Specialist Study Area 1: The Significance of Digital Technology in Film

 

Digital technologies have had a huge impact in the world of film, both fictional and factual filmmaking, from the accessibility of YouTube to the expensive effects of CGI. In the documentary genre more people have the means to tell their stories because cameras are more affordable (and more portable) than ever before and films can be distributed immediately online. This, alongside the development of devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and home computers which enable the recording, editing and distribution of filmed material, has led to a democratisation of the form. Smaller, lighter cameras also mean that the camera operator is freer, more locations are within reach and the camera is less obtrusive, arguably making it less intimidating to the subject. Whilst this is less important with Amy, a documentary almost entirely constructed from existing footage shot on a range of devices (some of which are pre-digital), the examples above indicate some of the ways that digital technologies have impacted the documentary form.

Approximately 90% of the footage used in Amy is digital, with much of the personal footage of Amy taken on home video and digital smartphones by her friends. The film's director, Asif Kapadia, ...