AS Film Studies course handbook 2015-16

1. FILM STUDIES AS
COURSE HANDBOOK 2015-2016
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2. WELCOME TO AS FILM STUDIES
Teacher: Barrington Robinson
Barrington.robinson@coulsdon.ac.uk
AS Film Studies Office: Room 203
Classroom: 200
Course Blog: http://coulsdonaslevelfilm.blogspot.co.uk/
SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT
FM1 – EXPLORING FILM FORM (Coursework 40%)
You will produce two pieces of coursework:
An analysis of how micro aspects of a chosen extract from a film of your choice
produce meanings and responses (1500 words).
A creative project based on a film sequence or short film, with a Reflective
Analysis and evaluation of your work.
FM2 – BRITISH AND AMERICAN FILM – (Exam 60%)
You will sit one 2.5 hour examination on Tuesday 17th May 2016, with three
questions:
Section A – Producers and Audiences - The British and American Film Industry.
Section B – ‘Living With Crime’ – Socio-Political Study of two films:
‘Fish Tank’ (UK, 2009, Director: Andrea Arnold), and ‘My Brother The Devil’ (UK,
2012, Director: Sally El Hosaini).
Section C – US Comparative Study of two films: ‘Inglourious Basterds ’(US, 2010,
Director: Quentin Tarantino) and ‘Miracle at St. Anna (US, 2010, Director: Spike Lee).

3. YEAR 2015/16 SCHEDULE
Week Date TOPIC Assessed
Work
Deadline
1 14/9/15 Introduction/FM1 –
Genre & Themes
Screening: Ralph
Intro task
60 sec video
1 page
analysis
Friday 18th
Sept
17/9/15 BFI seminar – Intro
to Exhibition,
Awards and
Festivals
2 21/9/15 FM1 – Narrative &
Mise-en-Scene
Last King of
Scotland
Presentation:
Narrative
Wed 25th
Sept
3 28/9/15 FM1 – Shots,
Sequences,
Cinematography
FM2 – Roles &
Responsibility
Presentation:
Shots &
Sequences
28/9/15
1st
coursework
written
analysis
4 5/10/15 FM1 – Scene
Analysis
7/10/15
BFI LONDON FILM
FESTIVAL
Screening: New
British Shorts
Screening: Ayanda
5 12/10/15 FM1 – Shooting
Sequences
Screening:
Mediterranea
Return of
draft
18/10/15 BFI LONDON FILM
FESTIVAL ends
6 19/10/15 FM2 – Living with
Crime
Screening
FISHTANK
Fishtank
Analysis
23/10/15
2nd Draft
hand in.
23/10/15 Half Term
7 2/11/15 FM2 – Living with
Crime
Screening
My Brother The
Devil
My Brother
The Devil
Analysis
Return 2nd
draft.
Creative
Proposal.
8 9/11/15 FM2 – Living With
Crime
FM1 Creative
Project
Return of
proposal.

4. FM1 - Creative
Project Planning /
Written Analysis
Proposal
Written
Analysis
Nov
9 16/11/15 FM2 – Living With
Crime
FM1 Creative
Project Planning
FM1 Creative
Project
Outline
Storyboard
Draft due
Mon 17th
Nov
10 23/11/15 FM2 – Living With
Crime & FM1
Creative Project
Planning
FM2- End of
‘Living with
Crime’
FM1 - 2nd
Draft of
Written
Analysis
Thurs 20th
Nov
Fri 19th Dec
11 30/11/15 FM1 Creative
Project Planning
FM1 Creative
Project
Outline
Storyboard
FM1
Creative
Project
Outline
Storyboard
Final Wed
26th Nov
12 7/12/15 FM1 - Creative
Project Filming
Wed 17th
Dec
13 14/12/15 FM1 Creative
Project Filming /
Editing Week
Edit of Film
FM1 Written
Analysis
Draft
Mon 5th Jan
Fri 19th Dec
Draft
Xmas
14 4/1/16 FM1 Creative
Project Editing /
Evaluations Week
FM1 Creative
Project DVD.
FM1 Creative
Project
Reflective
Analysis
Draft
Tues 6th Jan
Wed 7th Jan
15 11/1/16 FM1 Creative
Project Screenings.
FM2 Producers &
Audiences
FM1 Creative
Project
Reflective
Analysis
Final
Thur 15th
Jan
16 18/1/16 FM2 Producers &
Audiences
Cinema: Multiplex
vs ArtHouse
FM1 Written
Analysis
Final Version
Mon 19th Jan
17 25/1/16 FM2 US
Comparative Study
Screening
Inglorious Basterds
18 1/2/16 FM2 US Compare and Mon 2/2/15

