WJEC A Level Film Studies June 3rd and 7th!!

Hi! I'm doing this course and have those exams after half-term. I'm studying:

Vertigo (1958) and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Captain Fantastic (2016) and La La Land (2016)
Fish Tank (2009) and Under the Skin (2013)
Mustang (2015) and City of God (2002)
Sunrise (1927)
Fallen Angels (1995) - Brilliant film, and I feel like we're the only centre in the country who are actually doing it!
Amy (2015)

Feeling more confident on the second paper at the moment, but I'm quite looking forward to both exams. Film Studies has always been my passion and I'm doing Film Industries and Creative Writing next year at uni. I've found re-watching the films to be very useful for revision - in the exam, you can literally just play them in your head and then analyze as you go :wink:

Thanks for making this thread!

Reply 2

These aren't predictions, but just some questions I've made up for myself. All ones that haven't been asked:

Hollywood Comparative Study:
1 1 “Directors contribute the most heavily to the overall style of a film”. How far is this statement true in relation to the films you have studied? [40]

Contemporary American Cinema:
2 1 To what extent do your chosen films encourage an active response from the spectator? [40]

British Film:
3 1 Explore how narrative devices are used in your chosen films to highlight key messages and values. [40]

Global Cinema:
1 1 With close reference to the closing sequences of your chosen films, analyze how either cinematography or sound create meaning. [40]

Documentary Film:
2 1 "No documentary can create an objectively true representation of events." How far is this true in relation to your chosen documentary? [20]

Silent Film:
3 2 "Cinema is inherently realistic. Film can never be truly expressive." How true is this statement in relation to the silent film or films you have studied? [20]

Experimental Film:
4 2 How far can the auteur individuality displayed by your chosen film or films be considered experimental? [20]

Reply 3

How did the exam go today?
I though it was fine... although I felt like I had too much to say and too little time to say it.
My films were:
Vertigo & Apocalypse Now
Captain Fantastic & No Country For Old Men
Under The Skin & Moon

Reply 4

Original post by CameronGalloway

How did the exam go today?
I though it was fine... although I felt like I had too much to say and too little time to say it.
My films were:
Vertigo & Apocalypse Now
Captain Fantastic & No Country For Old Men
Under The Skin & Moon

The auteur question for Vertigo was almost identical to the one I made up (see above). I did the contexts questions, though, and it was by far the one I think I did best on - I did a paragraph for ethnicity, then one each for mental illness and women. Captain Fantastic was very good, too; I did the cinematography question and managed to get lots of spectatorship terminology in. Under the Skin wasn't too bad, but I did run out of time in the end, and my analysis just wasn't as interesting as it had been on the previous two.

Reply 5

Original post by SpacePatroFan189

The auteur question for Vertigo was almost identical to the one I made up (see above). I did the contexts questions, though, and it was by far the one I think I did best on - I did a paragraph for ethnicity, then one each for mental illness and women. Captain Fantastic was very good, too; I did the cinematography question and managed to get lots of spectatorship terminology in. Under the Skin wasn't too bad, but I did run out of time in the end, and my analysis just wasn't as interesting as it had been on the previous two.

Sounds like you’ve done a good job, well done.
I chose the Auteur question for Vertigo. I feel that went well.. I managed to talk about Hitchcock working under the constraints of the Hays code and then went on to talk about the different collaborative efforts of the production cast: James Stewart, Hermann, Burks etc.
I chose the CF question about different responses to an individual character. I did one on Ben & Jack and the binary opposition between Liberalism & Conservatism. Then talked about how different ideological stances would reflect how you would respond etc... that seemed okay
The UTS was probs the hardest for me too- I did the one about How ‘an ideological analysis helped when studying the film’ or something like that...
It seemed okay- I did one on Feminism at the start of the film, one on masculinity and one on how feminism is presented at the end e.g when she becomes humanised, she also becomes more vulnerable in a patriarchal society.
Overall the exam seemed to go okay.
How are you feeling about Paper2?

