Monarch Of The Glen-Mock Exam Essay
This clip is about a 16 year old girl called Amy who is living with her other family members in the country,however they are clueless on the truth of her reasons for being there.
Throughout the clip,there has been a variety of camera shot and angles used. There are mainly quite close up camera shots throughout.This is to show the contrast in all the characters age through facial expressions,height and more. An example of this would be after the car crash,there is a body length shot to show the contrast in the family. Moments on,there is a close up shot of Amy and the grandmother to portray more scared like an child whereas the grandmother looks more worried for Amy. Later on,when Paul finds out the truth about Amy and argues with her at the stairs,there is a change of camera angle where the view is over the shoulder of Paul to view Amy.This emphasis the authority Paul to view Amy.This emphasis the authority Paul has over Amy due to being older and therefore believes he can easily look down on her. After the argument when Amy is in her room,the camera rolls up Amy body to reveal her youthful clothing to exaggerate how young she is. As the camera zooms into the picture,it creates emotion with the audience and yet again shows her youthful side. Also the use of the music during that scene creates a sad and reflective atmosphere.
The clip uses sound effectively to emphasis the characters age.As Amy voice is portrayed as whiny to show her immaturity and to emphasis she is only 16 years old compared to the rest of the characters. Paul voice is made to sound deep and mature which therefore allows him to have authority over the others. On the other hand,the headmaster is given the most deep and mature voice out of the rest as he is the eldest. This makes him sounds more wise and in control of Amy than anyone else. The sound is most effectively used on Amy as the start of the clip when Amy is figuring out how to work the car, the use of a low tone exaggerates the uncertainty in her voice and the audience realise quite early on she is very young. Also seen when Amy shouts "I hate you" at Paul,it emphasis her childish language and anger.
The editing is done to make the scenes easily flow into one another. The quick camera change at the start where Amy says to the boy "There something i need to speak to you about" portrays due to her age it is not important and what Paul's has to say is far more important due to his age. Also near the end of the clip, where the grandmother is running to Paul. It is edited to emphasis how unfit she is,due to her being extremely out of breath when trying to speak. This is most likely due to her old age.
The mise en scene exaggerates the contrast in age. As the headmaster is given brandy to show his maturity amongst the others due to his age. Also his authority is seen when comparing his clothing to the rest of the family. As the headmaster is shown in a suit to show maturity rather the rest of the family wearing casual clothes such as denim jeans and a jacket. His clothes relate to the serious atmosphere he brings to the family when revealing the truth. Further on in in the clip,the camera reveals the bedroom which is shown to be extremely girly and young due to the pink/red bed covers and the bed being covered in magazines. The youthful side to Amy is exaggerated even more when there is a teddy bear left on the bed. This highlights that she is a child at heart.
Concluding from the clip,The Monarch of the glen exaggerates the stereotypes the old and young. Even though Amy tries to act much older than she is,to seem mature to the rest of the characters it is easily revealed her childish and youthful side.This is effectively done by using camera angles,sounds and mise en scene.Also this clip stays to the stereotype of old age as serious and mature as this in portrayed in the headmaster.As his mature voice and clothing implies his authority among the others.Overall, i believe the clip is to emphasis the authority the elder people have in Tv drama's.
Camera Shots, Angle,
Movement and Composition
camera shots
Close up shot-Are a close up of a person or object that takes up the frame of the characters head and shoulders.This shows very little background, and concentrates on the person facial expression to show emotion or create tension.This may be used to make the audience feel more comfortable or uncomfortable depending on who the character is.
Point of view shot: This is where the camera is showing what a
certain character sees, by filming from their point of view. This makes the audience see the characters reaction to what they are viewing also putting the audience in the characters position to engage them.
Aerial shot- Usually a shot taken from the height of a crane , usually taken from a helicopter. This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. If the aerial shot is of a character it can make them seem insignificant.
Over the should shot- Is a shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of another person .This shot helps to establish the
position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the
other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a
conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers.
Mid shot- A shot of a person or object from the waist up. Makes the audience become more familiar to the character and focus on their body language or facial expressions.
Two shot- Is a shot with two characters in a frame. Usually showing the audience the relationship between the two characters in the scene often seen used in TV chat shows.
Master shot-Usually a medium to wide angle shot of a scene that runs the duration of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view.
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establishing shot- Usually a shot done outside in the open to show establish the settings and surroundings . Also used as the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place.
Angles
High Angle - The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
Low Angle - These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
Canted Angle - Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character, seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.
Movement
Pan - A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.
Tilt - A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
Dolly Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.
Steadicam - Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizing mount for motion picture cameras that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement. It allows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven surface.
Handheld - Hand held shots serve to create a more “home made” or dramatic feel to a shot.
Zoom - Zooming is one camera move that most people are probably familiar with. It involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. Most video cameras today have built-in zoom features. Some have manual zooms as well, and many have several zoom speeds.
Reverse Zoom - A single shot which moves away from a particular subject.
Angles
High Angle - The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
Low Angle - These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
Canted Angle - Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character, seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.
Movement
Pan - A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.
Tilt - A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
Dolly Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.
