“Although for some people cinema means something superficial and glamorous, it is something else. I think it is the mirror of the world.” 

Jeanne Moreau 

Film Studies is an engaging, exciting and modern subject. Both GCSE and A-Level courses are rigorous and highly academic, using the key skills of analysis, evaluation and creativity throughout. Students learn new skills and develop these through independent problem-solving and teamwork with thee skills being cross-curricular and applicable to many other subjects. As well as this, Film Studies also allows  students to understand and engage with the language of cinema. Through this, students will gain an insight into the fascinating process of making films and will also have the opportunity to experience time-travel in the classroom, using film as a way of seeing what life was like in urban France in the late 1800s and life in the suburbs of the USA in the 1950s and the 1980s. Students will also travel the world, exploring modern South Africa, ancient Japan and life in other parts of the UK. In doing so, students are able to experience the lives of others.

The Film Department at Brinsworth Academy is part of the larger English department, comprising fifteen subject specialists. The Film department offers film courses at GCSE and A-Level but also includes aspects of Film in many of the schemes throughout the English department to augment and support a modern and engaging curriculum for students. We are committed to sharing our passion for the subject, providing a stimulating, dynamic and academically rigorous experience of English for all our students.  We are constantly evaluating our texts and topics to ensure they are relevant to our students’ interests and represent a diverse range of cultures and viewpoints.

We are also delighted to offer Film Studies at GCSE and A-Level. Film is taught by a Film specialist with experience of the film industry, GCSE examination and who contributes to the educational offering of the British Film Institute. GCSE film is a 3-year course and includes a coursework element that allows students to create their own film. A-Level film is a 2-year course that also allows students to develop their own film. Both courses begin with introductions to film history and film language and then cover a wide variety of key films from across the world and through the history of film. Highlights include analysing the aesthetics of film, exploring how historical context influences film and examining how cultural changes have informed change in American and European film. Both courses are feature final examinations assessed by Eduqas/WJEC.

Lessons are planned to be engaging and challenging, encouraging students to become increasingly confident and reflective learners. A focus on improving skills and considering the representation of universal topics (such as human relationships) ensures clear progression between units. Students utilise peer and teacher feedback to develop personal targets which are routinely acted on in lessons to support achievement.

Year Group Texts and Topics covered: 

GCSE: 

YEAR 9

• Film History – “How Did We Get Here?”
• Mise-en-Scene – “How does mise-en- scene create meaning?”
• Cinematography – “How does cinematography create mood?”
• Editing – “How does editing work?!”
• Sound – “How does sound enhance our reaction?”
• Genre – “How does genre play with our expectation?”
• Film History – “How Did We Get Here?”
• Mise-en-Scene – “How does mise-en- scene create meaning?”
• Cinematography – “How does cinematography create mood?”
• Editing – “How does editing work?!”
• Sound – “How does sound enhance our reaction?”
• Genre – “How does genre play with our expectation?”

YEAR 10

• Film Style – “Why do films look different?”
• Representation – “How do films tell us about people”
• Narrative – “How do films tell us stories?
• Coursework – “How do I make a film?”

YEAR 11

• US Film – “How have American films changed?”
• Independent Film – “What is an Indie?”
• Coursework – “How does mise-en- scene create meaning?”
• Exam preparation

A-LEVEL:

YEAR 12

• How films have evolved
• Global film
• British film since 1995
• Documentary film
• The Short Film

YEAR 13

• Coursework: making a film
• Silent Cinema
• Hollywood 1930-1990
• Hollywood since 2005
• Experimental film