TEACHERS!

GUIDE TO THE

ILEA:BFI 6TH

FORM

FILM

COURSE

Introduction
The ilea:bfi

6th form film study course is organised by the ilea in co-operation with the ECucation Department of the British Film Instj-tute (bf i). The course is a centralised oD1 in that students from participating schools attend centralised screenings of the films shown and do follow up work on materials which have been centrally produced.

This Teachersr Guide is intended to explain the basic organisation of the coursr It does not cover the useof the course materiaLs themselvest separate guides are produced for each unit of the course materialq both for ease of use and for flexibility in any up-dating.
The Students

The course is intended as a general stud,ies course suitable for aII sixth formers. It concentrates upon popular cinema with the intention that students will both find the films accessible and enjoyable in themselves and be able to relate work on the course to the ir ord.inary f ilm viewing .
The Exam

There is a Certificate of Extended Education Examination in FiIm Studies organised with the London Regional Examinations Board which is based substantiatly upon the 6th form film studies course. Details of the syllabus and examination requirements, methods of application and specimen exam paper will be found at the end of this guidg. If your school is considering entering students for the examination do please read this detailed
i-nf

orrnation.

Time

The screenings for the course are organised on every other THURSDAY afternoon during the Autumn and Spring terms.During the Summer term students may either be undertaking work for the CEE or might study particular aspects of film or television within their lessonsrsuch as Documentary or Television Drama series. The course organisers will be happy to help and advise on sucb work and there are various suitable resources within the ilea Film and Video LiJrrary.
The central film screenings are normally from 2pm to not later than 4.30pm. depending upon the length of the film. Most screenings wil l be completed. by 4. 1 5pm. A detailed timetabl,e and progrunme of screenings is included in this guide.

AII screenings for 1982-1983 will be held at the SCALA CINEIVIA which is situated at 275 Fntonville Rd, on the corner where the caledonian Rd joins it close to Kings cross station. It is assumed that students will have between 90 mins. and 1ZO mins.of lesson time on the Thursday afternoons which are spent in schools during which time follow up and preparatory work based on the materials will be undertaken.
Those schools taking the CEE Examination should allow at least an

extra hour Per week for students in order to enable them to conplete the course work requirements.
Teachers

in-service support. It is intended for teachers who are interested in studying film but who may not have had specialist training in the sub ject. The materials are des igned to provi.de detailed support for classroom work. For teachers wishing to develop their own knowledge of film, an introductory bibliography of film is included in this guide. Various full-time and part-tirne courses in film and media are now available in London at the British Film Institute, the Institute of Education London University and at the Polytechnic of Central London. Details of these can be obtained from the course or gan isers

The 6th form film course has been developed in part as a form of

Costs

The cost of the course is currently E4 per studenL Schools will also need. to cover the costs of transport.
The cost of materials for the course supplied through the bfi is approximately 50, though of course this is an initial and not a recurring cosL(See later under Ivlaterials) Schools wiLl also need to meet the cost of mounting the slides used in the materials.
Mater

ial

The materials for the course have been mainly produced by the bfi. Originally the bfi and ilea developed materials on a trial

basis especially for the course but subsequently the bfi has obtained the agreernent of some f ilm companies to market slides from films to educational users on a non-profit making basis. This has lneant that r&t rg:r than producing sets of slides specifically for the 6th form film studies course, the bfi has developed such sets of slides as a more flexible resollrco The present pattern of the materials is therefore that they are made up for the inost part from slide sets relating to ind.ividual f ilms which can be used separately by other users worki.ng at different Ievels or following their own corlFSsr Whilst the sets of slides on the films form a key part of the teaching materials, some of the accompanying teachersr notes may be inappropriate in places where they are aimed at more aCvanced or detailed study. There will therefore be a specific Teachersl Guide to each of the three units of the 6th form film studies course Film:Narrative; Filrn:Genre and Filn: Entertainment and Potitics. These quides wilt gloss the bfi teachers notes to ind,ividual films, suggest additional possible approaches to add to work on the slides and will offer particular links between the individual films and the topic of the unit Although in earlier versions of the course materials studentsr materials were included, experience has suggested that teachers so that inflexible w ish to vary the approach they adopt, proved cumbersome or unnecssarlr Somesuggested studentsrnotes student materials are included on the basis that these can be copied in the required numbers.

It should be stressed that whilst the materials offer suggestions and support for discussing the films shown on the course, they are not intended as a rigid or inflexible approach. Teachers may w ish to vary the use of materials to suit stud.entsf responses, and should be ar^rare that the materials were des igned to provide sufficient work for 2 hour lessons, so that those who have less time for classroom work should not expect to be able to cover all the suggested possibilities.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FRAIT{E SLIDES SUPPLIED BY THE BFI ARE UNT"IOUNTED TO SAVE COSTS. SCHOOLS ViTT,T, NEED TO OBTAIN SLIDE },IOUNTS"THERE WILL BE APPROXIII{ATELY 35 SLIDES PER SET AND 10 SETS OF SLIDES.

