Easily parodied as an ‘A’ level in watching videos, Film Studies is, in reality, far from a soft option. Every bit as demanding in its way as Literature or Language, say, it calls for an extensive skill-set embracing the creative as well as the critical. Not only must the student demonstrate a firm grasp of the language of film by accurately describing the ways in which cinematographic techniques and generic conventions are exploited in the construction of meaning, but in addition he must show himself capable of turning that knowledge to practical account by writing a screenplay (or drawing a storyboard), at AS level, and by actually producing a mini-film, either a short or an excerpt from a notional longer work, at A2.
It is necessary to begin on this cautionary note so as immediately to warn off those looking for an easy ride, but our emphasis should not be allowed to linger there for long. Above all, Film Studies is about having fun whilst learning. Indeed, the course has been devised in such a way as to enable students to work, in large measure, on the kinds of film they most enjoy watching, for, although specific films are sometimes prescribed, more often the student can meet a general demand to address a broad issue (such as genre) by choosing movies which conform to his own personal taste (whether it be for horror or romantic comedies or whatnot). This is not to imply that the syllabus abdicates its responsibility to extend the range of the student’s sympathies: on the contrary, it furnishes ample opportunity to explore classics of early cinema and left-field indie movies. But it proceeds on the premise that authentic enthusiasm for, and well-informed criticism of, mainstream movies are preferable to insincere genuflection before (allegedly) more significant work, and for that reason fights shy of force-feeding a diet of French New Wave to teenagers with an appetite only for more conventional fare.
