The establishing shot in the scene depicts a male wearing an all black suit, with a red tie. The red tie in this case could signify danger, however more apparently signifies his femininity as the clip reveals his to be ‘camp’ and subvert the typical male. The man works in a clothes shop another signifier that he lacks masculinity and not conforming to the conventional, stereotypical male. Contrasting him, later on in the scene is another man. This man is trying to fix an alarm, but is unable to multi task, conforming to the stereotype of men and creating a direct juxtaposition between the two men.
A second character enters the shop in which the man works. Her clothes juxtapose the woman opposite her. The two women are binary opposites. The first woman wears a purple coat and a green high neck jumper. This implies her lack of self confidence as she feels she needs to ‘cover up’. Contrastingly, the woman browsing opposite, wears a short skirt and a low cut top. This attire not only suggests that she is fashionable and socially accepted in the evidently upper class shop, yet uses her sexual appeal gaining acceptance in society. The ‘poorer’ woman is then shunned out of the shop due to hurtful, derogatory language by her male counterpart. This is done through a conversation of diegetic sounds. The irony continues as the male’s voice is very high pitch which is unconventional of the typical males who tend to have much deeper voices.
The director uses a high angled shot to portray the male looking down at the woman, highlighting his male dominance, ironically as he is very effeminate in himself. This still reinforces the gender stereotype of the alpha male being dominant and the woman submissive. Later on in the scene the ‘rich’ woman looses the ring. Non diegetic, fast paced music begins. The music has comedic value, which imply that losing the ring isn’t serious and a series of quick close ups accompanied by fast paced editing show the apparent look of ‘panic’ on the womans face. The camera lingers on a close up of her red finger nails, connoting the danger that the ‘mark’ may be in. This subverts the common stereotype as now the woman has the upper hand and the male is now submissive.
However when the scene cuts, the audience are revealed to a pair of feet. The shoes are two tone, black and white. The camera then raises and a small man is revealed. He is part of the ‘con’ , we know this due to his two tone shoes, reflecting both parts of his personality. Black connotes evil, due to the plot he is scheming,. White however implies he is doing the con for good.
He stands with the shop manager mae at his feet. This shows him to be the alpha male, asserting himself as dominant over his effeminate counterpart.
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Monarch of the Glen Clip
Monarch of the Gen is a fictional television drama set in the rural countryside of England. We later tell from the regional accents of the characters that the drama is set in Scotland.
The scene cuts to reveal a stone courtyard which becomes a significant narrative location. The courtyard is multifunctional due to the washing line running down the middle as well as bales of hay. This is where we start to piece together the genre and determine the working, rural environment. This is reinforced when we are later given a montage of old men wearing leather gloves and work boots. They use manual power tools and all have rugged facial hair, which implies the stereotypical labouring man.
We then see a young man, he wears a Hoodie and, a typical signifier of youth. It then cuts and a young woman wearing typical youthful clothing appears next to him. Her bright yellow t shirt and make up place her apparently in her late teens. The bright yellow t shirt contrasts significantly with the grey, plain background. She talks to an older man –the third significant figure – who sports an outdoor jumper and wellington boots. This reinforces the labouring image and puts the youths as unconventional characters in this setting. The older man carries himself in an authoritative manner, implying himself as the patriarch. We can hear through the diegetic dialogue that he holds a certain position of power over her. He asks her to drive a Land Rover – a typical working, heavy good vehicle. The theme of youth appears again as her size and femininity appears to juxtapose with the might of the Land Rover.
Before the accident we hear the screech of tyres, an obvious sign that a car crash is imminent. Our thoughts are confirmed when the loud crash of the car is heard and the older generation run after. Through the smoke we see an old man- recognisable through his grey hair and tweed coat. He stands on the other side of the car to Amy. This creates a barrier between the two generations, implying there maybe conflict or tension. Once he confirms himself to be Amy’s headmaster, and the older male standing by Amy, moves slightly away from her, once again setting up a contrast between the two generations. After we realise Amy has lied, the image of young people is tarnished. The scene cuts and a new scene is revealed. A dark wooded room signifies the wealth of the family as well as the fact that he offers the headmaster brandy, a typical upper class drink. The teenager stands outside, furthermore creating a contrast between the generations.
