Disability in TV Dramas

Definition: People who are mentally and/or physically challenged.

Codes & Conventions

Codes: blood, knife, mask
Conventions: Chase sequence, good vs evil

Characters - even particular kinds of characters: e.g, at its most simple, 'good' and 'bad' characters.
Stories - they all tell stories, whether those stories involve adventure, crime or romance and the often, but not always, end happily.
The stories are told against familiar backdrops: - e.g. homes
Camerawork - particular kinds of shots are used: e.g. sequences involving establishing shots followed by mid-shots of characters, shot reverse shots to show the characters' emotions.
Stories use dialogue to tell the stories. Occationally, monologues are built in (as voiceovers, a character telling a story).

Exemplar Paragraph

In this scene within the barn one female protagonist was trying to bribe the male character through dialogue. Therefore this could represent woman being manipulative to convery power in antithesis to males who assert their power in a physical manner. “My best coat!” also creates representation of women such as an obsession of appearance and vanity. However positive representations towards woman are also portrayed. For example once one woman has undertaken the stressful experience the other female protagonist says “you okay” which suggests women to be expressive and caring in contrast to males who are minimal with their dialogue.

G322 Candidate Exemplar Response

Date: June 2010

Representation: Gender

Throughout the extract representations of gender are illustrates through various elements such as editing and sound. A mix of dominance and equality is produced through the extract however overall it is conveyed that women are physically subordinate compared to physically strong and stereotypically hegemonic male.

Representations of gender have been clearly illustrated throughout editing. For example a mix of pivot/panorama shots as well as fast tracking shots have been incorporated when the girl is trying to save and protect the male character. This illustrates the fast movement and action of the cut however it may also signify a chaotic environment where women struggle to take and maintain power. Another example of a tracking shot is portrayed when the male character is travelling down the rope. This editing however demonstrates to the audience the thought and power the character has from making a quick rational decision which is a stereotype of male behaviour. A long establishing shot is used which clearly signifies the three male characters in an equal line. The equal line personally connotes equality however as the majority of characters were male this illustrates women inferiorly in serious situations. Near the end of the extract one male in the process of saving a women from another dangerous man however the framing of the cut demonstrates representations of gender. For example the female protagonist was placed significantly behind the male which illustrates the girl’s subordination compared to the male.

The next element which produces representations of gender is through sound.

In one cut once the female had saved the male from the life threatening situation from the dialogue such as “Come on” with a high intensity, provoking the animal, suggests bravery and a strong masculinity. This dialogue may have been said as an attempt to regain status as he’s just been saved by a girl. At the start of the first cut a synchronisation from the strings is displayed when the music matches to the sombre or negative topic. “Let her go” by a different male suggest he may think of the male as being superior therefore shouldn’t have to run after her. In this scene within the barn one female protagonist was trying to bribe the male character through dialogue. Therefore this could represent woman being manipulative to convery power in antithesis to males who assert their power in a physical manner. “My best coat!” also creates representation of women such as an obsession of appearance and vanity. However positive representations towards woman are also portrayed. For example once one woman has undertaken the stressful experience the other female protagonist says “you okay” which suggests women to be expressive and caring in contrast to males who are minimal with their dialogue. The diegetic sound the dogs barking emphasise the bad situation of the woman conveying the woman’s vulnerability further. This is also emphasised by the harsh sound effects which build and sustain tension creating a climax.

The next factor which displays representations is through mise en scene. Expressions play a key role, for example when the blonde male is approached by the sabre toothed tiger his expression coveys fear leading to a sympathetic response from the audience however this contrasts greatly to the calm and collective expression of the girl, which suggests a swap in roles involving dominance. At the start of the scene the colour intensity is high on the male compared to the grainy background. This demonstrates the natural setting however focuses the attention on the male protagonist which could suggest male superiority. The females clothing (blonde) presents a male style which is in contrast to the stereotypes of a feminine woman, however another female character in the film is represented with a high pride in her appearance which conforms to the stereotype.

This however portrays the different roles and characteristics of women which may have changed in contemporary times. The props such as the heavy machinery emit connotations such as manual masculine feelings. However the female is in charge of the stereotypical male vehicle. Therefore this suggests equality and an improvement of women within jobs and status compared to the traditional domestic duties. Even though the women within the extract portray dominance through props, the male characters continually illustrate dominance. For example the males usage of the guns for example, the shot gun in the barn and the hand gun involving the key protagonists. This contrasts to how the brunette women displays authority by attempting blackmail. Overall this could suggest males and women are equally dominant although just portray it through different criteria.

