Film Studies
Studying A Level Film Studies opens up a wide range of creative, technical, and academic career paths - not just in film and television, but across many areas of media, communication, and the arts.
Entry Requirements
The general college entry requirements.
What will I Study?
Film form & technical elements: cinematography, mise‑en‑scène, editing, sound, performance etc. How these are used to make meaning.
Film history & movements: early cinema / silent film, Hollywood’s classical periods, New/Experimental film and global cinema.
Context: cultural, social, historical, and industrial contexts of film; how these affect what films are made and how they are received.
Theoretical / critical approaches: spectator theory, genre, representation (e.g. gender, race), authorship (auteur theory) and ideology etc
Which exam board is used and how will I be assessed?
Educas exam board.
Where could this subject take me?
Film Director / Producer:
Typically requires further study (Film Production or Media at university or film school).
Start with short films, local projects, or YouTube/Vimeo portfolios.
Cinematographer / Camera Operator:
Build technical skills through BFI workshops, short courses, or film degrees.
Strong visual sense and knowledge of lighting and lenses needed.
Editor / Post-production Specialist:
Learn editing software (Premiere Pro, Avid, DaVinci Resolve).
Post-production houses, studios, or freelance work.
Screenwriter / Script Editor:
A Level Film Studies develops analysis and storytelling skills.
Many pursue Creative Writing or Screenwriting degrees.
Film Journalist / Critic / Reviewer:
Write for magazines, YouTube channels, or online platforms.
Combine with English or Journalism degrees.
Marketing, PR, and Media Communications:
Film Studies gives insight into audience psychology and storytelling.
Useful for advertising, branding, and social media strategy roles.
How can I get ahead in this subject
Build on your core analytical skills:
Cinematography – camera angles, framing, lighting, colour.
Editing – continuity, montage, pacing, transitions.
Sound – dialogue, music, sound effects, silence.
Mise-en-scène – setting, costume, props, performance.
Watch a wide-range of films - recommended starting list:
Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock) – classic Hollywood form.
Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino) – postmodernism & narrative.
Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins) – representation & identity.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Guillermo del Toro) – world cinema.
Trainspotting (1996, Danny Boyle) – British cinema.
Sightseers (2012, Ben Wheatley) – British independent film.
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