IB Group 6 Arts: IB Film vs IB Theatre (2025 Guide)

It usually starts with a simple question that doesn’t feel simple at all: Do I want to tell stories on a stage, or through a lens? In IB Group 6 Arts, the choice between IB Film and IB Theatre can feel like choosing between two versions of yourself. One is louder, collaborative, immediate. The other is quieter, technical, precise. Both are creative. Both are demanding. And both can be the “right” choice if it matches how you actually work.

This 2025 guide breaks down IB Film vs IB Theatre for exam-focused IB students: what you’ll do, how you’re assessed, what kind of stress each subject creates, and how to decide with less panic and more clarity. Along the way, we’ll connect the decision to smart revision habits using RevisionDojo, so your IB Group 6 Arts choice turns into results.

A quick decision checklist (save this)

If you only remember one thing about IB Group 6 Arts, remember this: you’re graded on creative choices plus the evidence and reflection behind them.

Use this fast checklist before you commit:

• Do you prefer live performance energy (Theatre) or crafted visual control (Film)?

• Do you like constant collaboration (Theatre) or defined production roles (Film)?

• Are you more motivated by rehearsals and feedback in the room (Theatre) or iterating drafts in editing (Film)?

• Can you handle long projects with documentation and reflection (both)?

• Do you have access to equipment/space at school (cameras/editing vs rehearsal/performance space)?

If you want broader context on where this fits in the diploma, read What Is a Group 6 Class in IB?.

What IB Group 6 Arts is really testing

Students often think IB Group 6 Arts is about talent. The programme treats it more like proof.

In both Film and Theatre, you’re repeatedly asked to show:

• Intentional choices (not random “creative vibes”)

• Research and context (global perspectives matter)

• Process documentation (iterations, feedback, development)

• Reflection (what changed, why, and what you learned)

That’s why strong students build systems early: notes, checklists, and frequent small review loops. RevisionDojo helps you keep those loops tight using Study Notes, Flashcards, and AI Chat when you get stuck mid-process.

To zoom out on choosing within IB Group 6 Arts, see Choosing IB Group 6 Arts: A Student's Guide.

IB Theatre: who it fits (and what the work feels like)

IB Theatre is built around live performance and collaborative creation. If Film is a lab, Theatre is a rehearsal room: messy in the middle, electric when it works.

What you actually do in IB Theatre

You’ll spend time on:

• Exploring theatre traditions and practitioners (often globally)

• Devising, rehearsing, performing, directing, designing

• Building solo and group performance work

• Writing reflections that link choices to intention and audience impact

If you want a clear picture of how the course is structured, start with Dive into the World of IB Theatre: An In-Depth Syllabus Overview.

The kind of student who thrives in IB Theatre

IB Theatre tends to suit you if:

• You think with your body as much as your brain

• You like making meaning with space, voice, movement, design

• You don’t mind frequent peer feedback (and changing your work because of it)

• You can reflect honestly without turning reflection into a diary

For practical revision routines, Best Study Strategies for IB Theatre Students (SL & HL) is a strong starting point.

IB Film: who it fits (and what the work feels like)

IB Film is where analysis meets production. You learn to talk about film like a critic and build film like a maker. The workload often spikes when deadlines approach, because editing time expands to fill whatever space you give it.

What you actually do in IB Film

Expect work in two lanes:

• Film analysis: close reading of film form, context, meaning

• Film production: planning, shooting, sound, editing, role-based creation

The hidden skill is linking your research to your decisions. If you want to see what that looks like, read Best Ways to Link Exploring, Creating, and Producing in IB Film.

The kind of student who thrives in IB Film

IB Film tends to suit you if:

• You like detailed control and revision (shot choices, pacing, sound)

• You can sit with a project for weeks and keep improving it

• You enjoy technical learning curves (editing, audio, camera basics)

• You’re comfortable being both creative and precise

For assessment-focused prep, IB Film IA Prep: A Clear Plan for a Top Commentary offers a practical structure.

IB Film vs IB Theatre: learning style and day-to-day reality

Here’s the honest difference: IB Theatre pressure is often social and live. IB Film pressure is often technical and iterative.

Classroom energy

• IB Theatre: active, physical, collaborative, rehearsal-based

• IB Film: focused, analytical, tech-driven, often quieter with bursts of production teamwork

Stress profile

• IB Theatre stress: performance readiness, ensemble expectations, rehearsal time, vulnerability

• IB Film stress: technology issues, time-consuming edits, perfectionism, managing production logistics

“Which is harder?”

In IB Group 6 Arts, “hard” depends on what drains you.

