What Is A Level Film Studies?

Ever watched a film and wondered why it makes you feel a certain way? Or how directors use sound, colour, and editing to tell powerful stories? If so, you’ve already started thinking like a Film Studies student.

A Level Film Studies explores the art, history, and theory of cinema. You’ll learn to analyse films in depth, uncover the meanings behind visual choices, and even create your own short film or screenplay extract.

This guide explains what A Level Film Studies involves, how it’s assessed, and the skills it helps you build, so you can decide if it’s the right fit for your interests and future goals.

Key Takeaways

• A Level Film Studies (offered by Eduqas) explores film as both an art form and a cultural influence.

• You’ll study a wide range of films from Britain, Hollywood, and around the world.

• Assessment includes two written exams (70%) and a creative coursework project (30%).

• The course develops analytical, creative, and communication skills, making it ideal for students who enjoy storytelling, media, and critical thinking.

What Do You Study in A Level Film Studies?

A Level Film Studies gives you a deep understanding of how films create meaning and reflect the societies that produce them. You’ll explore different genres, styles, and time periods, from early silent cinema to modern blockbusters and independent films.

Most schools follow the Eduqas (opens in a new tab) specification, which is divided into two main exam components and one creative coursework project. 

Across the course, you’ll study around 11 or 12 set films chosen to represent a range of traditions and ideas in world cinema. Eduqas occasionally updates its set film list, so your teacher will confirm which titles apply to your course year.

British, American and Global Films

You’ll study films from a variety of cultures to understand how style, story, and meaning vary worldwide. Examples from the current Eduqas specification include:

• British Film: ‘Trainspotting’ (1996, Danny Boyle), ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004, Edgar Wright)

• Contemporary American Film: ‘Moonlight’ (2016, Barry Jenkins), ‘Joker’ (2019, Todd Phillips)

• Classical Hollywood Film: ‘Vertigo’ (1958, Alfred Hitchcock), ‘Alien’ (1979, Ridley Scott)

• Global Film: ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006, Guillermo del Toro), ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ (2012, Benh Zeitlin)

You’ll analyse each film for its narrative, themes, cultural context, and use of film form.

Silent Film and Documentary

You’ll study early cinema to see how storytelling and visual style began to develop. For example, ‘Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans’ (1927, F. W. Murnau) introduces expressive techniques that shaped later film movements.

You’ll also explore documentary filmmaking, studying a film such as ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ (2010, Banksy) or ‘Amy’ (2015, Asif Kapadia). In this part of the course, you’ll analyse how real stories are represented through editing, sound, and perspective.

Experimental Cinema

You’ll also study an example of an experimental and non-mainstream film made between 1960 and 2001. These movies challenge conventional storytelling methods. They often play with genre or narrative conventions to challenge audiences. Examples include ‘Memento’ (2000, Christopher Nolan) and ‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001, David Lynch).

Throughout the course, you’ll also trace how film style and technology have evolved, connecting each text to its historical and cultural context. You’ll study how directors use film form to express ideas, and how film movements influence the stories told on screen.

Finally, you’ll explore how films represent people, places, and ideas by analysing themes such as gender, identity, class, and power. This helps you understand how film form and storytelling reflect or challenge cultural values and ideologies.

Theoretical Frameworks You’ll Use

As you explore the films, you’ll apply a range of theoretical frameworks to understand how meaning is created, represented, and interpreted. 

In the WJEC Eduqas A Level Film Studies specification, these frameworks are grouped into core study areas and specialist study areas. Together, they form the foundation of your analysis and essays throughout the course.

Core Study Areas

These apply to every film you study. They help you analyse how films are made, what they communicate, and how they connect to the world around them.

1. The Key Elements of Film Form

You’ll study how cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, sound, and performance shape the audience’s experience. For example, you might explore how colour and framing in ‘Joker’ reflect its psychological tension, or how cross-cutting in ‘Whiplash’ builds pace and emotion.

2. Meaning and Response

This focuses on how film represents different cultures and societies and how it functions as an aesthetic or artistic medium. You’ll examine how features such as music, composition and lighting influence mood and meaning.

3. The Contexts of Film

You’ll consider how social, cultural, political, historical, and industrial contexts influence films. For example, ‘Trainspotting’ reflects 1990s Britain and youth identity, while ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ explores power and resistance in post-war Spain.

Specialist Study Areas

As you progress through the course, you’ll also apply more specialist study areas in relation to the films you’re studying. This will deepen your understanding further.

Spectatorship: How films position and engage audiences through emotion, identification, and point of view.

Narrative: How stories are structured, including narrative arcs and devices used to aid storytelling.

Ideology: How films reflect or challenge cultural values, beliefs, and power structures.

Auteur: The idea of the director as the ‘author’ of a film, shaping its style and meaning through personal vision.

Critical Debates: Explore André Bazin’s debate about realism and expression in film, and consider how digital technology has changed the way movies are made and viewed.

Filmmakers’ Theories: How documentary directors such as Peter Watkins, Nick Broomfield, and Michael Moore use film to explore truth, performance, and perspective.

Together, these frameworks help you move beyond describing what happens on screen to analysing how and why films create meaning. By applying them in your essays and creative work, you’ll build the analytical and critical thinking skills examiners look for in A Level Film Studies.

How Is A Level Film Studies Assessed?

A Level Film Studies is assessed through a mix of written exams and a creative coursework project. The course is designed to test both your analytical understanding of film and your ability to apply creative and technical skills.

