Skins. series 3 episode 1

This episode shows the main young person on a skateboard which is typical representation of a youth and their forms of transport. However, the face of this young person is not revealed until they decide to perform their main dare devil act. Although it is clear the person is young through their clothing as the jeans are ripped and dirty, with a skateboard, this builds the impression of a young person. When the persons face is revealed the shot is a low angle 360 degree shot, this implies the person to be heroic or to be taking on a heroic action. However the action about to take place is more risky than heroic as he is about to skateboard down a busy road with cars driving in both directions. At the point of the 360 degree there is non diegetic sound used of a soundtrack with a heavy rock guitar riff - this suggests danger. This risky travel route comes after a text from a friend stating "smoking ur last spliff". The abuse of drugs is another activity usually associated with the younger generation.                                                    

 this screengrab shows the text which was received. Zoom in of the text emphasis's its importance in what is about to happen.

 this next screen grab shows a mid shot of Freddy, this shows the focus on the character as he is vital to what is about to happen with the skateboarding down the road.

the 360 degree shot shows Freddy in a heroic light when in reality he is thinking about a risky act on skateboarding down the busy road. Through this point, the rocky guitar riff starts.

Whilst skateboarding, the shot used is a tracking shot which then cuts to a behind track shot, this is after a point of view shot from Freddy as he examines the road ahead of him. Through this and the two previous shots, a bruise can be seen under his chin suggesting this is not the first time he has attempted something of this manner. In the second screen grab, a bus is about to pull out from the side of the road, Freddy does not pay much regard to this, possibly suggesting the idea of a young person not looking out for themselves and being fairly reckless.

The next shot we see is Freddy skateboarding onto the pavement, when doing this he nearly knocks over a lady, the lady jumps out of the way. The screen then cuts to a police man, then back to Freddy to indicate Freddy is heading towards the direction of the police man. The police man is seen eating an ice-cream, at which point Freddy skateboards past and knocks the ice-cream out of the police mans hands. The ice-cream lands over his private area. There is a slight pan in onto the ice-cream suggesting the police man has been made a fool out of by Freddy. This also shows Freddy has more power at this moment as he is able to get away without any worry. This is not what would be expected due to the age difference between the two.

To bring the essence of power back to the police man, the police man starts to chase after Freddy, but Freddy has long gone and out smarted the police man.

Freddy's smart thinking is further seen in the next part. Freddy is seen jumping over the road work going on with the help of the ramp. During this jump, the seen is in slow motion and Freddy is clearly seen above ground over the road works. This brings back the previous heroic shot of the 360 degree low angle shot to show his heroic/risky act. Throughout this, the police man is not seen, the focus is on Freddy and the builders.

To follow on from the slow motion heroic shot, Freddy's skateboard is seen to be sparking flames. Although this is perfectly explanatory with the friction of the skateboard and the gravel road, it further emphasis's his risky act. The reason for this sudden need to break is a bin lorry in front of him, without the break Freddy would have gone flying in to the back of the lorry with all of the rubbish. As Freddy stops himself from going into the lorry, the police man does not stop himself therefore goes flying into the back of the lorry with all of the rubbish. This again shows the "responsible adult" in a light of being outsmarted by the younger generation. Through this, it shows Freddy as being cautious and aware of his surroundings while showing the police man as reckless for not being able to stop in time. The typical characteristics of the two characters considering their age are swapped around.

this last screen grab shows two of Freddy's friends - Cook and JJ. They are seen in two shot, representing similar if not the same age. As the are both with Freddy's last spliff they are shown to be on the same side and the same position. Two young people both a mid beer and spliffs is the image that has been drummed up by the media on young people. 

notes from "Creativity and Genre in TV crime drama"

zeitgeist - the spirit of the times.
             - reason for CSI success
             - follows specific scrip and genre
             - first series proved layout worked for audiences, therefore allowing more success and two spin-of                   shows.
BBC TV shows have also tried to go by zeitgeist. women's rights advanced in 1970, out of this came "Prime suspect".
Prime suspect - series one, the role of oppressed women due to a patriarchal society
                      - series two, racism within the police force especially towards Afro-Caribbean people.

throughout the latter 20th century, crime TV drama shows have persisted to show the police as ideological and perfect. Therefore making viewers comfortable with knowing the police force are protecting them. This changed with "the wire". The wire is an American TV show which shows the police force in a less than flattering lime light.