The approxirnate cost of a complete set of course materiaLs is 50. The Centre Eor Learning Resources will Iiase withbfiand organise the supply of materials, though teachers may need to collect these from the Education Department of the bfi, 81 Dean Street London Id1. Teachers wiII be notified about arrangements for obtaining the materials at the beginning of the Autumn term. It is not necessary to place an individual order with the bfi as this will be done by the course organisrs o Sehools will be invoiced for material-s.

Normally enquiries regard,ing the course should be made to the Organiser, but should there be any need to contact the bfi Education Dept. d,irectly, then the member of staff to ask for is
Cary Bazalgette.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

It will obviously be beneficiaL to students if the school library can obtain some books on f ilrn related to the course and if it stocks periodicals on film. The course organisers wiII provide an introductory bibliography t,hough there is not much writing on films aimed at students in this age rdngo
Students might valuably be encouraged. to bring in cuttings from current newspapers and magazines on filmsr the film industry and stars to build up a collective source of information.

The 6th form f ilm stud,ies course - ai-rns and methodology

The
CEE

aims amd objectives of the course have been set out in the syll-abus as follows:
:

Aims

To give students an opportunity to develop concepts rel-evant to understanding the narrative form of popular commercial films, the cinematic cont.ext which produces and markets themr their ideological role in society and their possible reception by audiences. Theseconcepts wiLl also be considered in relation to television where applicable.
Objectives:

1. Image analysisl through the close study of individual films and supporting slides sequences, students should be able to acquire the techniques of image analysis and therefore be able to study the ways in which narrative information is presented visually. 2. FiIm narrative: students should be able to d.iscern and isolate the narrative elements of plot, charactett dction, filmic time and sound.track, and togrether with an understanding of cinematic techniques, produce a systematic analysis of individual films. 3. Cinematic conventions: by the study of a group of films from specific genres, students should be enabled to recogrnise the iconographical and thematic elements those films have in common and, from that understanding, to assess the constraints and advantages of genre films in general. aspects of f ilms: having come to an 4. The ideological understanding of the technical construction of films, students will be encouraged to analyse the way in whj.ch the aud,iencers interpretation of a film is determined by its highly constructed nature and invited to cons i.der how the manipulation of an rpoint of viewr could create a different alternative interpretation of events d.epicted. 5. Production and marketing: students should be able to analyse the commerc ial appeal of a particular f ilm and relate t.his to

production methods. Students should also be able to describe marketing techniques and show how these help to form audience
expectations.

6. Students will be encouraged to refLect in their written work an aesthetic appreciation of f ilms andr from an increased critical awareness, derive greater pleasure from their viewing of films in the future.

Methodology Because the course covers only two and a half terms, it has opted

for a concentration upon studying the type of feature fict,ion filmproduced for exhibition in cinemas, andthe $rays in which such f ilms are marketed and understood by aud.iences. Such f ilms should be most familiar to students and therefore encourage them to think about these films more analytically. Study of other forms of f ilm such as documentary or independent f ilms 1 though obviously valuable , are less easy to organise within the format adopted by the course, and might best be developed subsequent to the introductory study which forms the basis of the 5th form filrn studies coursr Students wiIl be very familiar with both wat,ching fil-ms and talking about them, but probably not with analysing films in any detail. The course is therefore organised into three sections or units :
Film : Narrative Film: Genre

FiIm:Politics and Entertainment

These three sections are intend.ed to increase the detail of analysis and to build from work on how f ilms produce nanative to study of some of the types of narratives commonly exhibited in t.he cinema. there is not however any particular difference in "difficulty" between the films shown at the beginning and end of the couf,so Rather it is a question of initially concentrating upon more formal aspects of narrative style and then broadening work to include considerations of other cinematic factors such as and of marketing the star system, the practices exhibitionrconcepts of entertainment and the complex relationship situations between fiction films and the social and political they d.raw upon for their strbjects.
The individual films shown on the course have not been chosen as rset textsr but far more as illustrations of general conventions

and styles within film production. It is these general conventions and styles which are stressed in discussion, but equally as every film is individual" in its particular combination of narrative conventions and method,s then attention is f ocussed. upon individual stylj"stic choices and the possible consequences

of these for an aud.iencers understanding. As the course proceeds students should be able increasingly to see both broad narrative similarities between films as well as specific differeDCsr
Most student writing about films in school has traditionally been Iimited to sumrnaries of the story. Such work pays little or no attentj-on to the aspect of f ilm as FILl"1, to how the elements of the f ilm have been select,ed and combined to produce each moment of the narrative, or to what the impact of each succeeding moment is for the viewer. The course encorrrages students to become more consciously aware of a number of aspects of film such as the