Steadicam - Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizing mount for motion picture cameras that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement. It allows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven surface.
Handheld - Hand held shots serve to create a more “home made” or dramatic feel to a shot.
Zoom - Zooming is one camera move that most people are probably familiar with. It involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. Most video cameras today have built-in zoom features. Some have manual zooms as well, and many have several zoom speeds.
Reverse Zoom - A single shot which moves away from a particular subject.
Editing
Age
We often quickly judge people based on their age. Different ages have different representations and stereotypes.
Common representations of age:
Senile old woman/man
Cradle robbing woman
Male in mid life crisis
Middle age woman clinging to her youth by going out partying etc
teenagers as rebellious,troublmakers
teenagers as rebellious,troublmakers
Gender
Gender is the basic category in which we use to sort human beings. It includes essential elements such as our identity and other peoples identities. The aspects we assume people have from gender comes from the question 'what does it mean to be a boy or a girl?'
Many objects are also stereotypically perceived to be either masculine or feminine due to what awareness we have that constitutes 'appropriate' charactistics for each gender.
Women
-the representation of women are the same as 30 years ago despite the fact that feminism has been around since then.
-they seem to include beauty, size, sexuality, emotional dealings and relationships
-they are often represented as being part of context (family, friends, colleagues) and being part of a team. They tend to be passive rather than active.
-in tv the main women contradict the societal expectations and are seen as dangerous and deviant.
Men
-representations of men include strength, power, sexual attractiveness, physique and independence
-they tend to be portrayed as not having to rely on others (lone hero)
Ethnicity
There are many representations based on race and ethnicity in the media. Stereotyping race is often seen as more offensive than other representations. They are often based on social myth, passed down generations. Most work on race and the media has concentrated on the representation of black men and women because of the strong African-American counter culture which provides alternative role models and demands that they are represented.
They can often be portrayed as
-gangster
-impoverished
-criminal
-victim
-hero
Asian representations can consist of
-intelligent
-martial artist
-obsessed with electronics
-quirky or weak
-lack emotion
-women can be seen as ditzy in some cases
Representation of sexuality
The main sexual orientations are heterosexuality and homosexuality.
Representations of heterosexual women:
-loving,respectable
-promiscuous
-frigid
-pure
-gold digger, pregnant teen, cougar
Representations of heterosexual men:
-Respectable
-promiscuous
-ladies man
-heart throb
-nervous when talking to women
Representations of homosexual women:
-monogamous
-Promiscuous
-embarrassed
Representations of homosexual men:
-promiscuous
-monogamous
-overbearing
-embarrassed
Class and status
This establishes who is powerful and fortunate and who is less fortunate and inferior. This includes lower class, lower middle class, working class, upper middle class, upper class, rich.
Physical ability/disability
This includes those who are physically disabled (paralysed, deaf, blind, amputees), those who are limited in what they can do (morbidly obsese, cancer, aids etc) and those who are in good shape (athletes, superheroes, average people)
- The non diegetic sound of the background music at the start creates tension as the audience are anxious of what is about to occur
- Sound perspective is used as soon as Tariq falls into the water as you hear the sounds of the bubbles.This makes the scene more realistic as you feel as if you were there.
- Non direct sound is used as background music to build the tension and action.
- The direct sound of the characters exaggerates their fear of what Tariq has just done
- The diegetic sound of the speed boat takes over the characters speech and emphasis the emergency.
- The synchronous sound of the water matches the headteachers dive into the lake and the diegetic sound of the head teachers highlights his worry
- The direct sound as they both gasp for air,the hyper-real sound is used to exaggerate the danger of what could have occurred.
This clip is taken from the popular Tv drama Waterloo Road on BBC.
The clip starts with slow and calming music until 15 seconds. The non diegetic sound of the background music is used to create tension as the audience are anxious of what is about to occur and all the emotion that Tariq is feeling about the situation he has put himself in.
Sound perspective is used as soon as Tariq falls into the water, the sound of bubbles of water occurs making the scene more realistic as it feels as if you are almost there as the event is happening. This could make the audience feel on edge and in anticipation as there are in fear of Tariq's safety.
The use of the continuity style editing is used to quickly change scene as the teachers realise what Tariq has just done.Yet again, the use of non direct sound is used as background music to build the tension and action. The fast tempo and low tone music is used to emphasis the urge to save Tariq as there are quickly aware of what they need to do. The direct sound of the characters voice exaggerates their fear of what Tariq has just done, as the Teacher Tom shouts the sound and pitch quickly increases. The diegetic sound of the speed boat takes over the characters speech and the background fast tempo music becomes louder and is more clear. This makes it clear to the audience that the aim to quickly rescue Tariq as he tries to commit suicide. The use of the sound so far is increasing the tension with the audience as they are on edge wanting to know if they can get to Tariq in time.
As the sound of the speed boat lowers the background music carries throughout to keep up the action seen in the clip.The synchronous sound of the water matches the headteachers dive into the lake. The diegetic sound of the head teachers voice highlights his worry as he shouts for "TARIQ" . The nonsimulatenous sound is almost identical and very similar to the sound hear at the beginning of the scene when Tariq first falls into the water. This shows to the audience that the headtacher has been put in the same shoes as Tariq however this time the tension has been built much higher as the sound of the water is presented much more aggressive The gasp of air from the head teacher is very obvious to the audience as the diegestic sound is increased in volume to be heared over the background music.
