Essay Question (50 marks)

Essay Question Media, Media Products

editing clip analysis powerpoint

gender representation clip analysis re-written (sherlock holmes)

Gender clip analysis (Sherlock holmes)

Firstly, the camera follows the men down a narrow corridor at a fast pace. This intensifies the feeling of urgency of the characters and makes the audience feel tense because of the situation. This links to gender because men are often depicted to be included in serious situations like involvement with prison, as in this scene.

Mise-en-scene also adds to this tension and power. The policemen are shown to be in dark lighting and wearing formal, black clothes whereas Holmes is wearing lighter colors and is spotlighted throughout the scene; no women are present. This links to gender as the job of a police person is stereotypically carried out by males as they are represented throughout history and media to be the workers in a family and have power over jobs, especially when they are more violent or seen as risky. The fact that the policeman are seen to be in a darker lighting to Holmes signifies that although having politically more power over Holmes, he is actually represented as the more dominant character.

We see the powerful male character drinking an alcoholic drink from an expensive looking crystal glass through a close up shot. It represents how men are stereotypically seen to be heavy drinkers and the expensive glass shows how they can be seen as the wealthier gender because they are more business-like.

Holmes’ shoulders are slouched forward for a variety of reasons during this particular scene. Firstly, the literal reason is he is being held by another character with his hands behind his back which we can see through the use of a mid-shot. However, it could represent his calm mood throughout the situation that would normally be stressful as his body language isn’t tense or rigid. This links to how men are seen to be unfazed by stressful situations to portray themselves to be more masculine or dominant. It also makes the audience question what could happen next, keeping them engaged by his unusual neutral reaction. The audiences questioning is also emphasized by the non-diegetic sound of music in the background which has an intensifying beat similar to a heartbeat, signifying fear, and making the overall atmosphere tense therefore contrasting Holmes’ mood.

Violence is shown throughout the aggressive punch early on in the scene which is backed up through the lacerations effects created by makeup adding to the mise-en-scene. Cuts and bruises have been added to many of the men’s faces which are shown clearly through close ups and clear sightings through the clip. This links to gender as men are generally seen to be the more aggressive gender, the physical actions and subtle marks on their faces and necks also add to the idea of their violent nature as men.

Jumpcuts are used at a very fast pace when the Holmes reminisces on previous events. Each shot is at a different angle and dimension which adds a sense of confusion to the scene, representing a series of mental images that are quick to change. These shots have been edited to change with a flash of light representing a flashback or a sudden realization like a ‘light bulb moment’ in his head. This links to gender as it represents the idea that men are very practical and quick thinking in tense situations; that they are intelligent and logically think problems through to solve them.

There is also the use of jumpcuts in the next scene as the main character desperately scans the room for evidence from his previous flashbacks. These shots represent how his mind is working very quickly and erratically whilst he tries to put on ‘a front’ of being calm and contained. This links to gender as putting on a brave face is what men are typically shown to do as although they can be scared or critically trying to piece information together- they do not want to lose their masculinity or look vulnerable/inferior to other men so try to appear bemused by tense situations instead of showing their true feelings.

Non diegetic sound is used through the sound of a gun being loaded; this harsh sound attracts the audience’s attention whilst once again creating the idea that men are linked to violence and even murder. This representation could also link to current context that men are usually seen to be involved in illegal crime and illegal possession of guns or weapons.

A panning point of view shot increases tension as the audience feels like they are in the characters position so empathize or feel on edge by the situation. Objects are also shown to obstruct the view of the character make it even tenser because vision is limited and unclear. This links to gender as the scene shows how the man isn’t hiding from the situation or danger but instead using logical steps like moving slowly and scanning the area for risks, showing his masculinity by not shying away but instead acting with violent intentions.

The scene looks like a wealthy man lives there because of the detailed scenery, included golds and expensive looking metal wear and upholstered chairs. This represents men as generally being wealthy, as they are often seen as businessmen or professionals with little sympathy but a goal to be successful and rich.

The main character is smoking which is generally seen as a habit carried out by males. It also adds to humor as he holds it above the water- giving the impression that men’s priorities are the luxuries in life.

A woman is shown through the latter stages of the clip, she doesn’t speak giving the idea that she is stereotypically inferior to men as she feels she is not able to interrupt or become involved in a largely male conversation. She is shown to wrap a blanket around Holmes whilst we see through a range of mid shots that are focused on him. This gives the idea that females are compassionate and have motherly instincts whereas the other male characters are thinking more practically about their getaway from the situation rather than emotional concepts. The camera focuses on Holmes as he is male and the female character is shown to simply pass through the scene without the camera clearly showing her giving the idea that he has more power as a man because he is the focus of the shot, she is seen as a passing obstacle.

Skins clip- representation of class and status through mise-en-scene (hair and makeup)

Skins clip- representation of class and status through mise-en-scene (hair and makeup)

Firstly, the main male character has long hair which for a male could represent that he cannot afford to have it cut or doesn’t take pride in his appearance as he is shown to be lower class. It could also give the audience an insight into his occupation (if he has one) as this style of hair would generally not be seen to be working in a formal type of work for instance office work or as a professional businessman.