A final way in which representations of gender have been displayed is through camera work. For example the low angle looking down on the male in the whole illustrates his vulnerability and helpless position which displays him as subordinate. However a different low angle in conveying the tiger illustrates dominance of man and a hierarchy with the animal being lower. Establishing shots such as before the male jumps looking on in the long distant horizontal plane suggests his thoughts which leads to the male’s hasty decision. An extreme close up on the woman’s face when she’s been knocked down suggest demonstrates her fear and panic further suggesting the women’s weak position compared to the male. A pivot shot is used which creates the effect as the camera is on a fixed position that someone or something would be looking at them for example the dangerous tiger which overall represents vulnerability to the male and the woman.

Overall the particular extract conveys elements of representation through various ways of media aspects. In conclusion a mix of equality is suggested overall, however the traditions where the male characters save the day are clearly presented. Although a mix of response from empathy juxtaposed to spite is displayed from the audience involving both genders.

Explanation/Analysis/Argument:  18/20

Use of Example:  15/20

Terminology:   9/10

Merlin

Mise en Scene

The location starts off in a very old luxurious castle, one that must be owned by the king or someone very rich. Spooky dark corridors show its old and occasional big beams of light emphasise the fact it has big windows showing it must be a big castle. As Merlin is caught snooping around a very posh lady finds him. Straight away you can tell that she has more money than him by wearing a purple velvet dress, with her hair nicely pruned and covered in jewellery. This automatically shows the audience that Merlin shouldn’t be here and the lady that has found him is much higher above him. 

As the scene changes, Merlin walks down the steps from the front of the castle, this again shows how big the castle is in comparison to him and makes him seem very small. The guards outside the castle reflect power (tells the audience the people inside need protecting). Furthermore the clothes that Merlin wears are old and bedraggled showing that he is a peasant, with scruffy hair and not being the cleanest of people the audience already get the impression that he’s a working boy and he doesn’t live in the best accommodation.

Finally we move onto the final main scene, ‘the fight scene’. The audience can automatically tell this scene is taking place in the peasant’s courtyard.  You can tell this because of the muddiness of the place, the people standing around are all peasant’s and all the props used like little market stalls where the peasant’s will trade there goods. As the person Merlin fights enters the peasant’s courtyard you can tell straight away that he’s not a peasant, mainly because of his costume. Covered in shining armour and blonder waving hair, with men stood behind him in the same costume you can tell that they belong with him and they’re his back-up. Whereas Merlin has a bedraggled woman standing behind him cowardly seeing what’s going on.

Editing

Throughout the Merlin extract there are many examples of Rich and Poor people. This is can be shown through the use of editing. The opening scene in Merlin starts off with Merlin in a room the camera pace starts off slow but gradually gets faster cutting back and forth to what Merlin is looking at, this is use of match on action. This match on action is also shown with an eyeline shot, him looking at objects could show his alienness to these different objects to show that he has never seen extravagant things before.

Merlin is acting suspicious this is emphasised by the fast pace cutting back and forth this makes the audience suspect that Merlin is not supposed to be in the castle, connoting his lower status. Merlin seems to be intruding the castle this makes us think that Merlin is from a lower class background as he is sneaking around. The suspense is brought up to a climax when the royal woman enters the room. The editing goes with the beat/tempo of the music in the background; this is known as rhythmic relations The shots on the royal woman is long shots, this gives us as an audience a clue of her royal status and importance in comparison to him who has shorter shots showing his status. This suspense was shown by the camera pace gradually getting faster and faster. This fast pace shows the importance of the royal woman furthermore this is emphasized by the music working in action with the fast pace. As Merlin exits the castle the editing slows down, this shows he is in his own social class.

Sound

There are many variations of sound in this clip, we start with some low, dark sounds which set the mood and give an indication that the character, Merlin, is possibly doing something he shouldn’t be.
There are shadowy, dark almost ghost like whispers which are showing that there may be something sinister around or that Merlin may be in danger.