This clip is from the BBC Tv drama Waterloo road. It is about two teenage girls Jess and Viki who are having an argument over an morning after pill. The argument results in Viki being slapped and they end up in a fight when the teacher breaks it up.
Analysis:
The clip starts with a close up shot of the school girl Jess to clearly show her angry facial expressions also revealing the diegetic sound of her voice. The camera shot then changes to a two shot revealing both of the school girls.The use of mise en scene shows the location of school clearly identifies the girls are in the middle of the school corridor and by both girls wearing school uniform it clearly shows also they are students.The busy corridor showing the synchronous sound/ambient sound of the school children walking past however the use of sound perspective of being able to hear the two characters voices over the busy corridor makes the audience feel as if they were there.The over the shoulder shot then emphasis Jess's anger towards Viki and shown clearly in her serious eye contact towards to Viki as the reverse shot shows clearly the conservation is between just them. The mid shot continuously continues while the two school girls are arguing, the action match used highlights the representation of age as is it very typically seen for teenager girls to be having childish arguments and this is clearly shown in the dialogue as the topic is about a morning after pill which teenage pregnancy are a common issue. Also the close up shot are used to emphasis their anger over Viki not being able to get Jess the morning after pill. Similarly to mid shots, over the shoulder shots are continuously used throughout the argument. The extreme close up shot of Jess as she says 'Well we both know what that makes you' the direct sound exaggerates the extremely bitchy tones and mood of the scene which is typically portrayed in teenage school girls in TV dramas. The camera then changes to a wide shot as Viki walks off in anger however then returns to carry on the argument. The close up shot of Jess quickly shows to the audience her extreme anger before changing to a mid shot of her slapping Viki. The fight breaks out with a mixture of both close up and mid shots to emphasis the anger in both of them and the use of the non diegetic sound of the background music emphasising this mood. After the teacher breaks the fight up the majority of shots used are close up to show the girls frustration with each other. The teacher shows his authority as he breaks up the fight however the use of over the shoulder and mid shots between the girls shows the teacher has little power over them as he continues to let them argue.TV drama usually use high angle to show the teachers authority amongst students however this is not the case in the scene.
Script:
jess; Did you even try?
Viki; Yeah i did try,i had to sit there while she was banging on about STI's and all sort
Jess; Well i would have done the same thing for you,only i would have done it properly.
Viki; How could i jess?!She wanted me to take the pill right then and there
Jess; Well you could have made up an excuse or something or you could have pretended to take them..NO you just caved easily.
Viki;You know what i dont believe you, you should be grateful. You got yourself into this mess
Jess; Well excuse me who do you think you are to judge me?! I'm not the one dancing around a pole in my knickers.
Viki; (pause) You know i only did that cause i needed the money
Jess;Well we both know what that makes you, don't we.
Viki; You got a nerve Jess... You're on your own ( walks off)
Jess: FINE!
(viki walks back)
Viki; You're not on your own are you? You've slept withh 14 blokes recently and you've got the nerve to call me...
(jess slaps viki)
(start pushing eachother)
Teacher: WHAT'S GOING ON?! (breaks up fight)
Teacher:what is going on?
Jess; What do you care eh?
Teacher; You can't go around hitting people Jess
Viki; Oh yes she can,she thinks she can do everything. Stupid Cow
Jess; Shut your mouth Viki
Viki; Why?! cause its true. You go clubbing every night bringing random blokes home and you except me to cover for ya.
Jess;( aggresively) Shut your mouth
Teacher; Alrite, that is enough.
Jess; You know what...you're just jealous of me
Viki; ..Jealous of what?You're a skank (walks off)
Remake:
Analysis:
The clip starts of with a two shot of both characters revealing the location of a school corridor clearly identifies that both characters are students at the school. The direct sound of Jess voices already identifies her frustration with Viki. The action match of the two girls arguing continue as the camera changes to the over the shoulder shot. By Viki being much taller than Jess it shows she has more power than her as this is emphasised in the dialogue. However as the direct sound of Jess stating "Well we know what that make you,don't we?" exaggerates the extremely bitchy tone and mood of the scene which is typically portrayed in teenage schools girls in Tv dramas. As viki storms back to Jess continuing the argument it is shown clearly again the frustration Viki has with Jess. The jump cut is used to then show a mid shot of the two students. The diegetic sound of Jess slapping Viki creates a shock value to the audience as it wasn't expected. The use of the close up and mid shots emphasis their anger with one another. The use of the dialogue as both girls say 'I hate you' highlights the childish language and immaturity they both have. This highlights the stereotypical view teenagers have of being childish and irresponsible. The camera then changes to the two shot of both characters seen at the start of the clip. As the teachers storms in it emphasis his authority as he breaks up the fight. However as the mid shot shows the teacher has little power over them as he continues to let them argue. The diegetic sound of Viki shouting at Jess, 'You're a stupid skank' highlights the childish language used yet again as she storms off leaving Jess and the teacher with both blank yet angry facial expression.
