Secret Examiner

A Level Film

IB Film

Film Library

Codes & Conventions

Legacy Resources

Useful Materials

Viewing entries from category: Hollywood Films

Teaser Trailer Analysis: Deadpool »

Morag Larsen | Friday January 25, 2019

Categories: Codes & Conventions, Analysis, Film Trailers, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Deadpool

Deadpool (2016) Yes, it is a superhero film, albeit with spoof elements, fully deserving of the hybrid description of superhero/comedy. As officially the 8th film in the X-Men franchise it takes a satirical look at the genre, whilst also following the codes and conventions within a familiar formula – Wade Wilson wears a superhero costume that could be argued is a cross between Iron Man and Superman, he has special powers (a classic convention), the film is produced by Marvel (a superhero…
[ read full article ] »

Do The Right Thing Single Film Study »

jclarke | Saturday October 13, 2018

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Spike Lee, Hollywood Films, Do The Right Thing, Genres & Case Studies, Comedy, Drama

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/5Ny631yQ-DM Copyright © 2018 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Context If proof were needed that a film could provoke and tap into what is happening in the culture, in terms of something like a zeitgeist, whilst also functioning as a story that…
[ read full article ] »

The Dark Knight at Ten »

jclarke | Sunday September 16, 2018

Categories: GCSE, A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Christopher Nolan, Hollywood Films, The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight at Ten: The Joker is quite a serious matter James Clarke | Autumn Term Film Blog 1 When Wade Watts enters the Distracted Globe nightclub in Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel, he walks right past The Joker. Today it is almost enough to just give the character’s name and no other frame of reference speaks to the sure foothold that the character has, not only in comic book culture but across the broader pop culture…
[ read full article ] »

The Conversation Single Film Study: Part 1 »

Darin Caudle | Friday July 06, 2018

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Fancis Ford Coppola, Hollywood Films, The Conversation, Genres & Case Studies, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrhRsZ56b4g Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Guide Navigation The Conversation Single Film Study: Part 2 Rationale Section A of Paper 1 focuses upon the micro-elements of film form and the construction of meaning…
[ read full article ] »

La La Land Single Film Study: Part 1 »

Darin Caudle | Wednesday July 04, 2018

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Damien Chazelle, Hollywood Films, La La Land, Genres & Case Studies, Comedy, Drama, Music

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pdqf4P9MB8 Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Guide Navigation La La Land Single Film Study: Part 2 Contexts Context of Production Damien Chazelle had initially conceived of the idea of making a musical that was…
[ read full article ] »

Some Like It Hot Single Film Study »

jclarke | Wednesday April 18, 2018

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Billy Wilder, Hollywood Films, Some Like It Hot, Genres & Case Studies, Comedy, Romance

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI_lUHOCcbc Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Introduction In her book The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Professor Sarah Churchwell describes Monroe as “that icon of uber-femininity…? [1] This reference…
[ read full article ] »

Eduqas WJEC Set Films »

Richard Gent | Thursday March 01, 2018

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, World Cinema, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, A Level Film

Click to see our Revision Part 1: Knowledge Organisers The exam reports from the Summer 2018 AS exams identified areas for development which may well be similar for the A Level students taking the exam this summer. I certainly identified with some of the issues as they were very similar to ones I had seen on the student attempts at the Mock exams. A knowledge organiser (KO) sets out the important, useful and powerful knowledge on a topic on a single page. Linked below are Knowledge Organisers…
[ read full article ] »

OCR H410 Set Films »

Richard Gent | Tuesday February 27, 2018

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, Films & Case Studies, American, Directors, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, World Cinema, Key Concepts, A Level Film

Click to see our Revision Part 1: Knowledge Organisers The exam reports from the Summer 2018 AS exams identified areas for development which may well be similar for the A Level students taking the exam this summer. I certainly identified with some of the issues as they were very similar to ones I had seen on the student attempts at the Mock exams. A knowledge organiser (KO) sets out the important, useful and powerful knowledge on a topic on a single page. Linked below are Knowledge Organisers…
[ read full article ] »

IB Film Theory, History and Textual Analysis »

