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Debenham High School

Debenham High School

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FILM Studies

Exam Board: WJEC/EDUQAS

Course: GCSE Film Studies

Teacher of Film Studies:  Mr S. Trevorrow

 

VISION

Watching film is not just a passive activity but can spark lively debate and informative discussion. Film Studies students will appreciate film as an art form and engage in an empathetic understanding of society and culture. Information we receive about the world comes through film as a medium, it is at once a form of escapism but also a very insightful reflection of reality, a form of literacy which is hugely useful if we are to understand the world that we live in today and an engaging way to promote critical thinking. We consume a breadth and depth of Film texts on the course from the earliest attempts at filmmaking, through to modern masterpieces, as well as film from around the world. Film studies students should be able to understand the techniques used in films by deconstructing and analysing them, but also by being able to use them for themselves in film production.

INTRODUCTION

Film is an art form. Much like any painting, play, poem or novel a huge amount of craft goes into making films and they can be read to analyse deeper meanings. Just like any other art form film expresses ideas about the world that we live in making it a rich area of study and discussion.

PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Each subject programme of study will:

  • Provide a clear and coherent learning journey
  • Foster subject-based understanding of new knowledge, concepts and methods
  • Ensure students acquire knowledge and give opportunities for recall and application of this knowledge so that fluency is developed
  • Require students to think and reason for themselves
  • Explanations and resources enable students to engage with and master learning
  • Learning should develop a depth of understanding that brings richness to the subject but also a breadth of understanding that enriches wider life and learning
  • Develop a readiness for the next stage: be this the next lesson, the next unit of work, the next year or key stage; it prepares students for both academic, A Level, and future degree study, or vocational learning
  • Contain appropriate, regular and robust assessment methods for measuring student progress and to allow intervention where progress is not as expected.

In order to see an overview of the sequence and progression of learning please see their Programme of Study:

PDF icon  Film Studies Programme of Study

 

YEAR 10 AND 11 ONLY

Content: 

During the course we study a wide range of film clips and 6 core texts. We cover the development of film, the studio production system, film language skills for analysis and film making:

Hollywood blockbusters:

A comparative study of a pair of classic films from Hollywood's extensive blockbuster history

Independent American, international movies, foreign language films and UK cinema:

Films from outside the mainstream studio system from South Africa and England

Film making

Producing the opening 2 minutes or a key tension building sequence for a Horror film

 

A screen play option is available as an alternative


Assessment:

Non-examined unit; film making/screenplay            30%

2 examinations                                                         70%

Component 1: Key Developments in US Film     1hr 30

Range of questions - short answer to comparative essay


Component 2: Global Film: Narrative,
Representation and 
Film Style                              1hr 30

Range of questions - short answer to essay

 

There is one tier of entry:                                          1-9

What skills will Film Studies teach?

Analytical skills

you will learn to dissect and decode film texts, looking at them from a range of angles through discussion and writing, small answers and larger essay responses.

Technical skills

during the course you will learn practical video production and editing techniques, producing a video for at least 2 assignments on the course

Communication skills

a small percentage of your grade is based on your writing ability; you will be taught how to approach written and verbal answers

Pre-production skills

to complete your non-examined unit you will learn how to plan a production task

Comparative skills

to compare films and production from different eras in terms of context, characters and narrative

Research skills

you will prepare, conduct and analyse your own research                            

Evaluation skills

you will be taught how to evaluate the success of your own production work

Knowledge

you will become more aware of the world around you and learn about audience theories, large media institutions and the techniques of filming