The audience now establish that Amy is some years younger than she has made out to be. The scene cuts to her bedroom to show the youthfulness of Amy, with toys and the colour pink filling the room. A letter left on the bed is written in ‘girly’ handwriting to portray her innocence.
In terms of the camera work in the scene, an establishing shot at the beginning of the scene and a long dallying shot, establish the setting and confirm to the audience where it is set. A mid shot of the teen is contrasting to the long shot of the older man. This shows he is bigger and dwarfs Amy’s size so that she seems to have less power and lower in the family hierarchy. A close up of the Land Rover keys, portrays Amy’s casual and confident attitude towards the situation, portraying a negative image on the youth. A mid shot of Amy’s uncertain face when she turns the car on highlights her ignorance and deceit towards the man who puts her in a position of responsibility. ¬We see a long shot when the car drives off into the distance to evoke Amy will never return the place that she left as the family will know her secret. A long shot is also used we see the older man who sports an old fashion attire and creates the generational division between Amy and her elders. The camera pans through the other characters as they lament on what Amy’s true age and identity are.
When we see the work montage of the older men using the hand tools and constructing, there are high angles shots. Whereas when we see Amy, the camera tilts down to look at her. This is done so that the audience subconsciously belittle Amy due to her deceitfulness and mendacity. The final shot reverse shot of significance is of the older male who realises Amy has left the house; we see his sad and worries facial expression.
The editing moments before the car crash are notable. The editing cuts quickly to see the uncertain and worried expression of the family who place the young and irresponsible Amy in charge of an expensive item. By cutting back to the loading vehicle, a sense of anticipation is created.
On the whole, the representation of age in the clip is established through the role of the adults. Within the adults we see grey beards, promoting wisdom, contrasted to Amy’s yellow t shirt which implies her youthful innocence.
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Gender in Primeval
Primeval is a British science fiction television programme produced for ITV by Impossible Pictures. Primeval follows a team of scientists tasked with investigating the appearance of temporal anomalies across Great Britain through which prehistoric and futuristic creatures enter the present.
In the sequence of ‘Primeval’ we are essentially presented with two oppositional worlds, divided by gender. Two characters contrast their stereotypical gender roles, these being Abbie and Connor. The common stereotype of women is that they are more passive in approach and leave the male to do labouring jobs, manual labour. However we clearly see that Abbie is operating a JCB. We receive a close up of her with a fixated look and a determined persona as she operated the machine to dig into the mud. When the camera first tracks the JCB, the audience automatically assume that a man is driving it, but the director subverts our assumptions by revealing Abbie.
In a direct contrast to the ‘boyish’ Abbie, we are introduced to Connor, who indeed subverts the typical male stereotype. He wears a pointed hat with a feather in the top, a feminine piece of attire. This makes the audience think of Connor as the role reversal of Abbie. He and she are opposites of their stereotypical role. This is reinforced when the director gives us a medium close up of Connor laying a trap. He looks scared and nervous as he places a stone to trigger the trap. He delicately puts the stone in place, contrasting to the next shot of Abbie’s aggressive approach.
The mise en scene in these shots tells us about the characters persona. For example Nick Cutter, wears a plain t shirt with mud splattered across his cargo pants. This portrays he is not afraid to get dirty and is a very hands on man. This supports the common stereotype of men. Juxtaposing is Connor, who wears skinny jeans a shirt and a hat with a feather. His clothes are clean and we see him crouching instead of kneeling to make himself less dirty. Furthermore, the background that Connor is shot in, is green with many plants and trees. The colour green signifies peace and tranquillity, defining his personality. Whereas, Nick is tracked walking through thick mud, the colour brown signifies strength and defines male stereotypes.
The next shot, a sabre tooth tiger jumps into scene and the music switches to a fast upbeat rhythm which makes the audience feel anxious and excited. We do not see Connor and assume he has run away to due to his persona. However, Abbie, operating the JCB, sees Nick in jeopardy. The JCB portrays her as it is strong, signifying Abbie’s power at this moment in time. Normally, woman are assumed to be second best to men and are stereotyped as being the ‘damsel in distress’ in Propp’s Character Theory. Although, Nick, the ‘tough and macho’ man, is in need of her help. Through fast paced editing and a series of close ups, we see the fear on Nick’s face as Abbie operates the JCB to try and chase away the animal and save Nick. Abbie remains calm and determined and the camera man tracks the character of Abbie in the JCB. This represents Abbie, a woman, to be in a position of power in this clip and subverts most stereotypes of women being scared and fragile in the face of danger.
