Film Studies

What is a GCSE in Film Studies?

This GCSE in Film Studies will teach you how to analyse and write about film academically, developing your understanding of how stories, ideas and power operate in a visual age.

Course Details

Qualification	Exam Board	Specification
GCSE	WJEC Eduqas	C670QS

Subject Leader

Mr C. Brown
Subject Leader for Film Studies

Course Overview

In the video below, Mr Brown, Subject Leader for Film Studies, explains the different topics you will study on the Film Studies course:

Course Aims

The average person watches around 4,000 films in their lifetime. Film is one of the most powerful storytelling mediums of the 20th and 21st centuries, shaping the way we see the world.

You will explore how film influences the way people think and feel, while studying a wide range of films from different countries and time periods. These films explore important social issues and universal truths about human experience. Together, we will move beyond the idea that film is something we put on in the background while working or browsing our phone, and instead bring it to life in the classroom as a meaningful and carefully crafted art form.

You will learn to identify and analyse camera angles, camera movement, lighting and editing techniques, and will even have the opportunity to write your own film screenplay.

Assessment

All learners will complete THREE COMPULSORY components to obtain their GCSE: TWO exam papers and ONE coursework component:

Component 1: Key Developments in US Film (35% of GCSE, Exam)

In this component you will learn how Hollywood has shaped the film world and human thinking. There will be a:

Comparative Study: You will watch and study two Hollywood vampire horror films: Dracula (1931) and The Lost Boys (1987), and compare how the vampire horror genre, American society, and filmmaking techniques have changed over time in each.
US Independent Film: You will watch Whiplash, which explores the brutal pressures of the music industry, and study what film critics have written about it.

Component 2: Global Film: Narrative, Representation and Film Style (35% of GCSE, Exam)

In this component you will study films from across the world. You will study a:
Global English language film: You will watch and analyse Jojo Rabbit, which explores the indoctrination of children in Nazi Germany.
Global Non-English Language film: You will watch and analyse The Wave, in which a teacher’s social experiment goes wrong and transforms his class into dictators.
Contemporary UK Film: You will watch and analyse the James Bond film Skyfall, in which James Bond faces the cyber terrorist Silva.

Component 3: Production (30% of GCSE, coursework)

For your coursework, you will learn how film screenplays (a film’s script and shooting script) are structured and written, and you will write a screenplay of your own.

Careers in and Uses of Film Studies

Studying film develops valuable analytical and creative skills. Knowledge of camera techniques supports careers in film and television production, including camera work, lighting, directing and media production. Analytical writing prepares students for journalism, reviewing and criticism. Exploring structure and genre also strongly supports your GCSE English Language and Literature.

Got A Question?

If you have a question about Film Studies you can use the form below to contact Mr Brown, Subject Leader for Film Studies.