choice of camera framing and anglel the use of lighting and colour, the grouping of characters, the pattern of movement and the rhythm of editing, the i.mpact of music and sound ef fects, the power of silence. There is a danger however of seeing such aspects as rformr or rs tyler super imposed upon an already existent rcontentr of dramatic action. The approach of the course is to encourage students to see that supposed rcontentf takes its meaning very much from its placing within the filmrs narrative organisation. The viewerrs attention is drawn to eventsr wordsr sound.s, gestr:res which recur with modifications throughout the narrative. The meaning and significance of these alter as the narrative develops, with the viewer being reminded of what has gone before, comparing and contrasting it with each new moment.
Use of Slides

The choice of frame slides as the basic form of course materials a pragmatic one - although the bfi has a film was initially

it would never have been possible to have extract library, of the same extract for all schools to uso The sufficient copies slides do al-low emphasis to be given to some elements of visual composition. Of course they have the inherent drawback of lack of sound and movementrbut the rfreezingr of a still moment allows time for analysis and refl-ection which is not poss ible within the flow of the film itself. In practice students are often able to use the stimulus of the slide as a rmemory triggerr to relatively detailed visual recall of the relevant scene from the fi1m.

So questions on the slides tend to call for two different uses 'either detailed analysis of the conposition of the imageand its d.ramatic effect in terms of the moment at which it appears, or where the imagC|stands for a whole scene, a character or an aspect of the filmrs visual appeal. This should usually be clear from. the context of the question, but it may be helpful to students to make it clear whether they are being asked to concentrate upon details of composition or the broader moment.
The sl ides are numbered in chronol-ogical order. In some work, questions are organised on chronological lines but in other work, emphasis is more on comparison of different moments across the

narrative. Obviously a carousel projector facilitate such movement back and forth.

if

available

can

Very often questions on the slides provoke detailed discussion so that there is a possible problem of actually getting through all the slides or of ending the discussion around some particular aspect of a slide rather than a more general point about the film. One strategy which may help to avoid this is to play through al I the sl ides at the beginning of the lesson so that stud.ents can use them to aid remembering the filn and then to concentrate on only some of the slides if tjme is pressing. Concentration upon the slides does tend to predicate whole class discuss ion as a pattern of work. It is poss ible t,o vary this by asking smaller groups of students to look at a group of slides and trrcn io present these to the rest of the class.

If possible it is valuable to try to end lessons with a brief review of the general points which have been covered and to relate these to what has gone before in the unit. It will also be very useful if students can be prepared for the f ilrn they are to see the following week - indeed in some cases it is very important that they do undertake work ahead of the film if they are to gain as much as possible from the single viewing. At various points in the course more general activities are suggested for students. These are intended to get them to think about aspects of film outside of the particular films being viewed, as well as introducing variety into the methods of
classroom working.

10

PROGRAT'IME
1

OF SCREENINGS FOR ilea:bfi

6th form film study course

982- 1 983

SCREENINGS ARE

AT ITHE SCALA CINEI',IAI 275-277 PENIONVILLE

RD

SCREENINGS COMTI,IENCE

AT 2.10 P.I'l. EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF A

PROGRA!4ME.

LONG

FILI'I AS INDICATED IN THE

23
7

2',|
11

25
9

September 1982 October 19e2 October 1982 November 1982 November 1982 December 19A2
1

JUGGERNAUT

110

THE TAKING OF PELHAIq

CROSSFIRE

r23

04

111

THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES early start 2 135 THE RISE AND TALL OF LEGS DIAMOND 10 1
COD{A

113 104

January 27 January 10 February

13
3

983 983

1983
1

March

983
1983

17

March

THE HARDER THEY CO},IE STATE OF SIEGE RAID ON ENIEBBE early start 2 ALL THE PRESIDENT I S MEN ear Iy start THE CHINA SYNDROI{E

124

124 124
122

11

CERTIFICATE OF EXTENDED EDUCATION IN FILM STUDIES

There i's a Certificate of Extended Education Examination in Filrn Studies which has been developed by Tower Hamlets Schoo1 in con j unction with the ilea:bf i 6th f orm f ilm stud.ies course. Schools wishing to take this examination course should contact the course organiser Chris t"lottershead Centre for L,earning Resources
27

tel: 633 2751/2

He

5 Kennington Lane

SE 1 1 SeZ

wiII obtain the written permission of Tower Hamlets Sehool which is required by new schools taking their syllabus. Schools shourd then inform the London Regional Examining Board
Lyon House 1 04 Wandsworth High Street London SW 18 AI'f,.