When the old woman comes into the room there is a sudden crescendo in sound which indicates that there should be suspense, when she enters the room the music in the background stops, this may indicate her higher class than Merlin and that she is more powerful than him, also it may have stopped because Merlin may have in fact been caught in a place he should not have been in. There is also use of a sting to anchor the fact the woman has arrived. The woman's footsteps are use of Foley sound.

When the old woman looks into the mirror, you see an old woman, to me this signals that something may be wrong because she is possibly pretending to be the younger woman, a witch, perhaps? The sudden shivering sounds show the audience that there may be something wrong; it may also be signalling that Merlin is in danger. There is a use of dialogue, "What are you doing?", shows the audience that he is not meant to be there.

As Merlin leaves the room, there is no music whilst he is in the courtyard or the streets, just many Diegetic sounds such as the horse and carts and the bustling streets, it sets the mood even more and has a happy, natural scene.

When the fight begins, there is exciting, happy music going on in the background, this shows that Merlin and the Knight are just playing around and it’s not going to be a bloody and dangerous fight between the two, they are even, possibly, friends that are having a bit of a humorous fight.
But when the sounds of the weapons crash onto the tables and smash things, the sounds are loud and powerful, showing that Merlin may possibly be in serious danger if it were to be an actual fight.

Camera Angles

The use of camera angles to show the difference in class and status within the clip from Merlin is shown at many different points throughout the clip.

The first time the camera angle is used to show class and status is when Merlin is leaving the castle and the camera goes from looking up at him when he is at the top of the castle steps to looking down at him when he is in the market. This use of camera angle is used to show the difference in classes between the two environments more than a change of class for the character as it shows how the public around Merlin in the scene would look at it.  They would see the castle as a higher class place within their town and anyone associated with the castle as higher classed, hence why they (and the camera) looked up when he was there. Once he left the castle and moves to the market it swaps to show the view of the people who live/work in the castle and how they would view the people in the market, looking down on them. Once Merlin is in the market, the camera shows him as the same status and height as the rest of the people there, this is a way of the using the camera to show that within this environment, he is seen as an equal.

The second part where camera angle is used to show class and status within this clip is when Merlin is fighting with the knight. When they are fighting Merlin ducks down a lot, hides and falls onto the floor whereas the knight constantly stands tall and looks down at Merlin. The camera uses a lot of over the shoulder shots during this point to show that the character is looking at the other as higher or lower (the majority being the knight looking at Merlin on the floor) this gives the audience once again the idea that Merlin is lower and also weaker than the knight.

Editing

To place shots in a coherent order

The system of editing employed in narrative film is called continuity editing

Editing Film

1.    In film making, the task of selected and joining camera takes.

2.    In the finished film, the set of techniques that governs the relation among shots.

Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound through correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications in various media… Editing is, therefore, also a practice that includes creative skills, human relations, and a precise set of methods.

Juxtaposition – layout of a set of shots

The Kuleshov Effect, 1920 - Audiences interpreted emotional responses on the actors face based on the juxtaposition of images.

Contrast ‘four main functions’ of film editing;

·         Make sure that the production is required length of time.

·         To remove unwanted material or mistakes.

·         To alter if necessary the way or the sequence in which events will be portrayed.

·         To establish the particular style and character of a production.

Graphic Continuity

A graphic match is achieved by joining two shots that have a similarity in terms of light/dark, line or shape, volume or depth, movement or stasis.

A graphically discontinuous edit creates a clash of visual content by joining two shots that are dissimilar in terms of one or more of the above visual principles.

Rhythmic relations

Film is not only a visual art, but also an auditory and even tactile art. Therefore, editors also remain aware of the effects achieved by manipulating the rhythms experienced by perceivers through thoughtful juxtapositions of longer and shorter shots as well as through transitional devices that affect the perceivers sense of beat or temp.

Temporal relations

Editing is the process by which the difference between temporal duration and screen duration is reconciled.

The most common disruptions to chronological order are flashbacks and flash-forward.

Spatial relations

The audience can make sense of what they are seeing.

Thematic relations

Editors have at their disposal two very powerful techniques for manipulating the perceiver’s place in the hierarchy of knowledge, and therefore affecting our thematic understanding of the film.

Sound

Sound has the power to create certain moods; it can signal events and manipulate audience’s emotions.

Sound has three essential ingredients;

1.    The human voice/dialogue

2.    Sound effects

3.    Music

In TV drama these create the balance between the realism of the world of the text/programme and drama that is created by the use of sound.