Richard Gent | Friday January 26, 2018

Categories: IB Film, IB, IB Film Resources, Analysis, Film History, Film Industry, Films & Case Studies, American, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, Silent Era, World Cinema, Genres & Case Studies, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Genre, Narrative, Representation, Key Skills, Research, Film Research, Theory, Auteur Theory, Film Theory, Queer Theory, Spectatorship Theory

So what do we need to do for students and teachers to perform brilliantly? Our resources are a guide to producing critically autonomous students who gain a wide range of skills in the study of film and truly make the transition from film fan to film student. Reading film Examine film as an art form, studying a broad range of film texts from a variety of cultural contexts and analysing how film elements combine to create meaning. Contextualising film Explore the evolution of film across time and…
[ read full article ] »

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Single Film Study: Part 2 »

Darin Caudle | Wednesday January 10, 2018

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood Films, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Genres & Case Studies, Families, Science Fiction

Guide Navigation E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Single Film Study: Part 1 Key Sequence Analysis E.T. goes home (final scene in the film) – 1:43:53 – 1:50:59 The sequence begins with a close-up on the makeshift communicator that Elliott and E.T. have constructed, an important prop that signifies E.T.’s ability to transform the everyday items of childhood and suburbia into something fantastical. As Elliott approaches the communicator, the lights from E.T.’s mothership beam down causing the…
[ read full article ] »

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Single Film Study: Part 1 »

Darin Caudle | Wednesday January 10, 2018

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood Films, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Genres & Case Studies, Families, Science Fiction

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSx8Jobx-Gs Guide Navigation E.T. the Extra Terrestrial Single Film Study: Part 2 Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Rationale Section A of Paper 1 focuses upon the micro-elements of film form and the construction of…
[ read full article ] »

Raging Bull Single Film Study »

Richard Gent | Thursday January 04, 2018

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Martin Scorsese, Hollywood Films, Raging Bull, Genres & Case Studies, Biography, Drama, Sport

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHhzOM4gBIA Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Rationale Section A of Paper 1 focuses upon the micro-elements of film form and the construction of meaning and response by both filmmaker and spectator, with a…
[ read full article ] »

Apocalypse Now Single Film Study »

jclarke | Wednesday September 13, 2017

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Fancis Ford Coppola, Hollywood Films, Apocalypse Now, Genres & Case Studies, Drama, War

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snDR7XsSkB4 Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Contexts Context of Production Films are shaped by the contexts in which they are produced. They can therefore be understood in more depth by placing them within two…
[ read full article ] »

Vertigo Single Film Study »

Graham Panton | Saturday September 02, 2017

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, Directors, Alfred Hitchcock, Hollywood Films, Vertigo, Genres & Case Studies, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/UHhsEYDg8GI Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Contexts Context of Production Films are shaped by the contexts in which they are produced. They can therefore be understood in more depth by placing them within two…
[ read full article ] »

Inception Single Film Study »

vikiwalden | Saturday September 02, 2017

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, Inception, Directors, Christopher Nolan, Hollywood Films, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3A3-zSOBT4 Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited. Contexts Context of Production Every film reflects the concerns of its time, the particular way of looking at the world in that culture, that society, that time. …
[ read full article ] »

WJEC GCSE Film Studies Superhero Films | Batman v Superman and Deadpool »

Rob Miller | Thursday September 08, 2016

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Batman v Superman, Deadpool, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, Superhero, Hot Entries

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Batman v Superman) is a 2016 blockbuster superhero movie produced by DC, and distributed by Warner Bros. From a marketing point of view (common question 3 in Paper 1) it is an attempt to compete with the most successful franchise in film history – Marvel Cinematic Universe, whose recent films have been distributed by the owner of the franchise, Disney Motion Picture Studios. To simplify, Marvel and DC Comics were,…
[ read full article ] »

Apocalypse Now Single Film Study Bibliography and Tasks »

jclarke | Monday March 14, 2016

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Fancis Ford Coppola, Hollywood Films, Apocalypse Now

Copyright © 2017 Edusites. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use within the subscribing school only. Copying or lending of any part of this document in any form or by any means to external bodies and / or individuals is prohibited.Eduqas Film Studies Paper 1 Section A: Hollywood 1930 - 1990 Component Group 2: New Hollywood 1961-1990 Bibliography [1] Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse film documentary (1991) [2] Francis Coppola, Director’s…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 US Cinema Comparative Study: Dirty Harry and Gran Torino »

