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This is the film studies resource, research and revision blog. It's a central hub where you can access everything you need for this A level course.

Film Studies OCR Syllabus

Assessment overview

Component	Marks	Duration	Weighting	insert text
Film history (01)	105	2 hours	35%
Critical approaches to film (02)*	105	2 hours	35%
Making short film (03/04)*	90	-	30%	Non-exam assessment

* Indicates inclusion of synoptic assessment.

Students must complete all components (01, 02 and 03 or 04) to be awarded the OCR A Level in Film Studies.
Students who are retaking the qualification may carry forward their result for the non-examined assessment component.

Content overview

Students study a wide range of film forms, from the silent era to the present day. They are introduced to the contexts and concepts of film-making and how they are used to create meaning, including:

• Genre
• Representation
• Narrative
• Aesthetics
• Spectatorship.

They also develop a working knowledge and understanding of the micro-elements of film form:

• Cinematography (including lighting)
• Mise-en-scène
• Editing
• Sound
• Performance.

Students:

• Develop the skills to analyse, interpret and compare films critically
• Synthesise complex areas of knowledge
• Show how knowledge of the ways in which films reflect their social, cultural, political, historical and institutional contexts informs analysis and understanding of set films.

Component 01: Film History

Students study at least three US set films from three periods

• The silent era
• 1930—1960
• 1961—1990.

Students also study set films from two major European film movements or stylistic developments:

• Experimental film (European surrealist film)
• Either
  • German expressionism, or
  • French new wave.

Component 02: critical approaches to film

Students develop knowledge and understanding of key critical approaches to film and of narrative, genre, representations and spectatorship.
They must study at least one set film from each of the following categories:

• Contemporary British
• Contemporary US
• Documentary
• Non-European non-English language
• English language (non-US)
• US Independent.

They carry out

• A comparative study of at least two set films (contemporary British and US)
• A close study of at least one set documentary
• A themed comparative study of at least three set films from the final three categories, in terms of ideologies reflected and communicated by film.

Component 03/04: Making short film

Students study one compilation of short British fiction films. They demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills through:

• The production of a short film or a screenplay for a short film (incorporating a digitally photographed storyboard)
• An evaluative analysis of the production in relation to professionally produced set short films.