The next sequence of events shows the role reversal swap again and Nick leads the Tiger on a chase. He runs distracting it from Abbie, who, without the protection of the JCB is vulnerable. Abbie is now the ‘damsel in distress’ and needs saving by Nick, who leads the Tiger away. The music stays the same with the faced paced beat it adds to the excitement and nervousness of the audience. We have grown an emotional relationship with Nick as he is the main protagonist so with his life on the balance, the audience are frightened for his life. Fast paced cuts, alongside close ups of Nick’s anxious face we are nervous for Nick. The close-ups of the CGI Tiger are used to portray the position that Nick is and make the audience think about the consequences of his heroism.
Later in the clip, we are introduced to a new, female character. Her name is Claudia and her gender role is definitely the direct opposite of Abbie. We see her wearing a pure white coat and a black dress. The two colours contrast each other and reflect her persona. This foreshadows future episodes where she has a dual personality. White signifying purity and virtue whereas black symbolises death and darkness. We see her being pushed to the floor by a bigger, stronger man. This makes her the new damsel in distress. The contrast between her and Abbie is exemplified through her footwear. Claudia wears high heeled shoes, which portray her to be a passive and ‘classy’ woman. Abbie, on the other hand, sports trainers which evoke her to be hands-on and ready for action. Therefore, it is fitting that Abbie is the one to save Claudia from being shot by the man, after she stumbles upon him training animals to fight. She is very obnoxious and the man, struggling for money, is given no choice but to shoot her. This exemplifies the difference in class as well as gender, how the woman now has power of the man, after she knows of his secret .The roles are quickly reversed as he pushes her to the ground and stands above her. The high angled shot of the male contrasted with the low angled shots of Claudia portray the male dominance in this clip and perhaps reflect a past patriarchal society. Although, Abbie, reinforced with two men appear breaking the male dominance. He is left to drop his weapon and be left standing with Abbie pointing the gun at his face. The music at this time changes to a loud, harsh whine to emphasise how Abbie subverts the female stereotype.
To conclude, the character of Abbie subverts the common idealised stereotype of women as she is strong, confident and outgoing, not typical characteristics. She is not the ‘damsel in distress’ but instead she is the rescuer and sometimes protects others.
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Spooks Analysis
The clip I have analysed is a clip from season three of the UK and world hit series, Spooks. Spooks follows the journey of the British MI5 team as they battle terrorism throughout the world.
Tension is built throughout the scene using sound. We first hear the sound of a helicopter and this builds tension, this sound is harsh and abrupt, this signifies the man’s power throughout the scene. You get the sense of the damsel in distress through the diagetic screams of fear; this also builds suspense and connotates to the idea of the stereotypically weak female who is in need of a male hero.
As the screams build there are screeches of a car’s tires which build the tension and grab the attention of the audience. The high pitched car tires signify the idea of a weak female as the helicopter almost imitates the female’s screams. The buzzing of the helicopter foreshadows something bad to come with its low un-comforting tone.
The sirens of the police cars signify the frantic nature of the scene and give the audience a sense of fear as they don’t know what the outcome of the situation will be. The high pitched sound of the sirens contrast to the helicopter which connotates to the contrasting power of the male power to the female power.
The scramble of people getting out the car is a signifier to the fast paced tone of the scene, this also keeps the audience interested and want to fallow to story as the suspense here as dropped as they are soon to find the outcome of the situation.
The dialogue builds in volume which builds tension as there is conflict between characters, there is also non-diagetic background music flowing through to build suspense again, this keeps the audience on the edge of their seat and keeps the audience entertained.
As the dialogue volume lowers and the character hands over his gun, there is a diagetic sound of the second character checking that the gun isn’t loaded which signifies the end of this characters time in the force. The lack of bullets in the gun connotates to the amount of time the character has left of his career.
The diagetic sound of the helicopter returns to end the scene and highlight the negativity of the scene and makes the audience empathise with the character who has lost his job.