Convergence;
Is the merge of different types of media due to the progression of technology.
Such as a phone now contains messaging,camera,internet etc so need for other devices such as a camera and a laptop.
It is both consumer and corporate driven.
In the film industry it can happen in the production, distribution or exhibition.
Synergy ;
Synergy is the simultaneous release of different products to boost both.
It can be used most often by bigger companies as the different elements work together to promote linked products across different media.
As synergy is used in film companies to benefit and promote both products such as film/soundtrack/game.
For example the film Skyfall promotes the soundtrack with promotes the DVD which promotes the game etc
All products are SONY owned and therefore equally benefit one another.
Primeval-gender
Camera:
At the start of the clip an over the shoulder shot showing how even though the man is seen to
be taller and look down on the girl, it had no power in persuading her to stay.
A wide shot is used when
we first see Abbey, it acts as a establishing
shot of the scene and location of the woods and forest.
The close up shot
of the end of the digger establishes the fact that Abbey is experienced in
using such a machine typically seen in TV
to be used by men. Therefore this reinforcing her non stereotypical portrayal,
she is given the impression of a tomboy .
A reverse shot is
used to show the mans worried facial expression as a close up shot of the buried arm is revealed.
Point of
view shot as the saber-tooth tiger chases towards the man. This
emphasises that now the saber tooth tiger is the most powerful thing in the scene,
therefore making the man inferior.
Low angle
shot of the saber tooth tiger emphasises the danger as high angle shot of the man as the sabertooth
tiger tries to attack him.
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COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN-DISABILITY
The clip from 'Coming down the
mountain' has the representational issue of the abled vs disabled. This is shown
through the characters Ben and David in their sibling relationship. It is shown
that David superior to Ben being due to dominating screen time and being binary
opposites.
The clip starts with an establishing shot of the brother’s
bedroom. The arial shot highlights the family cannot afford separate bedrooms. The
mise en scene of the boys bedroom shows clearly the brothers have their own
sides to the room as is a juxtaposition, as Ben’s half is colourful and bright,
while David’s side is dull and different shades of black and grey connoting a
gloomy atmosphere. The Bring me to the Horizon poster shows the very typically
rock aggressive music. The shot then faces to a close up of David’s face, as
the director pans the camera around his face to give a distorted feel to the
audience. The voice over of the brother reveals a mild tone as he mentions, “last
summer I decided to kill my brother”. The non-diegetic sound of background
friendly music is juxtaposed with the bold statement the brother makes. The
audience automatically sympathise with Ben, for killing such a innocent person.
A quick cut transitions reveals the montage of stages of evolution.
This signifies the thought process of an abled body person showing David’s in
control and somewhat powerful of his disabled brother Ben.
The establishing shot is a long shot of a council state
building, presenting the family is of a lower class therefore this invites the
audience to sympathise with the families limited living situation especially with
having a disabled child. Non diegetic sound of “Wouldn’t it be nice” creates a
cheerful mood which slowly fades as a wide shot reveals as it juxtaposed with
the tense family argument. The use of continuity editing in the clip reveals a
close up shot of Ben’s mouth trying to eat his breakfast. This emphasis his vulnerability
as through the use of facial expression the audience see the helpless blank
look. A close up shot of David highlights his disgusted facial expression
towards his disabled brother through the eyeline match between the brothers.
The audience establish the clear difference between the brothers through their
clothing as David’s dark clothing of a tee and jeans is a juxtaposition with
Ben’s simplistic clothing. Through the use of artificial lighting, Ben is
always favoured in lighting in contrast to David being shown in little or dark
lighting. This signifies the stereotypical view of teenagers being grumpy and
moody. Through the use of dialogue, the audience can identify a soft tone used
by the mother when addressing Ben, “ it was a bit selfish”. This makes Ben seem
more angelic and emphasises the stereotypical view of disabled people seen as childlike.
However his greedish ways of getting away with it because he is disabled
highlights the issue as unfair. The roles are reversed as the audience feel
more empathy towards David because he is treated unfairly compared to his
brother.
The scene then jump cuts to show the brothers walking to the
bus stop as credits appear showing actor’s name. There is a series of montages
of a flashback as non-diegetic sound of the voice over begins to exaggerate his
strong opinion on Ben. Through the use of wide and longshots the representational
issue of disability/ability are illustrated as they are always together as David
is viewed as the career therefore invites the audience to sympathise his hard
job as Ben is viewed as a burden on his life.
Through the use of cross cutting, a panshot is used as a establishing
shot to reveal the classroom. The close up shot of David drawing of a horse
suggests he wishes to break free and be strong from his burden of a brother. The
diegetic sound of the teacher’s voice increases as she becomes the main focus
of the shot showing her authority amongst the students due to the professional
position.
A quick cut to the next scene of a wide shot of the two boys
as the diegetic sound of the conservation about a party is revealed. As his
brother considers to leave Ben, his friend is seen frequently in close up and
mid shots to highlight the peer pressure. In contrast the use of high angle
when facing the brother, Ben is seen as inferior. As Ben's dialogue is mumbled
and quiet to exaggerate his little self-control about the situation and to
highlight the representational issue of disabled people having little control
over their lives.
