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WJEC A-Level Film Studies 2019

Hey, apologies if this has already been made.I am sitting my Film Studies exam on Monday 3rd and agH! I cannot find anyone else sitting it anywhere!

Iโ€™m struggling to memorise everything for the exam. Iโ€™m trying really hard but I just feel so overwhelmed.

Does anyone have any predictions or advice for the exam?

If it helps at all, I will be doing:
- Some Like It Hot
- Do The Right Thing
- Boyhood
- No Country for Old Men
- Trainspotting
- Shaun of the Dead
(edited 4 years ago)

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I'm doing Vertigo, Blade Runner, Boyhood, Inception, Fish Tank and Shaun. Honestly, the best thing to revise is key scenes from each film where you can talk about every aspect in an interesting way (mise-en-scene, camera, cinematography, editing, characters, sound, themes etc) and when you get in there figure out a way to link it to the question. Don't stress too hard on trying to predict for Film; the formula is the same regardless of the question. If it helps- Question 1 will be on auteur, question 2 spectatorship and ideology (so how people respond to films based on who they are) and question 3 will be about narrative and ideology (essentially looking at films through critical lenses.) So for Shaun and Trainspotting, I'd focus on how they relate to British social realism.
Oh man, you're doing NONE of the same films as me, but I'll still try to help. Make detailed notes on 3/4 key scenes for each film, relating points to film form, spectatorship, etc. You should be able to discuss these scenes no matter which questions come up. Make sure you're familiar with the narratives for British Film, and make sure you've learnt contexts for all the films.

In terms of the actual exam, you should aim to spend about 50 minutes on each question, and remember you don't have to compare the films (aside from Do the Right Thing and Some Like It Hot). My tutor recommended the following structure for each paragraph:

Point, Scene Example, Analysis, Link to Context/Spectatorship/Auteur, Link Back to the Question. Always try and reach a conclusion. Good luck!
What British ideologies can i talk about for This is england?
Also struggling on auter for Vertigo and Blade runner!
Reply 4
British Ideologies in This is England:
As evident in the opening sequence we can see that being in Thatcher's Britain has impacted the film. The ideologies surrounding this can be seen through the politically extreme viewpoints put forth within the film. A good example is Combos speech where he exercises an extremely right-wing political ideology - shown through his attitudes to immigration and other people appearing to 'steal jobs'.
Combos speech also shows the different ideological viewpoints held by both skinhead gangs. Woody's gang represent the traditional skinhead cultural which was found by jamaican and english people bonding through music, they represent the importance of the skinhead identity, evident through the mise-en-scene (their clothing being doc martens, fred perry shirts and braces as well as the signature shaved head) HOWEVER Combo's gang show how the skinhead culture was turned around - changing from an inclusive community to an exclusive community who exercises violence towards those who they feel distributes their freedom and english solidarity.
More ideological approaches can be taken through the class system and the films representation of working class Britain, ideological approach of racism, friendship, war and families.




Hope this helps, If anyone has anymore questions I will try my best to help. I have been tutoring a few people and have received A grades on all past mocks xx
Original post by Fionanezax
What British ideologies can i talk about for This is england?
Also struggling on auter for Vertigo and Blade runner!
Thank you loads!!! xx
Reply 6
Original post by Fionanezax
What British ideologies can i talk about for This is england?
Also struggling on auter for Vertigo and Blade runner!

In addition to Anti-Thatcherism, you can use Anti-Nationalism (Shaun throwing the British flag into the sea) and Anti-War (the opening montage)
Reply 7
Kinda freaking out, I've done ok in my mocks but I dont feel at all prepared for this, the notes my teacher has given me are confusing and we haven't been given any other resources...
Original post by timbong01
Kinda freaking out, I've done ok in my mocks but I dont feel at all prepared for this, the notes my teacher has given me are confusing and we haven't been given any other resources...

The exam board guides are helpful. Just type the name of the film you're studying into Google followed by "WJEC" and they should be the top result, although they don't do them for Under the Skin or Amy, much to my rage XD
Reply 9
Thankyou so much :smile:
Also how many main paragraphs per questions would you guys reccommend?
Original post by timbong01
Also how many main paragraphs per questions would you guys reccommend?

All the questions in tomorrow's paper are 40 marks each - this means an introduction, 3 main paragraphs and a brief conclusion. In the introduction, I usually give a brief plot summary of the films, and then outline my main arguments (e.g. "Vertigo very much does display auteur individuality"). Then in each paragraph, you'll want to make a point, then give a scene example and your analysis of the film form in that scene. Then try to link that analysis to either contexts or a specialist study area, like spectatorship. Then link back to the question.

For silent film, experimental film and documentary film in Paper 2, the structure is the same, except you only do two main paragraphs, and of course, you only have to discuss one film.
Original post by timbong01
In addition to Anti-Thatcherism, you can use Anti-Nationalism (Shaun throwing the British flag into the sea) and Anti-War (the opening montage)


THANKS
i also feel unprepared it is what it is
Original post by timbong01
Kinda freaking out, I've done ok in my mocks but I dont feel at all prepared for this, the notes my teacher has given me are confusing and we haven't been given any other resources...
Good luck everyone xx
Didn't go too badly for me at all. The question I think I did weakest on was British Film, but the other two were excellent. How did everyone else find it?
Hi! Omg I canโ€™t believe thereโ€™s actually a thread on this. my class is like 11 people. But I do the same movies listed by thread starter expect instead Beats of the southern wild and Inception. I think I did weak in this paper so Iโ€™m going to really revise for p2. What films do you guys do for p2?
I did not like the last two questions at all.


I do City of God, Pan's Labyrinth, Sunrise, Amy and Pulp Fiction!
Original post by SpacePatroFan189
Didn't go too badly for me at all. The question I think I did weakest on was British Film, but the other two were excellent. How did everyone else find it?

Also didn't like question 3
for paper 2, i do Wild tales/ pans labyrinth, Amy buster keaton shorts and Fallen angels. I'm really struggling with fallen angels anyone can help?
Original post by Fionanezax
I did not like the last two questions at all.


I do City of God, Pan's Labyrinth, Sunrise, Amy and Pulp Fiction!

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