A Level Film Studies

Film makers have arguably changed the way we look at the world. Directors as diverse as Stanley Kubrick, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg have entertained and inspired generations. At St Augustine’s we look at film from around the world, taking in over a hundred years of cinema, studying in depth how films are produced with students taking the subject having the chance to make their own short film. Past students have gone on to work at the BBC, spend time with Lucasfilm and have their work shown on the big screen at the Hayward in London.

Film Studies students study a wide variety of texts from Casablanca to La La Land. Students will look at the roots of silent cinema, explore classic Hollywood, German Expressionism, global cinema, the French and American New Wave, ending up with contemporary British and American films and documentaries. We study a range of directors from Edgar Wright and Richard Linklater to Zhang Yimou, Vera Chytilova and Asif Kapadia. Students will also make their own production demonstrating the influences of the texts they’ve studied and showcasing their creativity.

Studying Film at St Augustine’s will introduce you to new ways of seeing the world and give you a chance to use your creativity to write, film and edit. Film Studies is a gateway to many exciting careers in the arts and undergraduate course at universities such as Warwick, Southampton, Exeter and Leeds. For further detail about specific aspects of the curriculum, please follow the links below.

— Mr Mike Powell, Head of Film Studies

Component 1: Varieties of film and filmmaking

Written examination: 2½ hours

35% of qualification

This component assesses knowledge and understanding of six feature-length films.

Section A: Hollywood 1930-1990 (comparative study)

Section B: American film since 2005 (two-film study)

Section C: British film since 1995 (two-film study)

Component 2: Global filmmaking perspectives

Written examination: 2½ hours

35% of qualification

Section A: Global film (two-film study). One question from a choice of two, requiring reference to two global films: one European and one produced outside Europe.

Section B: Documentary film. One question from a choice of two, requiring reference to one documentary film.

Section C: Film movements – Silent cinema

Section D: Film movements – Experimental film (1960-2000)

Component 3: Production

Non-exam assessment

30% of qualification:

• Either a short film (4-5 minutes) or a screenplay for a short film (1600-1800 words) plus a digitally photographed storyboard of a key section from the screenplay

• An evaluative analysis (1600 - 1800 words)