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With reference to the films you have studied for this topic, how far can it be said that different kinds of documentaries offer different kinds of spectator experiences?

The spectator experience is dependent on a number of factors including environment of reception for example (where it is seen) and specifically purpose, whether to entertain, inform, educate or persuade. Documentaries are diverse in content and can suggest degrees of realism. Mediated content is often apparent in terms of the selection and...

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‘A common experience for the spectator when watching a documentary is to be manipulated by the filmmakers’. How far do you agree with this statement? (35)

Generally, documentaries are created in order to impart information and, in the main, to persuade the audience into believing a particular viewpoint. The contract between audience and filmmaker is considered along with the code of ethics with regard to documenting the real. For example, there are questions around the time and space created within the story and...

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Key Texts

• Amores Perros (Love’s A Bitch) 2000
• Y Tu Mama También (And Your Mother Too) 2001

Compare some of the stylistic features in the films you have studied discussing how far they make for a distinctive kind of cinema.

The study of so-called World Cinema tends to focus on common themes e.g. power, poverty and conflict, social class, gender representation et al within the confines of what has to be described as Hollywood Hegemony. Ironically ‘international film styles’ or World Cinema has heavily...

Despite the gesture of destroying symbols of corporate power at the end, Fight Club is a film about power and control, not liberation. How far do you agree?

Fight Club is a pre millennium, 1999 film directed by David Fincher. Fincher admits to wanting to create a discourse on corporate power, advertising and a crisis in masculinity which is developed also through the novel’s homoerotic connotations. The film’s screenplay was developed by Jim Uhles and as such, remains close in narrative content to book.

The whole idea of pre millennium...

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Students can find studying spectatorship challenging.  There are many theories of spectatorship, but starting with the theory can lead students to list theoretical ideas rather than engage with the texts. Let’s not forget this A2 Film Studies unit is about “emotional responses” more than critical ones.

This is a good place to start with students. What is “emotion”? What is “popular film”? And what elements of the film experience trigger emotional responses?

Emotion and Popular Film

The term emotion,...

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Crime and cinema have a longstanding relationship.

Going right back to early cinema one of the landmark silent films was The Great Train Robbery (1903). There is a shot in that film which is overtly referenced as the last shot that we see in the American crime film GoodFellas (1990).

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However, whereas we might argue that the criminal life that’s represented in the Hollywood-produced GoodFellas is somewhat glamourised and told in an overtly artificial way (think of how music is used...

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In 1950, when he was only nineteen years old, Jean-Luc Godard, one day to become one the great filmmakers, wrote a piece for the French publication Gazette du Cinema called Towards A Political Cinema. Even at this young age, Godard was aware of cinema’s power to communicate ideas.

Jean-Luc Godard examines a strip of film

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Film history describes a wide range of film movements that have each had an often-short lifespan that’s been quite specific but the legacies of which have endured....[ read full article ] »

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Cinema is always evolving.

The constantly changing quality of film styles is exciting and since the beginnings of film history many nations around the world have developed their own distinct cinematic style and this continues today in the twenty-first century.

During the early part of the twentieth century one country that contributed very significantly to the development of early cinema, was Russia and now, in 2013, almost a century later, the particular film style that emerged from Russia continues to be an...

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Introduction

National identity and cinema are inextricably connected around the world. Within this national cinema dynamic is to be found the question of what it might mean to ‘be British’, or, more specifically, English. It’s a question that’s the basis of a longstanding narrative that relates powerfully to our filmic identity and, more immediately, our identity as an island nation, physically and culturally (and economically) separate to the mainland of Europe.

If you watch, read or listen to the news...

It is important to firstly consider the context of this unit as an exploration of world cinema. World cinema is difficult to define; with most definitions reverting to that it can be defined simply as any cinema outside of the globally dominant industry of Hollywood or any non English language cinema. Often discussed as an alternative to Hollywood’s ‘dream factory’, World cinema tends to be perceived as possessing certain features offering an insight into another country’s culture, a low budget gritty representation of real life or...