A jump cut then reveals a close up shot of Ben’s worried facial
expression as he grips tightly to the chair. The synchronous sound of the
school children reveals a busy yet scary atmosphere for Ben. This allows the
audience to emphasis with his emotions as the shot is in shallow focus and
cross cutting back to show the focus in mainly on Ben. The voice over of David
stating, “I need space” as a close up zooms into Bens face to highlight his
loneliness.
Concluding from the clip, all in all the clip invites the
audience to sympathise with Ben as emphasised in the representational issue of
disabled people being vulnerable and inferior in everyday life. However the
clip shows through the relationship of the brother, the clear difference between
abled and disabled bodies. As the audience clearly understand the strain of
being a career to a disabled brother for David.
G322 Primeval- Gender
The clip from the famous TV Drama Primeval
highlights the issue of the representation of gender in television. However,
Primeval challenges the stereotypical view of both male and female as shown in
both the two main characters, Abbey and Nick.
At the
start of the clip an over the
shoulder shot shows the
two characters talking. However through the use of dialogue it is revealed that
even though the man is seen to be taller and look down on the girl, he has no
power in persuading her to stay. The non-diegetic sound of the background music
changes from an originally calm and relaxed piece, to a loud and more intense
piece of music. The music changes tone at the same time as the diegetic sound
of one character speaking. The two characters speak to each other calmly, but
one of the characters tone of voice changes from calm to almost stressed and
angry. The background music is a signifier of the change of tone in this
particular scene and is used to add similar feelings to those of the characters.
A cross cut then reveals a wide shot when we first see Abbey, it acts as an establishing
shot of the scene of the
location of the woods and forest at day time shown by the well-lit location. The close
up shot of the end of the
digger establishes the fact that Abbey is experienced in using such a machine
typically seen in TV to be used by men. Therefore this reinforcing her
non stereotypical portrayal, she is given the impression of a tomboy . Also
through the use of mise en scene, Abbey is seen dressed is a leather jacket and
all in black with a short edgy hair style, this also highlights a juxtaposition
to a stereotypical feminine women seen in TV.
A reverse
shot shows the worried facial expression of the man as a close
up shot of the buried arm
is revealed. This suggests that the man isn’t the stereotypical macho and
courageous male figure as it easily scared by an unknown mystery hand. Through continuity editing a point of view
shot is revealed of the
saber-tooth tiger chasing towards the man. This emphasises that now the saber-tooth
tiger is the most powerful in the scene, therefore making the man inferior. Low angle shots of the saber-tooth tiger emphasises
the danger and power the creature has as the sabertooth tiger tries to attack
him. There is visual effect of the saber-toothed tiger as the creature
isn’t real, hence needing special effects to create the image.
Varied
close up and mid shots are seen of Abbey attempting to save the man from being
killed by the tiger. Through the use of match on action, the audience can see
the clear contrast between both characters facial expressions when tackling the
creature. Abbey is juxtaposed with her stereotype as she is seen as courageous
and strong rather than a damsels in distress, whereas the male is illustrated
as frighten and weak.
The non-diegetic sound of background music is fast
paced and energetic. The fast and dramatic side to the music relates to the male
character that is running away and trying to escape from the creature. The
sound bridge used of the man being chased by the tiger constructs continuity of
the two scenes. This creates tension from the first scene to the second. Jump
cut are seen between two shots of the same object, when he climbs the ladder
and puts the belt on the zip wire which accelerates his preparation and
demonstrates how he is speedy and decisive. The manipulation of time
exaggerates the action and exhilarating as everything is appeared to be
happening so quickly. However close up shots establishes the man’s fear and
exhaustion as seen in his facial expressions. The man is identified as weak as
his tries to escape not fight or defeat the creature.
Low angle shot establishes the scene and location of
the woods when he is attempting to escape on the zip wire. The ambient sound of
a large animal growling builds suspense within the scene and the audience. The
use of the off ambient sound is further supported by the use of a fast panning
shot which displays to the audience the deep jungle. Within this panning shot,
the creature is nowhere to been seen which suggest that it is hidden within the
deep jungle, making the audience wonder when it will come into frame. The sound
perspective of the tiger roaring in the distance hints to the audience that
there’s danger nearby and foreshadows what will happen next. Blurring transitions
are used which gives the action the impression that it is too fast to see and
fortifies the tigers speed. The sound effect of the tiger roaring creates a
horrifying image to the audience which makes the man seem helpless and weak
The wide shot of the Abbey, displays her running
through the woods with a shotgun attempting to save the man for the second
time. She steers away from the stereotypical image of a women, she is portrayed
as a strong and independent female. Parallel editing is used to connect the
superiority of gender in each scene. These stereotypes are switched as the
women is saving and helping the man, whereas usually the stereotype depicts how
the man would save the women. The stereotypes are reversed; he should be brave
and courageous however his is running and being chased by the tiger. This is
juxtaposed with the woman who is running with a gun in the forest to save the
man for the second time. Through the use of mise en scene, the gun signifies
danger and violence which implies the women is acting in a hegemonic and
domineering manner not seen as a norm in television dramas.