that they are intending to enter students for the examination so that the L.R.E.B. send. t.hem the necessary entry forms. The syllabus number is 891290.
Schools should also notify Heather Hillier or Jean Gould of Tower Hamlet's School that t,hey are enter ing for the examination .
DATES FOR 1982-1983

EXAMTNATTON 24trt: JUNE

both morning and afternoon

PROJECTS AND COT.]RSE WORK

these are to be submitted to the lvloderator by lst June"

ORAL EXAMINATION

1993

This wiII be organised by arrangement with the tloderator. l"loderator is MR GORDON EATON
LITTLE ILFORD SCHOOL
BROWNING ROAD LONDON

The

812

Tel: 478 e^024

Home

tel I 599 370

12

STANDARDISATION

Since a number of schools are involved with this CEE Film Studies exam the LREB requ5.re that the marking be standardised. There will therefore be a meeting for all teachers entering candidates

ich will be organised shortly after the date of the examination. It is essential that all those teachers involved attend this meeting.
wh

To assist both students and teachers, most schooLs entering candidates hold a practice exam earlier in the academic year, and there is also a stand.ardising meeting following this to enable teachers to.compare their marking and thej-r studentsr scripts. Dates for this wilL also be arranged nearer to the time.

13

CERTIFICATE OF EXTENDED EDUCATION

TOWER HAMLETS SCHOOL

IN FILM STUDIES

Aims

To give students an opportunity to develop concepts relevant to understanding the narrative form of popular commercial films, the cinematic context which produces and markets themr their ideological role in society and their possible reception by audiences.These concepts will also be considered in relation to television where applicable.
Ob

jectives:

1. Image analysis: through the close study of individual f ilrns and supporting slides sequences, students should be able to acquire the techniques of image analysis and therefore be able to study the ways in which narrative information is presented visual Iy . 2. Filnr narrative: students should be able to discern and isolate the narrative elements of plot, character, action, filmic time and soundtrack, and together with an understanding of cinematic techniqus1 prod.uce a systematic analysis of individual films. 3. Cinematic conventions : by the study of a grroup of f ilms f rom specif ic genres, st.udents should be enabled to recognise the iconographical and thematic elements those films have in common and, from that understanding, to assess the constraints and advantages of genre films in general. aspects of f il ms: having come to an 4. The ideological understanding of the technical construction of filmsr students will be encouraged to analyse the way in which the audj.encers interpretation of a film is determined by its highly constructed nature and invj-ted to cons ider how the manipulation of an rpoint of viewr could create a different alternative interpretation of events depicted. 5. Production and marketing: students should be able to analyse the conmercial appeal of a particular f ilm and relate this to production methods. Students should also be able to describe marketing techniques and show how these help to form aud,ience
14

exPectations.

6. Students will be encouraged to reflect in their written work an aesthetic appreciation of f ilrns and, f rom an increased critical awareness, derive greater pleasure from their viewing of f ilrns in the f uture.
FORM OF THE COURSE

The course will be based on the existent ilea:bfi 6th form film studies corlrsr It will follow a pattern of centralised screenings once a fortnight during the Autumn and Spring terms, which will

necessitate a two hour block on the timetable, currently on a THI.TRSDAY afternoon. In the intervening weeks this two hour perj,od wilt be spent in intensive study inschool. Slides and other resources are already available for this part of the course. The written requirements of this syllabus will necessitate a further one or preferably two per iods per week somewhere on the tj-rnetable. This should provide suf f icient time f or teachersand students to investigate the other related areas of study included in the syllabus.
TARGET GROUP

Although it rnight present problems for students of a very low literacy level, vre envisage thj.s course as being appropriate for a mixed ability teaching group. For instancerstudents who are studying for a CEE or comparable qualification in English, would find areas in Filrn Studies which would reinforce their work in tAtlevel student.s in a variety of arts and English.Similarlyr humanities sr:bjects would f ind areas of compatability. The course could also provide an aesthetic element for a student undertaking a predominantely scientific curriculum.
SYLI,ABUS

The study of three maj-n aspects of commercial cinema, namely NARRATMTGENRE and EIUERTAINMENr AND POLIT ICS' will provide the basic structure of the syllabus. Other topics to be studied,, relevant to the three des ignated areas r w il-l inc lude the productionrmarketing and reception of films, stereotyping and the star system. The above areas may be supplemented with such related work as a study of television entertainment programmes if time allows; this would not be a compulsory element in the final
15

examination, although work on this could be included in the

Course Work Folder.
1

Narrative

The first half termrs viewing will form the basis for this section of work. This will consist of three f ilrnsr JUGGERNAUTTTHE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,23 and CROSSFIRE. Students wilI look at the presentation of narrative in filrn: the ordering and linking of dramatic incident, the construction of character, the effect of visual irnage s , dj-aIo9u r sotmd ef f ects and tnus ic . For instance, students rnight watch THE TAKING OF PELHAI"I 123 and be asked to look at the slides from the film to analyse the shifts in narrative presentation of the action. This would involve a discussion of the camera point of viewr the audiencers knowledge of the train highjack or the progress of the ransom money as compared with the rknowledger of either the detective Garber or the leader of the highjackers, the manipulation of such knowledge to create suspense, the role of hurnour in varying d.ramatic tension etc. 2.
Genre