The Wire:
- shows crime through a political point of view.
- series one shows the drug dealers simply trying to survive and live their life.
- The wire was not shown on some networks due to its general message it was conveying.
- The Wire shows a police captain trying to excuse one of his force for his personal career gain.
- This does the opposite to showing the police force in a heroic nature and personality.

"Hill Street Blues" was produced independently and was a mix of genres, this proved to audiences that companies who are not mainstream are willing to take more risks in order to add artistic flavour to a show rather than do everything for the money they could earn. After Hill Street Blues, "The Sopranos" came along, this was similar to Hill street Blues in terms of mixing genres together. The Sopranos consisted of soap opera and general TV Crime drama with gangsters.

The mix of creativity and genres does not work for all as some programs have been cancelled half way through their run due to low viewing figures.

Representations of law

The wire:


IMDB defines this series as "Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of drug dealers, and law enforcement." Thinking generally to stereotypes, the people using the drugs would consist of the ethnic minority. The people situated around are also of an ethnic minority. In the extract above, it seems person of slightly more authority is the member of an ethnic minority. However, just from visual aid, it is unclear if this person is a police man or just someone who the alleged suspect can confide in. 

here some people are shown who seem to be witnesses of the scene. Considering the setting of "drug scene" this scene and choice of casting has followed the stereotypical route. From this screenshot it seems the people around at the scene are mostly female which can suggest the general "stand back" approach thought of by females in politics. The best known female politicians, globally are Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher and Julia Gillard. The others may generally known as wives. This shows the possible position of women in the area, possibly showing the thoughts of the law and its officers.

This scene shows a police man noting down some points and evidence of a crime scene. Compared to the other characters, this police officer is standing up suggesting more of authority than the rest of the public, this is a realistic approach and idea conveyed through this. This police man however, is not of an ethnic minority, like the other characters in this extract. This is a stereotypical view of the law. This scene also suggests the location to be a city due to the background street lights, this is also a stereotype - suggesting all the crime and "action" occurs in the urban areas of a town.

This screenshot shows the police handling a suspect, although seem as violent, they are not being violent but this position is the general position held by police when arresting someone. The police men are wearing high visual jackets, these are usually associated with police if they are working a night shift or a when there is limited daylight. Another stereotypical representation of law is the gender. The two members of the police force holding the suspect are both male. Although there are female members of the police force present, they are not seen in a scene with a nature of brutality. This shot shows the characters on the third, suggesting there is fast paced action about to occur due to the way they are facing along with the third.

 This screenshot portrays the general image of a police raid. There are police cars and vans suggesting the order the back up in case of a larger criminal scene forming. There is also a RSPCA van in the background - this shows the caring side of the general police image as they are helping out an organisation for cruelty towards animals. This caring side is not often portrayed within the media, most the police portrayal includes scenes of brutality or mistreatment of a case. This shot shows 3 vans and 1 police car aiding the police raid. There are more police associated vehicles than the actual animal organisation, this suggests they have more of an authority than the others organisations present. The smoke along the background implements the chaotic scene, the steam/smoke represents something that has possibly been over used. The fact the the smoke mainly comes out from behind the RSPCA shows the are a major part of this police raid.