The use of mid shots has been used several times to
demonstrate the positioning, appearance and facial expressions of the
characters walking in powerfully. Abbey is seen as equally as powerful as the
rest of the males, therefore challenging the traditional norm of female
positions. Over the shoulder shots are used as it pans around the group
demonstrates the characters talking to each other in a circle .Throughout the
scene two shots reveal the characters discussion, however as Nick is only seen
in single mid shot suggests that he holds the most power authority within the
group due to being a well-respected male figure.
There is no artificial lighting obviously seen
throughout the clip only natural lighting. As through parallel editing reveals
the fore front of the barn is light but fades into darkness towards the back.
The two central characters are however are seen to be favoured in the light, as
are both of key importance and power. The women is seen both red lipstick and a
tight revealing dress illustrating the common representation of women in
television as promiscuous to gain authority.
Non diegetic sound of background music begins to
build the tension and identify the farmer’s frustration with the women. The
diegetic sound of the guns shot generate shock to the audience and suggests the
power of the man. The Synchronous sound of the dogs barking makes the
atmosphere tense and dangerous also shown in the dialogue as the farmer voice
changes to a low and aggressive tone. Through mise en scene the dogs suggest guarding
and being malicious is connotations with the stereotypical view of males. The
farmer begins to apply the aggressive and anger seen through the dogs into the
strong heated argument with the women.
Claudia is thrown down onto the hay which is seen in
darker lighting therefore reinforcing the reverse swap of authority and power
as now the man is fulfilling his stereotypical powerful male role. Quick cross
cutting between the man with the gun, the dog barking and lying on the floor
reveals the man’s rising anger and frustration. This fast pace of editing
signifies tempo and tension during the scene.
Guns are also then used by the other characters when
saving the women from being shot including Abbey however Andrew takes up
defence in the form of a shovel which can still do serious damage, though it is
slightly comical to the guns, this may imply that he is not macho enough yet to
be able to handle such a powerful weapon. Through mise en scene, the clothing
Andrew is seen to be wearing a pink shirt,scarf and fingerless gloves may hint
to the audience he is homosexual or maybe just slightly unusual and quirky.
Therefore this indicates to the audience due to appearing like this, he is not
a stereotypical masculine male hence only being able to handle a shovel.
Concluding from the clip, audiences often see males
portrayed as brave and likely to be the hero in the story as are given a
typical authoritative figure. And females are often seen as general side
characters that are unable to defend themselves by needing a rescue. However
primeval is juxtaposed with this stereotypes of gender as it shows the reverse
swap of superior and incapability seen in both characters.
Doctor
Who-Gender
The extract from the
TV Drama Doctor Who highlights the representation issue of gender
through the use of the main characters. Through various micro
features, the clip highlights the stereotypical strong male figure
as seen throughout the clip as the main is presence in every scene.
This contrasts with the female character,Martha who is emphasised as
the hero of the day therefore fighting the stereotypical
representation of females being weak and vulnerable.
The clip starts with
non-diegetic sound of western music suggesting a standoff battle
between the two characters this juxtaposed with the stereotypical two
male figures often seen in this situation, suggests the female is
courageous enough to take this role. Through mise en scene,
artificial lighting is used to highlight the guards at the entrance
of the door. The guards are male and the only people with guns in the
room due their macho male role and powerful violent image. This
reinforces the fact that only males are suited for such a powerful
position. The Mid
shot of Martha Jones framed with two security guards behind,
signifying imprisonment as she is held captive. This allows the
audience to feel sympathy towards her as she is seen vulnerable in
the situation.
A
mid shot is used again to reveal her parents and sister highlighting
they have little power and are easily frighten of the master as the
tracking shot expresses their facial expressions. Even the father
being a male figure has little authority which is juxtaposition with
his strong and courageous stereotype. The parents and sister are seen
in workers uniform showing that they are weak and inferior and by the
female characters wearing maid outfits implies to the audience they
fulfil their stereotypical housewife and cleaner role. Shot reverse
shot shows Martha looking at the other characters in the room however
as the camera lingers at the Doctor for longer through slow motion to
show he is powerful and she is dependent on him.
Through visual effect, the doctor is created as an old alien figure
due to the Masters powers. Even though the Doctor is supposed to be
the most powerful and courageous person in the scene, due to the
change he is now juxtaposed with the stereotypical masculine male as
is seen as weak and vulnerable often seen by female characters.
Through continuous editing, reveals in contrast to the family
members, the Master is bold smart and well presented, he is
surrounded by armed guards with weapons, the woman to his right in a
red dress, is represented as an object as she stands by his side, as
do his uniformed male helpers to his left. The women seen in the red
dress highlights the very stereotypical feminine women often seen in
TV dramas as it is revealed as she looks down onto the other women
showing she has no sympathy. This highlights the roles of gender as
he has a dominant role whereas she has less power and is inferior to
the Master.
