ASSESSMENT

This part of the exam will require you to discuss:

• Spectatorship
• Ideology

Spectatorship

A central part of Film Studies is exploring how films address individual spectators through, for example, particular shots, editing, music and performance as well as narrative and genre to engage their interest and emotions. Films are generally constructed to provide the spectator with a particular viewing position, most often aligning the spectator with a specific character or point of view. This in turn raises questions about how ‘determined’ spectators' responses to a film are and how far spectators can and do resist the position they are given. You will thus consider how far spectators are ‘passive’ or ‘active’ in their responses to film and how social and cultural factors, as well as the specific viewing conditions in which a film is seen, influence spectators' responses.

You will be able to demonstrate the following:

• how the spectator has been conceived both as ‘passive’ and ‘active’ in the act of film viewing
• how the spectator is in dynamic interaction with film narrative and film features designed to generate response
• reasons for the uniformity or diversity of response by different spectators
• the impact of different viewing conditions on spectator response
• the analysis of narrative, visual, musical, performance, genre and auteur cues in relation to spectator response
• the possibility of preferred, negotiated, oppositional and aberrant ‘readings’ of film

IDEOLOGY

The concept of film as ideological involves exploring what ideologies are conveyed by a film as well as those which inform it which may, for example, reveal that a film reinforces or challenges dominant beliefs and attitudes within a society.

You will be able to demonstrate the following:

• the connotations of visual elements and sounds
• binary oppositions, both those contained in the narrative and those contained in film’s use of formal elements
• the implications of spectator positioning and address
• ideological perspectives appropriate to the text (such as a feminist or a political perspective)
• an evaluation of the ideological critical approach to film.

WHAT IS THE EXAMINER LOOKING FOR?

An example question for Component 1, section B: American film since 2005 (two-film study):

How far do your chosen films demonstrate a constant shift between passive and active spectatorship? Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film. [40]

How you could answer this question...

You may discuss passive and active spectatorship in terms of the degree of spectator involvement or in terms of the degree to which spectators accept or challenge the way they are aligned/positioned. Either approach is acceptable. You may include the following:

• an understanding of spectatorship in terms of the level and type of engagement a film elicits in the spectator including, for example, concepts such as identification, alignment and allegiance
• how key features of the films, such as camera position, editing, sound, performance or aspects of narrative and genre can create passive and active responses
• some recognition of the role of viewing context and spectators' social and cultural background in influencing spectator response  a recognition that spectators are likely to shift between passive and active viewing.
• Band 5 responses may see the relationship between passive and active spectatorship both in terms of shifting responses and as a tension between spectators' points of view (their ideological positions) and the points of view (ideologies) films may convey.

Assessment objectives for for this question