This section of the course will comprise either the study of one genre, such as the Gangster filmr or of the idea of genre, through study of examples from different grrrsr Students willbe encouraged to draw upon their previous viewing as part of a study of the conventions governing either a particuLar genre or genres in general. Students might be expected to recogrnise s imilarit,ies in treatrnent during different periods of film making, to look at detaits of iconography and characterisation and to consider the importance of aud,ience expectatj,ons and the social context of the f ilms. For example students might watch THE OUILAW JOSEY WALES and be locations, the asked to comment on the use of different presentation of the civil war and its aftermathr the position of the protagonist as both hero and outlaw and the treatment of various characters -indiansr womenrsoldiers etc. both in terms of the filmrs narrative and in comparison with other westerns.

16

3 Entertainment and Politics

Th

is section w il 1 be based on f ilms viewed in the second term. These will be fairly recent examples of films about sociopolitical events and issues:high-jackingrespionagercorruption;THE
HARDER THEY COME,STATE OF SIEGE,RAID ON ENTEBBE,ALL THE PRESIDENTTS MEN, THE CHINA SYNDROpIE. Students will study the

d,ramatisation of real issues, the ef fects cf using particular stars, the commercial potential of the films and likely audience reception and interpretation. This will involve a cons id,eration of the ideologic.., aspect of films, of the way a particular film suggests a certain view of society. This part of the course wiII also include some study of the film industry. Students will be provided with basic information about the processes of productionrmarketing and distribution and asked to consider how far the pressures of the industry, the use of stars et,c.rshape the final rcornmodityt-the film. For instance in looking at a filn like RAID ON ENTEBBE, as vrell as studying the film itself and its dramatisation of real events and representation of real people, students would be asked to cons ider the s ignif icance of three f ilms be ing mad.e about the same subject, comparing their publicity posters, in order to speculate about possible different interpretations of the same incident.
4 edditional Notes on the Syllabus.
a.The films mentioned above are currently shown on the ilea:bfi 6th form film studies course, but filrns viewed may vary slightly and popularity with frop year to year, subject to availability s tuden ts . b.The examples of discussion lnints in the preceding sections are

given to provide a general illustration of the kind of work that might be undertaken; they are not intended to be comprehensive or in any way prescriptive. ce The three areas of the course as outlined above provide
17
a

structured method of introducing increasingly complex ideas to students;they are not mutually exclusive areas and wiII not be treated as such. Various threads are likely to run through the first two termrs work;narrative expectations, representation of character, stereotypingr the star system, likety audience response and interpretation etc. d. Before the first viewingl students will be given the opportunity to become aware of the ways in which they customarily read visual images, and the provision of a series of slides to accompany each f ilm enables students to develop t.his skill throughout the course Q.Tlevision has been included as a possible extension of the basic FiIm Studies course because of its predomj,nant role in studentsr own viewing experierrcr Televis ionrs accesibility makes it an obvious area for indivj-dual study. It also provides a potential area for comparability, ogogangster fitms compared with police series. Another area that could be studied is that, of the relationship between film and television, the way in which television consumes commercial narrative f ilrns and the way in which the film industry capitalises on popular television series by creating featr:re-lengreh rspin-of fsr. Furthermore, commercial film productions are increasingly budgeted with potential television sales in mind. Finally, it is to be hoped that the critical consc iousness developed by stud.ents during the course would be applied to their future television viewing, in regard to both aesthetic and ideological owarnssr f.With no films being screened during the third term, students and teachers will be able to use the time to develop the work that seems most appropriat,e. There is cons iderable f ilm material, both extracts, documentary f ilrns including some on aspect,s of the f ilm industry, and some short f ilms available through t,he ilea Film and Video Librdrlr Some of this material might also be suitable where students have developed a particuLar interest, perhaps in connection with their project.After Easter students wilI need time allocated for the completion of Course Work and preparation for the examinations.