His hair is shown to be greasy, like it has been unwashed for a long period of time. This could represent how he is unhygienic which a stereotype of people who are lower class is. It could also show that he cannot afford the basic necessities of life like shampoo and cleaning products.

Makeup on this character is not obvious however it could have been used to give the effect that the man is old or tired or even that he is drunk which is how he is represented throughout the clip because of his slurred speech. Lower class people are stereotyped to drink a lot of alcohol, so this use of makeup also links into this idea.

The first young girl we see has a baby and this representation of stress is shown through how her hair is loosely tied back because it gives the idea to the audience that she is too busy with her baby to bother with taking time to enhance her appearance.

Her makeup is fairly simple again showing that she hasn’t got the time to bother with her looks. However, the makeup that has been used enhances her age to the audience and gives the impression that she, herself, is young. Again this is a stereotype of lower class people because by making the character look young it represents her as an underage mother.

Both of the teenage boys in the clip have simple shaven hair, which is typical to be shown through young people. It could show how they are represented to be lazy as it is a hairstyle that doesn’t need lots of work to keep the style. It is also a hairstyle that is typical to be used by prisoners or antisocial youths which again stereotypes the class that they live in to cause trouble or be unruly.

Analysing mise-en-scene through still image

Analysing mise-en-scene through still image

Throughout this still image there are many representations of the characters through the use of a variety of types of mise-en-scene.

Firstly the idea of how hair and makeup represent the specific characters- the older female character has hair that has been highlighted as we are able to see the contrast of tones in the colour of her hair, this shows how she takes pride in her appearance to actually spend the time and money to create a style to her hair. She also has a short cropped style that has obviously been styles to look volumised and neat, this is a style that lots of business women would have as it generally looks formal without losing her trend. Her hair doesn’t look in the best condition as it looks dry because the lighting in the room doesn’t reflect a shine of glossiness to her hair. This could represent that she is has a hectic or stressed lifestyle as it is common for women to take less time in caring for their hair, but also it could show that she is middle aged as the condition of her hair could reflect her age. Her makeup is fairly plain at first sight but as the light is shown to highlight her face it enhances the idea that she has used makeup to contour the bone structure of her face which could show that she is essentially trying to look younger than she is, maybe to impress the male also sitting at the table.

The man is not wearing any makeup or effects as he is represented as a stereotypical masculine figure so it would be seen as strange for him to wear a more feminine product. He has short dark hair, which is swept to one side through the use of a wax/gel which gives a formal look, as he is seen as a typical father figure this is a style that would give him a mature, formal appearance. Through the sides of his hair he is shown to have a receding hairline which could show how he is an older character or that like the woman he also has a lot of stress in his life that would cause him to have early hair loss.

The young girl has plain hair that looks natural in colour and style; she has also tied it into a low ponytail which is a typical style to be worn by a young girl and shows innocence or youth. The makeup she is wearing includes heavy black eye makeup and dark red lips, this shows how as a teenager she is trying to grow up fast, red is a colour symbolic of sexualisation which could be the dilemma that the family are discussing.

The woman’s costume mainly consists of a pale blue silk shirt which links to the idea of her being wealthy as silk is seen as a luxurious material. The shirt also has sexual references as the style and material choice makes it look like nightwear. The blue colour could have a hidden deep meaning as blue is generally associated as being a colour representing males rather than females so could show how she is seen as someone who is inferior to her male partner, or that she is dressing purely for the satisfaction of her husband, trying to impress him which links to the idea of the male gaze by Laura Mulvey. She is also wearing rings which could symbolise her wealth or that she is married, possibly to the male also seated at the table.

The older man is wearing a formal costume which reflects his age and makes him look like a father figure or business man as it consists of typical officewear: a shirt with a collar and a neutral coloured sweater.

The young girl is again wearing a costume that reflects her age as it is modest because of its full length sleeves and high rounded neckline and also consists of stripes and patterns which is a type of clothing that it usually worn by younger children as it is seen as more fun rather than formal or mature.

The woman’s body language seems to suggest that she is inferior to the other characters at the table as she is sat upright but looks to be hiding herself in a tense position and her hands are awkwardly hovering above the table. Her facial expression also adds to this idea as she doesn’t look happy at all, she looks to be depressed or annoyed by the situation that she is in, maybe a family argument or disagreement.

The older man’s body language makes him look to be explaining something or even interrogating the younger girl as he is lent forward over the table. He also seems to be tense as his fists are clenched showing that he is either extremely enthusiastic about what he is talking about or that he is aggravated by the situation. His facial expression is hard to tell as he is facing away from the camera towards the young girl- he looks like he is screwing his face up which could tell a variety of emotions from smiling to confusion.

The young girl is slouched disrespectfully over the table as if to show that she is not interested in the conversation that she is having with what looks like her father. Her facial expression shows despair at the situation, it’s a sarcastic expression that shows how her head is tilted as if looking down at her father’s thoughts.

