FILM STUDIES A LEVEL

‘I like a film to have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.’

Jean-Luc Godard

‘Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out’

Martin Scorsese

‘The camera lies 24 times a second’

Brian De Palma

Ashbourne’s Media and Film Department

Ashbourne’s film and media department is headed by Dennis Fulcher, who has many strings to his bow. A lifetime film enthusiast, Dennis can never settle on what his favourite film of all time is, claiming he doesn’t like lists. Dennis inaugurated the teaching of film at Ashbourne, passionately arguing that the study of film deserves equal status to the study of literature. His ability to get students to produce film shorts of high quality testify to his command of the editing process as well as his determination to drive students to learn for themselves cinematic processes through their efforts.

Examination Board

Ashbourne follows the WJEC specification for film studies because it offers a balance between the study of mainstream British and American cinema, and European and World Cinema. It also affords students the opportunity to make their own films and study film sequences and directors of their own choice as part of the coursework components. The specification has been approved for teaching by the QCA from September 2008.

Course Content.

FM1: EXPLORING FILM FORM

This unit focuses on the micro features of film and the construction of meaning and emotion. Understanding will be fostered through:

• studying micro features of film: mise-en-scène, performance, cinematography, editing and sound

• identifying how these construct meanings and contribute to the sensory impact of film

• reflecting on individual response to micro features of film as a means of exploring the relationship between film and spectator

• creating a sequence to demonstrate how micro features produce meanings and responses.

(a) An analysis of a film extract - 1500 words (30 marks) Candidates are required to explore how one or more of mise-en-scène, performance, cinematography, editing, and sound construct meaning and provoke response in a film extract.

(b) Creative Project: aims & context, film sequence or short film and reflective analysis (50 marks)

(i) Aims and context A clarification of the aims and context of the sequence or short film to be completed on the appropriate cover sheet.

(ii) Film Sequence or Short Film

The film sequence may either be an extract from longer film or a complete short film, with the emphasis on visual communication rather than on dialogue. It may take one of the following forms:

• an extended step outline of 1000 words (representing 5-8 scenes)

• a photographed (digital or photo-chemical) storyboard of between 10 and 25 different shots (some of which may be repeated) plus up to 5 found shots (shots which would be difficult to photograph or where locations need to be established). The 5 found shots must be acknowledged.

• a film sequence or short film of approximately 2 minutes and containing between 10 and 25 different shots (some of which may be repeated).

(iii) Reflective analysis approximately 750 words or equivalent (10 marks) The reflective analysis should select key micro features of the sequence and demonstrate how they make meaning(s) and aim to provoke response(s) in audiences. Candidates working in a group should focus on the construction and impact of their chosen micro aspect. The analysis can be presented:

• as a continuous piece of writing, with or without illustrative material

• in a digital form such as a suitably edited blog or another web- based format or as a focused DVD commentary.

FM2: BRITISH AND AMERICAN FILM

This unit focuses on two key aspects of Film Studies:

• producers and audiences and the relationship between them

• the role of macro features of film (narrative and genre) in constructing meanings. These will be studied in the context of two national cinemas – those of the UK and the USA. Critical understanding will be fostered through: • the interrelationship between producers and audiences, with a particular focus on aspects of the film industry and audience behaviour • narrative and genre characteristics of UK and US films • personal response to films, mediated by the study of films and their contexts.

Section A: Producers and Audiences

For section A of this unit, candidates will study the UK and US film industry, the audiences for films produced by these industries and their interrelationship.

(a) The Film Industry

• the American film industry - specifically contemporary Hollywood, including its impact on UK audiences;

• the British film industry - specifically the contemporary industry, including issues of independence, distinctiveness and profitability. Aspects of finance, organisation, production, distribution (including marketing) and exhibition will be studied, particularly through case studies.