Associated Resources

• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 1 A Grade Response 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 1 D-C Grade Response 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 2 A Grade Response 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 2 D-C Grade Response 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 Non Hollywood Exemplars

Associated Resources

• WJEC GCSE Film Sudies Mock Exam Paper 1 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 2 2013.docx

Associated Resources

• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Paper 1 Mark Scheme 2013.docx
• WJEC GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 Mark Scheme 2013.docx

Ewan McGregor is a major British film star who has appeared in a wide range of films that have been released globally since 1994. His career has combined performances in a range of lower budgeted feature films and work in highly budgeted, event films released by the major film studios. Over the course of almost twenty years McGregor has appeared in nearly fifty films.

Professionally trained as an actor at London’s Guildhall, McGregor hails from Scotland and the narrative of his career progression from provincial Scotland to being an...

Associated Resources

• GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 Non Hollywood High Level Exemplar.doc
• GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 Non Hollywood B Grade Exemplar.doc
• GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 Non Hollywood C Grade Exemplar.doc

Book A Half or Full Day Revision Workshop in Your School

Programme Details

• FilmEdu provides visually dynamic, interactive Revision Courses on the Superhero film genre and Films from outside Hollywood dedicated to, and focusing on specification requirements.
• Pupils will study for Paper 1 Superhero Films and be fully prepared for unseen analysis. Focus will be on micro and macro elements including film language, genre and narrative and also a complete understanding of marketing and promotion (including audiences, film production, technology,...

Background: The Beginnings

To fully comprehend any one period in a country’s cinema, there needs to be some contextualisation. Early Mexican filmmakers profited from the turbulent times the country faced at the turn of the century. The civil war was the subject of many silent films; several significant battles were documented on camera. As the country began to stabilize during the 1930s, filmmakers had a myriad of social issues to choose from as themes for their films. However, they preferred a detachment from reality and this tradition...

FM2: Close Study Topic

British Horror: 28 Days Later
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Naomie Harris (Selena), Noah Huntley (Mark), Cillian Murphy (Jim), Bredan Gleeson (Frak), Megan Burns (Hannah), Christopher Eccleston (Major Henry West)
Production Company: DNA Films and UK Film Council
Distributors: 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release: 2002

Production Context

With finance from both America’s Fox Searchlight and the UK Film Council the film had a promising beginning. The genre conventions and the success...

Paper 2 | Non-Hollywood Film | Yasmin

Synopsis

The opening of Yasmin reveals a Britain where racism prevails. Khalid and his son (Nasir) open the shutter of the family shop, which has been coated in racist graffiti. Nas proceeds to sing morning prayers – his voice echoes over the city and surrounding hills through the loud speaker - calling everyone to prayer. Several Muslims are seen hurriedly preparing, except one - Yasmin. In a field, just outside of town, she swaps her hijab for skinny jeans and black heels. Then takes to her convertible...

FM2: Close Study Topic

British Horror: The Wicker Man
Director: Robin Hardy
Writers: Anthony Shaffer (Screenplay), [David Pinner - Ritual novel]
Cast: Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Ingrid Pitt, Diane Cilento

Synopsis

Sergeant Howie, a police officer from mainland Scotland, arrives on a remote island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan. As he tours the island, questioning residents and looking for clues, he falls deeper inside the rabbit hole – discovering customs that seem strange to him, to this era and to the...

Institutional Factors | Distribution

Submarine was written and directed by Richard Ayoade and released at UK cinemas in March 2011 after significant critical success at festivals including the London Film Festival (LFF) but particularly the Toronto Film Festival. Toronto success secured the film a distribution contract with the Weinstein Company (formerly Disney owned Miramax) – Bob and Harvey Weinstein’s company in essence can be described as a ‘Mini Major’ film distributor, large enough to cope with the distribution of academy...

