Disability in TV Dramas

The Inbetweeners:

Mise en scene:

• verisimilitude - a real place where people can relate to.
• Binary opposition - girl in wheelchair is stationary, able bodied people moving about.
• Binary opposition - girl in wheelchair unable to move away from frisbee, inbetweeners can move away from the people playing football.
• Carer is a woman, a stereotypical occupation for a woman.
• Men move in to help women, representing that they are more powerful than the women.

Sound:

• Laura Mulvey male gaze - 'juggasaurus rex'. Women are being objectified by sexually driven men.
• 'Gay' is used to state a bad thing.
• Sound of men playing football dominates sound.

Editing:

• eyeline match when the inbetweeners look at the 'juggasaurus rex'.

Camera Angles:

• High angle camera looking down on girl because she is in a wheelchair. Emphasizes fact she is wheelchair. Possibly showing she is weaker.

In his life 1991 study, Paul Hunt identified 10 stereotypes that the media use to portray disabled people:

1. The disabled person as pitable/pathetic.
2. An object of curiosity or violence.
3. Sinister or evil.
4. As atmosphere.
5. Laughable.
6. His/her own worst enemy.
7. As a burden.
8. As Non-sexual.
9. Being unable to participate in daily life.
10. The super cripple.


Cast Offs:
Pan of the island - shows the scale and isolation of the island.
shows the disability is a new thing for him.
basketball shows his past life.
basketball shows that his father is encouragiung him to be the same person he used to be.
the narrative device flashbacks are use in the sequence.
binary opposition - busy basketball game/isolated island .
jump cuts show time has passed.
island is dull, compared to on 'shipwrecked' the island is nice.
no non-diegtic sound making the situation seem more real

Codes and Conventions

Codes:
Symbols or icons of particular genres.

eg:

Knife - Horror
Blood - Horror
Mask - Horror

Ambulances - Hospital TV drama
Surgical masks - Hospital TV drama
Uniforms - Hospital TV drama

Conventions
Unwritten rules of audience expectations.

eg:

Parralell Narratives - TV drama
Realistic locations - TV drama
Use of shot reverse shot - TV drama


TV Dramas all have the following ingredients:

• Characters - even particular kinds of characters: e.g, at it's most simple; 'good' and 'bad' characters.
• Stories - They all tell stories, whether those stories involve adventure, crime or romance and they often, but not always, end happily.
• The stories are told against familiar backdrops - e.g, homes, police stations and offices (for crime genre), hospitals (for medical dramas) - most of which are filmed in studios.
• Camerawork - particular kinds of shots are used: e.g, sequences involving establishing shots followed by mid shots of characters, shot/reverse shots to show character interaction and close ups to show characters emotions.
• Stories use dialogue to tell the stories. Occasionally, monologues are built in (as voiceovers, a character telling a story)
• Music is used to punctuate the action, create effects and underline emotional moments.
• Particular sub-genres tend to have items which make them immediatley identifiable - police cars, blue lights.

Exemplar Paragraph

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.

Exemplar Essay

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:  /20

Use of Example:  /20

Terminology:   /10

Film Editing

What's the Idea?
The general idea behind editing in nsrrative film is the coordination of one shot with another in order to create a coherent whole. The system of editing emplyed in narrative film is called continuity editing - it's purpose is to create and provide efficient and artful transitions.

Editing Film:

• In filmmaking, the task of selecting and joining camera takes
• 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.'

Edwin S Porter, The Great Train Robbery, 1903.
Shots in sequence to create meaning for audiences.
From exterior shots to set, audience is encouraged to believe the events they see are immediately sequential.

The Kuleshov Effect:

• Lev Kuleshov, circa 1920: intercut an actors face with unrelated footage taken later.
• Audiences interpreted emotional responses on the actors face based on the juxtaposistion of images.
• Whilst much of the moving image we see uses this effect, it does not usually draw attention to it.#

Definition of in-camera editing:
'Constructiung a film by taking shots in sequence, with no subsequent editing' (Burn and Durran)

Contrast 'four main functions' of film editing:

• Make sure that thre production is the required length or time
• To remove unwanted material/mistakes.
• To alter id necassary the way or the sequence in which the events will be portrayed.
• To establish the particualr 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.