This final screenshot show a female police officer. She is dressed differently showing a slightly higher status, this is not a normality for most portrayals of women within the law field. The female character is also standing next to David Jason, suggesting a similar status within the force. Although there is equal portrayal of gender in this screenshot, there is not equal portrayal of ethnicity. Showing all of the members of the police force to come from an ethnic majority. This scene also shows David Jason as the main police officer, here he is shown wearing a suit showing authority he is also not wearing an uniform alike the other members of the police force. Another idea about this is the age of the main character. The main character is quite old, prior to this scene, there was a slight moment implicating the main character to be clueless. That was a use of the ageing character to their advantage. The two guys who were fooled by the "clueless" facade would most likely have been security guards or body guards ensuring people would not just walk in and see the illegal activity going on. This mid shot shows the leaders in the middle. with the rest of the police force surrounding them, possibly awaiting further instructions.

class and status (timed)

The class and social status is first represented by Sampson talking to himself in the mirror. This suggest he is possibly nervous about giving his speech. A speech is generally given by a member of an middle or higher class. However, his need to look in the mirror shows he may have some second thoughts or insecurities about the speech. Along side this, Sampson is seen wearing a suit which shows more of a higher status than what may be worn by a someone of the working class. His speech which he is reciting to himself is delivered in received pronouciation further suggesting a middle to upper class manner.  The background of this scene is quite dark, showing further thought and perception of the speech he is about to deliver. There is also the effect of the light shining down straight onto Sampson, further increasing the view of Sampson is the main focus and of a higher status.

This next screenshot indicates quite a working class status, 4 children are seen just staring at the what has just occurred with an ethnic minority being thrown out of their home with a violent push and their belongings being violently thrown out of the tenement. Although this person is of an ethnic minority the, there are 2 other ethnicities being represented by the teenagers who are by standers. They are seen to be starring at the scene in front, looking completely unfased by events which have unfolded in front of them. This suggests this is a regular occurrence and nothing new to be worried or alarmed with. During this duration of this scene there is also the diegetic sound of a baby crying and possibly a young girl yelling out "papa!"this is because of the violent nature of the scene.

The next scene to appear shows a car going under a walkway, the car is black, generally associated with the overall look of a spy, indicating a higher status than those on the estate. The next shot closes up on Harry (head of Spook) his position is shown by him sitting in the back seat of the car indicating a chauffeur driven car. Another indication of his status is the person he is talking to on the phone, although the audience can't hear what the person on the receiving end is saying there is a large hinting to someone below Harry in terms of hierarchy within the work place. Harry is seen and heard barking orders down the phone showing a sense of leadership. At this point there is a close up of Harry's face and he seen and heard giving additional orders to the person on the receiving end. The close up helps to see the concern on Harry's face, showing this problem is a case of an emergency. Throughout this scene, Harry is seen wearing a suit, showing another clue of his high social and class status.

The story then cuts back to the scene on the estate. Here, the women (of ethnic minority) is present looking slightly shaken up, hinting she knew this was going to happen. The two men are seen trying to fore their way into the house with the women outside not trying or doing much to stop them, neither are the teenagers who are watching her suffer, there is also no reaction to help out by the other other members of the ethnic minority who know the same could possibly also happen to them.

Once Harry is back in the boardroom, he talks to the other members of the team whilst standing, the team members are sitting down. A low angle shot is used to show Harry in a higher position in comparison to the other team members. Within this scene there is the presence of another member of an ethnic minority, however, he is not portrayed as a victim as he is part of the Spook team. This scene is recorded with an eye-level shot for the audience to feel like they are also part of the story and on the same level as the Spook team member. This equals the class and status of the audience and the character. The Background of this eye-level shot is brighter compared to the scene showing the Sampson rehearsing his speech. The sound here is of the character saying "surely that's illegal" this shows the character is well educated and comes from a background where he would be able to learn this.

Discuss the social representations portrayed in this clip.

The first episode of shameless sets the scene for the rest of the series showing the a working class father and his many children.

The first scene consists of cross cuts between different shots showing a similar image. These shots portray the location to be to a well looked after area suggesting private housing, however this is a contrast with the accent of the voice narrating the scene (voice of father). The accent of the father is quite northern with short vowels suggesting a location such as Manchester. Within the general Manchester area, the main stereotypical idea is of tennements and coucil blocks. With this image, people visualise the area as run down with over flowing rubbish bins, however this is clearly not the case. In this beginning scene and when he he describing his children with the narration, the positioning on screen in central, not following the rule of thirds as show in the rest of the extract.