Editing is common throughout the clip we were given, from the first season of Spooks. As the clip begins, the camera cuts between members who are involved in what appears to be in a car chase. It cuts to each of the faces of those featured, showing their distressed look. The camera then cuts to a shot of the helicopter, confirming that they are involved in some form of chase. As the chase ends, the camera once again cuts to a shot of the members of the car, showing them in a distressed state. The cuts in the scene are quick and frantic signifying the tense dilemma in the scene.
From this point, the editing used is quite repetitive. As the police officers close in on those in the car, quick cuts are made. These continue as the different characters are talking. This adds to the tension caused by the characters, who are arguing over the situation at hand. The cutting also cuts in time for when the characters talk, which shows their distressed faces, adding to the tension of the clip.
The clip ends with a fade. This helps in ending the clip with a cliff-hanger, as, especially in this clip, we are unaware of what happens to the characters involved. This implies that the first clip in the next episode would be featuring the same clip, and finishing the untold story.
The camera in this clip of spooks varies a lot throughout the clip. The establishing shot depicts a POV, the Shoulder shot. The camera man sits in the back of a car looking out of the front windscreen. The camera shakes and is not a still shot, to make the audience think they’re are part of the clip and entices the audience to watch more. The characters in the front of the car are MI5 agents. One male and one female , the male drives the car which proves his dominance over the female who sits in the passenger seat.
Secondly in the clip, we get an aerial shot of the car being followed by a helicopter. The people in the helicopter are men therefore proving their dominance of the women in the car. They then push the car of the road, forcing it to spin out thus once again dominating. The helicopter they are in is stronger and literally higher than the car which represents the women.
The mise-en-scene in the scene signifies to the audience that gender plays an important role. As the two arrive we hear a gun being loaded. This is a masculine stereotype as it plays on the fact that men are always looking for a fight. The loud footsteps build tension and signify it is leading up to the climax of the episode. The location is remote and signifies danger and loneliness. The clothes they wear signify importance and masculinity. The sky is dark and signifies the mood in the scene and that it is one of panic which is enhanced by the man’s voice and desperate over tones. The helicopters blades don’t stop which indicates this is a quick scene and that the characters want to get away quickly.
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Media Analysis- Skins
During this analysis, I will discuss the representational issue of age in the first five minutes of episode three in the first season of the hit E4 series ‘Skins’.
The first thing we see in the clip is the title sequence. The title sequence is the same every week; this gives the audience an idea into what is going to happen in the show. The sequence is ironic as its soundtrack is very innocent and soft contrasting with the adult and controversial nature of the show.
During the actual show, the establishing shot is an extreme close up of the main character, Jal. It is here story we follow on this week’s hourly episode. We see here thinking very methodically suggesting she is about to undergo in something important. This shot is accompanied by a background noise of voices. These are diegetic sounds as the characters can hear them when they are acting. The camera man then zooms the camera out to display a large orchestra that Jal is playing in. As the camera continues to zoom out, the audience are portrayed an image of Jal leading the orchestra and the rest of the musicians looking bored and disinterested. After the camera cuts we are revealed a woman who we can assume to be a teacher, swearing and getting frustrated with her class. We then see a point of view shot from one of the musicians. One boy in front of the camera turns round to reveal an annoyed look. This suggests that the music teacher is frustrating the teenagers who also do not want to be there. Furthermore, this is reinforced when we as an audience are given a close up of the teacher swearing at a younger pupil. This highlights the age barrier and how older people are allowed to speak to younger people in a foul way and this is not mutual for the younger people. We then receive a close up of Jal getting frustrated with the constant distraction by the abusive teacher. We see her concentrate on playing her clarinet perfectly. We later find out she is competing for a musician’s prize which highlights her determination and drive to achieve the perfect playing style. The image then cuts to once again reveal the foul mouthed teacher who constantly swears at her teenage pupils. Her facial expressions are very patronising as she is hiding her annoyance by portraying as smiling. However, her voice hides nothing, instead it reveals her character as being short tempered and impatient. The editing then cuts once more to reveal the orchestra. The sound at this point reaches a climax. The music the orchestra are playing is of a poor standard and this is portrayed in how it sounds. The director chooses to pan the camera in order to reveal the orchestra’s facial expressions. They look bored and tired as if they do not want to participate. This gives a negative outlook upon youths as in this clip they seem disinterested and longing for something else. Once the music reaches a