More Related Content
Viewers also liked
Viewers also liked (19)
Similar to A2 Film Studies course handbook 2015-16
Similar to A2 Film Studies course handbook 2015-16 (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
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
- 8. 8 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.