The lighting is generally aimed towards the young girl as the candles and light reflecting off of the crystal vase is generally in her direction. This could mean that the man and woman are having problems with their relationship and she is either the main cause for this or that she is the light that is keeping their relationship together. The light coming through the windows also highlights the father and daughter but the woman is shown to be in the dark, meaning that she could be segregated from the other characters conversation or even relationship as a whole.

The framing of the image shows how each character is spread apart however the girl is central to the older characters as if representing that she is holding their relationship together but at the same time getting between them. The props are mainly in front of the girl showing how she could feel crowded or overprotected by her parents. The wide shot shows a large table which gives off the impression that the family are wealthy as it fits into the large room that they are in.

The props in the background of the scene are shaded out by the darkness behind them although on the table we can clearly see that the older characters are drinking wine from expensive looking crystal table ware. The flowers on the table are red which symbolises the idea of love and hate in the family, meaning that although they love each other it doesn’t stop arguments and hostility from occurring. The table ware is also blue like the woman’s costume which could indicate that although the woman would typically lay the table, the man’s influence in her life is shown through the colours used as blue is a typical masculine colour.

Although as an audience we do not know the exact occupation of these characters from the still image, through the use of costume and general style we can guess what type f work influences their appearance. The man looks like a typical businessman maybe working in a well paid office job in a city. The young girl’s skin is healthy and glows in the light showing that she is young so it would be expected that she is still a student at school. The older woman can be seen in more of a variety of ways as typically because of her clothing and how nicely the house is laid out it would be expected that she was a house-wife however her formal hairstyle makes her look like she works for a formal business maybe as a writer or office worker.

Regional identity in TV drama (our friends) clip analysis

The first scene of this clip involves one of the characters with a mild Newcastle accent jumping into the shot which is a mid shot, he is obviously trying to show to his other friends that are already seated at the table his fun and playful side. As they are both from Newcastle as well it gives a representation that the area and people are known to be stereotypically a lot more confident, outgoing and seen as jokers, however his accent seems to be toned down slightly as if the woman that he has arrived with and her regional dialect has influenced his speech. He is wearing a suit however it is made slightly informal as he is not wearing a tie and his shirt is not a high neck as would be expected at a formal meal.

 There is then a shot which includes all of the four main characters sat opposite from each other in pairs, this works as an establishing shot as we can see in the background that it is a formal restaurant style setting that is edited to look dark which is typical of a restaurant to create an ambiance or atmosphere that is slightly more romantic and warm especially with the use of candle lights and lamps on the tables. Another part of the mise-en-scene is the layout of the scene including objects being shown like the glasses of wine on the table and the fact that the characters are talking about possible meals they could have from a menu. This scene is also the catalyst of one of the representation that we can see through their regional dialect.

The woman who seems to be from London as she speaks standard English without using slang and is seen to be more upper class than the other characters is explaining a course from the menu in a French style accent to perfect her pronunciation however when the man opposite with the strong Newcastle accent struggles to say it and again makes jokes out of the situation that are not well received by the lady. This gives a representation that people from places that are seen to be upper class like London are less likely to take a joke, they are prim and proper and judge others who are seen as inferior to them, it also gives a representation that people from Newcastle and northern areas are uneducated and immature but also more likely to make jokes and not take life too seriously.

The lady from the midlands is wearing simple makeup and pearl earrings, her haircut is clean and simple and her outfit is modest with dark colours which are typically seen by someone from a richer or more upper class area as she obviously takes pride in her appearance and wants to appear to look classy which adds to the mise-en-scene created by costume and makeup. Another representation of the area in which she lives is that she seems to be permanently sipping from her wine class which is typically used in TV dramas to give the idea that the character is more mature or from a wealthy background whereas the other characters from Newcastle very rarely pick up their drinks.

An over the shoulder shot gives you an image from the characters perspective, and in this scene it is used to show the body language and facial expressions of the two characters with strong Newcastle accents. The man is seen to be fairly fidgety which could be seen as rude to the other characters, whereas she looks slightly intimidated by the woman she is talking too as she has her hands in front of her and her shoulders bent forward. He is also shown to be smoking which could be seen as rude as they are eating dinner and it’s often seen as a dirty habit and he interrupts the woman whose dialect is from a midland area which spurred more hostility from the woman who was very quick to correct him and make herself look superior, socially and morally.

The woman with the posh sounding accent also begins to talk about politics which is quickly changed by conversation started by the other characters; this represents her regional identity as being interested in social issues and topics that are generally seen as mature and upper class. Whereas the man from Newcastle is seen to say ‘how much are they then’ which gives the audience the idea that he is represented as ‘tight’ with his money or that he struggles financially maybe caused by his immature behaviour and general lack of knowledge.

Jumpcuts show the intensity of the situation as they begin to disagree, the sharp close up shots make the argument appear to be serious as it allows the audience to see their individual expressions to the situation, and in times of silence we are allowed to hear non diagetic sound of cutlery and plates in the background which make the scene feel awkward and tense adding to the mise-en-scene.