WJEC Eduqas GCSE Film Studies

Ordered for my son who uses it and is pleased with it.

Outstanding course book- informed and guaranteed to arouse interest and provide knowledge

does what it says

This is a text book, rather than a revision guide, and clocking in at 320 pages there’s a lot of content here.First thing: it would be incredibly useful to know in advance which of the set films are explored in the book. However, that information seems to have been deliberately withheld by the publisher.They are:Component 1 - US Film- Invasion of the Body Snatchers- ET- The Hurt LockerComponent 2 - Global- District 9- Let the Right One In- SubmarineI teach the course, and we do only one of those. In fact, at least one is being dropped in the new syllabus due at least partly to poor uptake. Given the already substantial scope and price of the book, I’d have paid another £10 to get all the films covered. Or separate publications for each of the texts.That being said, most of the book is still of use. The beginning 100 or so pages are an exhaustive introduction to Film Form, Narrative Theory, Representation, Aesthetics, Context and Specialist writing.The final 50-60 pages cover the practical component, and written exam skills and guidance.As a teacher, it may be useful in navigating the course - especially for new centres. We introduced the GCSE recently after teaching the A level successfully for years, and I have found it quite challenging in some areas - there’s obviously fewer films, and analysis needn’t be as in-depth, but the A Level has no requirement to articulate the difference between plot and story, or to know Propp’s character archetypes or to memorise the big five and little three studios. The GCSE has a LOT of knowledge content, and as I say, this book is somewhat helpful in clarifying that, but then it has much more content than the syllabus (the timeline of developments in film has over 70 entries in this book). This extra content is obviously contextually relevant, but it makes the book a little daunting for students.I could only make a qualified recommendation of this book for students to use as a revision aid or alongside school lessons. It’s hard to sort the essential content from everything else, and it’s designed to cover the whole course (if those are the films you’re studying). To work through the whole lot would take far longer than is appropriate for the revision of one GCSE subject. However, with the guidance of a tutor, or a parent who feels confident in comparing the book to the syllabus and directing students to the important stuff, it would be very useful.Of course there are exceptional students who will be able to navigate to the pertinent parts themselves. The irony is that these are the students least in need of a study aid.Ultimately, it’s a text book - and in that category it is average, but the marketing blurb seems to suggest it is directed more to students for their independent study - it would likely be counterproductive for most students in that regard.

Book quotes Wes Craven for directing The Darjeeling Ltd not Wes Anderson!! Only read a small amount so will be interesting to see if there are anymore mistakes…..

The book is ok but only covers a small number of the films you can study in detail. Great if they're the ones you choose, otherwise not so much.