climax the symbol makes a crashing sound and the music deteriorates as if the percussionist has done it wrongfully. During the next twelve seconds of the clip we see the music teacher get gradually frustrated with her musicians. She still continues to swear at them and her face then turns from patronising to sad. We then feel empathy for the teacher as the audience are given a glimpse of what it must be like teaching disinterested students. This once again gives a negative outlook on young people. The camera then cuts to sometime after the orchestra. The room is now empty and the only two people in the room are the music teacher and Jal. They discuss her clarinet playing style and we get a different perspective on the music teacher. She is calm and collected when talking to a student who has genuine interest in the matter. It then cuts to reveal the two talking whilst a man in a suit walks into the room. The man is quite shy as he discusses with the teacher that the school has had some complaints about the orchestra. She seems to dismiss the idea that she is swearing too much and says that she will talk to the pupils. The man does not want to upset the music teacher so he walks away. Whilst the conversation is ongoing, the 180 degree role is used. When two people are having a conversation, the camera stays on the same side just moving 180 degrees as not to confuse he audience. The director also uses an over the shoulder shot every time that the camera cuts. We also see a two shot when Jal and the teacher are talking, this is so the audience know who is talking when. However, as the man walks out of the room, Jal starts playing her clarinet perfectly and the teacher swears once more. This paints a negative image of adults as they should be setting an example for the students. Conversely, it portrays a positive image of Jal as she can play a hard musical instrument to a high standard, this shows hard work and determination.
The scene then cuts to a house where we receive a close up of a boy and a girl kissing. The camera man zooms the camera out slowly to reveal a living room setting and Jal (whom we see in the previous scene) sitting next to the kissing couple looking bored and annoyed. We can hear the couple kissing which highlights that it is passionate. We can also hear background noise of a television. A cut is used then we get a medium close up of Jal, who turns and looks at the couple. Another cut is used and we are introduced to a new character, who sits on the floor completely oblivious to what is going on. This portrays that this maybe a daily thing that this group of friends do. Jal then speaks to the girl who is kissing and she a series of cuts breaks up the conversation so that we know who is talking. The camera never zooms or pans in the next thirty seconds as the scene remains the same with Jal and Michelle (kissing girl) talk about when they are going to go shopping.
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The scene is set in a school car park; this is shown by the movement of the camera it pans around the area then zooms in from the ground to the schools logo this makes the symbol key and important, the height of which the camera climbs can suggest high standards of the school, the deer representing pride. The movement from the camera as it scans the car park can suggest we, are looking through the eyes of a person a student or teacher. Majority of the cars are black this creates a depressing mood also a foreshadowing moment. No sound is used in the clip this creates a silent and lonely mood the cars cover most of the scene making the path to the buildings unclear, the only access to the entrance is shown but it leaves the question why is there nothing there?
In the next scene we are introduced to a character, the camera zooms in on him from a distance this makes him the main character. He wears black clothing suggesting a negative image, he wears a red fez this suggests his background culture, the colour stands out making it noticeable. The colour red symbolises danger this could suggest the character could be a target or a victim another foreshadowing event. The only sound we can hear is his footsteps the sound echoes showing he is alone. As the character approaches the entrance he is stopped by another pupil “what the hell are you wearing?” he wears brighter clothing an opposite to what the main character is wearing this is an opposing force, the bully of the clip. He does not reply showing a timid side to him, we are not told his name this suggests he prefers to keep to himself.
Next we have our main character dashing down a corridor hands on his face almost shielding himself from reality, he’s not wearing his fez this shows he is trying to fit in with everyone but it is unsuccessful with this as he is alone again only his footsteps can be heard. The long shot gives a dramatic effect to the mood also makes us sympathise with him.
At this moment we witness the tension building, the teacher who is also wearing black asks the main character if he is ok but is quickly ignored. His footsteps are stilled heard as the pupil runs away this is still foreshadowing as he has been running ever since he arrived at the school and it makes the audience wonder where he will run to. The sound of the footsteps get lighter and lighter as the pupil runs off creating a distance from the pupil and the teacher, this goes back to the high standards of the school. The teacher turns slowly to the window, we see a female student who does match the expectations of the school her bright blond hair stands out symbolising peace, she is also alone this shows the students are all alone. As the main character runs away we cannot hear his footsteps this could show his time is running out as he can no longer run from his problems.
