A Level Film Studies Course
A level Film Studies at Ashbourne is a very popular subject with students achieving excellent results, winning awards and moving into a career with the film and media industry.
A level Film Studies at Ashbourne is a very popular subject with students achieving excellent results, winning awards and moving into a career with the film and media industry.
Films are not just about entertainment (although there is that). They offer a view on the world. They are artistic and cultural reflections of their time and place full of underlying social, historical and cultural contexts to explore and decipher.
By studying film you will begin to acquire the tools with which to interpret, analyse and filter the narrative within the films and images that have become so pervasive in today’s culture.
Film Studies at Ashbourne was a delight to be a part of. The tutors made my experience at Ashbourne. They are people who are evidently truly passionate about the subjects they teach and about intellectually enriching young minds.
Antony, A level Film Studies A*, English Literature A*, Russian A* and French A
The technical, creative and analytical skills you develop in studying and producing film will not only prove invaluable experience for a job in cinema, the media industry and the arts but will also be attractive to employers in a variety of other fields.
From Hollywood and Bollywood to Iranian art house and Italian neo realism, Ashbourne A level Film Studies students are introduced to a wide range of films to explore their themes and contexts, as well as differing styles of writing and directing.
With expert tuition and technical advice from our Multimedia Faculty Head and Film Studies tutor Dennis Fulcher and Latin-American specialist Alberto Lado Rey students get the chance to produce and edit their own films and videos using industry-standard software Final Cut Pro.
This course can be studied alongside other arts and media courses – Art, Graphics, English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies – but is also an excellent complement to History and Politics.
Former A level Film Studies student Antony won the Best Short Film in the Moving Image Awards for his production Continuum. The judges were particularly impressed by the expert production and tension-building narrative of the story.
The Moving Image Awards was set up in partnership with the British Film Institute to celebrate and reward talented young filmmakers between 14 and 19. It is open to students undertaking WJEC/Eduqas qualifications in Film and Media across the UK.
Antony graduated from Ashbourne with A level Film Studies A*, English Literature A*, Russian A* and French A and went on to attain a First Class BA Honours degree in Practical Filmmaking. He is now an independent film director who has won awards for his short documentary and also works as production assistant at Big Sky Productions.
Charli won the award for Best Short Film and was selected as Overall Winner for her animation drama ‘8’. She received huge praise from the exam moderator.
“WOW! I am quite breath-taken by this stunning animated masterpiece … it is quite simply brilliant! Undoubtedly the best A Level piece of work I have ever seen. This is an outstanding filmmaker who will go far in the future.” (Exam moderator)
Charli animated the film using photoshop and a graphic tablet, recoloured on Premier Pro and then edited together on Imovie. She composed an original score for the film which she recorded and fully orchestrated using Logic Pro. The voiceovers were performed by Charli and a friend.
Charli went straight into a job as Creative Development Assistant for a music development company after achieving outstanding A level results in Film Studies, Music and Drama.
“I cannot recommend Ashbourne enough for anyone with a drive and a passion to succeed. You will thrive.” Charli, Creative producer of original musical theatre for screen and stage.
Students hoping to pursue a career in this field can choose from a variety of Film Studies and related courses at universities across the UK including at Warwick, King’s College and Queen Mary, Edinburgh, UCL, Oxford, East Anglia, Plymouth and Gloucestershire.
Getting into the film industry is highly competitive but there are plenty of options and directions you can to select. With your creative eye, sharp critical skills and technical expertise you could take centre stage and direct your own blockbuster or art house movie, write screenplays or music scores, review the latest movies, become the visual, sound or music editor, art direct, create props, come up with great ideas for programmes, make video games, promote, market and advertise, or become a youTube phenomenon, for example.