(b) The Film Audience

• film demand and supply, specifically in the UK today

• the consumption of film, including cinema-going and the importance of home cinema and the internet, together with the significance of digital technologies in delivering different kinds of film experience. A study of the importance of genre and stars, both for producers and for audiences will provide a useful bridge between this section and sections B and C.

(c) The Interrelationship between Producers and Audiences: case studies

It is recommended that case studies are used as the basis for study in this unit. Case studies should be selected to explore the interrelationship between producers and audiences – sometimes appearing to be supply-led, sometimes demand-led. The significance of the convergence of different media (mobile phone, internet, games console, etc.) in changing the nature of the producer – audience relationship could also be explored. Contemporary case studies may cover the following areas:

• Hollywood film producers and the institutional frameworks within which they operate (for example as part of large conglomerate business corporations).

• UK film producers and the institutional frameworks within which they operate (for example in relation to support from the UK Film Council and through co-production deals).

• the importance of genre and stars for US/UK producers and for audiences

• film marketing (including specific marketing materials such as posters, dvd covers and 'official' internet sites)

• film reviews – both those produced by critics for circulation in other media and those produced by fans

• film exhibition, including multiplexes and independent cinemas, as well as other types of venue, and online exhibition, including consideration of different kinds of film viewing experience

• the availability of independent low budget films, and foreign language films in the UK, including Bollywood films

• the social practice of participation in contemporary 'film culture' which includes cinema-going, online viewing, and home cinema – as well as ways in which the film experience is amplified through media convergence.

• star images – both those put into circulation by the industry and by fans.

Section B: British Film Topics

(a) British Film and Genre

Genres for examination up to and including Winter 2012 are:

Horror

Comedy

(b) British Film and Stars

Julie Christie

Ewan McGregor

(c) British Film and Production Companies

Ealing Studios

Working Title

(d) British Film and Culture

Swinging Britain: 1963 – 1973

Thatcher's Britain: the 1980s

(e) British Film: Social-Political Study

Prescribed study for examination up to and including Winter 2012: 'Living with Crime' This study allows for an exploration of films in which characters are caught up in crime or are living within a culture of crime. While allowing for a study of UK crime films from a genre perspective, the principal focus should be on social and political issues raised by the films. In some cases the narrative may concern characters being drawn in to crime or trapped in a crime culture or trying to resist crime. Films may include Sweet Sixteen, Bullet Boy and London to Brighton. Alternatively, older films such as Performance and Get Carter may be studied. Questions that may be raised include ones relating to gender, race and class. The candidate must show a detailed knowledge of a minimum of two films.

(f) British Film: Identity Study:

Prescribed study for examination up to and including Winter 2012: 'Borders and Belonging'. This topic is concerned with basic questions of identity and belonging in relation to a place which is called the United Kingdom but in which "British" is an increasingly contested term. The focus may be on films in which the narrative deals with the experience of migrants and asylum seekers – or in which characters question their attachment to or alienation from the idea of being "British". Films could focus on migrant and minority experiences in for example Last Resort, Dirty Pretty Things, Yasmin, Ghosts and Gypo. Alternatively the focus could be on national and regional identity which sets itself in opposition to a 'united kingdom' – such as Trainspotting, A Way of Life or In the Name of the Father.

Section C: US Film – Comparative Study

Two films must be chosen from a specific genre or dealing with a specific theme. Since this is a comparative study, the two films selected should enable sufficient comparison and contrast to be made. One way of ensuring this is to select films made at different historical moments.

The following are indicative if a historical approach is adopted:

Double Indemnity and The Last Seduction

42nd Street and Chicago

My Darling Clementine and Unforgiven.

It is also possible to study remakes such as:

The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978)

King Kong (1933 and 2005)

A thematic approach is also possible. For example, two films dealing with personal identity: Imitation of Life and Boys Don't Cry.