We have created a scene from Waterloo Road about a child who is victimised and bullied by his class mates. The scene was set in a swimming pool, so, for obvious reasons we couldn't re create the scene. However we have planned all of our ideas and come up with a similar scene which reflects the seriousness of bullying and what events it can lead to.
We started the scene as a normal everyday school setting, where a boy walks into school as per usual. However he is victimised by a student for his choice in head wear, this eventually escalates. The camera tracks the boy who is sad after being bullied. The bully sits on high position to show his authority and power over the victim.
He then walks into a classroom where once again, two bullies stare at him and taunt him for wearing a hat that is religious. In the real clip the boy wears strange swimming shorts, so we have kept the theme similar. The boy runs out of the clip as we see the two bullies talk about the boy using strong language, which represents their vicious nature.
We then get a shot of the boy running down the corridor, away from the class room setting. Normally, the classroom is where people learn, but this boy is being bullied, so that is ironic.
Next we see a high angled shot of the boy running which shows his sadness. the bullies follow him out of the class room and the scene carries on from where the boy runs out.
He is stopped by a concerned teacher who stops and talks to the boy. he then carries on running and we receive an over the shoulder shot from the perspective of the teacher which shows concern for the boys welfare.
We then see him in the store cupboard, where the boy is so depressed he chooses to hang himself. We get a close up of the boy tying his tie to the rail and then we get a low angled shot of his feet as he struggles from being hanged. then, the teacher bursts in a saves the boys life.
We hope this has shown you the seriousness of bullying.
Script for Scene Bullying
Waterloo Road
Media- Cutting It Extract
The establishing shit of the scene depicts the two main characters, who we later find out to be a married couple, in a taxi. We can see an urban scene out of the rear window which makes the scene feel very close to home and we can also tell that the scene is in England due to the number plates and black taxis. We presume that the scene is taking place in the middle of the episode rather than at the beginning as we do not see them enter the taxi. This sets up a mysterious setting that entices the audience to watch more. The scene then cuts to a mid shot two shot in which we see the women lean on the man’s shoulder; this portrays unity and a close relationship. This is confirmed when he takes her hand and kisses it twice, establishing a romantic and sexual relationship rather than just friendly.
The characters both look into the distance which portrays that there may be some emotional distance between them. This is confirmed when we hear of the previous, unsuccessful attempts of marriage prior to this. The medium close ups create a serious conversation. The camera then cuts and we see the couple holding hands. Our attention is immediately drawn to the fact that she wears a wedding ring which proves they are married. They are holding hands suggesting that they have forgiven each other for past events. The women gazes out of the window, this makes the reader feel uncomfortable as they do not know where they are going or the outcome of the scene.
Once the two leave the taxi we see a wide angled shot of a busy urban area. We see numerous ambulances and people suggesting a hospital, this is confirmed with the speech. There is then an over the shoulder shot of the women en route to the consultation room, indicating they are outside a hospital and removing the enigma of the destination of the two. Big close ups and two shots emphasise the seriousness of the visit. The woman then kisses her husband and leaves via a wide angled shot, showing a busy road, foreshadowing the end of the clip.
The next section frantically cuts between inside the consolation room and outside where the husband is sitting. This creates a paradox indication parallel action.
We see a high angles shot in the consultation room. The desk reinforces the separation of the patient and doctor. We then see her crying which indicates that the situation is sad and she maybe dying. The dark room and the brightly lit outdoors contrast each other similar to life and death. The brightly lit outdoor establishes a wide shot of the waiting man outside a café. We then se him playing with hands, this suggests nervousness. He plays with his wedding ring which reinforces his love for her.
The woman leaves the surgery and the camera tracks her as she walks to the road. The nervous smile on her face leaves the situation unresolved and adds to the tension of the clip. Is she cured? Or is there nothing they could do?
We then get a POV of the man looking at the women as she crosses the road. She is then obscured by traffic as she says ‘Guess what’. This adds to the tension and as the man stands up we see a close up of his anxious face. She then steps out into the road only for her to be obscured by a bus. It then cuts to a close up of the shock and awe on the man’s face as he realises she has been hit.