Associated Resources

• GCSE Film Studies Micro Analysis A* Grade Example.doc

In both the exam and in the coursework, candidates will be asked to study English Language Texts. They are NOT able to study the same texts for both sections and will prepare for this in different ways. For example, the coursework will act as a catalyst for their creative work in their portfolios. In the exam, students will have part of a two hour exam to answer a specific (unseen) question on an aspect of the film.

Both the coursework and examination texts will have shared aspects. This is mainly the understanding of both the micro and...

AS WJEC FM2: Producers and Audience

For FM2, British and American Film each question is worth 40 marks, and there is 2.5 hours to answer three questions. The paper is made up from resource material and 12 page answer book. Candidates are asked to explore the relationship between film producers and audience.

The resource material can include:

• Home page of a fan website
• Table illustrating box office figures
• Poster of a film
• Front cover of a magazine
• Press release
• Cinema programme
• Blog extracts

Candidates will be asked to use the exam...

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | Thor

Synopsis

Earth

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico. Three astro-physicists are in the desert: Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings).

They are studying atmosphere disturbances and aurora.

When a lightning storm starts, they head quickly towards it in their van. The van hits a man and they stop.

The victim is a handsome, well built young man. He is not dead, but semi-conscious.

Asgard

A voiceover (Anthony Hopkins) describes a battle in 900 AD between...

Urban Stories | Power, Poverty & Conflict | Case Study 2 | La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz , 1995)

Synopsis

La Haine (Hate 1995, France) focuses on a single day in the lives of three twenty-something friends from immigrant families, living in an impoverished and multi-ethnic French housing project. The housing project, or la banlieues (ZUP - zone à urbaniser en priorité), hosts a riot after a young man is shot by a policeman. The film follows the young trio in the immediate aftermath of the riot. Vinz, who is Jewish, is filled with rage. He...

Paper 2 | Non-Hollywood Film

Synopsis

8 year old Bruno doesn’t have a care in the world as he pretends to be a plane flying through the streets of Berlin, on his way back from school. He is blissfully ignorant of the terror happening around him – Jewish families being rounded up and transported out of the city. When he returns home however, his family are preparing for a celebration. His father, Ralf, has received a promotion that means they must all leave the capital; a move that will change Bruno’s life forever.

At his new stately...

Associated Resources

Superman Advanced Screening Questions.doc

Associated Resources

Spider-Man Advanced Screening Questions.doc

There will be a choice of two questions for this final section of the exam; you need only answer one question. One usually asks you to focus on narrative and / or genre, whilst the other will reference themes or messages and values.

Unlike the other exam questions, for Section C it is imperative that you compare the two texts, so you will want to clearly define similarities and contrasts between the two in your plan. You should quantify why such similarities and contrasts exist by referring to the production context of each text.

A grid...

There will be a choice of two questions for this final section of the exam; you need only answer one question. One usually asks you to focus on narrative and / or genre, whilst the other will reference themes or messages and values.

Unlike the other exam questions, for Section C it is imperative that you compare the two texts, so you will want to clearly define similarities and contrasts between the two in your plan. You should quantify why such similarities and contrasts exist by referring to the production context of each text.

A grid...

There are two distinct ways of targeting audiences:

• STAR MARKETING
• GENRE MARKETING

Generic Typecasting

Generic typecasting can apply to British or Hollywood film ‘stars’, e.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger as the stereotypical Action Hero, Julia Roberts or Jennifer Anniston as the classic Romantic Comedy lead, Tom Hanks as ‘the good guy’ and Jim Carey as a the fool (Comedy genre). Johnny Depp, for example is known for his ‘character roles’, often as an eccentric male lead (Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the...