FM3: FILM RESEARCH AND CREATIVE PROJECTS

This unit contributes to synoptic assessment and focuses on two projects related to the production of meaning: one is research-based and the other is creative. Understanding will be fostered through:

• completing a small-scale research project designed to develop research skills within the framework of one or more critical approaches used in film studies

• developing creative skills and a deepened understanding of the medium chosen for the creative project.

Content

(a) Small-Scale Research Project

Candidates will be required to carry out a small-scale research project. The project is designed to develop research skills. It will be based on one focus film, making appropriate reference to at least two other related films. Candidates will establish an area of investigation that relates the chosen focus film to one of the following frameworks:

• star/performer

• genre

• auteur (in its broadest sense)

• social, political and cultural studies

• gender issues

• ethnicity • institution

• technology

Candidates may not choose as a focus film any film they have specialised in elsewhere in the specification.

The research project is completed in two parts: • an annotated catalogue (approximately 10-15 items) and • a presentation script (approximately 1500 words)

(b) Creative Project

The creative project should demonstrate candidates' active engagement with issues raised during their studies at AS and/or A2. It comprises three elements:

• aims and context

• a creative product (short film or film extract, screenplay or extended step outline for a documentary film) and

• a reflective analysis

a) a small-scale research project comprising:

(i) an annotated catalogue of key items of the candidate's research - approximately 1000 words in total (15 marks)

(ii) a presentation script - approximately 1500 words (25 marks)

(b) a creative project comprising:

(i) aims and context A clarification of the aims and context of the product to be completed on the appropriate cover sheet.

(ii) creative product (45 marks)

The creative product may be one of the following:

• a film extract or a complete short film (3-5 minutes in length).Group work is permitted for this option (maximum 4) but members of the group must be responsible for a clearly defined role on which they are assessed.

• a screenplay (approximately 1800 words) for a section of a feature-length film or a complete screenplay (approximately 1800 words) for a short film. The standard conventions of screenplay writing should be observed.

• an extended step outline for a documentary (approximately 1800 words) for a 30 minute documentary arising from the area investigated for the small-scale research project. The documentary could be envisaged for broadcast on an appropriate television channel or as an additional feature for a DVD.

(iii) reflective analysis - approximately 1000 words or equivalent (15 marks, including aims and context) The reflective analysis should select key features of the creative product and reflect critically on both the creative process and the product. Candidates working in a group should focus on the construction and impact of their role.

The analysis can be presented:

• as a continuous piece of writing, with or without illustrative material

• in a digital form such as a suitably edited blog or another web- based format or

• as a focused DVD commentary.

FM4: VARIETIES OF FILM EXPERIENCE – ISSUES AND DEBATES

This unit contributes to synoptic assessment. Understanding will be fostered through:

• studying complex films from different contexts, extending knowledge of the diversity of film and its effects

• exploring spectatorship issues in relation to a particular type of film

• applying key concepts and critical approaches gained throughout the course to explore one film in a synoptic manner.

Section A: World Cinema

This section requires a specific engagement with a World Cinema topic, including contextual knowledge. There are prescribed topics but no prescribed films and questions will be broadly-based. The following options are available for first examination in Summer 2010 and last examination in Winter 2013.

(a) Aspects of a National Cinema

• Bollywood, 1990 – present

• Iranian Cinema, 1990 – present • Japanese Cinema, 1950 – 1970

• Mexican Cinema, 1990 – present.

(b) International Film Styles

Topics for examination up to and including Winter 2013 are:

• German and/or Soviet Cinema of the 1920s

• Surrealism

• Neo-Realism

• New Waves.

(c) Specialist Study 1: Urban Stories - Power, Poverty and Conflict

This specialist study topic is for examination up to and including Winter 2013.

Metropolis and Bicycle Thieves or largely contemporary examples such as Chungking Express, La Haine, Amores Perros, City of God and Tsotsi.

(d) Specialist Study 2: Empowering Women

This specialist study topic is for examination up to and including Winter 2013.

