International Baccalaureate

Course structure

The course covers the following topics:

Year 1

• Course Overview
• The Magic Lantern
• There Was This Guy
• The Dark Side
• A Funny Thing Happened
• Single Vision
• Lenses of Truth
• We’ve Got Rhythm
• Shafts of Light

 

Year 2

• Shafts of Light
• ME Watching You
• Breaking all the Rules
• The Human Heart
• This Town Ain’t Big Enough
• A New Set of Eyes
• To the Stars
• Final Take

 

What is different in taking Film SL online?

Students will have the opportunity to:

• choose an art class that may not be offered at their school
• study alongside students from around the world
• exchange ideas with people from very different backgrounds
• use technology much more than in a face-to-face environment, especially in their communication tools
• add flexibility to their timetable

 

Activities and assessment

Every activity has its own assessment rubric. Students may create a one-minute video without dialogue that includes at least two characters and a dinner table; create a Twilight Zone film where a character transitions between different places and time periods that are unconnected in reality; recreate a scene from a favourite film; film the same location twice (the second time light and design the location to recreate a place typical of a chosen genre of film); record an analysis of how film language creates meaning in a five-minute extract from a film; create a storyboard; or create a map showing camera placement, lighting, and actor movement in a scene.

 

Advice from our teachers

In order to succeed, we recommend students set aside five to six hours a week.

Students will need a video camera or DSLR that has manual focus, a sturdy tripod and editing software such as iMovie, Final Cut or Premiere, as basic requirements. A lighting kit and recording device (handheld or microphone) would be excellent additions.

Benefits to students

Taking Film SL online will enable students to:

• enhance their passion for the subject
• deepen their understanding of the how and why of filmmaking
• develop intercultural understanding which is sought by the world’s top universities
• develop 21st century skills like time management, communication and digital literacy which are much in demand by employers