Rob Miller | Wednesday September 09, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section C: US Film Comparative Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, Directors, Clint Eastwood, Don Siegel, Hollywood Films, Dirty Harry, Gran Torino, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Thriller, Drama, Thriller, Western, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Genre, Narrative, Representation

Dirty Harry (1971, Don Siegel) Gran Torino (2008, Clint Eastwood) Centres can choose from a range of different American film texts: the three main areas of study are Messages, Themes and Values, Narrative and Genre, Representation of Time and Place (often linked to messages and values) and Representation of Character. You can compare in Section B but in Section C you must. The above choice of texts reflects films belonging to the same genre but it is very possible to explore two films that…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 US Cinema Comparative Study: Taxi Driver and No Country for Old Men »

Rob Miller | Monday September 07, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section C: US Film Comparative Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, No Country for Old Men, Hollywood Films, Taxi Driver, Genres & Case Studies, Crime, Drama, Thriller, Hot Entries

FM2 British and American Film Section C: US Cinema Comparative Study For further details of assessment requirements and past Section C exam questions, please go to FilmEdu’s Gilda (1946) and L.A Confidential (1997) Comparative Case Study  and FilmEdu’s Minority Report and Blade Runner Comparative Study for other comparison resources. Taxi Driver Like No Country for Old Men, Taxi Driver is a film about nihilism – with 31 years between them both films have characters that…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 US Cinema Comparative Study: Goodfellas and American Gangster »

Rob Miller | Monday September 07, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section C: US Film Comparative Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, Directors, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Hollywood Films, American Gangster, Goodfellas, Genres & Case Studies, Crime, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Genre, Narrative, Representation

Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese) American Gangster (2007, Ridley Scott) Centres can choose from a range of different American film texts. The three main areas of study are Messages, Themes and Values, Narrative and Genre, Representation of Time and Place (often linked to Messages and Values) and Representation of Character. You can compare in Section B but in Section C you must. The above choice of texts reflects films belonging to the same genre but it is very possible to explore two films…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM1 Exploring Film Form Scheme »

Rob Miller | Thursday July 16, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM1, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Opening Analysis, Macro Analysis, Micro Analysis, Shot Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Grand Budapest Hotel, Gravity, Skyfall, The Shining, Up, Non-Hollywood Films, Submarine, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Genre, Narrative, Representation, Key Skills, Cinematography, Editing, Filming, Mise-en-Scene, Planning, Pre-Production, Reflective Analysis, Production Zone, Moving Image Production

Overview Analysis of a 3-5 min Film Extract – Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography and Editing only: (30 Marks) Creative Project – Planning, Producing and Editing a 2 min approx. film sequence of between 10-25 shots (50 Marks) Reflective Analysis – (10 Marks) Edusites Film recommends a logical time to introduce the FM1 coursework is in week 6, the second week in October, 1 week before the Half Term. By then, students will have learnt skills of textual analysis in regards to micro and macro…
[ read full article ] »

La La Land Single Film Study: Part 2 »

Darin Caudle | Saturday July 04, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Damien Chazelle, Hollywood Films, La La Land

Guide Navigation La La Land Single Film Study: Part 1 Ideology and Themes Like spectatorship, ideology is one of the named specialist study areas by Eduqas for the A Level study of La La Land. Therefore, this guide has attempted to refer throughout to the film’s ideological and thematic content particularly in Context, Auteur and Critical Debates, and so readers are reminded to carefully consider those sections as well for insights into the topic. Eduqas recommends that centres study their…
[ read full article ] »

Popular Film & Emotional Response: All That Heaven Allows & Far From Heaven »

Rob Miller | Wednesday July 01, 2015

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, FM4, Section B: Spectatorship Topics, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film History, Films & Case Studies, Directors, Douglas Sirk, Todd Haynes, Hollywood Films, All That Heaven Allows, Far From Heaven, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience

