Film Studies

American and British Film: Looking in depth and detail at six feature films including Inception, La La Land, Winter’s Bone, Vertigo, Blade Runner and This is England we will use them to explore modern day Hollywood Film, Hollywood films made between the 1960s and 1990s, Classical Hollywood, American Independent Film and British Film. This unit will also act as our introduction to Film form, developing your grasp of how camera work, sound design, staging, editing and story structure are employed by filmmakers.

Varieties of Film: Here you explore everything from Silent Film (focussing on German Expressionism) to Digital Experimental Film (explored through Pulp Fiction and the films of Tarantino), the power and importance of Documentary filmmaking, European Film (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Global Film (City of God), concluding with detailed exploration of a compilation of short films. The films we analyse here are varied, challenging and exciting examples of what Film outside Hollywood can offer.

Production:  You produce either a short film or a screenplay for a short film, together with a digitally photographed storyboard of a key section from your film. This is your opportunity to develop your creative and technical skills, telling stories and making meanings through practical production or creative writing.

(Exam board: Eduqas) 

(Specification code: 603/1147/2)

Film Studies involves a blend of teacher-led introductions to key concepts, independent research/analysis, essay writing and practical production/creative writing activities. 30% of the course centres on coursework with written examinations making up the remaining marks. During the coursework, you will be given considerable scope to apply the key concepts to the areas of Film that interest you most.

Component 1: American and British Film

Written Examination – 2.5 hours (35% of qualification)

• Hollywood 1930-1990
• American Film Since 2005
• British Film Since 1995

Component 2: Varieties of Film

Written Examination – 2.5 hours (35% of qualification)

• Global Film
• Documentary Film
• Silent Film
• Experimental Film

Component 3: Production 

Non-Exam Assessment (Coursework 30% of qualification)

• • Screenwriting

• Filmmaking

You should have a grade 4 C in GCSE English.

In this subject, particular skills and aptitudes will be required, many of which will be demonstrated by students’ GCSE profiles.

Students will also need to meet the general College entry requirements. Entry requirements are subjects to change. 

Studying Film enhances skills in analysis, communication, and practical production, resulting in a range of transferable skills valued by universities and employers alike. It is a highly respected academic subject that provides a very strong foundation for degree level study in general and employers also appreciate the breadth of analytical, research, communication, organisational, technical and creative skills the subject gives you. The subject can lead you towards academic study of Film, Cultural Studies, journalism, screenwriting, Film production, the Television industry, advertising, photography, Games design, Web content production, teaching and many other progression routes. QE Film students have progressed to work on a range of exciting high-profile projects such as Peaky Blinders, Paddington, Gogglebox, I Daniel Blake, Fantastic Beasts and many more.

Film Studies offers a unique crossover of analysis, creativity, research and technical skills development. As a result it combines well with English Literature and English Language, sharing their emphasis on textual analysis, the written communication of ideas, appreciation of storytelling methods and creative writing. Media Studies combines well as it shares Film’s interest in exploring how representations of aspects of our lives are constructed and our interest in producing creative, practical moving image coursework. Film’s fascination with how images are made and make meanings aligns it with Art and Photography, while the exploration of the way Film shapes attitudes, values and responses brings it close to Psychology, Politics, History and Sociology. It is an extremely versatile subject.