Low angle of the
Master emphasis his power and authority against everyone due to being
a male figure. He is seen as superior to everyone else in the room
by looking down on the rest of his victims and workers. By Martha
throwing the teleporting device back to the master shows even though
she is seen as beneath him due to her position, she has little care
in pleasing the Master as she wants to fulfil the role of an
independent and courageous women. Through the use of sound, the
masters dominating manner is revealed. As he states “kneel” to
Martha implies religious imagery to the audience as he believe to be
most powerful as God. The use of body language sees the women being
force to knee to the Master to highlight that she is inferior to him
.As she does so, highlights that she has no control over the
situation as she is seen at the bottom of the hierarchy.
As the Master begins
to reveal his plans to dominate the world, parallel editing is used
to reveal aliens ships flying over the world. The special effects of
the Masters “children” which are seen as millions of small
spaceships emphasises that Doctor Who is a science fiction TV
programme therefore is targeted at a male audience, this may imply to
the audience that due to it being a stereotypical male subject this
is why the males are seen as superior.
Through diegetic
sound of dialogue the importance of Martha’s voice is highlighted
as it significantly develops and becomes more pronounced her voice
changes from the timid to be more confident and louder as she
explains her role in saving the world. In contrast, confidence is
exuded by the Master’s voice from the start as the dialogue reveals
his excitement in destroying earth
Shot reverse shot between Martha and the master this implies that
both characters have equal roles in the situation and therefore the
male is not taking full control in the scene.
During
the flashback a blue/greyish hint is used this reinforces cold and
gloomy weather that Martha experienced, this exaggerates how cold she
seems, making her appear weaker. Through the use of editing,
dissolves show the manipulation of time to show her struggles to
become a hero The flashback shows her point of view of the journey as
it is implied to be a struggle and tackling it emphasises a feminine
quality as a stereotypical male wouldn’t imply the task to be
difficult to gain sympathy. During the flashback, a close up shot
reveals Martha stating “I love him” the diegetic sound highlights
the stereotypical emotions women are seen to have. This contrasts
with the courageous and independent women she is trying to be to
fight her stereotype.
Dolly
zoom reveals a closer shot of the Masters face in an important scene
when Martha is becoming more powerful which the reinforces the role
reverse in power. Dialogue highlights what the doctor’s companion
has go through to save the lives of everyone around the world
including the doctors. Even though this has saved the day, she is
seen as not the most well respected and superior figure. As she is
the hero, contrasts with the hegemonic social norm as males are seen
most powerful.
Through synchronous
sound the audience sees that everyone is involved is saving the day
and bringing the doctor by simply stating ‘Doctor’, for example a
dutch hilt reveals the people in London as a community trying to help
save the day. Even the women seen as the Masters object tries to help
by joining in, therefore implying that she is now an independent
women from the Master and simply not just an own object. The cage the
doctor is kept in represents the powerlessness of the doctor,
emphasising the binary opposites between good and evil between two
dominate characters. As the raggedy clothes he is wearing highlights
he is a prisoner. However as only his name is needed to stop the
destruction of the earth, outlines to the audience he superior to the
rest of the characters.
The CGI blue haze
surrounds the doctor as blue has connotations of freedom which links
with that the doctor has been freed from his captivity by the master.
Also the sci-fi style haze suggests that his holds the powers at the
end amongst the rest of the characters. Special effects reveals now
after the Doctor has broken free from the cage and back to normal he
is now the most powerful in the scene as seen through the point of
view shot of the man as the doctors rises in position and both power,
highlighting that the roles have been reversed.
A tracking shot
reveals a mid-shot of Martha running back to her family showing she
needs emotional support represented in the stereotypical view of
females. Through the use of mise en scene wind is created as the
doctor becomes back to himself, it becomes increasingly windy as
paper starts to fly around. This creates an intense atmosphere to
highlight the greatness of the doctor’s power through the magic of
the transformation.
Cross
cutting shows the masters failed attempt to kill the doctor using the
sonic screwdriver, this follows the stereotype that male gender have
to resort to violence instead of the female gender who would try to
solve with words. The women is strong as she is not threaten or need
protecting however the master shown in angry dialogue and sonic
screwdriver. In addition, the doctor also has uses a force filed as
protection, suggesting to the audience he is not as powerful and
strong as he implies. A high angle is used to reveal the master is
defeated by the doctor as through body language his arms are raised
onto his head to shown he is now weak and inferior.
To conclude, the
clip from the popular Doctor Who clip suggests a juxtaposition to the
stereotypical roles of both male and female as shown through the main
character Martha Jones,the Doctor and the Master. Through
cross cutting editing, the audience is aware that the Master takes up
the majority of the scene time and similarly seen in the doctor
towards the end of the clip, this exaggerates the fact there is
constant male presence throughout the clip suggesting this is truly
where the superior authority lays. However as Martha
twist the situation as she has a plan as soon as she walks in implies
she has out smarten all male figures within the scene and therefore
does not stay with her inferior and vulnerable stereotype, but is a
courageous and strong.
Hotel Babylon-Ethnicity
The clip from the popular TV Drama, Hotel Babylon displays
the representational issue of ethnicity through the main characters. Through
camera, mise en scene, sound and editing, the clip conform to the stereotype of
minority ethnic backgrounds having little power.
