Parents’ Page

Welcome

We are delighted that your son or daughter has decided to take the IB Certificate in Film Studies or has taken the course as part of the full IB diploma programme.

The IB is an international course and at its heart is a desire, ‘to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.’  We believe that Film is a wonderful way to give our young people a window into the wider world and to learn about other cultures and values, attitudes and beliefs.

Course Outline

The course has four assessed units:

  • A film portfolio (25%)
  • A textual analysis essay (20%)
  • A comparative video essay (20%)
  • A collaborative film project (35%)

Here is a document which details what the students need to submit for each assessed component:

Year 1

The students will complete the Film Portfolio through a series of skills development tasks and a short film completed in the summer term. It will be submitted at the end of the first year.

We will also seek to build up the students’ appreciation of Cultural Contexts and Film Elements (see document above) through exploration of the following complete films:

  • Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) del Toro
  • The Dark Knight (2008) Nolan
  • Nosferatu (1922) Mernau
  • Let The Right One In (2007) Alfredson

We will also be exploring and studying a wide range of sequences from other films.

Year 2

The students will complete the Textual Analysis and Comparative Study in the first term of the second year which assesses their knowledge and understanding of Film Contexts and Film Elements.

During the spring term of their second year students will work in production groups to complete their Collaborative Film Project.

Dates (2019-20)

Tuesday 11th May 2020 – Filming day out of school – venue tbc.

Support Drop In – Every Thursday Lunch

The Reflective Journal

We expect all students to maintain an online journal, which is a reflective record of their learning in Film Studies. It is an essential component of the course and requires them to record their:

  • Inquiry – analysis and exploration of film
  • Action – skills development in 5 key film production roles
  • Reflection – on their knowledge, understanding and experience of film

The reflective journal is a crucial part of the course and must become part of each student’s weekly independent study.

Their teacher will check their progress regularly and give feedback through a shared document, ‘ The Journal League’. If we feel that the Reflective Journal is not being maintained sufficiently well, we will contact parents or carers and seek support to maintain progress.

Cameras and Equipment

It is extremely useful for students to own a camera. They will be using it quite extensively for practical photography and cinematography both in the production of their coursework, but also for other learning tasks.

The cameras we recommend are entry level Nikon, Sony or Canon DSLR that film in HD.

A complete kit is a camera such as this one, a fast SD card like this and a tripod. All of these are usually available to buy second hand on eBay.

We recognise that this is a significant financial outlay and we do have some school cameras and SD cards that we can loan to students for the academic year for a deposit of £50. If students wish to take advantage of this option they should speak to their teacher who will organise the loan.

Filming Off Site & Risk Assessment

We encourage our students to experiment and practice film production skills. Most of the practical work they need to do to complete the course will be conducted at school and during normal school hours. However in the Summer Term of year 1 and in the Spring Term of year 2 students may need to film offsite without the direct supervision. These shoot may be done during or outside normal school hours.

We always encourage students to assess the possible dangers and risks posed by filming. However if students are filming without supervision, this process is mandatory and school and parents should be fully aware of the shoot arrangements and be satisfied that it has been properly risk assessed.

All remote supervision shoots operate under a generic risk assessment, which the students should be aware of and which is agreed by parents. Furthermore, the students should complete a location specific assessment and agree it with their teacher.

It is important for students to note, that should they return with footage that self evidently convenes their risk assessment or ours, that footage, no matter how visually effective, will not be eligible to submit as part of their coursework!

Contact Us

You should always feel free to contact the school with any concerns or questions you may have.

Your daughter or son’s tutor is usually the first point of contact. However you should feel at free to contact their teachers to discuss progress. The most effective way is via e.mail as teachers may not be at liberty to take phone calls during lesson time.

The teacher in this year’s cohort of Film Studies is Mr Ed Gregson.

Phone: 01481 256571

Email: egregson@web.grammar.sch.gg