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | Superman

Synopsis

1938. A child reads a comic book about a Metropolitan newspaper, The Daily Planet. Meanwhile Krypton, a planet which orbits around a red sun - six galaxies away - is inhabited by a race of super beings. Jor-El (Marlon Brando), the planet’s greatest scientist (sporting a ‘S’ shaped crest), is overseeing the trial and conviction of three criminals. The Council of Elders finds General Zod, Non and Ursa guilty. Zod (unsuccessfully) threatens Jor-El before being banished from Krypton to...

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | Kick Ass

Synopsis

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is Kick Ass. The film begins with his voiceover about superheroes and the story of his life. Six months ago, he was “the last person you would expect to be a superhero”. He is an American student who doesn’t belong to any clubs, “invisible to girls“, he fantasises about his English teacher and has a crush on Katie Deauxma, a cute girl who has a locker near his. His mother died 18 months ago of an aneurysm, and he lives with his dad. Instead of...

British and American Film Independent Case Study

Associated Resources

This is England Screening Questions.doc

Use your bibliography of British Film resources to research the following questions:

1. Who wrote and directed This is England? What other projects has he been involved in? What do you think his contribution to British Film has been?
2. What was the name of the Production Company and Theatrical Distributor? How would you describe the Distribution company? Where did the film get financial assistance from? Apart from cinemas, where else...

This guide is designed to cover the main issues regarding teaching Non-Hollywood Film for the WJEC GCSE in Film Studies for Paper 2 Exploring Film outside Hollywood and to explain what is likely to be asked of students in the examination.

The texts currently available for assessment are:

Amélie (France), Bend it Like Beckham (UK), Goodbye Lenin (Germany), Ratcatcher (UK), Spirited Away (Japan), The Devil’s Backbone (Spain), Whale Rider (New Zealand) and Yasmin (UK).

Why do we study Non-Hollywood Film?

Whilst Hollywood dominates across...

Associated Resources

Shaun of the Dead Screening and Research Questions.doc

1. Who directed, produced and distributed Shaun of the Dead?
2. How does the film reflect the pattern of many British Films of recent years?
3. Research and detail at least ten films made by the same production company and distributor. Identify their genre
4. Why do you think Shaun of the Dead was commercially successful? Research the UK and US box office gross and subsequent DVD/Video sales
5. How does the film culturally represent the image of a nation? How does this compare...

Amores Perros Research Questions.doc

Realism: The ‘kind’ of reality produced by a media text

Mediation: The process whereby media texts select and construct the world through different techniques

Documentary encodes versions of reality that are mediated into our individual context. Realism is a term that does not always apply to what is actually real, but to degrees of realism and audiences’ expectations of reality.

Documentary Modes of Representation

In “Representing Reality, Issues and Concepts in Documentary”, Bill Nichols 1991 (Indiana University Press) argues...

British and American Film Case Study

Associated Resources

Atonement Pupil Research Questions.doc

Use your bibliography of British Film resources to research the following questions:

1. Who directed Atonement? What other projects has the director been involved in and what does this say about his reputation and key specialist areas? Who wrote the novel that Atonement is based on, what do you know about him?
2. What was the name of the Production Company and Theatrical Distributor? How would you describe the Distribution company? What pattern does...

Synopsis

It is Gromit’s birthday and he is feeling particularly ignored by Wallace. When the post arrives, he eagerly seeks it out but find a rather tacky and unoriginal card ‘To a dear dog’ from Wallace and nothing else. Wallace presses his alarm for breakfast and reminds Gromit that it is his turn for breakfast, so Gromit obliges. Wallace finally gives Gromit his presents, which bemuse him - a collar and lead (so he can finally look like he “belongs to someone”) and techno-trousers that can take him for walks.

Gromit goes for a...

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | The Incredibles

Synopsis

In the beginning of The Incredibles, superheroes are celebrated by the city folk; they are celebrities, interviewed on television. Mr Incredible is able to prevent a number of crimes: rescuing a cat from a tree; preventing a heist; saving a man trying to commit suicide; capturing a thief; preventing a train crash; and a bank robbery - even on the way to his wedding to Elastigirl. During his missions, a young fan of Mr Incredible, Buddy, who goes by the name Incrediboy, keeps...

