A2 Film Studies course handbook 2015-16

1. FILM STUDIES A2
COURSE HANDBOOK 2015-2016

2. 2
WELCOME TO A2 FILM STUDIES
Teacher: Barrington Robinson
Barrington.Robinson@coulsdon.ac.uk
A2 Film Studies Office: Room 203
Classroom: 200
Course Blog: http://coulsdonalevelfilm.blogspot.co.uk/
SUMMARY OF ASSESMENT
FM3 - FILM RESEARCH AND CREATIVE PROJECTS (Coursework 50%)
Completing a small-scale research project designed to develop research skills within the
framework of one or more critical approaches used in Film Studies
Developing creative skills and a deepened understanding of the medium chosen for the
creative project: Screenplay, Documentary step outline or Short film.
FM4 VARIETIES OF FILM EXPERIENCE – ISSUES AND DEBATES (Exam 50%)
Section A: World Cinema - Specialist Study 1:Urban Stories – Power, Poverty and Conflict
LA HAINE, CITY OF GOD, RUST AND BONE, INTOUCHABLES
Section B: Spectatorship Topics – Spectatorship and Documentary
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, UNDEFEATED, COMPLETE HISTORY OF MY SEXUAL FAILURES
Section C: Single Film - Critical Study
FIGHT CLUB

3. 3
YEAR 2015/16 SCHEDULE
Week Date Topic Assessed Work Deadline
1 14/9/15 Intro to A2 Film/Small scale
research project
Outline of unit
Revisit La Haine
detailed analysis.
2 21/9/15 Structuring research
proposal
Preproduction – analysis of
short films and sequences
Screening: City of God
Creative Project
Coursework
proposal
LA HAINE
Detailed analysis
Monday 21st
Tuesday 22nd
September
3 28/9/15 Specialist Study 1: Urban
Stories – Power Poverty and
Conflict
City of God discussion.
Creative Project: Aims and
Context
Annotated draft
City Of God detailed
analysis.
Aims and Context
28th September
Thursday 1st
October
Mon 28th
September
4 5/10/15 Creative Project
Preproduction – analysis of
short films
storyboards/scripts
Short film research Tues 6th
October
7/10/15 BFI London Film Festival
2015 STARTS
Screening: BFI Film Festival
Suffragette 9/10/15
5 12/10/15 Specialist Study 1:
Urban Stories – Power
Poverty and Conflict
Mediterranea 16/10/15
Small scale research
proposals to WJEC
Detailed analysis on
BFI screened films
Genre/Narrative
and Production
Research proposal
due
Tuesday 20th
October
Mon 12th Oct
18/10/15 BFI London Film Festival
2014 ENDS
6 19/10/15
Re Visit Film Theory:
Propps/ Todorov/Male
Gaze/ Feminist theory.
Annotated
catalogue Hand in
Detailed analysis on
BFI screened films
Genre/Narrative
and Production
19th October
Tuesday 20th
October

4. 4
23/10/15 HALF TERM
7 2/11/15 Coursework: Presentation
script Draft
Mon 9th
November
8 9/11/15 Creative Project: Planning
Preproduction – Writing
screenplays and action plans
Screenplays
Storyboards
Mon 9th Dec
Mon 3rd Nov
9 16/11/15 Creative Project: Shooting
Camera craft:
Test shoots
Storyboard draft
I minute films Fri 27th Nov
Fri 20th Nov
10 23/11/15 Spectatorship and
Documentary
Screening: Standard
Operating Procedure
/ Undefeated
Objectivity and bias
11 30/11/15 Procedure analysis
Screening: Bowling for
Columbine
Michael Moore
research
12 7/12/15 Performative documentaries
Screening: The History of My
Sexual Failures
Presentation script
Performative
documentaries
research
Presentation script
final hand in. Mon 7th Dec
13 14/12/15 Analysis of contrasting
documentary styles and
audiences
Essay: Documentary
and Spectatorship
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
14 4/1/16 Creative Project:
Storyboard plan final Friday 8th Jan
15 11/1/16 Creative Project:
Preproduction – creating
and developing ideas
Presentation Script
Screenplays
Storyboards
Risk assessment
Production schedule
Presentation Script
final
Wed 7th Jan
Wed 21st Jan
16 18/1/16 Creative Project: Production
– Shooting at College and on
location
Shooting
17 25/1/16 Creative Project: Overview
of editing work
Editing
Editing
18 1/2/16
Revision Topics
Editing

