Film+Studies+Independent+Study

External assessment details—HL This component is based on part 2 of the course (film theory and history), but also draws to some extent on part 1 (textual analysis). The aim of the independent study is to encourage students to engage in some depth with a cinematic tradition that is unfamiliar to their own culture. Students must produce a script for a complete short documentary production exploring an aspect of film theory or film history, based on the study of films from more than one country. The documentary should be targeted at an audience of film students in the 14 to 18 years age range. Among the topics students may choose to investigate are: The topic should be discussed primarily in cinematic terms.
 * Independent study **
 * Weighting: 25% **
 * [[file:Group 6 Film Studies Part 1.pdf]]
 * [[file:Group 6 Film Studies Part 2.pdf]]
 * genre
 * theme
 * direction
 * use of sound
 * colour
 * editing
 * lighting.

The prime voice of the documentary must clearly be that of the student, who will also act as the narrator, on- screen host and/or voice-over. Students must ensure that any comments or ideas they attribute to celebrities or others, such as experts, are fully supported by detailed references in the annotated list of sources.

Students at HL must make reference to a minimum of **four** films. The chosen films must originate from more than one country. At HL some comparisons should be drawn between the films chosen.

The independent study must be presented in the form of a written dossier composed of the following three items.
 * Rationale
 * Script
 * Annotated list of sources

The **rationale** must offer a brief, reasoned explanation of what the concerns of the topic are in **no more than 100 words**.

The **script** must clearly indicate the relationship between the audio and visual elements of the documentary, employing an established documentary format such as “side-by-side” columns for video and audio components. All descriptions of video and audio elements must be both detailed and specific. Scripts must be 12–15 pages long at HL, using an accepted size of paper (for example, A4 or US letter) and **must use** 12-point Courier font (not in block capitals) and single spacing. It is important that the student treats a topic of film history/film theory in cinematic rather than literary terms.

The **annotated list of sources** should refer to all materials used in researching the topic and all materials used in the documentary itself, including films from which extracts will be shown and quotations from experts or academics. Annotations should give the source and/or location of the reference. A comment on the relevance of the source must be included. Assessment of this component is based solely on the written script and the rationale. Actual films or film sequences are not acceptable. The materials produced for this component must not be submitted as part of the production portfolio. As part of the learning process, teachers can give advice to students on a first draft of the independent study. Advice on improving the work can be given, but this first draft must not be heavily annotated or edited by the teacher. Constant drafting and redrafting is not allowed, and the next version handed to the teacher after the first draft must be the final one.


 * Examples of topics for the independent study **