← Film Studies syllabus

EnglandFilm Studies

Film form and film language

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does cinematography (camera, framing, movement, lighting and colour) make meaning in OCR Film Studies, and how do you analyse it in the exam?

Cinematography and lighting. Camera position and angle, shot distance, movement, focus and depth of field, lens choice, lighting design and colour, and how each makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to cinematography and lighting. Covers camera position and angle, shot distance, movement, focus and depth of field, lens choice, lighting design (high-key, low-key, chiaroscuro) and colour, and how each makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response in the exam.
16 min answer →

How does editing make meaning in OCR Film Studies, and what is the difference between continuity editing and montage?

Editing and montage. The selection and ordering of shots, transitions, continuity editing and its conventions, montage and the Soviet tradition, rhythm and pace, and how editing makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to editing. Covers the selection and ordering of shots, transitions, continuity editing and its conventions (the 180-degree rule, eyeline match, shot-reverse-shot), montage and the Soviet tradition, rhythm and pace, and how editing makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
16 min answer →

How do film form, meaning and response connect to the contexts of film in OCR Film Studies, and why is context part of the analysis?

Meaning, response and the contexts of film. How film form makes meaning and shapes response, and the social, cultural, political, historical and institutional contexts that films are produced and received within, and how to weave context into analysis.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to meaning, response and the contexts of film. Covers how film form makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response, the social, cultural, political, historical and institutional contexts films are produced and received within, and how to weave context into analysis without drifting into history.
16 min answer →

What is mise-en-scene in OCR Film Studies, and how do setting, props, costume, staging and composition make meaning?

Mise-en-scene and staging. Setting and location, props, costume, hair and make-up, the staging and movement of figures, and composition within the frame, and how each makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to mise-en-scene. Covers setting and location, props, costume, hair and make-up, the staging and movement of figures, composition and the use of space within the frame, and how each makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response in the exam.
15 min answer →

How does performance make meaning in OCR Film Studies, and how do you analyse acting, gesture and movement in the exam?

Performance in film. Acting style (naturalistic and stylised), movement, gesture, facial expression, the use of the body and voice, casting and star image, and how performance makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to performance. Covers acting style (naturalistic and stylised), movement, gesture, facial expression, the use of the body and voice, casting and star image, and how performance makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response in the exam.
15 min answer →

How does sound make meaning in OCR Film Studies, and what is the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound?

Sound in film. Diegetic and non-diegetic sound, dialogue, sound effects, music (score and source), the use of silence, sound bridges and asynchronous sound, and how sound makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to sound. Covers diegetic and non-diegetic sound, dialogue, sound effects, music (score and source), the use of silence, sound bridges and asynchronous sound, and how sound makes meaning and shapes the spectator's response in the exam.
15 min answer →

What are the elements of film form in OCR Film Studies, and how do they combine to make meaning and shape the spectator's response?

The elements of film form. The micro-elements (cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound, performance) and macro-elements (narrative, genre) that make meaning, and the analytical move from naming a technique to explaining its meaning and the spectator's response.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to the elements of film form. Covers the micro-elements (cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound, performance) and macro-elements (narrative, genre), how they combine to make meaning and shape the spectator's response, and the analytical move every exam answer rewards.
16 min answer →