Rhymic 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 maniupulating the rythyms experienced by perceivers through thoughtful juxtapositions of longer and shorter shots as well as through transitional devices.

Rythmic transitional devices:

1. Straight cut
2. Fade-out
3. Fade-in
4. Dissolve wipe
5. Flip frame
6. Jump cut

Temporal Relations:
Editing is the process by which the difference between temporal duration and screen duration is reconciled. It sounds simple, but consider this: mist feature films present in roughly two hours sufficient intersection of storyand plot to provide percievers with everything they need in order to understand days, weeks months or even years in character's lives.

Temporal Relations: Chronology:

• Mostnarratuive films are presented in roughly chronological order, with notable exeptions.
• The two most common disruptions to chronological order are flashbacks and flashforwards (The former being much more typical than the latter).

Spatial Relations:
perhaps the most important, as well as the most overlooked. The camera must be positioned in a certain way trhoughout all of the edits to make sense to the audience.

Spatial continuity:
The standard pattern for editing a scene, in narrative film includes the following:
establishing shot, shot reverse shot, eyeline match, re-establishing shot.

Thematic relations:
Editors have at their disposal two very powerful techniques for maniuplating the percievers place in the heirarchy of knowledge, and therefore affecting out thematic understanding of film:

• Montage sequences
• Crosscut Editing

Sound in TV Drama

Sound has the power to create certain moods and can signal events that are about to happen.
The power of music to manipulate audiences emotions has always been acknowleged in TV and film.
Sound is decoded bu the audience so they how to feel.

Soundtrack:

• The human voice/dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music

In TV drama these create a balance between the realism of the world of the text programme and the drama that is created.

Type of sound:

• The world of the TV programme we see on screen is called DIEGESIS.
• Two types of sound in TV Drama: Diegetic and Non-Diegetic.

Diegetic: Sound that is part of the programmes world eg. dialogue/speech.
Non-Diegetic: Usually added in the editing process (post production) eg. music and soundtrack.#

Foley: is the reproduction of everday sounds for use in filmmaking. These sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to creaking doors and breaking glass. Usually goes unnoticed as it is so well editing in.

Use of voiceover is generally used in TV drama as a narrative device.
- This is first person narration.
- Can give us information about the central character.
They also allow priveleged information.

Music is used to instruct the audience what to feel eg. sad, angry, happy.

Incidental music: is used to add emotion and rythym to the drama. Usually not meant to be noticable.
Often provides a toneor an emotional attitued towards the story and/or the character depicted. Often foreshadows a change in mood. May aid the viewer in the links between certain sequences or scenes. Sound motifs are used to associate with particular characters.

Parallel and contrapuntal sound.
1: Parallel sound - when we watch a TV drama the sound we hear usually compliments and follows the sounds we see off screen. eg. fast paced/loud music in car chase scenes.

2: Sound that does not fir the images we see in scene.

Stings
- either a brief cresendo stab of music use to enhance the drama of the current situations, just before a change of scene (dramatic sting)
- or brief comical stab on music to enhance a punch line.

Ambient sound
- also known as natural sound = the sound occuring in the area where they shoot the drama. It is often used or created in dramas to create verisimilitude (realism).

Merlin

The editing of the start of the scene is mainly focused on the pace of the shots.  When Merlin is entering the room and in the room the shot pace is very fast and jumpy, this creates the feeling that he’s not meant to be in the room.  That reflects his status showing how he’s of a lower class and is forbidden in the castle.  In contrast to this, the woman walking in the hallway gets quite a calm and slow paced shot, which demonstrates a higher authority over Merlin.

Another example would be when in the middle of the fight there is a cut of to the man in the tower looking down at the fight.  The way he’s looking down at it and his calm yet annoyed reaction could resemble the fact that he is going to have some authority in the narrative.