18

ASSESSI,,IE}l1l

lr

Folder of Written

Work

marked out of 60(rhen divided by 3)

20t of total

mark

The students will be expected to keep a folder of work.This should comprise SIX ESSAYS written during the coursereach showing the date on whj,ch the piece of work was completed. At least THREE of these essays should be about films viewed on the coursr and it is assumed that these essays will be written after extensive discussion and slide viewing related to the f ilrnr rither than being immediate individual responsso These three essays could accounts of individual films, take the form of critical comparative studies of two or lnore f ilms or essays written in response to questions on particular aspects of a film or films provided by t.he teacher. In all c&ssr students should refer in detail to t,he films under discussion. The OTHER THREE ESSAYS should cover a range of work related to the c inema and/ot television.These essays may include critical accounts of filns series, a viewed independentlyra study of a televisj,on comparative study of f ilms and/or television programlllsrd documentary study tc.

Also acceptable among these three more general pieces would be examptes of written creative work rgoal outline of the opening sequences of a Disaster t'lovie of their own invention. A folder of six critical accounts of films viewed on the course would not be unacceptable, but candidates should be encouraged to present a balanced folder of work whose range and variety would give them the opportunity to display their understanding of different areas of the coutf,seo is account of a filmrit In assessing a studentrs critical recommended that marks should be awarded for evidence of a showing an and analytical approach to the filnr critical to genre understanding of narrative constructionrrelationship where relevant, and stylistic considerationsr such as reference to tighting, editing, camera work tc. Candidates should be given credit for clear and appropriate references which demonstrate an appeciation of the specificity of film. Since the course provides materj-als to encourage students to focus upon Particular elements in each f ilrn, a really able candidate should be able to deal with
19

concepts such as. the manipulation of audience response through suspense in JUGGERNAUI or the ways in which audience sympathies are directed to certain characters and the causes they represent in RAID ON ENTEBBE. It is likely that a really able candidate would demonstrate a grreater grasp of the more difficult areas of the course, such as the ideological aspects introd.uced in the secon term. Credit should be given for an attempt to deal with these issues effectivelY.
2.

Long Essay

or Project
15t of total

marked out of 30 (then halved)

This longer essay or project should relate to some general aspect of the course, and not simply be a review of a sin91e f ilm. Possible subjects for essay topics rnight include a case study of a film including information about its production and reception; a study of a Possible marketing, and its critical cycle of films of a similar type which compares the examplest considers possible appeals and the ways in which the films were produced and marketed; a study of the presentation of a character type or role across several films; a study of a television series or of some aspect of documentary film production would also be possible. The Project would be original workr Dot necessarily confined entirely to written formr possibilities for practical projects could include an or iginal photoplay, a short f ilm scriptl an edited tape intenriew, a detailed illustrated analysis of an extract from a film, an illustrated comparison of the use of music in films etc. Audio-visual work should be supplemented by some written comrnentary to explain ob jectives and methods.
Because the Pro

ject rnight be practical and include audio-visual materialr it is impossible to provide useful guidelines as to the number of words required. It should however be a substantial piece of work t teflecting some prolonged independent study or research. It should not, however, be assumed that an extended essay type of project would automaticalty attract more marks than a practLcaL/creative project. It would be possible for a simpte storyboard exercise with supplementary written materialrif it were well-organised and well executed, to convey economically and expertly an r:nderstanding of narrative construction, and thus demonstrate what the candidate has gained from the coursr

20

3.

The

Written Examination 50t of total

rnarked out of 100 (then halved)

This will" comprise two papers: dr Film Studies Paper b. Film Studies Paper 2
1

Film Study marked out of Image Study marked out of

7A

30

Paper

This will

last two and a half hours with an optional half hour. Cand.idates will be expected to answer THREE questions. The first question will require the analysis of two film posters with comment of the likeIy audience appeal etc. The second question wiIl offer a range of essay titles covering various aspects of the course, fron which the candidates will select one title. H det.ailed recal1 of a particular individual film will not be expected. The third question will be a stimulus questi-on asking candidates to combine their theoretical knowledge with creative application to produce part of a screenplayrstoryboard etc. from a narrative stirnulus.
The

Oral Examination
15t of total

marked out of 30 ( then halved)

An

oral examination has been inc luded in order to re f lect t.he importance of discussion as a means of learning on this cor.lfsr The oral examination will consist of a presentation lasting approximat,ely ten minutes. A candidate wilI be expect,ed t,o present an illustrated talk to a small group on any aspect of film study. This will be follovred by a discussion by the group Iasting approximately ten minutes. Candid,at.es will be assessed ( maximum 20 marks) and their both on their presentation contribution to the discussion( maximum 1 0 marks ). This examination provides a means of assessing a candidaters ability to present a talk on a chosen aspect of film study to a group and to make appropriate use of visual and/or aural material.The choice of topic need not be unduLy ambitiousr and the cand,idates should be given credit for the well-prepared talk with careful Within their personal range, selection of illustrations. candidates should demonstrate a grasp of their chosen topic, sensitivity to, and the ability to interest and, involve their
21

audience.