5. Comparative Study
Screening
Miracle at St. Anna
Contrast US
films
19 8/2/16 FM2 US
Comparative Study
9/2/15-
13/2/15
MOCK EXAMS Friday 13th
15/2/16 Half Term
20 22/2/16 FM2 US
Comparative Study
Thurs 13th
Feb
21 29/2/16 FM2 Producers &
Audiences
US Film Industry
22 7/3/16 FM2 Producers &
Audiences
UK Film Industry
23 14/3/16 FM2 Producers &
Audiences
Indie Films
24 21/3/16 FM2 Producers &
Audiences
Audiences, Star /
Performers
Full Mock
24/3/16 SPRING HOLIDAY
25 11/4/16 Revision
26 18/4/16 Revision
27 25/4/16 Revision
28 2/5/16 Revision
29 9/5/16 Revision Teaching
Ends
30 16/5/16 EXAM – Thursday
17th MAY
31 23/5/16
30/5/16 Half Term
32 6/6/16
33 13/6/16
34 20/6/16
35 27/6/16
36 4/7/16 ACTIVITIES WEEK
37 11/6/16
Use of Coulsdon College Film Studies AS Blog
A core part of your learning, and assessment of your progress, will be done through
the Coulsdon Sixth Form College FilmStudies AS blog. This blog will be a resource for
you to use in and out of class to development your learning.
You will also create your own dedicated Film Studies AS level blog, that you will use

6. to post analyses 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 films outside of class
The more diverse range of films you watch outside of class, the better you will
become at analysing films, and creating films. You will be set specific filmwatching
tasks throughout the course, including a weekly analysis of a filmof your choice. This
analysis will be put on your blog, and included on a master list of films watched by all
members of the class on the wall in Room 200. This is to encourage you to want to
watch more films! Most of the case study titles should be available digitally on the
colleges E-Stream account or on DVD from the ILC.
Homework
You will be set other homework as well as the weekly film analysis task. This
homework will be related to classroomcontent, and will be set on average twice a
week. This homework is not optional, and is a core aspect of your successful
learning. You should be aiming to be spending approximately 4 hours per week on
homework for Film Studies, not including your weekend film analysis task.
Assessed Work
Throughout the course, you will be submitting different types of assessed work.
Assessed work is work that your teacher will either 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 deadlines can result in
disciplinary measures. Persistent non-submission of assessed work can also lead to
withdrawal from the examination/coursework.
Independent Research & Reading
As well as specific research tasks you will set throughout the year, you will also be
expected to read text books that will enhance your knowledge and understanding.
Although we do not recommend a specific set text book for the course, there are
many great books about filmfor you to use. Please see resources list on blog.
Analysing films in class and note taking
This year you will be watching a variety of different films in class. These will be a
combination of entire films 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.

7. Practical Work
One piece of your assessed coursework is a Creative Project. This project will allow
you to develop your creative skills in 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 would encourage you also to, if possible, develop your practical skills by
using camcorders outside of class, not just related to your coursework. Practice and
experience can help your in AS grade.
Equipment
For your creative project, 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 also need to
borrow other equipment from the Media Technician, Graham Osborne. All
equipment borrowed must be returned on time and in the condition in which it was
lent to you.
Trips
The trips planned for this year are to a seminar and screenings as part of the BFI 59th
London Film Festival during the months of September and between 7-18th October.
More details on this trip will be given to you by your teacher.
Health & 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 risk assess the
environments in which you want to film. This is standard industry practice, and is
essential for you remain safe when carrying out practical work.
Films Shown in Class and ‘Core Texts’
For your examination, you will be studying 4 core texts: for ‘Living in Crime’ unit,
‘Fish Tank’ and ‘My Brother the Devil’, and for the US comparative study, ‘Inglorious
Basterds’ and ‘Miracle at St Anna’. You will watch the films in their entirety in class,
and you will also be given the opportunity to watch them in revision screenings. If
you can purchase the DVDs to use outside of class as well, this would be of benefit to
your studies.
Use of Terminology
You will be learning a significant amount of new terminology this year related to
analysis of films. Revisiting terms you have studied in class outside of class will
enhance your knowledge and understanding throughout the course.

8. FM1 Filming Week
In early 2016, you will have an allocated week of lessons in which you will be filming
your Creative Project. In the lessons that week, you will filmmost of your footage for
your projects on site, with the assistance of your teacher and/or the Media
Technician. For students who wish to film any footage off site, this will need to be
done outside of college hours. You will need to pre-arrange this with your teacher,
and equipment should be available to borrow if needed.
FM1 Editing Week
After your filming week, you will have an allocated editing week for your projects.
This editing will take place in 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 project. You will be using iMovie to edit. Adobe Premiere or Final
Cut Pro is also available if you are experienced with this software.
Library Resources
Please see attached specific Independent Learning Centre resources that are
available for Film Studies. Using these resources will improve your grade.
Internet Resources
Please see the list of internet resources on the Film Studies AS blog.
Plagiarism Policy
The College has a very clear Policy which is available to all students on Moodle in the
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, 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 lead to being disqualified.