An Analysis of Two Close Study Films This resource analyses two close study films All That Heaven Allows (1955) and Far From Heaven (2002) in relation to the FM4 Spectatorship topic, Popular Film and Emotional Response while cross-referencing key points with Imitation of Life (1959). Todd Haynes’ 2002 American drama Far From Heaven makes clear intertextual references to Douglas Sirk’s 1955 and 1959 films All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life in terms of style and themes although…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 US Cinema Comparative Study: Minority Report and Blade Runner »

Rob Miller | Monday October 06, 2014

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section C: US Film Comparative Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Industry, Film Distribution, Film Marketing, Film Publicity, Film Promotion, Films & Case Studies, American, Blade Runner, Hollywood Films, Minority Report, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Hot Entries

Introduction One of the most interesting ways to engage with genre is to select two films from the same genre and compare and contrast them. Critically, select two films produced in significantly different time periods and places - by doing this kind of analytical exercise we’re able to go some distance in identifying some of the ways in which a genre evolves. Science fiction film certainly seems to offer a particularly rich case study in terms of what kinds of ideas texts can be encoded…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 US Cinema Comparative Study: Gilda and L.A.Confidential »

Rob Miller | Tuesday September 23, 2014

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section C: US Film Comparative Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, L.A Confidential, Hollywood Films, Gilda, Genres & Case Studies, Crime, Drama, Film Noir, Mystery, Romance, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Representation

Introduction In this section of the exam you will get a choice of one question from two – an absolute must is that you compare and contrast two films, either from the same genre or that both deal with a specific theme. Genre, narrative and representation are key areas of study - see below examples of past questions:How far do the American films you have studied convey key themes in similar ways? How far is the representation of characters in the American films you have studied influenced by…
[ read full article ] »

Vertigo (Hitchcock 1958) Case Study »

jclarke | Monday August 18, 2014

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, FM4, Section C: Single Film Critical Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Industry, Film Marketing, Film Publicity, Film Promotion, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Vertigo, Genres & Case Studies, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge Understanding the relationship between the micro and the macro elements of a film is an essential part of our analysis of movies. Every shot, every sound accumulates to form the expression of an idea. Thinking about movies in this way might prompt us to acknowledge that a camera move for example, can express a character’s psychology, sometimes more forcefully and memorably than a line of dialogue could ever do. In the opening scene of Vertigo (1958) as the film’s…
[ read full article ] »

Modern Times Case Study (Chaplin 1936) »

jclarke | Monday May 19, 2014

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, FM4, Section C: Single Film Critical Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Modern Times, Genres & Case Studies, Comedy, Drama, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge The first image that we see in Modern Times is of a clock - a symbol of the workplace and productivity as Chaplin’s Little Tramp struggles in the modern, industrialised world of which he is so critical during the time of the Great Depression, see more on that here. As such the image is emblematic of the entire film. Modern Times is a silent film comedy that is as ideologically rich and meaningful as a wide range of far more ‘serious’ dramas about ‘serious’…
[ read full article ] »

GCSE Film Studies Exemplar Responses 2013/14 »

Rob Miller | Wednesday April 16, 2014

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, X-Men, Non-Hollywood Films, Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Devil’s Backbone, Genres & Case Studies, Superhero, Hot Entries, Mock Exams, GCSE Mock Exams

Associated Resources WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 1 A Grade Response 2013.docx WJEC GCSE Film Studies Paper 2 A-B Exemplar The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.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 WJEC GCSE Film Studies Paper 1 A-B Grade Response Summer 2014.docx
[ read full article ] »

Iron Man Case Study »

Rob Miller | Wednesday March 12, 2014

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Iron Man, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Hot Entries

click on image to enlarge Paper 1 | Superhero Film Case Study | Iron Man (2008) Institutional Factors Literary Origins Production and Funding Distribution Cast and Crew Iron Man is a successful film franchise - Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013) and rumours of Iron Man 4 are all based on Marvel Comics characters developed by Stan Lee in 1963. In terms of the 1960s comics, ‘Iron Man’ Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr. in all three films) is an American billionaire playboy,…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC AS Film Studies FM2 Section B British Film Horror Exemplar »

