Teaching Staff 

• T. Murgatroyd 

Curriculum Intent in Film Studies 

Film Studies at King James is based around a curriculum that allows our students to explore films from varying genres and time periods, aiming to develop both an understanding and appreciation for the craft. The curriculum aims to:? 

• Help students develop a critical understanding of film and its role in society. 

• Explore analysis of film to support with media literacy and develop skills for post-education, particularly effective writing and analytical skills. 

• Expose students to a variety of cultures and contexts that they may otherwise not get to see. 

• Develop confidence to communicate an opinion that is based on evidence both verbally and in writing. 

• Learn the techniques needed to make a film, as well as write a screenplay to an industry standard. 

• Foster a love for film as a medium, letting students explore genre and form. 

Department Information 

Film Studies is all about the love of film and understanding why the medium is so important. Students get the opportunity to explore a number of films, not just the ones given for their assessed units. Film Studies is a relatively new subject in King James but has already had a large number of students choose it as their GCSE option. Film Studies is taught at Key Stage Four with a period 6 intervention for Year 8. We are currently exploring film making with a group of Year 9 students as an extra-curricular activity. 

Key Stage 4 

The WJEC specification is as follows. Formal assessment is at the end of Year 11 

Component 1: Key Developments in US Film???????????????????      35% of final grade 

Component 2: Global Film: Narrative, Representation & Film Style?   ?35% of final grade 

Component 3: Production      30% of final grade 

Components 1 and 2 are externally assessed exam papers. Component 3 is internally assessed and externally moderated.? 

Where available, students will visit Tyneside Cinema to view films for the curriculum in their own private screen. 

Year 10 

In Year 10, students begin their course exploring film in an analytical sense, learning different elements of cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene. 

Students will write a screenplay based on a genre. They will watch three films in that genre to base their screenplay around. 

With each of the following units WJEC give us a selection of films that we can choose from to study. 

Students will then look at two films from different eras of US film and compare how they use conventions to fit into a genre of film. We have chosen Dracula (1931) and The Lost Boys to explore the horror genre. 

We then study an independent film and analyse it using specialist writing. Students will study Whiplash and will focus on single frames from the film and what meaning the students can find in them. 

Finally, in Year 10, students will look at the story of a film and the techniques the filmmakers use to tell this story. We will be studying Jojo Rabbit, a film that a large number of students have already studied in History. 

Year 11 

In Year 11 students will start by studying a foreign language film and look at representation of age, culture, race, gender and individual perspectives. Students will study South African film Tsotsi. 

Students will then explore the style of a UK made film, looking at the use of colour, sound and cinematography to convey meaning. Students will be studying Attack the Block. 

Finally, students will revisit the comparative study of Dracula (1931) and The Lost Boys. 

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