International Baccalaureate · IB Diploma
Film · HL
Papers, samples and curriculum documents for this course.
Course units and learning goals
These lessons teach selected course objectives. Check the remaining coverage gaps; the material is not a complete preparation programme.
Reading film; textual analysis · Film language and contextual interpretation
- Analyse cinematography, editing, sound and mise-en-scène
- Connect a bounded extract to film context and meaning
- mise-en-scène
- The arrangement of elements within the film frame.
- diegetic sound
- Sound understood as belonging within the story world.
Contextualizing film; comparative study · Comparative film inquiry
- Compare films through a focused topic and cultural context
- Build a sourced multimedia argument rather than two summaries
- film context
- Conditions of production, culture and reception relevant to interpretation.
- montage
- Meaning created through the selection and arrangement of shots.
Exploring film production; portfolio · Production roles and reflective evidence
- Explore three film-production roles through actual work
- Evaluate creative decisions with role-specific evidence
- room tone
- The ambient sound of a recording location.
- production role
- A defined responsibility in making a film.
HL collaborative film project · Collaboration and individual accountability
- Make a real collaborative film through a chosen production role
- Evaluate individual contribution within the collective project
- collaboration
- Coordinated creative work by more than one person.
- production log
- A record of decisions and work during production.
Preparing for this qualification
- No written examinations. SL textual analysis 30%, comparative study 30%, film portfolio 40%. HL textual analysis 20%, comparative study 20%, portfolio 25%, collaborative film project 35%.
- Teacher selects the assessment-session prescribed film for textual analysis. Respect screening, image and music rights; practical production requires school approval and real role evidence.
Teaching coverage still needed
- Session-prescribed film analysis, contextual sources, complete production role portfolios and HL finished collaboration remain school-supervised evidence.
- Reviewed runtime bank remains unavailable; no practice registry promotion.
Specifications and sample documents
- Film — Subject brief · 2019 ↗
First assessment: 2019
Course materials
Course preparation
Documents are available. Board-specific notes, assessments and interactive past-paper practice are not yet available for every course.
Lessons →