The voice of the father is calming showing a lot of affection for his many children. This narration also goes against another stereotype which is the mother being of a more nurturing character and looking after the children, in this case, the father shows more a nuturing characteristic. However, the image of a well dressed man is soon erased as the shot appears of the father. He seen to be wearing an old coat, possibly from a charity shop or something that has not been washed for a few years. His hair appears to be unwashed and seemingly like he hasn't combed through his hair. This image is something which would be associoated with someone of working class situation.

The father talks about his children saying he views them as angels and how he loves them. With this thought, the general idea of the audience would show the children showing the same amount of parental love for their father. However this idea is discarded within the next few scenes. There is a shot of them in the kitchen with the father holding a loaf of bread. He starts to become violent with one his children, the other children then push the father to the floor. The next shots show a high angle and a low angle of the father looking up at his children, and the children crowding around and towering over him whilst he is on the floor. The latter shot portrays the inferior characters to the superior characters. The father is seen as inferior because he is looking up at his children, while they look down on him. A shot that could also be used to portray bullies in a playground.

The next shot and scene shows the children running out in what can be compared to a gang of youths running from a crime scene. The children run out, bring the shot to the next scene which shows the front of their home and a caravan parked in the drive. This presence of the caravan could be used to show the main mode of transport for holiday's as (considering their financial situation) they more than likely would not be able to go on holiday via an aeroplane the majority of the time. Along the caravan there are also bin's along the from which seem to be overflowing. This shot shows the initial idea one may have when picturing an area of tennements (stereotypically).

The next scene goes straight to a night sky, showing a gathering of family members and friends. The children are seen throwing cans of beer onto the bonfire suggesting a lack of concern for health and safety for themselves and others around them. This, again is what would be generally thought of with someone of a similar or the same social status (due to increasing stories of gang violence). The camera then makes a quick pan over to the father who also seems to be enjoying the atmosphere without giving much care to the health and safety of those around him. It is at his point where the bonfire is visible as a burning car (vandalism, again associated with the working class). This further shows the lack of care and concern. It is clear the main objective of the night is to have fun at whatever the cost. At this point there is also a shot of the father smoking and drinking a can beer, something, stereotypically inconjunction with the working class. At this point there is another shot of the father drinking his beer with flames just below his face, which is the sort of effect used to show a satanic or devalish character. At this moment of high up roar, a police siren is heard as part of diegetic sound. There is also us of non-diegetic sound within this scene, there is a soundtrack of what could be considered tribal music with pan-flutes. This scene also imitates a image considered to be of tribal nature showcasing a large, close community.

When there is a police car near, most people would get out of the way or run away, however in this instance, one of his son's start to clap at the arrival of he car. Even at this point, they don't seem to make an escape(another stereotype attached to youth gangs). It seems as if they think they need an arrival of the police as proof and main point in having a good night out.

Ashes to Ashes recreation

REPRESENTATIONS OF SOCIAL CLASS - SHAMELESS (to complete)

The social class represented is the lower class based in Manchester, noticeable from the accent used. This is because of the clothing worn by he father - a jacket which looks old and unwashed. His hair also looks unwashed showing a possible lack of time or money.

This shot shows  3 clear sets of  high rise tenement blocks, usually associated with estates which are gritty and not very well looked after. However this also shows a lot green space suggesting something sophisticated and well looked after with correct treatment.

Ashes to Ashes exam question

Analyse the ways in which representations of gender are constructed in the extract through the usual 4 micro-elements.