• If you hate being watched while you experiment, Theatre can feel brutal.

• If you hate tools, timelines, and tiny technical fixes, Film can feel endless.

Both reward students who document process consistently instead of trying to reconstruct it the night before.

University and career relevance (what actually matters)

Universities generally respect both Film and Theatre because both require analysis, research, and a sustained creative process.

What tends to matter most is fit:

• Film can support pathways like media studies, film production, journalism, digital storytelling.

• Theatre can support performance, directing, drama education, arts management, theatre studies.

If you’re thinking strategically about how admissions view IB Group 6 Arts, read IB Group 6 Arts: How Universities Really See It.

How to choose (without overthinking it)

A useful way to decide is to picture your best week in each subject.

Choose IB Theatre if your best week looks like:

• You’re testing staging ideas, getting feedback, adapting quickly

• You feel energized by ensemble collaboration

• You enjoy research when it becomes something physical you can try

Choose IB Film if your best week looks like:

• You’re refining a cut, improving sound, shaping meaning through form

• You enjoy analysis because it gives you production ideas

• You like having a role you can master and iterate

And if you’re unsure, don’t guess in isolation. Ask a teacher to let you observe a lesson, or talk to older students. You can also use RevisionDojo to reduce uncertainty: browse the Coursework Library for examples, use AI Chat to clarify criteria language, and build a weekly plan with Flashcards for terminology.

A simple RevisionDojo plan for IB Group 6 Arts students

Whether you pick Film or Theatre in IB Group 6 Arts, the revision game is the same: understand, practise, reflect, repeat.

A calm weekly loop:

• Study Notes: tighten your conceptual understanding fast

• Questionbank: quiz terminology, concepts, and analytical thinking

• Flashcards: lock in key vocab (practitioners, techniques, conventions)

• AI Chat: troubleshoot when you’re stuck mid-draft or mid-reflection

• Grading tools: align your writing with what marks actually reward

• Mock Exams and IB Predicted Papers by IB Examiners (Free): rehearse timing and decision-making under pressure

This is how your creative subject stops feeling like chaos and starts feeling like craft.

FAQ: IB Film vs IB Theatre (IB Group 6 Arts)

Is IB Film or IB Theatre easier to score well in?

In IB Group 6 Arts, scoring well is less about which subject is “easier” and more about whether your strengths match the assessment style. IB Theatre rewards students who can collaborate, test ideas physically, and write clear reflection that links choices to intention. IB Film rewards students who can combine precise analysis with consistent production evidence and technical control. If you pick the subject that drains you, you may work hard but document poorly, and documentation is where marks often hide. If you pick the subject that fits you, your process becomes easier to sustain week after week. Sustainable process is usually what becomes high marks.

Do I need technical experience to take IB Film?

No, you don’t need to walk in with professional editing skills, and many students start from scratch. What you do need is patience for learning tools and troubleshooting problems that appear right before deadlines. The strongest IB Film students are not always the most “naturally talented”; they’re the most systematic. They plan shots, keep notes, test edits, and reflect on why choices changed. If your school has limited equipment, you can still succeed by designing a project that fits your resources and focusing on clarity and intention. Tools like RevisionDojo’s AI Chat can also help you translate vague ideas into concrete film language when you’re stuck.

Is IB Theatre only for confident actors?

IB Theatre is not only for people who want to be on stage, and it’s not a personality contest. Theatre includes directing, devising, design thinking, ensemble work, and research-driven performance choices. Confidence often arrives after repetition, not before it, and the course is designed to build skills through practice and reflection. If you’re introverted, you might still thrive if you enjoy structured roles and can contribute thoughtfully in rehearsal. If you want a perspective on that, Are IB Group 6 Subjects Suitable for Introverted Students? is worth reading. The real question is whether you can engage consistently with process and feedback.

Conclusion: choose the IB Group 6 Arts subject you can live with

The best choice in IB Group 6 Arts isn’t the one that sounds impressive. It’s the one you can return to on a tired Tuesday and still do the work.

If you want live energy, ensemble momentum, and meaning built in the room, IB Theatre is likely your fit. If you want visual control, analytical precision, and stories shaped in the edit, IB Film may be the better match. Either way, your results come from the same habit: consistent evidence of thinking.

When you’re ready to turn that habit into exam confidence, build your routine inside RevisionDojo using Questionbank, Study Notes, Flashcards, AI Chat, Grading tools, Predicted Papers, Mock Exams, the Coursework Library, and Tutors when you need a human to diagnose what’s holding you back. That’s how IB Group 6 Arts becomes not just creative but controllable.