The study of examples of films from World Cinema that engage with the empowering of women may be eclectic in its geographical range including, for example, Qui Ju, Real Women Have Curves, Five in the Afternoon, Moolaadé and Volver. Alternatively, the focus may be on a particular continental cinema, such as that of Africa or South America. The challenge of this topic is to compare and contrast films which may come from very different social and cultural contexts.

Section B: Spectatorship Topics

The emphasis in all four options for Section B is on the study of the interaction of aspects of film form and the spectator. It offers continuity from work in FM1.

(a) Spectatorship and Early Cinema before 1917

The study of the development of film language and spectatorship in the years between 1895 and the first full length feature films – including consideration of how and why film form and spectatorship developed as they did. The focus may be on a number of very short films from the period 1895 – 1905 or on two feature-length films made between 1913 – 1917, or on a mixture of short films and one later full length film.

(b) Spectatorship and Documentary

The study of the impact on the spectator of different kinds of documentary – for example, the overtly persuasive and the apparently observational film. Examples may be taken from both historical (such as 30s and 40s British Documentary or 60s Cinéma Verité) and contemporary examples, including work on video. A minimum of two feature-length documentaries should be studied for this topic.

(c) Spectatorship: Experimental and Expanded Film/Video

The study of radical 'alternatives' to mainstream film form and representation, challenging our sense of how we see and consequently how we respond to audio-visual material. Examples may be taken from both the historical and the contemporary. Where possible candidates should visit galleries and other venues where work is installed in relation to specific physical spaces. The focus may be on a number of works seen in locations, on a number of short films, on two feature length films or on a mixture

(d) Spectatorship: Popular Film and Emotional Response

This study is concerned with the ways in which popular film (whether deriving from Hollywood or elsewhere) produces powerful sensory and emotional responses in the spectator. It is possible to focus on a particular genre – such as horror and consider shock effects – or the melodrama as 'weepie'. Alternatively, the focus may be on spectacle, whether relating to the body of the star or to the staging/choreography of action. This topic is not concerned specifically with either issues of representation or value judgements but rather with developing understanding about how films create the emotional responses they do. It is expected that a minimum of two feature-length films will be studied for this topic.

Section C: Single Film - Critical Study

The ability of candidates to engage in critical study of a single film is examined in this section. The synoptic dimension is clear – as there is the expectation that the candidate's cumulative learning will be brought to bear in this study. Critical approaches that may be applied include those arising from the frameworks for the FM3 research project while contextual study will consolidate work completed for FM2 and FM4 Sections A and B. The role of macro and micro elements of film in the construction of meaning and the creation of emotion informs the specification as a whole. Each of the films available for study has given rise to much debate in its critical reception and each lends itself to study within one or more of the critical frameworks listed for FM3. A consideration of some of these debates and the application of critical frameworks will provide the basis for the candidate's own engagement with the film.

Modern Times (Chaplin, US, 1936)

Les Enfants du Paradis (Carné, France, 1945)

Vertigo (Hitchcock, US, 1958)

The Battle of Algiers (Pontecorvo, Algeria/Italy, 1966)

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (Van Peebles, US, 1971)

Solaris (Tarkovsky, USSR, 1972)

Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai, Hong Kong, 1997)

Fight Club (Fincher, US, 1999)

Talk to Her (Almodovar, Spain, 2002)

Morvern Callar (Ramsay, UK, 2002)

Possible University Degree Programmes Suited to A-level Film Studies

There are a wide variety of courses suitable for A level students of film, and thereafter a huge number of potential careers both within the industry and beyond. It should be remembered that the film industry is enormous and employs huge numbers of people. A simple glance at the film credits of even any small production will list literally hundred of people from costume designers, special effects wizards, sound engineers, cinematographers and script writers. The list may seem endless. On the other hand there are also large numbers of film journalists and critics. Opportunities for employment are therefore good, but the industry is competitive and demand will always exceed supply because of the assumed glamour of working in the industry.