5. 5
Creative Project: Overview
of editing work
Creative Project: Hand in.
Reflective Analysis
Completed Project Fri 5th Feb
19 8/2/16 Revision Topics Reflective Analysis
draft
Fri 12th Feb
9/2/16-
13/2/16
MOCK EXAMS
15/2/16 HALF TERM
20 22/2/16 Single Film Critical Study
Screening: Fight Club
Production history and
cultural context
Revision Topics
Research: Fight Club
21 29/2/16 Textual analysis: Fight Club
Reflective Analysis
Non-traditional
Narrative research
Final Mon 2nd Mar
22 7/3/16 Star image: Fight Club
Screening: Se7en
Essay: Fight Club
production/star
23 14/3/16 Auteur: Motifs and Function
David Fincher as auteur:
stylistic features
Reflective Analysis final
Fincher research
Mon 14th Mar
24 21/3/16 Representation of modern
urban and corporate life
Managing spectator’s
identification and
sympathies
Essay: Flight Club
Fincher/auteur
24/3/16 SPRING HOLIDAY
25 11/4/16 Representation of women:
Maria and misogyny
Masculinity and its threats
Research: Feminist
film theory
26 18/4/16 Critical and popular
responses
Ideology: Progressive or
reactionary?
Essay: Fight Club
representation
27 25/4/16 Revision: Urban Stories –
Power Poverty and Conflict
Essay: Urban Stories
28 2/5/16 Revision: Spectatorship and
Documentary
Full mock exam
29 9/5/16 Revision: Single Film Critical
Study
Teaching Ends
Essay: Spectatorship
and Documentary
HALF TERM
30 11/5/15 Revision
31 18/5/15 Revision

6. 6
32 1/6/15 Revision
33 8/6/15 A2 Film Exam – Friday 10th
June
34 15/6/15
35 22/6/15
36 29/6/15 ACTIVITIES WEEK
Use of Coulsdon College A2 Film Studies Blog
A core part of your learning, and assessment of your progress, will be done through the
Coulsdon Sixth Form College A2 Film Studies Blog. This blog will be a resource for you to use
in and out of class to develop your learning.
You will also create your own dedicated A2 Film Studies level blog that you will use to post
analysis and reflections on your learning. Your teacher will give you more detail on how this
will all work at the beginning of the course.
Watching Film Texts Outside of Class
You will be studying a variety of filmtexts in class this year. Although you will of course have
opportunity to watch these texts in class, you should be using your initiative and taking
guidance from your teacher, and be watching other films that may improve your
understanding of the core issues.
Homework
You will be set other homework regularly. This homework will be related to classroom
content. It is not optional, and is a core aspect of your successful learning. You should aim
to spend approximately four hours per week on homework for Film Studies.
Assessed Work
Throughout the course you will be submitting different types of assessed work. Assessed
work is work for which your teacher will give you written feedback and/or a grade. These
types of assessments will include mock exam unit questions taken in class, homework blog
posts, coursework drafts, coursework final versions, and weekly summary assessments by
your teacher posted on your blog. Deadlines for assessed work are non-negotiable, and
failure to meet ANY deadline can result in disciplinary measures. Persistent failure to submit
assessed work can also lead to your being withdrawn from the examination/coursework.
Independent Research and Reading
As well as specific research tasks you will be set throughout the year, you will also be
expected to read text books that will enhance your knowledge. Although we do not
recommend a specific set textbook for the course, there are many great books about Film
for you to use. Your teacher will give you further guidance on this.