The clip starts with a tracking shot of a male worker, as an
over the should shot reveals two male police guards. As highlighted through
dialogue “to stop anyone getting out” emphasising the power and authority they possess.
This may suggest to the audience that due to their white British background
they can enforce this power compared to the little power and authority of the
immigrants. Through continuity editing, a wide shot of a group of policemen charging
into the hotel is revealed. The mid shot of the three men implies his power to
the audience as he has protection from both the police offers. The authority the
men have conforms with the stereotype of how the white race is appeared most
dominant and superior in television.
Through the use of editing, cross cutting reveals the black
male in a well fitted smart suit. The suit suggests that he has gained authority
into his work field which contrast to the stereotype of black male being often
lower in the hierarchy.
A panning shot of the female worker in the kitchen highlights
her urgency to save the immigrants. The ambient sound of the busy kitchen
foreshadows the women trying to shout to help save them. Through dialogue,
foreign language is highlighted suggesting she is much closer to the workers
than the audience may see as she can communicate more personally. As the
immigrants all confined in the small storage room, it suggests due to their
ethnic background they are inferior in the situation. As through mise en scene,
the luxury hotel contrast with the small storage room they are forced to say in
which highlight imagery of a prison cell. As the low lighting suggests they are
of little power as the camera zooms out to let all workers be in frame suggests
a sense of community as they all apart of the same struggle and fears. This conforms
with the stereotype of ethnic minorities believing community and togetherness
is key in being deemed strong in situations.
A close up shot of the female workers, highlights her
worried facial expressions as one of the workers are missing. This implies she
is seen as mother figure within the group and does not place herself above the
workers due to her ethnicity. A quick cut reveals the worker on the floor after
fainting. However as the worker uses jam to recover her, a close up shot of the
female worker highlights her uncertainty in the worker. This implies that she
does not have full trust in the worker and places herself above them, however
through dialogue the man states “I wasn’t always a cleaner”. The sarcastic statement
challenges the stereotype of ethnic minorities as the immigrants reveals his
high intelligence and skills.
A quick cut reveals the three men capturing the immigrant
who is clearly unaware of what is about to occur. An eye line match highlights
the male looking down at the hoover left on the floor. This implies he believes
to be superior in the situation as he has no sympathy or emotion. His authority
conforms with the representational issue of ethnicity as due to his ethnicity
he believes in a sense of hierarchy where white British is the most superior.
A cross cut reveals a tracking shot of the immigrant being
taken away by the policemen. Shot reverse shot are used throughout the policeofficers
and female conservation to highlight the contrast in authority and power. It is
implied to the audience the male is appeared the most wise and powerful as he
was aware of the workers plan. Similarly, this informs that ethnic minorities
are incapable to outsmart the superior ethnicity. A cross cut to the reception
women highlights to the audience she has been beaten. However through the use
of mise en scene, as she is appeared in all white suit connotes plurality suggesting
she does not want to be seen involved in helping the immigrants hide or be
associated with them . Similarly the male officer, due to her ethnicity, she
deems herself more superior. Additionally, shown in continuity editing through
the hotel lobby scene, several mid shots highlights all guests stay confined
within their ethnic groups, as for examples seen in a mid shot of black Caribbean
family. The separation emphasis inequalities and conformity seen within the
whole clip.
Through the use of mise en scene, a close up shot of the
immigrant locker with his personal belonging invites the audience to sympathise
the immigrants. As sound effects of background music emphasises the emotional
situation. As a zoom into a close up shot of the key closing the locker,
implies the key presents his freedom has been locked away forever as she has
taken his only safe environment. The long take of the immigrants throughout the
clip allows the audience to see their personal point of view in the situation
therefore foreshadows the dominance of the polices power.
A tracking shot of the canteen reveals all the different ethnic
background workers together eating. This highlights a sense of community, as
through the use of sound diegetic sound of the worker talking in their own
language suggest they can only feel safe and comfortable when all together as
seen as they fulfil their stereotypes. As a mid shot of two workers praying,
implies their fear as they are asking God for protection.
To conclude, the clip from Hotel Babylon conforms with the
stereotype that minority ethnic background are viewed as inferior and powerless
in television. As shown through the micro features only the white British
police officer had the power and authority.
Common Phrases for Exam
Intro
This clip from the popular TV Drama ..... effectively demonstrates the progressive representation issue of ..... in television. This is primarily shown through the main characters .... which challenge/conform with the stereotype.
Main
Example shown in Primeval
Point: Furthermore, through the use of mise en scene, dogs are used to reinforce the stereotype of powerful male figures in television.
Example: This is highlighted when the synchronous sound of the dogs barking in the barn create a tense and dangerous atmosphere.
Argument: The dogs imply to the audience guarding and being malicious is connotations with the stereotypical view of males. This reinforces the dominantly held ideology of danger and power to only be associated with male figures.
The use of low angles show the characters as figures of authority
A close up highlights the character facial expression, which express the stereotype of...
Rachel has understood the use of sound in clips and has explained very well on which certain sounds are used in this clip. - Geeta
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