His approach shot is from a low angle (her POV) as he leans over her. We then get a high angles shot from a crane to see the couple. This symbolises angels looking down from heaven, we then realise the severity of the incident as we get a close up of her face and watch her deteriorate in front of our eyes. The camera then zooms onto his face to reveal his shock and sadness of the situation. We then see the camera zoom out onto a high angled shot to reveal the public carrying on with their daily lives.
The characters both look into the distance which portrays that there may be some emotional distance between them. This is confirmed when we hear of the previous, unsuccessful attempts of marriage prior to this. The medium close ups create a serious conversation. The camera then cuts and we see the couple holding hands. Our attention is immediately drawn to the fact that she wears a wedding ring which proves they are married. They are holding hands suggesting that they have forgiven each other for past events. The women gazes out of the window, this makes the reader feel uncomfortable as they do not know where they are going or the outcome of the scene.
Once the two leave the taxi we see a wide angled shot of a busy urban area. We see numerous ambulances and people suggesting a hospital, this is confirmed with the speech. There is then an over the shoulder shot of the women en route to the consultation room, indicating they are outside a hospital and removing the enigma of the destination of the two. Big close ups and two shots emphasise the seriousness of the visit. The woman then kisses her husband and leaves via a wide angled shot, showing a busy road, foreshadowing the end of the clip.
The next section frantically cuts between inside the consolation room and outside where the husband is sitting. This creates a paradox indication parallel action.
We see a high angles shot in the consultation room. The desk reinforces the separation of the patient and doctor. We then see her crying which indicates that the situation is sad and she maybe dying. The dark room and the brightly lit outdoors contrast each other similar to life and death. The brightly lit outdoor establishes a wide shot of the waiting man outside a café. We then se him playing with hands, this suggests nervousness. He plays with his wedding ring which reinforces his love for her.
The woman leaves the surgery and the camera tracks her as she walks to the road. The nervous smile on her face leaves the situation unresolved and adds to the tension of the clip. Is she cured? Or is there nothing they could do?
We then get a POV of the man looking at the women as she crosses the road. She is then obscured by traffic as she says ‘Guess what’. This adds to the tension and as the man stands up we see a close up of his anxious face. She then steps out into the road only for her to be obscured by a bus. It then cuts to a close up of the shock and awe on the man’s face as he realises she has been hit.
His approach shot is from a low angle (her POV) as he leans over her. We then get a high angles shot from a crane to see the couple. This symbolises angels looking down from heaven, we then realise the severity of the incident as we get a close up of her face and watch her deteriorate in front of our eyes. The camera then zooms onto his face to reveal his shock and sadness of the situation. We then see the camera zoom out onto a high angled shot to reveal the public carrying on with their daily lives.
The editing in the scene is varied throughout. It starts off slow to establish a loving and healthy relationship of the couple. However it is forces to speed up so that we can keep up with the conversation. The camera always cuts when they are speaking to show the severity of the conversation.
As the couple leave the taxi, the director uses the 180 degree rule. When the two are standing by the road discussing that she didn’t tell him about the surgery the camera man never deviates from the side in which he pans the camera. Otherwise the audience would get confused and struggle to keep up with the important conversation. The style and pace of the editing becomes more frantic and urgent as we are positioned on the pavement. The editing as to the tension of this part of the extract.
Rapid cross cutting in the final sequence further builds up emotional impact. Brief slow motion shots used twice to extend tension and very pace, as the man witnesses the accident. Time is bought to a standstill to add tension then we are bought back to real time where we see the real impact of the accident- death.
As the couple leave the taxi, the director uses the 180 degree rule. When the two are standing by the road discussing that she didn’t tell him about the surgery the camera man never deviates from the side in which he pans the camera. Otherwise the audience would get confused and struggle to keep up with the important conversation. The style and pace of the editing becomes more frantic and urgent as we are positioned on the pavement. The editing as to the tension of this part of the extract.
Rapid cross cutting in the final sequence further builds up emotional impact. Brief slow motion shots used twice to extend tension and very pace, as the man witnesses the accident. Time is bought to a standstill to add tension then we are bought back to real time where we see the real impact of the accident- death.
The sound in the clip is made through both diegetic and non diegetic sounds. For example, naturalistic sounds crate a sense of realism when the couple are exchanging hugs in the taxi. Also there is heightened street nose when they’re outside the hospital. There is no extra diegetic music due to the fact the director wants us to feel the relationship between the couple.