As regards visual material used for the presentation, candidates could either make a selection from slides used on the course or available from other sources, or take photographs or slides of film postersr or posters themselvesr Or they might arrange for the I-IRO to make sl ides f rom other visual material. The means of acquiring the visual materials should not be taken into account in awarding marks for the presentationp i.e.d candidate should not be penalised for making a selection from already existing slide material. The suitability of the material and the use made of it in the presentation is what is important here.

As regards assessing contribution to d.iscussion, a candidate would be expected to show an understanding of the presentation and to ask relevant questions of the presenter, as well as enlarge the scope of the discussion by raising j-deas or examples relevant to the topic. Cand.idates will be given credit for showing sensitivity to other members of the group and to the speaker but not for using the d,iscussion situation merely as a forum for their own opinions, however brilliant.

22

ADDITIONAL ADVICE FOR TEACHERS

I-ong essays, projects and oral xci.,..i-ridtion.

Students will need guidance from teachers on both their choice of

topic for long essay or project and for their choice of oral. There follows a list of topics chosen by previous students both for long essays,/projects and for oral examinations.
IT I"IUST BE STRESSED THAT THESE LISTS ARE INCLUDED SII',IPLY INDICASORS OF PAST CHOICES AND NOT AS TOPICS TO BE COPIED.
AS

(The Centre for Learning Resources hopes to establish a srnall collection of examples of long essays,/projects which teachers may

look at to assist them in guiding students as to the likely standards which can be achieved in such work). For example it may be noted that in both long essays and, in orals, some students have opted for biographical studies of film stars. By and large such work has not achieved high marks if it has involved simply the compilation of biographical facts. To succeed within the demands of this course, such biographical approaches should be linked to some cons ideration of the performance and characteristic rimager of the star within one or more films. Amongst topics which have produced successful work have been case studies of individual filmsr a short narrative film exercise and script treatments adapting existing short stories.
Tower Hamlets School has also produced notes for student guidance on t.he project or long essay which are included following the Iists of essay and oral topics.

List of Essay and Project Topics.

Peter Finch a profile Clint Eastwood a profile
I,0aIt Disney An Original FiIm
Make up for films Jane Fonda - a prof

ile

Film

Comedy

23

Horror Films Filrn Scripts adapted from a short story Case Study on I l'lidnight Express I Case Study on rFrench Lieutenantrs Womanl Case Study on rThe Elephant l'lanl Laurel and Hardy - a profile Comparison of rzr and rstate of Siegef.

List of oral Topics. Horror -1930rs to the present Anirnated films Science Fiction Posters Indi.vidual stars Special Effects Film Noir Special Props T}pes of violence in f ilms
Settings The importance of crmera angles in f ilm style.
day

Gangster Genre Changing depiction of women in popular films

24

NOIIES FOR GUIDANCE TOR STUDENTS ON LONG ESSAY OR, PRATECTS.

WHEN DO

HAVE TO START?

You should be thinking about your long essay or project NCI{. By the beginning of the Spring term you should have a detailed plan written down, as you will need most of that term to complete both your project and your course work.
WHAT

IS IT?

The project gives you a chance to work in detail on an area of film that interests louo It should not be just a long review of a single film, but something more general than that Here are some suggestions to give you an idea of the kinds of things you could

not included in this do, but there are lots of possibilities yourself. list.You will have to decide for
1.A case study of one film, including information production r rnarketing and cr itical reception.

about the

2.A study of a gyck of f ilms(e.g. James Bond) or a genre (e.9. horrorrmusicalsretc.) rcomparing f iImslcorrs idering poss j-bIe audience appeal and production and marketing.
3.Study of how a character -$ry. i" presented across several f ilms (e.g. gangster hero, American ind,ians in westerns etc.).

4.A study of a television series including ratingsr programming

etc.
5.A study of some aspect of documentary film production (e.9. construction of a point of view).

5.You can also do a creative project (e.9. a storyboard, scripting etc. for a new film) as long as you show that you r:nderstand how narrative in f ilm works i.. the visual aspects as well as the story.
Thi"s is not a complete l ist, but a rough outl- ine of some areas you could look at. Obviously you wiII need to choose carefully and produce a very detailed plan.

25

IS IT ALL WRITING?
No. You can wrj.te a long essay but you can also include drawings, photo-playsl storyboards, shooting schedules etc. If you are interested in sound (e.9. use of rock music in film soundtracks), you can include one or more tapes in your projct. If you do choose to use audio-visual material, you must back it up with a written commentary to show what you were trying to achieve and how you went about it.

HO!'J LONG DOES

IT

HAVE TO BE?

