Moving Image Arts Dept

Moving Image Arts at St Columb's College...

.Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls - Ingmar Bergman, Director.

This work was produced by Edward Boyle as a Year 11 MIA student

Moving Image Arts is an Applied Subject which examines the history, tecchniques and creative impact of film and equips our students to make their own films, informed by that knowledge and those skills.  St. Columb’s College offers Moving Image Arts at GCSE and AS/A2 level. 

Two teachers deliver the course, Mr. M Meenan and Miss O McLaughlinprogress from Moving Image Arts, whether into broadcasting, film-making, advertising, journalism or any occupation which prizes initiative, creativity, ability to work to a deadline, organisational and group working skills.  Many institutions of Further Education offer Degree Level courses in Film and Media and Vocational Courses are also offered for those who prefer a more hands-on approach.

We offer Moving Image Arts at three levels in St. Columbs

GCSE MOVING IMAGE ARTS.

GCSE Moving Image Arts follows on from the new requirement to teach the moving image at Key Stage 3 in English and Art and Design. It builds on this basic introduction and bridges the gap to the existing GCE Moving Image Arts specification.

Two key moving image art forms underpin this specification:
- film (live action fictional narrative films); and
- animation (rostrum, stop motion and CGI animated narrative films).

The content focuses on how to create moving image products, and the genres within film-making. Students plan and create moving image products, and analyse and critically evaluate moving image genres.

Through studying this specification, students:

• develop an understanding of film language in theory and practice;
• develop ideas through investigating and experimenting with film-making techniques and processes;
• develop the ability to manage resources and equipment in relation to film production and produce moving image artworks;
• develop technical competence in the use of film-making techniques; and
• evaluate the effectiveness of their own practice.

Students must complete one online examination for GCSE Moving Image Arts. The exam lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and is worth 40 percent of the final award. CCEA set and mark the exam. It takes place in the summer of the second year of the course.

In the online exam, students respond critically to a series of questions relating to the following set films:

• Bride of Frankenstein;
• Young Frankenstein;
• Romeo and Juliet;
• The Wrong Trousers; and
• A Close Shave.

The exam is divided into three sections. Each section features:

• a brief sequence from one or more of the films listed above; and
• questions that assess knowledge and understanding of film language, genre and visual style.
• CCEA award 60 percent of the marks for controlled assessment.
• Students must complete controlled assessment tasks for both

Unit 1: Acquisition of Skills in Moving Image Production and
Unit 2: Planning and Making a Moving Image Product.

• The teacher marks the tasks and CCEA moderates them.

Unit 1: Acquisition of Skills in Moving Image Production

Students must complete two tasks from the list CCEA provide. Each task is worth 10 percent of the final award. For each task, students must complete:

• a statement of intentions (200 words);
• a 40–60 second experiment in one of the seven film language areas; and
• an evaluation of the task (200 words).

They must use a different film language area for each task.

Students must produce work for both tasks under these four headings:

• Thinking;
• Planning;
• Making; and
• Evaluating.

They must submit the evaluation to CCEA in electronic formats. This is by means of a secure e-portfolio system.

The controlled tasks for Unit 1 take place in the summer of the first year of the course.

Unit 2: Planning and Making a Moving Image Product

This task takes place in the summer of the second year of the course and is worth 40 percent of the final award.
 
Students produce their own moving image product (either a live action film or an animation). They need to produce the six items listed below:

Part 1: Thinking
Item 1 - Project Outline (400–600 words with illustrations, including reference to the work    of others)

Part 2: Planning
Item 2 - Visual Studies Book (10–20 A4 pages detailing the production design and planning for the film)
Item 3 - Screen Play
Item 4 - Story Boards

Part 3: Making
Item 5 - A finished, two-minute Moving Image Product

Part 4: Evaluating
Item 6 - An Evaluation (400–600 words).

Students may need to collaborate with others, but they are individually responsible for all creative decisions and the production of their moving image product.

Students must support their finished film or animation with evidence of the creative processes and practices they used to create it. The work must also be supported by an evaluation of the technical successes and failures, the stylistic merit and the emotional impact of the product. Students must submit their development work, planning, final product and evaluation to us in electronic format. This is by means of a secure e-portfolio system.

AS MOVING IMAGE ARTS AND A2 MOVING IMAGE ARTS

GCE Moving Image Arts is made up of two levels: AS and A2. The AS can be taken as a ‘stand-alone’ qualification without progression to A2. However, to obtain the A Level qualification, students must complete both the AS and A2 levels.

The specification has a unitised structure. Students study two units at each level.

AS 1: Moving Image Arts Creative Production: Foundation Portfolio
AS 2: Moving Image Arts Critical Response

A2 1: Moving Image Arts Creative Production and Research: Advanced Portfolio
A2 2: Moving Image Arts Critical Response and Specialisation 

More information on the content below:

Unit and Summary of Content

AS 1: Creative Production: Foundation Portfolio

• Film Language
• Film Planning
• Film Production

AS 2: Critical Response

Critical analysis of three unseen moving image clips chosen from the specification’s two compulsory moving image art forms: Film and Animation.

A2 1: Creative Production and Research: Advanced Portfolio

• Film Language
• Film Planning
• Film Production

A2 2: Critical Response and Specialisation

Critical analysis of three unseen moving image clips chosen from the specification’s two compulsory moving image art forms: Film and Animation. 

Coursework

Two of the units are assessed through coursework: AS 1 and A2 1. The coursework is marked by the teacher and moderated by CCEA.

The coursework units are described in more detail below:

AS 1: Moving Image Arts Creative Production: Foundation Portfolio

The foundation portfolio is worth 70 percent of AS and 35 percent of a full A Level.

Students must create an original and complete film or animation. They must work formally and stylistically within the conventions of the chosen moving image art form. They are free to choose an initial idea or theme as a starting point.

The finished film or animation must be supported by a portfolio of written, illustrated and audio-visual materials that provide evidence of the creative processes and practices undertaken to complete it. These supporting materials will combine to form a portfolio in Creative Production. The portfolio must be presented in the following sections:

• Statement of Intentions;
• Pre-Production;
• Pre-Production Exercise;
• Final Product; and
• Evaluation.

A2 1: Moving Image Arts Creative Production and Research: Advanced Portfolio

The advanced portfolio is worth 35 percent of the full A Level.

The objective of the advanced portfolio is to allow students to explore how different artistic disciplines and approaches have influenced the form and style of the moving image. Students are encouraged to:

• experiment with different stylistic and formal combinations in their work; and
• appreciate the development of the visual language and techniques of the moving image within a wider context of art and creativity.
Students are given the opportunity to move beyond the mainstream to explore:
• greater extremes of formal and stylistic techniques (such as the use of non-linear narrative structure, expressionist design or lighting techniques); and
• the crossing of formal and stylistic boundaries between different genres and forms of the moving image (for example, the use of documentary techniques in film and animation, the new forms of hybrid genres in international cinema or how a background in animation has shaped the visual style and technique of film-makers such as Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton)
The advanced portfolio must be presented in the following sections:
• Illustrated Dissertation;
• Pre-Production Exercises;
• Pre-Production; and
• Product Evaluation.

Any questions about this course can be directed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,
Head of Moving Image Arts at 02871285000,