Coastal Academy Trust

GCSE Film Studies

Why choose Film Studies at GCSE?

Film Studies is an extremely enjoyable and worthwhile subject to study, but expect to be constantly challenged and excited by the course. Not only will it change the way you watch film, but more importantly it will challenge you to think in new ways and question or change your perspective on a whole host of issues, for example, representation of race or gender.

There is so much more to Film Studies than simply watching films. When watching a film, we might regard it as relaxation or escapism. However, the in-depth study of film involves coming from a very different starting point. As well as gaining an appreciation of film as an art form in terms of its visual storytelling, studying film can enhance your understanding of the world, for example by exploring competing values, attitudes and beliefs. Our course also incorporates a creative production element where you will be able to put what you have learnt into practice by making a short film or writing a screenplay. The development of deeper critical and creative thinking gained by studying film can enhance many different career paths and is a much sought after transferable skill in both employment and further study.

What will I study?

You will study the following areas:

  • US Film 1930-1960

  • US Film 1961-1990

  • US Independent film

  • Global Film

  • Contemporary UK Film

You will study the following concepts:

  • Film Technology

  • Narrative & Genre

  • Representation

  • Film Style

  • Film Criticism

How will I be assessed?

There are two exams at GCSE, each worth 35% of the qualification with the remaining 30% assessed by Production work. Each exam lasts 90 minutes and consists of three different sections:

Component 1: Key Developments in US Film

  • Section A: US Film Comparative Study

  • Section B: Key Developments in Film & Film Technology

  • Section C: US Independent Film

Component 2: Global Film – Narrative, Representation & Film Style

  • Section A: Global English language film

  • Section B: Global non-English language film

  • Section C: Contemporary UK film

Component 3: Practical production

There is a creative production element which allows you to showcase the screenwriting skills you have developed during

the course by producing a:

  • Film Extract Screenplay (with storyboard)

  • Evaluative Analysis

Studying Film

Studying film allows you to understand important issues and developments within history, society and culture as well as using film as the medium with which to gain a greater insight into these areas. From Hollywood Cinema to Contemporary UK Film, the films on our specification have great critical reputations. They are films of depth and substance which have been purposefully chosen to offer rich and interesting analysis. They represent different time periods and different moments in history showing alternative representations of culture and people.

What skills will I develop?

Studying Film enables you to see the world in a completely different light and develop a wide range of transferable skills for further education, work and life:

  • Creative Thinking

  • Critical Thinking

  • Emotional Intelligence

  • Film Analysis

  • Textual Analysis

  • Communication

  • Research skills

  • Literacy

  • Technical competencies (i.e. film editing)