“I consider myself a student of cinema, and the day I die is the day I graduate. It is a lifelong study.”

Quentin Tarantino

Films entertain, but they can’t help telling us more than an interesting story. Every moment, every millimetre of every shot reflects the time and place it was made, and the opinions, emotions and personalities of the filmmakers. Film Studies teaches us how to “read” a movie, and by doing so, understand how we are made to like one character over another, or spot when we are being manipulated to laugh, cry, or jump with fear.

Film Studies A level is an academic subject. You’ll study big-budget Hollywood films, as well as smaller “indie” movies. You’ll look at some of the best of modern British Cinema, and get a taste of some less mainstream work, including documentary, silent film, and world cinema. At the end of the course, your understanding of the films is assessed through essay writing in examinations. Alongside this, you’ll complete a  coursework unit in which you’ll plan and write your own screenplay - this is worth 30% of the final grade.

There’s no need to have studied the subject in year 11.  Film suits people with an interest in how things are made, and why. It’s essential to enjoy watching films, and since most of the work is assessed by essay writing, you’ll want to have a level 6 or higher in English, or in a Film or Media GCSE or equivalent. All kinds of students choose film at A-Level, but it’s commonly combined with English Literature, Acting, and Visual Arts subjects.

If you study film, you’ll always have something interesting to talk about at parties, but an A Level in Film Studies is also excellent preparation for university, due to its reputation for high academic rigour. Obviously it’s an excellent foundation for study of Film or Media, either as an academic subject or a more production-focused degree. It would support applications for many other subjects including a range of Arts and Humanities subjects. As for careers? The movie business is a big money venture. In fact, more than £1.2 billion was spent on film production in the UK alone last year. If we widen our focus to TV, a show like Netflix’s The Crown costs more than £2000 for every second we see on our screens. All that means that it’s a realistic career path for your future.  Around 200,000 people are employed in the UK screen industries, (and most of those jobs are in London). What’s more, the appetite for TV and film grows all the time.