Film Studies is designed to develop critical understanding of the film industry and its relevance to audiences in the visual media saturated society we now live. This course will help you develop analytical and evaluative skills by considering ideological approaches, spectatorship narrative and genre. You will also develop sophisticated research skills, as well as the application of creative and digital skills and there are many employability skills naturally embedded due to the nature in which you will learn. 

Students studying three A Levels will be expected to have a minimum of two GCSEs at grade 6 and three GCSEs at grade 5/4, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 5/4 or above. Or eight GCSEs at a minimum of grade 5.

Topics you will study: 

• Old v New Hollywood - The Studio Era and American New Wave (1930-1990)

• American Film since 2005 - Mainstream v Independent Film

• British Film since 1995 - focusing on Narrative and Ideology

• Global Film - European and World Cinema

• Documentary - The Art of Non-Fiction Filmmaking

• Silent Film - The Birth of Cinema and Evolution of Technology

• Experimental Film - Challenging Conventions and Expectations

• Short Film Production and Screenwriting

This incredibly exciting course gives you an opportunity to learn about American, British and world cinema. It will involve the study of film form, representations on screen, editing, cinema audiences, historical and cultural values, and film production. You will also learn about production values and the messages being communicated and how films are marketed and advertised, distributed, and screened. Studying a diverse range of films from several different contexts is designed to give learners the opportunity to apply knowledge and understanding of how films are constructed to your own filmmaking and screenwriting. This enables you to create a professional portfolio and gain the experience of film making. 

Through studying you will find that your academic and employability skills will be incredibly developed, challenged and will enrich your learning experience and study skills as you are required to evaluate the social, political, historical and economic context of each film. Your studies will be complemented by various industry related workshops run by professionals and you will have opportunities to visit film and TV studios and will apply theoretical knowledge to your own film projects throughout the course.

Future students would benefit from researching the following auteur styles in preparation for the course: Shane Meadows, Edgar Wright and Michael Curtiz.

Component 1: Varieties of film and film making, written examination (35%).

Component 2: Global film making perspectives, written examination (35%).

Component 3: Production, assessment (30%).

Exam Board: Eduqas

Students benefit from a variety of enrichment including:

The Bolton Film Festival 
The BBC (Media City) 
Screenwriting workshops 
Lighting and Camera workshops 
BBC careers workshops 
The Bradford Media Museum 
Bolton FM 
Podcasting workshops 
Vlogging workshops 

Our staff will help and encourage you to obtain work experience within the local media industry and we have links with Bolton FM, Media City, Chief Productions, Bolton News and the BBC.

Students achieve outstanding results year on year for Film Studies and this is because we aim to bring a variety of teaching methods for you to get the most out of your programme of study. The teachers are examiners and therefore have a fantastic insight into how to achieve successful outcomes.

As well as careers in the film industry, this course is a good option if you wish to pursue a career in professions such as marketing, advertising, production, media, journalism and teaching. It is respected by higher education institutions and provides a range of transferable skills. With the growth of Media City in Manchester, there are a wide range of potential career pathways available.

To support your studies, you will be required to purchase relevant materials including: SD card, 16GB minimum and a SD card reader for coursework production. There is the opportunity to complete a one-week work placement in the summer term.