The world of the TV programme we see on the screen is called the diegesis.

Verisimilitude – the believable logic of the texts world

Non-diegetic sound – Sound added, helps create emotions and mood.

Diegetic sound – Creates realism, happens inside the diegesis.

Direct mode of address – when characters on screen directly address the audience.

Incidental music - used to add emotion and rhythm to a drama, usually not meant to be noticeable. It can link scenes together.

Parallel sound - what we expect to hear.

Contrapuntal sound – sound that does not fit the images we see on screen. Usually done to create an effect

Stings – a brief crescendo stab of music used to enhance the drama of the current situation.

Ambient sound – the sound occurring in the area where they shoot the drama (natural sound) creates verisimilitude.

Hustle

>   Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following: Camera shots, angles, movements, composition, editing, sound, mise en scene.

The gender representations in this extract from ‘Hustle’, conforms to stereotypes. The men are taking the more powerful lead roles and the women are being objectified (Laura Mulvey, 1973). I am going to write about how gender is represented using camera shots, angles, movements, composition, editing, sound, and mise en scene.

At the start of the scene we see the male shop assistant. He is very feminine and works in a woman’s clothes shop, (roles reversed) usually women would work in women’s cloths shops. He is stereotypically gay and is ruled by money. We also see the blond rich woman, in the background but still in focus to show the audience she is important to the scene. She is a stereotypical woman, spending husband’s money, blonde and objectified (Laura Mulvey, 1973). She is dressed smartly, like a rich woman would. The music being played is very flirty, to set the mood of the scene. The lighting in the clothes shop is very realistic; this is to make it just like everyday life.

Then we cut to a bar, usually associated with men. There we are introduced to some very stereotypical men (rich), drinking, smoking, and wearing suits; this is shown in a two shot, to show the audience that they are in conversation. The man has an American accent which has a very masculine feel to it. The bar has a warm atmosphere, which shows the audience that they are relaxed.

Then we cut back to the clothes shop. This is a good use of parallel narrative, the audience know that the men in the bar and woman in the cloths shop are both happening at the same time. The shop assistant and the blonde woman are talking, use of shot reverse shot and sticking to the 180 degree rule. When the blonde woman ‘looses’ her ring she falls to the floor searching for it saying that her husband will go mad, this tells the audience that the blonde woman is weaker than her husband, very stereotypical. The music is very fast paced as the woman is rushing around the shop looking for her ring. The blonde woman uses money and her sexuality to persuade the shop assistant to find it, as she does this she looks directly at the camera (direct mode of address) in close-up; this makes the audience feel involved.

Next, the man walks into the cloths shop, the audience are introduced to him differently to the blond woman. The blonde woman starts off in the background of the shot, but the man is in a low angle tilt upwards to reveal his whole body; this shows the audience that he is important in the scene. The man is dressed smartly and looks rich; the only thing that makes him look ‘less rich’ is when he is chewing gum. He is in a low angle shot to make him look powerful and in control. When he pretends to pick up the ring, the shop assistant looks at the ring (eye-line). Then two have a talk about who the ring belongs to, which is shown with shot reverse shot to show they are talking with one another. The man uses his power and brains against the shop assistant to make him buy the ring.

Binary Oppositions are used, the man uses his brains and power to get what he wants, while the blonde woman uses her sexuality to get what she wants (Levi-Strauss, 1969).

The man looks directly at the audience (direct mode of address) so they feel like they are apart of the action. The bomb theory is used very well; the audience know something the characters do not, in this case the audience know that this is a con and the shop assistant does not know this.

Then we cut from the posh women’s clothes shop, to an old cafe. The brown haired woman (once blonde, shows she was wearing a disguise) is sitting at a table. She is on the phone, being told to keep someone busy; this shows the audience that she is always used as the decoy. The man walks into the cafe, and shows the woman the money (the shop assistant gave him the money to get the ring and claim the reward). The man is shown as the worker whereas the woman is the sexy decoy.

Overall the extract shows many representations of gender. Laura Mulvey’s, the Male Gaze (1973) is one of the main theories used. The blonde woman is seen as an object throughout the extract and she uses her sexuality to get what she wants. The man is seen as the worker, and he uses power and his brains to get what he wants. This is known as Binary Oppositions (Levi-Strauss, 1969).