This is hard to answer, it depends how much of your project is writing and how much is art work or tapes etc.l but it should be a substantial folder of work showing that you have undertaken some research of your ownrYoLlr teacher will be able to advise you on length once you have your project underway.
WHAT ARE THE EXAMINERS LOOKING FOR?

of independent research and study, finding out information yourself. 2. Original workrNcE chrurks copied from film books. 3. Evidence of careful planning and overall structure in your proj ect. 4. It helps if you can show somet.hing of the process, i.. how you went about gathering and recording information, decisions you had to make tc. You will find it useful to keep all your material until the end. You may want to use some of it in an
1.Some evidence

appendix. 5. Donrt worry too much about a perfect finished project. It, is better to take chances and show the examiners you were trying to

do something new and original, even if your drawings arenrt wonderful or your photogrraphs come back under-exposed. You wonrt Iose marks for thatr itr s not an art folder. 6. You should try to show that you trnderstand the various aspects that make up narrative in films (e.9. lighting' edititg, camera angles etc. ) Donrt get bogged down in telling the story.

26

BRIT

ISH FILM INST ITT'TE LIBRARY

very valuable source of information on films is the British FiIm Institute librd,rtr The bf i library is only available to members. Schools can join the bfi as Corporate Members for a subscription of 820 podr For this, they are sent I Sight and Soundr and the I l"lonthly FiIm Bul letinr, the NationaL Film Theatre programme and a membership card which enables teachers to make block bookings for groups of students. On requestl Corporate Irtembers will also be sent 6 READERS T ICKETS. Alternatively it is possiJrle for individual students to join at STUDE}{T IvIEMBERS for a fee of 5 pedo which enables them to go to the NFT and to use the library. Membership can be obtained through the l,lembership Dept.81 Dean StreetrLondon W.1. TeI: 437 4355.
One

The bfi library is at

127 Charing Cross Road London WC2H OEA

Tel: 437 the library is

Monday

4355

open

at the following t jrnes: to9 to6

r closed
p o IIte p rIIl
o

Tuesd,ay and Wednesday 11 EIrIItr 1 1 d rtnr Thur sday and Fr iday

students wishing to use the library should take a Readersr Ticket with them.
The library has about 301000 books and pamphletsT some one third

of which are available for loan, the remainder being reference copies. There is a catalogue of the book collection. The library produces various bibliographies and fact sheets. The library also has a very extensj-ve collection of periodicals on film and television, together with a newspaper cuttings collectionr( mainly on microjackets) . These collections are indexed.
Should the school wish to use the library, having joined the bfi as a Corporate l,lemberr the most useful procedure is to contact either the Librarian, Sandra Archer, or the Deputy Librarian, Virginia Hennessy, who will be happy to arrange an organised tour of the bfi library for students to show them the facilities and explain how to use the library. The most suitable day for such
27

tours is tttlonday, when the library is closed to users and when such tours will not therefore disrupt them.
The School Library

Obviously it will be wise to contact your school librarian early in the year both to liase on the resources available in the school library and through outside information and loansr and. to enlist the specialist help and advice on research which the Iibrarian can offer. If your school does use the bfi library then it would be very valuable to include your librarian in the introductory visiting party if he or she is not already aware of the specialist facilities of the bfi library.

28

CHECKLIST OF I"IATERIALS FOR 1982-1983

ALL I-IATERIALS WILL BE PRODUCED BY bf i EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, B['IT W ILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE COT.'RSE ORGANISER.WHERE A SCHOOL IS PURCHASINc MATERIALS, THE bfi WILL SEND AN INVOICE TO THE SCHOOL TOT{ARDS THE END OF THE COT'RSE FOR ANY MATERIALS SUPPLTED DURING THE IIEAR.

Introduction
TeachersI Notes on JUGGERNALIf, PELHAII 123 and students! Projects Students Introduction

tanding Image s Write A Disaster Movie Study Notes for the slide set fron JUGGERNAUT Study Notes for the slide set from THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 Study Notes for the slide set to CROSSFIRE
Und.ers

Teachers Teachers Teachers

I Guide to Narrative ilea I Notes on CROSSFIRE ilea

I Guide to Genre ilea study Notes for the slide set on THE otIILAw JOSEY WALES Study Notes for the slide set on THE RISE AND FALL OF
DIAI'{OND

LEGS

Teachers Teachers Teachers

I Notes on COMA

ilea

t Guide to Entertainment and Politics ilea I Notes for THE HARDER THEY COME ilea Study Notes for Slide set on THE HARDER THEY COI'{E if available Study Notes for slide set on STATE OF SIEGE Study Notes for slide set on RAID ON ENIEBBE (NOTE: THIS FILM IS CURRENTLY NOT IN D ISTRIBUT ION AND }4AY T HEREFORE HAVE TO BE
.

Study Notes for ALL THE PRESIDEIiII S I llEN TeachcrS I NOTCS ON THE CHINA SYNDROME Study Notes on slide set for THE CHINA

CHANGED )

ilea SYNDRCXVIE If available

29