Hollywood trip gives A Level Film Studies learners a 'reel' feel for the industry

Not if you ask the 30-strong group of Year 1 and Year 2 A Level Film Studies learners that went on York College’s February trip to Tinseltown.

The week-long visit has been re-established as an annual event in the College calendar, having been run by tutor Neil Smith for 13 consecutive years before the Covid epidemic struck in 2020 and studios ceased operations.

It is not mandatory, but an optional enrichment activity that is paid for by students and this year incorporated trips to the working backlots of Sony, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros studios, with sets visited including Road to Perdition, Star Trek, The Bing Bang Theory, Pretty Little Liars, The Goldbergs, Lucifer, The Pitt and The Offer.

This year, the students also met nine-year-old TikTok phenomenon The Rizzler and, in the past, have come face-to-face with global stars such as Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Tim Burton, Gordon Ramsay, Peter Gabriel and Shay Mitchell.

There was time, too, for a visit to Santa Monica beach, shopping at Glendale Galleria, a trip to the Farmers Market in Grove, a day at Universal Studios Theme Park and a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.

Inspiring, unforgettable and amazing were just three of the adjectives used by students to express their thoughts on the trip.

On her return to the UK, Year 2 student Bobbi Gofton enthused: “For me, going on a trip that far was really out of my comfort zone, however I think it was really worth it and an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Visiting the studios was amazing and all the sound stages and Foley (sound effect technology) stuff was really fun to learn about. 

“Overall, the trip made me so much more interested in the art behind film making and helped deepen my knowledge of the process and behind the scenes.”

Oli Colbeck added: “It was an unforgettable experience that only felt more incredible due to the knowledge we’ve gained through College. All four studios had something to offer and actually getting to see the costumes and props from these movies only made them feel more real.”

Fellow Year 2 learner Emelia Stead, meanwhile, declared: “Having the opportunity to go see the studios in Hollywood was genuinely one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. Being able to see working studios and learn about the history of the studio lots is so incredibly surreal, and it’s amazing to think I’ve walked the same paths as many celebrities I look up to have.”

On the educational value of the trip, tutor Neil Smith explained: “The tour guides focus on what the students have studied, so it’s tailored to our needs, and they get a different perspective. They are doing Casablanca, so Warner Bros took us to where it was filmed and places like Rick’s Café are now historical monuments that can’t be changed.

“They get to see all the locations and, while everybody knows job roles such as director, camera operator and editor, the students get to see there are many more opportunities in the industry, because we also go into the joinery workshops and meet the prop makers. They see all the different sides to it.” 

Film Studies is a fun option to take at A Level but is also a serious academic subject that has been taught in universities since the 1960.

Myths that lessons involve the constant watching of films are quickly busted by anybody enrolling on the course.

Yes – you will watch movies, but the highest-achieving students demonstrate an excellent analytic understanding of film and production techniques in the context of marketing, distribution, exhibition and consumption of one of the most influential global businesses.

A coursework project, worth 30% of the final mark, also requires students to make a film or write a script. 

To learn more about A Level Film Studies, click here

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