AS / A2 Film Studies

WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?
Are you nuts about Inception? Were you an avid reader of Pulp Fiction? Did you get lost in The Matrix? If so, then you should enjoy this course, which is designed to deepen your understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of film.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?
Throughout this course you will study Cinema as a medium, as an art form and as a social and economic institution. You will also engage with a wide range of different kinds of films developing your skills of observation, critical analysis and personal reflection.
During the AS year you’ll concentrate on various basic aspects of film criticism and analysis and in A2 you will have the opportunity to concentrate in more detail on particular areas, such as film styles and movements while broadening the knowledge and skills acquired in the first year.

You will study films from Hollywood, Britain and the rest of the world, concentrating on the language and technologies used to create films; the institutions which produce and distribute films; and the audiences which consume films. Films studied in detail last year included: Halloween, A Hard Days Night, Natural Born Killers, Saw 3, Yu Tu Mama Tabien, and El Orfanato.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
40% coursework, 60% examination. The course is quite academic and has only a limited practical component, where you have the opportunity to make a short film in the second year of the course. As part of the AS qualification you will create a photographic storyboard which will contribute to your assessed coursework.

WHAT SKILLS AND SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED?
A Grade C or above in English Language GCSE is desirable, though not essential. Film Studies involves a good deal of essay writing, so a willingness to write essays is a must. Ideally Film Studies students will have a passion for film form and the cinematic experience.

WHAT CAN I DO NEXT?
The course allows progression to University courses in Film and Media, and also develops a range of transferable critical, analytical and research skills which you will be able to use effectively in future employment.

PRIESTLEY EXTRA
To develop your appreciation of film, visits to the cinema will be organised. Visits in the past have included 3D screenings along with a screening at London’s BFI IMAX. Film students will also have the opportunity to take a trip to New York.