Sixth form club leader Amy on how her club boosts pupil confidence

The Into Film Club of the Month for February 2020 is a student-led club at Chipping Campden School in Gloucestershire. Sixth former and club leader Amy tells us how she shares her passion for watching films with others, and how this has resulted in increased pupil confidence and repeated Review of the Week success.

What inspired you to start your Into Film Club?

The club has been running for a year now, and I would describe it as a club full of energy and enthusiasm! As someone who hopes to work in the film industry one day, and whose ultimate passion is watching films I thought: why not start a club to encourage others to watch films, learn to critique and review films, and have some fun? I have always enjoyed working with younger students and sharing my passion for something with others, and so starting a film club seemed ideal.

How did you go about getting your club set up?

I went about setting the club up by approaching the Media Department within my school and making sure I had permission to start the club. Following some advertising around school, I was able to attract many enthusiastic film-loving students to come join! I have teacher supervisors who simply observe for safety reasons (health emergencies etc.), but other than this, it's myself and another sixth former who help in discussions and the running of the sessions.

What do you enjoy about running an Into Film Club?

The extensive collection of films that Into Film offers is astounding and, as a leader, there is never any worry as to how or what we will watch next as there's so much choice! The resources that Into Film offer are fantastic, and it means that I can often vary what we do in our sessions instead of just always watching films.

Have you seen any positive changes in your members since they joined the film club?

Some members of the club started with little confidence in public speaking, and so through group or individual presentations and contributions, I have been able to help them build their confidence and it has been wonderful to see their progress.

You've had a few of your members win Review of the Week, are there any tips you could give to other leaders whose members haven't won yet?

I always stick to the six essential elements of film when it comes to writing reviews: the 3Cs and the 3Ss: colour, camera, character, story, setting, and sound. This way, if a student is struggling to write a review, I simply recommend that they attempt to cover all six elements, and try to make their review snappy and attention-grabbing, and in some cases, controversial!

What advice would you give to other clubs who've not started reviewing yet?

Writing reviews can be daunting, especially for young students who aren't used to critiquing film, and so start with the basic building blocks of a review, such as including a basic plot summary, what the student liked and disliked (and why!), and whether they would recommend the film to other people, and again, why! Try to avoid simply saying a film was ‘good' or ‘bad' - the reader wants to know more!

Have you used any of the Into Film resources to help with your teaching?

I am a big fan of Mark Kermode, and his resources for review writing with Into Film are brilliant and I have used them in several sessions.

Which films have gone down well at your club?

We have covered numerous genres of film in the club, and so it's hard to narrow it down to favourites! But if I had to: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Isle of Dogs and Megamind were much loved.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to go on and study Film and Television at the University of Reading this coming September, and perhaps begin a club in a local school in Reading so I can keep spreading my love of film to younger like-minded students. The big dream is to become a film director, and write my own scripts…who knows what the future holds?

If there is one piece of advice you could give to new Into Film Club leaders, what would it be?

Enjoy watching your students grow and flourish into sophisticated film gurus, and in each session push everyone to be the most creative and imaginative they can be! Most importantly, have fun!