Topic outline
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Component 3Example Candidate Response - High -
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Final outcome
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Written analysis
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Examiner comments
The candidate combines their written analysis with a practical final outcome within a Powerpoint presentation. The written analysis is synthesised with an evolving body of work and represents a substantial piece of independent research. The candidate demonstrates a perceptive integration of written and practical work. The title of the investigation is "As Insignificant as Indifferent". The candidate undertakes an ambitious investigation which intends to examine meaningfulness in philosophy and religion and in photographic practice. The candidate presents work in digital photography, moving image and digital manipulation. The candidate clearly sets out their intentions and addresses the concept of meaning and context in photography. The candidate's ideas are supported by illustrations and an embedded video by John Berger. This attracts marks in AO1. The candidate demonstrates excellent skills in recording insights and a highly accomplished ability to critically reflect on initial progress. -
Examiner comments
The candidate begins their research into the meaning with a written and visual discussion about the relationship between meaning and identity, and whether indicators of identity can be found in the world around us. The candidate tests the idea with examples of creative work where there is little or nothing to identify. The candidate uses an embedded video of John Cage performing his composition "4:33". This demostrates excellent skills in researching and recording insights which are relevant to intentions. Other creative practicioners are also discussed which demonstrates excellent skills in researching and recording observations from a range of sources. This is rewarded in AO1. The candidate begins to build a body of work inspired by Luis Pereira. This is maintained throughout the investigation, demonstrating and excellenet development of ideas through focused investigation. This is rewarded in AO3.
The candidate decides to explore the potential of long exposure photography, inspired by the work of Aaron Durand. Through a series of photographs of moving trains, the candidate develops an idea that abstract quality of identity can have a comparison in the abstract quality of long exposure photographs. This idea is persuasively demonstrated. This is rewarded in AO2, AO3 and AO4.
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Examiner comments
The candidate continues their research into meaning and identity with a series of interviews. Each interview poses the same questions, and interviewees are given sufficient space to answer at length if required. The interviews are deployed as on-going testing of the ideas in the investigation. The first interview develops the idea of long exposure photography. The interviewee discusses how time and movement are elements of long exposure photography. During a discussion about meaning, the interviewee describes how photography provides insight into the moment. It can communicate the intimate and enigmatic, and the overwhelming and spacious. During the interivew, the relationship between photgraphy and truth is discussed. The interview to camera is interwoven with scenes of the interviewee on location preparing to take long exposure photographs and working with digital manipulation software. This demonstrates an excellent skill in recording insights. During the time spent with the interviewee, the candidate provides evidence of the development of their own pratice in photography and digital manipulation. This is rewarded in AO2 and AO3.
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Examiner comments
The candidate develops the idea of identity isolation through the human face and body. The candidate produces digital images following research into the work of Jean Michel Basquiat and Tigran Tsitoghdzyan. This demonstrates excellent exploration and selection of relevant media and is rewarded in AO2.
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Examiner comments
The second interview is contained in a video embedded in this slide. The visual presentation of this interview demonstrates effective management of movement, and the measurement of time. The candidate confidently controls both pace and placement. The inteviewee navigates ideas surrounding meaning whilst the interview is interwoven with scenes of exteriors and interiors and a person navigating the spaces. This demonstrates a sophisticated ability to refine ideas as the work develops. The video also demonstrates a sensitivity to contemporary moving image practice. This is rewarded in AO2.
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Examiner comments
The candidate makes continual reference to the work of others for comparison and inspiration, for example, magazine front cover mock-ups are inspired by Plato Antonio's work for Time magazine. This demonstrates mature critical understanding and testing.
The candidate returns to the idea of the human face and body expressing identity. In a series of magazine front covers and interiors, called Individuality, the candidate demonstrates an excellent command of colour, typography, lighting and image. This is rewarded in AO2 and AO4.
A page turning tool is used to replicate magazine pages.
This work contains examples of excellent portrait photography.
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Examiner comments
The third interview is contained in a video embedded in this slide. The interviewee discusses the place of religion in ideas of meaning. In what becomes a journey of reflection, the interviewee traces their own religious upbringing and describes a new sense of meaning without religion. The interview to camera is interwoven with scenes of the interviewee working alone with scientific instruments illuminated by the light from a large window. Through this window, the outside world is seen. The candidate demonstrates a good command of the interview format, the editing process, and the presentation of questions. In this sequence, the candidate provides more evidence of their focused investigation and mature ability to work within constraints. This is rewarded in AO3.
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Examiner comments
These slides start to address ideas such as meaningful experiences without religion, and the intrinsic meaningfulness of wealth. The candidate proposes an idea that there is an inverse relationship between wealth and religious faith. This idea is inspired by a poem by Charles Bukowski. Photographs from a poor urban area are presented in black and white, and the candidate suggests this can be thought of as an equivalent to the binary of life and death. This is rewarded in AO1.
The candidate persuasively associates the comfort of religion with the harsh conditions illustrated in their photographs. In a series of black and white photographs, the candidate beautifully illustrates a connection between poverty and isolation. This is rewarded in AO2, AO3 and in AO4.
This work demonstrates a highly accomplished command of visual language. This is rewarded in AO2.
Towards the end of this series, the candidate becomes interested in the shadows cast by his subjects in stark daylight. The resulting photographs resonate with a sense of isolation, as shadows of people appear like disembodied figures projected against an urban backdrop.
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Examiner comments
The fourth and final interviews are contained in a video embedded in this slide. In the first part, a student contrasts religious doctrine and a scientific approach to knowledge. In the second part, two adults describe their thoughts about meaning without religious faith. In the second part, two adults describe their thoughts about meaning without relgious faith. They refer to a modest ambition to be happy. The interviews are interwoven with shots of village streets, the surrounding landscape and daylight falling on walls, rooftops and roadways. The final shot shows the profile of a simple house set against a spectacular sunset sky. The candidate creates a compelling metaphor for the ideas expressed in the interviews. This demonstrates excellent communication of ideas through visual forms and is rewarded in AO2.
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Examiner comments
The candidate describes an episode of enforced isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a restricted environment, the candidate reflects on the way that perceptions of space and self are susceptible to change. A short photographic diary records some thoughts and images from this time. The candidate goes on to present photographs, short animations, and digitally manipulated images concerned with the individual in confined interior spaces. The candidate uses the constraints imposed on them to focus the direction of their work. This work demonstrates a highly effective level of engagement and independence and is rewarded in AO4.
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Examiner comments
The candidate presents a reflection on their work so far. They consider the comments provided by the interviewees about the relationship between purpose and meaning. The candidate then refers to John Cage’s “Lecture on Nothing” to provide some context to these ideas. A recording of the lecture is embedded in slide 56. John Cage translates a Haiku poem by Matsuo Bashō and meditates on progress and meaning. Cage concludes that not knowing and not assigning meaning will bring pleasure. The candidate presents a black and white photograph of a human figure alone in a narrow interior space and describes their own acceptance of a simplicity of meaning. This demonstrates a perceptive integration of practical and written elements. On slide 58 the candidate presents a final outcome. In this sequence, a figure is seen in a narrow corridor removing outer garments as they walk towards a distant door. Some text from the “Lecture on Nothing” is displayed on the screen and the figure walks through the open doorway into a flood of bright light. The final text appears on the screen, “We are getting nowhere, and that is a pleasure”. In this work, the candidate demonstrates an excellent realisation of their intentions and an excellent development of a concept. This is rewarded in AO4.
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How the candidate could have improved
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Outline Proposal Form
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