will then develop a historical understanding of the Cold War through the analysis of Dr. Strangelove. Students will begin this topic by exploring key events and developing a historical understanding of life during The Cold War. With Dr. Strangelove as the main text we explore in this unit, students will engage with Stanley Kubrick and become aware of his auteur style. This will help students build towards their final summative assessment, which will involve a textual analysis of a select scene from the primary text.

Students will develop an understanding of why cinematic television has become such a major player in the entertainment landscape. This unit aims to explore the explosion of streaming services and the resulting big budget television series that are available on demand. It will also examine representations within these narratives, comparing them to their feature length counterparts and also take into consideration the impact nostalgia can play in storytelling. During this unit of work students will also undertake the production of their collaborative films.

Students will learn production skills and will then have time dedicated to the creation of their Film Portfolio.

Note: All internally and externally assessed work is submitted during Term 4, meaning that the Film course is finished before the IB exams start for other subjects.