Rob Miller | Tuesday March 11, 2014

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section B: British Film Topics, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, 28 Days Later, Non-Hollywood Films, The Wicker Man, Theatre of Blood, Genres & Case Studies, British Film, Horror, Hot Entries

click on image to enlarge How do genre conventions in the films that you have studied link with messages and values? (40) My chosen genre is horror and the two texts I have chosen to focus on are The Wicker Man (1973) and 28 Days Later (2002). The Wicker Man falls into the sub genre of horror and psychological thriller, with its own recognisable codes and conventions. As a film that was seen as problematical then in 1973 (hence its X/18 certificate) it has since become a cult classic exploring…
[ read full article ] »

Superhero and Film Outside Hollywood Revision Workshop »

Rob Miller | Wednesday January 15, 2014

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, Genres & Case Studies, Drama, Superhero, Hot Entries

Book A Half or Full Day Revision Workshop in Your School Programme Details Edusites Film 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…
[ read full article ] »

British Film and Genre (Horror and Comedy) »

Rob Miller | Wednesday December 04, 2013

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section B: British Film Topics, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Industry, Censorship & Regulation, Copyright & Licensing, Film Distribution, Film Marketing, Film Publicity, Film Promotion, Production Companies, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, 28 Days Later, Non-Hollywood Films, Four Lions, Genres & Case Studies, British Film, Comedy, Horror, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge The British Film Industry is successful and thriving but as Jill Nelmes identified in An Introduction to Film Studies can be defined on a number or levels and by a range of “disparate films, genres and movements?. In addition to this there are arguments over what is a British Film and as such, there have been many attempts to define British Film over the years. A useful definition that the BFI proposed in 1996 was that films could be described and culturally and/or…
[ read full article ] »

Film and Thatcher’s Britain »

jclarke | Tuesday December 03, 2013

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Section B: British Film Topics, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Industry, Censorship & Regulation, Copyright & Licensing, Film Marketing, Film Publicity, Film Promotion, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Chariots of Fire, Non-Hollywood Films, My Beautiful Laundrette, Genres & Case Studies, Comedy, Drama, History, Romance, Sport, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge One of the key issues to be explored in our study of film is that of representation. As such, it’s fair to say that there’s an established, and largely agreed upon, understanding that film, like other media and forms of cultural expression, can reflect back to us aspects of the conditions in which we live or have lived with. Certainly, there’s scope for us to think about how British cinema has, in more or less ‘obvious’ ways, reflected back to us a point of…
[ read full article ] »

Developments in 21st Century Cinema and Film (2000-Present) »

jclarke | Wednesday November 27, 2013

Categories: A Level, OCR A Level, OCR A2, OCR AS, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, EDUQAS A2, Film History, Cinema in Context, Film Industry, Censorship & Regulation, Copyright & Licensing, Film Distribution, Film Marketing, Film Publicity, Film Promotion, Production Companies, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Avatar, World Cinema, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, Hot Entries, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge Film is technology. It’s an obvious point, and an essential one. Film established itself as a symbol of the modern, mechanical age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and so it is particularly interesting to now witness how the medium is moving into the digital age. Indeed, we should perhaps talk not of new technology but of now technology because it is so quickly ever changing and evolving. In Western Europe we live in an increasingly digital and…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC A Level Film Studies Recommended Texts »

Rob Miller | Friday October 04, 2013

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, EDUQAS A2, Films & Case Studies, American, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, World Cinema, Genres & Case Studies, Hot Entries

AS Film Studies Films to teach Core Concepts/British Film Topics/Comparative Study The Shining (1980): Film Form/Mise-en-Scene Beautiful Lies (2010): Genre Avatar (2009): Production, Distribution but also representation and genre Cowboys and Aliens (2011): Hybrid Genre Hot Fuzz (2007): Hybrid Genre, British Film Production Companies Warm Bodies (2013): Hybrid Genre Milk (2008): Independent American Social Realism Precious (2009): Independent American Social Realism About Time (2013): Working…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC GCSE Film Studies Recommended Texts »

Rob Miller | Friday October 04, 2013

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Films & Case Studies, American, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, World Cinema, Genres & Case Studies, Hot Entries