As the women enter the hospital the tone of the music is changed to create low synthesised music, followed by rhythmic percussion. In the consultation room, we hear heavenly music. This foreshadows where she will become the end of the clip and adds to the emotional impact of the last scene.
The sound effects are synchronised with close ups of the man’s face – a bridge to distract the viewers from the implausible fact that the bus which caused the accident has disappeared.
The blaring horn from the car we can assume hit her, adds to the ‘realism’ of the scene and heightens dramatic tension.
The last few words accompanied by diegetic sound only, but a mournful instrumental score introduced in the dying moments, with a single piano tells us she is dead and adds to the sadness felt at the end of the scene.
As the women enter the hospital the tone of the music is changed to create low synthesised music, followed by rhythmic percussion. In the consultation room, we hear heavenly music. This foreshadows where she will become the end of the clip and adds to the emotional impact of the last scene.
The sound effects are synchronised with close ups of the man’s face – a bridge to distract the viewers from the implausible fact that the bus which caused the accident has disappeared.
The blaring horn from the car we can assume hit her, adds to the ‘realism’ of the scene and heightens dramatic tension.
The last few words accompanied by diegetic sound only, but a mournful instrumental score introduced in the dying moments, with a single piano tells us she is dead and adds to the sadness felt at the end of the scene.
The mise en scene in the scene adds t the overall tension in the clip. The taxi suggests that the characters can afford to pay to go places and have an overall destination. The traffic in the window suggests an urban setting, making the drama feel close to the audience. The couple are well groomed and slightly stylish. This indicates they are not lower class and dressed as if they have come from a function of some sort. Perhaps a wedding in a registration office?
The repeated focus on the gold ring adds to the sadness at the end of the scene as we can tell that they are newly wedded and it has ended so quickly.
The scattering of flowers at the end of the scene reinforces pathos of the closing shot.
The repeated focus on the gold ring adds to the sadness at the end of the scene as we can tell that they are newly wedded and it has ended so quickly.
The scattering of flowers at the end of the scene reinforces pathos of the closing shot.
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This clip was taken from Law and Order UK, a British version of the American hit series. It is shown on ITV1 and is currently making a third series.
The image depicts a man, we can assume to be a police officer or a detective as he is leading a group of armed police men along a corridor next to a block of flats. His posture suggests he has intent and is about to make and arrest or question somebody.The armed police men signify that the suspect maybe armed or dangerous, so having a weapon makes the audience join the side of the police and form an emotional bond with the lead detective as he isn't armed and could be in jeopardy.
We can tell the detective at the front of the men is the most important as he is in front of the police men who are there to reinforce him.
The detective wears a suit. this signifies he is an important man and works in the office. However he is working on the 'front line' which portrays the seriousness of the event and tells the audience that this situation is important. He doesn't wear a uniform, this suggests he could be in command of the two behind him who do wear a uniform. A uniform signifies a disciplined person who follows orders. The detective doesn't wear bright, striking colours, as he needs to look serious and disciplined, as police officers set an example to the general community.
The police officers wear black which connotes death and foreshadows a potential death. The police being there also foreshadow a potential arrest. The audience are forced to join the side of the police as they stand for justice and the law, however the colours they wear oppose this as they are dull and suggest evil. Although the bright colours would suggest they were no serious about the job so these colours are needed.
The camera angle gives us a medium long shot of the characters in this particular scene. It is a standard shot not tilted. We cannot tell about the editing or camera movement as this is a still shot. However we can assume that the main detective is about to knock on a door as he is raising his fist. Not in an aggressive manner, but as if he was to knock for somebody.
His facial expression is harsh and displays a little anger and confidence. He is confident as he is reinforced by two armed police men. We cannot see the facial expression very clearly of the two armed police however they look slightly frightened or intimidated by the situation. This suggests the situation is going to be violent and could end with a casualty.
The situation suggests the music could be dramatic and tense as this looks to be an unpredictable situation.
The police officers carry weapons which signifies that they are looking to capture somebody dangerous or protect themselves from the possible threat ahead. The mise-en-scene is a normal setting in a block of flats. It looks like a normal day which signifies to the audience that they can relate to this and could happen where they live, as it is a residential setting. This adds to the fear and tension among the audience.
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