Courses Offered

GCSE

Two year GCSE - Eduqas

The course is a two-year course that involves the study of six film texts.  All of these texts will be examined in two exams at the end of Year 2.

Component 1: Key Developments in US Film (35%)

Section A – US Comparative Study (two film study ranging from 1930-1990 comparing genre, narrative and contexts)
Films could include: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Dracula (1931), The Lost Boys (1987)

Section B – Key Developments in Film and Film Technology (one multi-part question on developments in film and film technology)

Section C – US Independent Film (one film which is studied alongside a piece of critical, specialist writing)
Films could include: Whiplash (2014), The Hurt Locker (2008), The Hate U Give (2018)

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

Section A – Global English Language Film (one film study exploring narrative)
Films could include: Slumdog Millionaire (2008), District 9 (2009), Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Section B – Global Non-English Language Film (one film study exploring representation)
Films could include: Spirited Away (2001), Tsotsi (2005), The Wave (2008)

Section C – Contemporary UK Film (one film study exploring aesthetics)
Films could include: Attack the Block (2011), Skyfall (2012), Rocks (2019)

Students will also start preparing for the coursework element this year.

Component 3: Coursework (30%) One production (genre-based film extract or screenplay with accompanying shooting script) and one evaluative analysis.

Progression after GCSE Film Studies

With the emphasis on essay writing, analytical thinking and personal response, Film Studies is an excellent subject to help students prepare for College or Sixth Form.  With skills similar to that of English, Film will also help hone particular skills that can be used across different subjects.

A Level

Two Year Linear A Level - Eduqas

The Syllabus

The course is a two-year course that involves the study of 11 film texts.  All of these texts will be examined in two exams at the end of Year 2.

Year 1

Students will study the following:

Component 1: Varieties of Film and Film Making (35%)

Section A – Classical Hollywood 1930-1990 (two-film comparative study which explores the contexts of the films and how they link to the Hollywood system)
Films could include: Bonnie and Clyde (1967), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Blade Runner (1982), Vertigo (1958), Casablanca (1947)

Section B – American Film since 2005 (two-film study which explores how independent and mainstream cinema is affected by spectatorship and ideological readings).
Films could include: La La Land (2016), Selma (2013), Inception (2010), Captain Fantastic (2015), Boyhood (2015), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Section C – British Film since 1995 (two-film study which explores the contexts of the films alongside the narrative and ideological messages conveyed).
Films could include: Trainspotting (1996), This is England (2006), Fish Tank (2009), Shaun of the Dead (2004), We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011)

Students will also start preparing for the coursework element this year.

Component 3: Coursework (30%) One production (short film or screenplay) and one evaluative analysis (1250-1500 words)

Year 2

Students will study the following:

Component 2 – Global Filmmaking Perspectives (35%)

Section A – Global Cinema (An exploration of European and Non-European film)
Films could include: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Life is Beautiful (1997), Victoria (2015), House of Flying Daggers (2004), City of God (2002)

Section B – Documentary Film (one film study exploring critical debates and filmmaker theory)
Films could include: Sisters in Law (2005), The Arbour (2010), Stories we Tell (2012) or 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)

Section C – Film Movements – Silent Cinema (one film study which explores silent film through critical debates)
Films could include: Buster Keaton Collection (1920-1922), Man with a Movie Camera (1928), Strike (1924) 

Section D – Experimental Film – 1960-2000 (one film study with a focus on narrative and auteurship)
Films could include: Daisies (1968), Pulp Fiction (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Timecode (2000)

We offer a range of extra-curricular trips and activities from occasional film trips to visiting film museums.   We also offer the opportunity for students to go to Los Angeles which happens every two years in the sixth form.

Progression after A Level

With the emphasis on essay writing, analytical thinking and personal response within more theoretical debates and frameworks, Film Studies is an excellent preparation for university academic work.  Many students have gone on to study Film alongside English Literature, History and Media Studies or simply as a degree in itself.

Some students have also gone on to develop their skills in the practical side of the subject by attending film school and getting involved in the film industry.

Contact

Head of Department: Mr Ballard – m.ballard@collingwood.surrey.sch.uk

Phone: 01276 457600