There is very obvious editing technique near the end of the fight when there is an extreme close-up of the eye and it shows how it changes colour.  This ties in with Alfred Hitchcock’s theory of the bomb theory, where the audience become aware of the situation but the characters are oblivious.  This is a very good technique as it intrigues the audience and gets them to try and interact with the audience. 

After the fight, when Merlin turns around to face the crowd watching, there is a shot reverse shot edit to the man from the tower in the crowd then back to Merlin again.  You can instantly notice the change in Merlin’s facial expression when he notices the man.  This shows  that he sees him as a parental figure and is disappointed that he witnessed the fight between him and the prince as his facial expression drops in disappointment.

The use of camera angles in the extract from Merlin shows the importance of certain items and people in the clip. An example of this will be at the start after the establishing shot of the inside of the castle, the main character picks up certain items such as a book. The camera then does a close up of the book suggesting it is important for the narrative of the extract. The use of a close up is also used when the lady enters the room and surprises Merlin, and his reaction is shown through a close up of his face. A further close up is used to show Merlin's use of magic during the fight scene. There is an extreme close up of Merlin's eye changing clolour which shows the audience Merlin is using magic, however, the rest of the characters do not know about his use of magic. This gives the audience the feeling that they have superior knowledge to the characters in the clip as they are oblivious to fact that Merlin is doing this. The camera movement in the clip gives the audience emphasizes the suspense and action of the fight scene. There is the use of a shaky camera during the fight scene which gives the viewer the impression that they are actually there and involved in the action.

The Mise en scene throughout the sequence is mainly dark, gloomy and eerie reflecting the time era of the medieval period. The extract that represents the difference in class of society by using mise en scene consists a variety of different elements. The setting in the first scene shown in the sequence is of high class as the architecture is grand, consisting pain glass windows which indicates the idea that the house is of a high social status.  The colours of the clothing used throughout the scene helps give understanding of the characters class. The royal purple of the female characters dress represents a high social status whereas Merlin’s clothing consists of brown and green which connotes a poor, lower level of class. The dialect of the characters also plays a big role in the idea of class throughout the sequence as the female character and Arthur’s accents indicate that they are of a higher status. On the other hand Merlin’s dialect reflects a lower class of society.

During the fight scene the audience can notice that Arthur supplies them both with a metal, heavy weapon whereas later on in this particular scene Merlin uses less expensive objects such as the rope and stool dividing there social class. Also at which the skill that Arthur uses his weapon shows that he has a higher class. Arthur’s costume consists of metal plating and armour, and he also has guards at his side this immediately signals that he is of a higher status. The lighting aspects at the end of the fight scene show Merlin silhouetted so that he is hidden whereas Arthur has all lighting on him to represent a higher class and status. The older character shown in the tower is seen as more superior as he looks down onto the courtyard where the two men fight. The mise en scene in the tower is dark and mysterious which could reflect the idea of magic and that his class may be higher compared to Merlin as he has mastered the idea of magic.

The scene opens with eerie music consisted of deep hollow noises. The music is atmospheric and establishes the suspicious tone of the scene. You can still hear above the music the clutter and falling of objects as merlin looks around the room, representing his nervousness and anxiety. He knows he shouldn’t really be there. You then hear footsteps build in pace over the music and as the footsteps quicken all sounds; the music, the noises, the footsteps all come to a halt as the woman enters the room. The end of the noise shows us how important the woman is. She seems to be of a high class and high authority. She seems confident as she confronts merlin as she asks him what he is doing there, again backing up how merlin is where he shouldn’t be. However when the woman looks in the mirror and sees her aged self staring back at her a disturbing noise cuts through the silence and shows how the high classed woman is quite shocked and uncomforted by her distorted reflection. As merlin leaves the castle and enters the village outdoors, we hear commotion, animals, people, which gives over a feeling of normality. The common noises contrast from the eerie music before, which shows how merlin is a lot more comfortable being back to normality.  