Cultural capital would be relevant in terms of intertextual references to the Star Trek television series and significant Star Trek film franchise (8 films) including Star Trek (1979), The Wrath of Kahn (1982), The Search for Spock (1984) and Nemesis (2001). All films were distributed by Paramount Studios, and written and produced by Gene Roddenberry, who created the original 1966 TV Series made by Paramount TV. These are characters of which Star Trek (2009) brings back to life, through younger actors and more contemporary representations.

The main aspects of marketing are:

• PR: offline/online
• Media: budget, targeting TV, press, radio, outdoor, interactive
• Research: NRG, Fame, TGI
• Creative: trailer, POS, print, TV/radio, interactive, strategy.

The main aim of marketing is to draw people into the film, but also to target audiences who the company believe will make it a blockbuster.

Star Trek provides a very valuable franchise, which has spanned a large period of time. Overall (in terms of films and TV series), the franchise is worth £49.9m in total for the UK box office.

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | Spider-Man

“Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can; spins a web, any size, catches thieves just like flies look out! Here comes the Spider-Man”

Synopsis and Character Profiles

Toby Maguire plays Peter Parker, an orphaned, teenage High School student plagued by feelings of inadequacy and rejection. He is stereotypically ‘geeky’ and pines for the ‘girl next door’, Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst), and lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who he is very close to and who...

Synopsis and Character Profiles

Milk is a film based on a true story (narrative fact) about openly gay civil rights activist, Harvey Milk, who eventually - after many struggles and defeats - finally serves in public office as a San Francisco Supervisor in the Mayor’s Office. The film ends with his assassination in 1978 by political nemesis, Social Conservative Dan White.

Played by Sean Penn, the film opens with 40 year old Milk in 1978 narrating and recording a monologue “only to be played in the event of my death”.

He is openly gay...

Synopsis

A television news report provides the prologue / chorus for Romeo and Juliet, introducing the tale of the “star-crossed lovers”. The city of Verona is divided by a feud between the two wealthiest businessmen - Lord Capulet and Lord Montague.

As the Montagues arrive in a petrol station, they are met by the Capulets. Whilst Benvolio (leader of the Montagues) tries to maintain peace, Tybalt (leader of the Capulets and “King of Cats”) cannot be persuaded and leads them into battle. Tybalt shoots one of the Montagues as they drive...

Section C: American Comparative Study

Synopsis

Kym awaits the arrival of her father and step mother, Carol to pick her up from rehab. When she arrives home the house is chaotic amidst her sister’s wedding arrangements. Kym and her sister, Rachel reminisces about their childhood and appear to have a close relationship.

Paul, Kym’s dad, will not let her borrow a car because of a past incident, so Kym has to cycle to attend her addicts’ meeting and drugs test. When she returns and is introduced to the groom and best man, she recognises...

Section C: American Comparative Study

Synopsis

It is Harlem, 1987. Precious dreams she is handed a red scarf by a beautiful woman- she wants to be on television. Precious is suspended from school because she is pregnant. Her principal advises her to go to an alternative school called ‘Teach One, Each One’. At home though, her mother has other ideas. She beats Precious, knocking her near-unconscious. Whilst passed out, Precious has flashbacks of her father raping her and dreams of her being at a Premier, dressed glamorously. Mary,...

Paper 1 | Superhero Films Case Study | The Dark Knight

Synopsis

The Dark Knight opens with a bank robbery in which the Joker kills his accomplices. A news report then explains that public opinion of Batman is decreasing, yet when Batman tries to stop some gangsters a number of ‘copycat’ Batmen try to help him.

At home, recovering from his wounds, Bruce Wayne (Batman) pines after his lost love Rachel, who is now going out with Harvey Dent, Gotham’s new District Attorney. Harvey and Rachel lead a prosecution court case, after which...