Written Exams

Each exam tests your ability to analyse how film form, style, and context combine to create meaning. You’ll write extended essays that compare films, explore themes, and apply film theory.

Questions may include close scene analysis, evaluation of directorial style, or discussion of social and cultural contexts. You’ll need to use precise film terminology and link examples clearly to theoretical ideas.

Non-Exam Assessment (Creative Production)

The coursework allows you to put film theory into practice. You’ll plan and produce either:

• A short film (4–5 minutes), or

• A screenplay extract with a detailed shooting script.

You’ll also write a written evaluation discussing your creative intentions, production process, and how your work demonstrates understanding of film form and theory.

Your coursework is internally assessed by your teacher and then externally moderated by Eduqas.

This balance of written and creative work helps you build both analytical and practical skills. You’ll learn to think critically about what you see on screen and apply your understanding through creative projects. A Level Film Studies challenges you to think deeply, while giving you the freedom to be imaginative.

Skills You’ll Develop in Film Studies

A Level Film Studies builds a powerful mix of analytical, creative, and communication skills that prepare you for a wide range of subjects and careers.

Analytical Skills

You’ll learn how to break down complex scenes and explain how meaning is created through film form. This sharpens your essay writing, critical thinking, and interpretation skills, which are also valuable in subjects such as English Literature, History, or Sociology.

Critical Thinking

Film Studies encourages you to look beneath the surface of films and question how ideas, identities, and ideologies are represented. You’ll develop the ability to interpret media critically and evaluate how it reflects or challenges social and cultural values.

Creative and Technical Skills

Through your coursework, you’ll gain practical experience in planning, scripting, filming, or editing. You’ll learn how to communicate ideas visually and apply theory to creative practice. These skills are useful in media, design, and communications.

Communication and Writing

Writing essays and evaluations helps you express complex ideas clearly and persuasively. You’ll gain confidence in using subject terminology and building well-supported arguments, all essential skills for university study and beyond.

Research and Organisation

Your coursework project teaches you to plan effectively, meet deadlines, and conduct research independently. These habits are excellent preparation for higher education and creative industries alike.

Who Should Choose A Level Film Studies?

A Level Film Studies is ideal for students who are curious about how films work, both as art and as storytelling. You don’t need to have taken GCSE Film Studies to succeed. What matters most is enthusiasm for cinema and a willingness to analyse and create.

You might enjoy this subject if you:

• Love watching and discussing films from different genres and cultures

• Enjoy creative projects such as writing, storyboarding, or filming

• Like exploring how visual techniques and narratives create meaning

• Prefer subjects that balance essay writing with practical work

• Want to understand how film reflects culture and influences audiences

Film Studies suits students who think critically and pay attention to detail. It combines creativity with academic depth, making it a strong partner for A Levels in English Literature, Media Studies, Sociology, or History.

It’s a great choice if you like exploring ideas, expressing them visually, and thinking deeply about how stories are told on screen.

For further advice, consult our guide to choosing A Level subjects.

What Can You Do After A Level Film Studies?

A Level Film Studies opens the door to a range of study and career options, both creative and academic. 

Further Study

Many students go on to study:

• Film Studies or Media Studies at university

• Communications, Cultural Studies, or Creative Writing

• Art and Design, Photography, or Drama and Theatre

These degrees often lead to opportunities in film and media production, journalism, marketing, or the wider creative industries.

Careers and Creative Pathways

The skills gained from Film Studies are highly valued in creative and communication-based roles, including:

• Film and Television Production (directing, editing, cinematography)

• Advertising and Marketing 

• Journalism and Digital Media

• Public Relations and Communication

• Screenwriting and Content Creation

• Teaching and Education 

Even if you don’t plan to work directly in media, Film Studies helps you develop transferable skills such as interpretation, problem-solving, and visual literacy. The ability to analyse, think critically, and communicate ideas clearly is valuable in almost any career field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is A Level Film Studies respected by universities?

Yes. Film Studies is a well-established academic subject that combines essay-based analysis with creative coursework. Many universities value it, especially when taken alongside other humanities or creative A Levels such as English Literature, Art, or Media Studies.

Do I need GCSE Film Studies to take it at A Level?

No. Most schools and colleges don’t require GCSE Film Studies. You’ll start by learning key film language, theory, and analysis techniques, so interest and enthusiasm are far more important than prior study.

What kind of films will I study?

You’ll explore a wide range of films from different countries, genres, and periods. 

Examples from the current Eduqas A Level Film Studies specification include British films such as ‘Trainspotting’, American titles like ‘Joker’, and global films such as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. You’ll also study earlier cinema like ‘Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans’ and experimental works such as ‘Memento’ or ‘Mulholland Drive’.

Is the coursework practical or written?

It can be both written and practical. You’ll produce a short film or a screenplay extract with a written evaluation. 

Both options assess your ability to apply film theory and creative decision-making, allowing you to express ideas visually and analytically.

Why Choose A Level Film Studies?

A Level Film Studies is a creative, thought-provoking subject that helps you see films in a whole new way. You’ll learn how directors use film form to tell stories and explore ideas, while developing your own analytical and creative voice.

If you enjoy cinema, storytelling, and exploring how meaning is made on screen, Film Studies is a rewarding choice. It builds confidence, sharpens your writing, and helps you understand how film connects to culture, society, and imagination.

Explore Save My Exams A Level Film Studies resources to support your study.

References

• AS and A Level Film Studies | Eduqas (opens in a new tab)