Non-Superhero Films – Areas of Study Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011): Production values and genre Titanic (1997): Film Form, Narrative, genre and representation Cloverfield (2008): Genre and production values The Bourne Identity (2002): Narrative, film franchises and genre The King’s Speech (2010): Film Form, Film funding, genre and representation Gulliver’s Travels (2010): Hybrid comedy, Action Adventure Star Trek into Darkness (2013): Genre, sequels, franchises and…
[ read full article ] »

WJEC A2 Film Studies FM4 Section C Single Film Critical Study Fight Club Exemplar »

Rob Miller | Monday June 03, 2013

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, FM4, Section C: Single Film Critical Study, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Fight Club, Hot Entries

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…
[ read full article ] »

Popular Film & Emotional Response: Understanding Emotional Responses »

vikiwalden | Monday March 25, 2013

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS A2, FM4, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Schindler’s List, Non-Hollywood Films, World Cinema, La Vita e Bella, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, History, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language, Representation

click on image to enlarge 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…
[ read full article ] »

GCSE Film Studies Mock Exams 2013 »

Rob Miller | Wednesday January 09, 2013

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, X-Men, Non-Hollywood Films, Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Genres & Case Studies, Superhero, Hot Entries, Mock Exams, GCSE Mock Exams

Associated Resources WJEC GCSE Film Sudies Mock Exam Paper 1 2013.docx WJEC GCSE Film Studies Mock Exam Paper 2 2013.docx  
[ read full article ] »

28 Days Later Case Study »

vikiwalden | Monday November 05, 2012

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, 28 Days Later, Genres & Case Studies, British Film, Horror

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…
[ read full article ] »

Student Example of Micro Analysis | High Level Work »

Rob Miller | Monday October 01, 2012

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Micro Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Your Highness, Genres & Case Studies, Action Adventure, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Hot Entries

Associated Resources GCSE Film Studies Micro Analysis A* Grade Example.doc
[ read full article ] »

Sherlock Holmes Case Study »

nicoleponsford | Monday September 10, 2012

Categories: A Level, EDUQAS A Level, EDUQAS AS, FM2, Analysis, Film Analysis, Film Industry, Production Companies, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Crime, Key Concepts, Audience, Film Language

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…
[ read full article ] »

Thor Case Study »

nicoleponsford | Monday September 10, 2012

Categories: GCSE, WJEC GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Thor, Genres & Case Studies, Superhero, Hot Entries

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…
[ read full article ] »

Superman Advanced Screening Questions »

Rob Miller | Tuesday November 29, 2011

Categories: GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Screening Notes, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Superman, Genres & Case Studies, Superhero, Hot Entries

Associated Resources Superman Advanced Screening Questions.doc
[ read full article ] »

Spider-Man Advanced Screening Questions »

Rob Miller | Tuesday November 29, 2011

Categories: GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Screening Notes, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Spider-Man, Genres & Case Studies, Superhero, Hot Entries

Associated Resources Spider-Man Advanced Screening Questions.doc
[ read full article ] »

British Star Marketing & Hollywood | Guidance Notes »

Rob Miller | Tuesday November 29, 2011

Categories: GCSE, A Level, Film Industry, Film Marketing, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Non-Hollywood Films, Genres & Case Studies, British Film, Hot Entries

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…
[ read full article ] »

Superman Case Study »

nicoleponsford | Thursday November 24, 2011

Categories: GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Superman, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, Superhero, Hot Entries

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)…
[ read full article ] »

Kick Ass Case Study »

nicoleponsford | Wednesday November 16, 2011

Categories: GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, Kick Ass, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, British Film, Comedy, Independent, Superhero, Hot Entries

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…
[ read full article ] »

Atonement Pupil Research Questions »

Rob Miller | Thursday November 10, 2011

Categories: A Level, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, American, Hollywood Films, Atonement, Genres & Case Studies, British Film, Costume Drama, Heritage, Period Drama, Romance, War, Hot Entries, Research, Film Research

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: 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? What was the name of the Production Company and Theatrical Distributor? How would you describe…
[ read full article ] »

The Incredibles Case Study »

vikiwalden | Wednesday November 09, 2011

Categories: GCSE, Analysis, Film Analysis, Films & Case Studies, Hollywood Films, The Incredibles, Genres & Case Studies, Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Animation, 1990 Onwards, Superhero, Hot Entries

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,…
[ read full article ] »