                When merlin is confronted and begins to fight with the lord, fast paced music enters the scene which gives the audience a feeling of excitement and anticipation. The action based music is fast paced and energetic but as merlin falls and shows off his lack of skill with his weapon and balance the music become jumpy, skippy and comical, representing his clumsiness and vulnerability due to his lack of fighting skill. When merlin uses magic and begins the gain the upper hand in the fight the music lifts, telling the audience that merlin is going to win. The whole time objects falling and weapons can be heard adding to the action and commotion which adds to the excitement. When merlin is distracted by his teacher he is hit three or four times and the end of the music is in time and shares the beat with the final blows. The synchronised sounds emphasise the end of the fight. The end of the music is the end of the fight. The music heard after the fight is calm and slow, like the calm after the storm; the music greatly contrasts with the upbeat music heard during the fighting. There is a slightly high pitch to the music which gives the audience a sense of suspicion, especially when the lord feels there is something strange about merlin.

There is also foleys used in the clip of Merlin. An example of this would be when Merlin is walking through the town and his footsteps had been done through the use of foley. Foleys usually go unnoticed as they are intended to blend in with the rest of the scene. There was also the use of a sting at the end of the fight sequence between Arthur and Merlin. The sting was used just at the end when Arthur did three strikes on Merlin and the music uses three sharp sounds to emphasize the strikes. This has a dramatic yet almost comical effect on the audience as through the use of this sound, they know that the fight scene is over.

BEGINNING ((merlin enters room)

-sound-merlin isnt supposed to be in the room-mysterious

miseenscene- props mirrow/flower/beads shows its a females room

editing- fast shows tension and suspense

camera angle: pans around the room, suggesting he is looking to see if anyone is there

(woman finds merlin)

sound - choir like, Dialougue 'what are you doing here' shows status again. footsteps (foley) to emphasize.

miseenscene clothing-purple suggests royalty and is well looked after

editing length of shot is long compared to merlins. women has more time on screen.

camera angle - zooms in on her, suggests she is high up (status)

(walks outside)

sound sheep (foley) crowd are quiet when blonde guy get insulted. cheeky

miseenscene

editing

camera angle high angle as walk down from castle. eyelevel as he walks to town, he belongs here.

Representation of gender exam

Discuss the way in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following:

·         Camera shots, angles, movement and composition.

·         Editing

·         Sound

·         Mise-en-scene

Overall the gender representation constructed in this sequence conforms to stereotypes; placing the men in the more power roles and objectify the women. An example of this in the extract is the technique used in the beginning when the poorer lady was being looked down on as the camera was on eyeline level of the male character tilting down to make her appear inferior to the audience. The use of this specific camera angle makes the subject seem vulnerable and less powerful than the male character. Throughout the extract, the image of men being dominant is a recurring theme.

An example of men being the authority figures in the extract is the way the blonde woman in the shop is acting as more of a decoy, without having to do much intellectual work, as opposed to the male who is also part of the job, who ensures the shop assistant will fall for the scam. Adding to the idea, there are cuts to where there is a man working on an alarm, showing he can do things manually. This further progresses the image that the women is just a decoy, and the men do the real work.

The extract highlights the contrast between two women and their social status. This is done by having the poorer woman being shown from a high angle shot giving the audience the impression that she does not belong in the expensive shop. Whereas whilst the poor lady is being spoken to by the shop assistant, another wealthier woman is in the shot, shown by a large depth of field so she is in focus. The camera shows a close up of her ring, which implies to the audience that that will be a key element in the scene. The ring also shows that she is wealthy and is in a much higher social class as the other woman. The extract shows to the audience that although the two women are of different social class, they are still overpowered by the male roles.

Further adding to the representation that the men have the dominance in the extract, the woman says when she loses her ring ‘my husband is going to kill me’.  This shows that although she is exaggerating, the man she is referring to sounds powerful. The sound used throughout the clip is also a significant element. This is because when the woman has lost her ring the frantic music is playing whilst she is talking, whereas when the scene cuts to the men talking in the bar, there is no other sound making them appear powerful as there is no background music distracting the audience away from what they have to say. This creates the image that the men’s views are the important ones compared to the woman’s in the clip.