Full name of specification
WJEC Eduqas A Level Film Studies
Exam board specification link
https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/film-studies/as-a-level/
Why study this course?
The WJEC Eduqas specification is designed to introduce A level learners to a wide variety of films in order to broaden their knowledge and understanding of film and the range of responses films can generate. This specification therefore offers opportunities to study mainstream American films from the past and the present as well as a range of recent and contemporary British films, American independent films and global films, both non-English language and English language. The historical range of film represented in those films is extended by the study of silent film and significant film movements so that learners can gain a sense of the development of film from its early years to its still emerging digital future. Studies in documentary, experimental and short films add to the breadth of the learning experience.
Production work is a crucial part of this specification and is integral to learners’ study of film. Studying a diverse range of films from several different contexts is designed to give learners the opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding of how films are constructed to their own filmmaking and screenwriting. This is intended to enable learners to create high quality film and screenplay work as well as provide an informed filmmaker’s perspective on their own study of film.
What can you expect from this course?
The WJEC Eduqas A level in Film Studies aims to enable learners to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- A diverse range of film, including documentary, film from the silent era, experimental film and short film
- The significance of film and film practice in national, global and historical contexts
- Film and its key contexts (including social, cultural, political, historical and technological contexts)
- How films generate meanings and responses
- Film as an aesthetic medium · the different ways in which spectators respond to film.
It also aims to enable learners to:
- Apply critical approaches to film and
- Apply knowledge and understanding of film through either filmmaking or screenwriting.
How is it assessed?
70% Exam, (2 x 2 ½ Hour Papers) 30% Non-exam Assessment
What are the entry requirements?
Grade 5 or above in English Language and English Literature
What can I do after completing this qualification?
This WJEC Eduqas specification provides a suitable progression to a range of higher education degree and vocational level courses or to employment. For those who do not wish to progress further with Film Studies, this specification also provides a coherent, engaging and culturally valuable course of study.
What will I study? (include unit numbers and names)
Component 1: Varieties of film and film making (Hollywood 1930-1990, American film since 2005, British film since 1995)
Component 2: Global Film Making
(Global film, Documentary film, Film movements – Silent Cinema, Film movements – Experimental Film)
Wider Reading list
An Introduction to Film Studies, Jill Nelmes
The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex,
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson,
Film Art: An Introduction (New York: McGraw-Hill, any edition)
Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, ed.,
The Oxford History of World Cinema (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1996)
Then:
Pam Cook, ed., The Cinema Book, 3rd ed. (London: British Film Institute, 2007)
OR
Jill Nelmes, ed., Introduction to Film Studies, 5th ed. (London and New York: Taylor and Francis, 2011)
Useful links or Apps
Websites
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film
https://www.bfi.org.uk
https://www.bbfc.co.uk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/
https://www.film4.com/
https://www.totalfilm.com
https://www.empireonline.com
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment_and_arts/
https://www.filmsite.org/
https://www.screenonline.org.uk
YouTube Channels
Film Riot: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6P24bhhCmMPOcujA9PKPTA
No Film School: https://nofilmschool.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool
Folding Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNtlmLB73-7gtlBz00XOQQ
You may also enjoy studying
English Literature, Creative Writing
Teachers
Laila Courtney