Reply 6

Original post by CameronGalloway

Sounds like you’ve done a good job, well done.
I chose the Auteur question for Vertigo. I feel that went well.. I managed to talk about Hitchcock working under the constraints of the Hays code and then went on to talk about the different collaborative efforts of the production cast: James Stewart, Hermann, Burks etc.
I chose the CF question about different responses to an individual character. I did one on Ben & Jack and the binary opposition between Liberalism & Conservatism. Then talked about how different ideological stances would reflect how you would respond etc... that seemed okay
The UTS was probs the hardest for me too- I did the one about How ‘an ideological analysis helped when studying the film’ or something like that...
It seemed okay- I did one on Feminism at the start of the film, one on masculinity and one on how feminism is presented at the end e.g when she becomes humanised, she also becomes more vulnerable in a patriarchal society.
Overall the exam seemed to go okay.
How are you feeling about Paper2?

Sounds like there was some strong analysis and context in there, well done! I was feeling more confident about Paper 2, mainly cause the films are more deep and the timing is better (only 100 marks, rather 120, but it's still 2 and a half hours for some reason). I'm a little worried about documentary (Amy) because we never actually did a mock exam on it, and I find it hard to discuss film form, but I've done lots of practice questions for Fallen Angels, Sunrise, and City of God/Mustang, so think I'll be okay there. This course really is one of the best A-Levels to ever exist :biggrin:

Reply 7

Original post by SpacePatroFan189

Sounds like there was some strong analysis and context in there, well done! I was feeling more confident about Paper 2, mainly cause the films are more deep and the timing is better (only 100 marks, rather 120, but it's still 2 and a half hours for some reason). I'm a little worried about documentary (Amy) because we never actually did a mock exam on it, and I find it hard to discuss film form, but I've done lots of practice questions for Fallen Angels, Sunrise, and City of God/Mustang, so think I'll be okay there. This course really is one of the best A-Levels to ever exist :biggrin:

I’ve done a couple practise questions on AMY. We did one on Documentary film makers and their influences, and one on the technical competencies of the filmmakers. Honestly, it seemed okay after doing a couple of questions on it!
My other films are Pulp Fiction, City Of God/Pan’s Labyrinth, Spies!
I’ve loved the course too!
I’m actually hoping to Study Film at York University in September! What are your plans ?

Reply 8

Original post by CameronGalloway

I’ve done a couple practise questions on AMY. We did one on Documentary film makers and their influences, and one on the technical competencies of the filmmakers. Honestly, it seemed okay after doing a couple of questions on it!
My other films are Pulp Fiction, City Of God/Pan’s Labyrinth, Spies!
I’ve loved the course too!
I’m actually hoping to Study Film at York University in September! What are your plans ?

Oh, I'm doing City of God, too, I forgot to say. In September, I'm going to be doing "Film Industries and Creative Writing" at Portsmouth, and am really looking forward to it. I was originally set on doing something in the industry itself, but now my other dream job is a teacher of A-Level Film Studies/English Literature at a sixth form college XD

Reply 9

Original post by SpacePatroFan189

Oh, I'm doing City of God, too, I forgot to say. In September, I'm going to be doing "Film Industries and Creative Writing" at Portsmouth, and am really looking forward to it. I was originally set on doing something in the industry itself, but now my other dream job is a teacher of A-Level Film Studies/English Literature at a sixth form college XD

Sounds great!
Good luck with the rest of your exams, if you fancy going through anything for Paper 2 just drop a text in here or follow my insta or something and I’ll go through some stuff!
Good luck

Reply 10

username4570218

5

Hi I’m doing Fallen Angels, Amy,Pans labyrinth and Wild tales and Buster Keaton shorts. For paper 2. By far I struggle the most on Fallen angels and Amy , I don’t know how to approach the question. especially with fallen angels I find most difficult. Any help? Also you were correct with the first prediction question, but I didn’t choose that one. I just had a lot to say but my hand hurt cause I sat a 2hr 30 English exam like 30 mins before films

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 11

moomoodj1

6

I’m curious, how did everyone find today’s exam? I personally found it okay. I’m very happy with my answer for Global Film (I did City of God and Victoria). That was the question I was most worried about as there are no specialisms but as soon as I read the questions I honestly wanted to cry tears of joy. I did how performance and mise en scene enrich meanings.

I’m less confident in my answers to the other 3 questions so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Reply 12