7. 7
In addition, keep an eye on SIGHT & SOUND magazine in the library every month, as well as
Film-related articles in Friday editions of newspapers like THE GUARDIAN and THE
INDEPENDENT, as well as websites like BFI or ROTTEN TOMATOES.
Analysing texts in class and note taking
This year you will be watching a variety of different film texts in class. These will be a
combination of entire films, documentaries. and extracts. You will need to make detailed
notes in class on the texts as you watch them. Please make sure you keep a dedicated
notebook for Film Studies that you can keep all of your notes in. This is essential for
successful revision and meeting assessment criteria. Case study information and
Summary sheet templates are available.
Practical Work
One piece of your assessment coursework is a Creative Project. This project will allow you to
develop your creative skills in pre-production and filmmaking. This practical work will
involve you working in a group with other students, and is for many students the highlight
of the course. I encourage you also, if possible, to develop your practical skills by using
camcorders outside of class, not just related to your coursework. Practice and experience
can help your A2 grade.
Equipment
For your Creative, you will be provided with equipment by the college. This will include a
camcorder and tripod and other specialist equipment. Some equipment will be provided to
you by your teacher, but you may need to borrow other equipment from the Media
Technician. All equipment borrowed must be returned on time and in the condition in which
it was lent to you. If you wish to use your own equipment, please check with technician that
your footage is in a compatible format with college iMacs.
Trips
The trip this year is to the BFI London Film Festival to watch as yet unreleased films in the
UK, which will tie in with the themes of the course. You will get further details from your
media teacher.
Health and Safety
Your health and safety Is of paramount importance to Coulsdon Sixth Form College. As Film
Studies students, you will have the opportunity to film both inside and outside of college. As
part of this filming, you will have to carry out a risk assessment of the environments in
which you want to film. This is standard industry practice, and is essential for you to remain
safe when carrying out practical work.
Use of Terminology and Theory
You will be learning a significant amount of new terminology this year related to analysis of
the media. Revisiting outside of class the terms you have studied in class will enhance your

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knowledge and understanding throughout the course. You will also be learning new
theoretical concepts that you will need to apply in the examination.
Filming Week
In January 2015 you will have an allocated week of lessons in which you will be filming your
Creative Project. During the lessons that week you will film most of your footage for your
project on site, with the assistance of your teacher and/or the Media Technician. Students
who wish to filmany footage off site will have to do so outside of college hours. You will
need to pre-arrange this with your teacher, and borrow equipment if needed.
Editing Week
After your filming week you will have an allocated editing week for your projects. Editing
will take place on the Resource Area Apple Mac computers. You will have allocated lesson
time to edit, and will be able to access the Macs outside of lessons to work on your projects.
You will be using iMovie. Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro are also available to those
experienced with this software.
Library and Internet Resources
Shortly after your course starts, the A2 Film Studies blog will have links and lists of library
resources and internet resources to help you with your studies.
Plagiarism Policy
The College has a very clear PlagiarismPolicy, which is available to all students on Moodle
under Assessment Policy: Malpractice.
Plagiarismoccurs when a person uses other people’s thoughts or writing and presents them
as his/her own; that is, without clearly acknowledging the source of the information. It can
take several forms, including directly copying another person’s work from the Internet, a
book, or another learner’s assignment, paraphrasing another person’s work, cutting and
pasting together sections of work of others into a new whole, or receiving material help
from other people while producing an assignment.
Submitted coursework that has been deemed by the College or the Exam Board to be
copied may not be marked, or may lead to you being disqualified.
Resource Area
Please note that the rules for using the Media Studies resource area have changed from
last year. The Research Area is open for use only by media, film, music and art students. The
iMacs are strictly for doing work, and you will not be allowed to socialise in the Resource
Area at all.