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Assessment Objectives

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Film

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Generic Question

Component 2b requires you to write for 30 minutes about one documentary film.
The Component 2b “digital technology” question requires you to demonstrate an appreciation of the impact of the emergence of digital technology on film in general and documentary filmmaking in particular.
You may be asked to evaluate the extent to which digital technology has impacted filmmakers and audiences.
The question will change every year and it is essential that you write a response tailored to the question you are asked, but in general you should be prepared to write about:
- The impact digital technology has had on filmmaking, documentary filmmakers, and audiences.
- The benefits digital technology has brought to pre-production, production, and post-production.
- The benefits digital technology has brought to distribution and exhibition.
- How, as a film made at the very beginning of the “digital revolution”, Sisters In Law was not (for financial and practical reasons) able to benefit from a purely digital workflow.
- How, despite this, the film manages to achieve many of the qualities one might associate with fully digital productions, making direct reference to the Key Elements Of Film Form in precisely described key sequences from the film. </aside>

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Your answer should be organised around key sequences from your chosen film(s).
Points should make repeated reference to the directors’ intentions and the effect on audience.
You should use technical terminology precisely and as frequently as possible.
References to the use of key elements in key sequences must be precisely described and identifiable to the examiner:

The close-up of Captain Vidal’s face reflected in the mirror as he shaves forces the audience to look directly into the eyes of Ofelia’s murderer. The cold blues and greys of the shot suggest a character devoid of empathy or human emotion.
If asked to discuss a film's "themes", ensure you give the theme a name:

The theme of "disobedience" is central to Pan's Labyrinth and can be seen in the actions of Ofelia, Mercedes and Doctor Ferreiro.
If asked to discuss a film's "aesthetic", ensure you give the aesthetic a name:

Pan's Labyrinth's "fairy-tale" aesthetic is established and maintained through the director's tight control of mise-en-scène, lighting, and colour palette.
Remember:
- Every Film Studies question is a key elements question at heart!
- This is Film Studies — write thoughtfully, sensitively, and insightfully about the films in question and you won’t go far wrong. </aside>