Mise-en-scen: During the first two scenes, the typical costume considering gender is flipped around with DI Alex Drake wearing a suit, with her hair tied up professionally in a bun. Alex Drake is also driving the car, driving fast to get the crime scene - something which would usually be carried out by a male. In the scene on the boat up until the scene where Alex Drake faints (in 1980) she is wearing a short, tight, red leather dress. These aspects together show a seductive image, especially with the use of the colour red for her dress and lipstick, also her purse. The setting of the scene where the man in the grey suit confronts Alex is set in a hidden street corner, under what seems to be a bridge. This is where they would have normally found a prostitute (roaming around after work). During this scene, Alex Drake is limited to movement because the man in the grey suit has surrounded her. This is different to what would happen in the modern day, where Alex is a respected member of the police force. Also before this scene, Alex was seen running from the boat in her red, tight, short dress asking for help by a couple of police women hurrying past. however they ignored her. During the second scene where Alex in site of the hostage, she wearing a business, professional suit. Here she is respected by police officers. 

The sound used during this scene was a rocky soundtrack during the time span of the can driving in. This rocky soundtrack, with the set of the 80s would represent a sexual image. There was also the sounds of the exhaust coming from the car, this along with the rock soundtrack pose a very macho image which is exactly what is seen. Represents the representation on men in the 80s - a similar respect to what Alex had in the modern day. 
There is also the diegetic sound of Alex's shoes making a noise as she is pushed into a corner by the man in the grey suit. The noise of Alex's heels suggests a ditsy female character who is only compelled by men. There is also the aspect of speech, with Alex not saying much, and when she does speak she whispers her speech as in awe of the the three men surrounding her. Gene Hunt's line of "took a prossie hostage...letting his load off, love" shows more gender representation of Hunt with a macho appearance. The speech used by Alex Drake when she is telling the man in the grey suit what the officers want shows smartness which was not expressed by many women in that same position at the time.

The editing of this extract showed a 180 degrees shot of Gene Hunt with a low angle, this shows great hierarchy to Hunt being superior being the male character. The scene showing Alex reflecting on her image in the puddle also shows an emotional reflection, which is something usually portrayed by the female character. Another shot is the close up on Alex's face when she discovers who she is with (the officers). This also shows smartness as she is able to work out who each officer is. The close up lets the audience become more intimate with the character to show what she is feeling. Although the aspect of feelings is usually female, the smart knowledge is not generally associated with a female, especially someone dressed a short dress.

There was not much use of special effects with this particular scene. There was framing used when Ray Carling and Chris Skelton are introduced due to their position in the policing system in comparison to Gene Hunt. The first frame shows Gene Hunt, the camera pans over to show Chris Skelton and Ray Carling. There is Alex Drake on the third line of the shot right before she works out who the officers are, this places more focus on Alex but also shows where she is, to remind the audience she is still on a side street corner dressed in a non-classy manner. Therefore she is still represented as a women in the 80s on her exterior but shown as women in the modern day interiorly with her knowledge of psychology.

Representation of Women.

For this project we had to create a short documentary showing the representation of women.

The reason I used this clip of Dita Von Teese is because people do think she is giving women a bad image becuase she is a burlesque dancer. However the majority of her fan base is female, as Dita Von Teese explains. Although considered sexual, Dita uses her talent dancing and turns her acts into something very classy, as with most burlesque shows. She is known to embrase her gender, with elite class. It is clear why she has many adoring female fans.

The second clip is of Sierra Boggess, she was the original Ariel in the Broadway adaption of The Little Mermaid. There was an emphasis on girl power within this version, with the changes enforced by the director. The original Little Mermaid is much more gruesome, with much more pressure on the Ariel to be with the Prince. In the Original she has to make the prince love her more than he loves his parents and she has to get the prince to marry her in three days. During these Three days, she will have legs, but no tongue and no voice. Despite Ariel trying, the prince marries someone else. Ariels sister's then come out of the water and give her a knife by explaining all she has to do is kill the prince and let his blood spill onto hers legs, in doing this, her legs will merge back into a mermaid tale and she can return to her normal mermaid life. Ariel can't bring herself to do this so she ends up killing herself  and turning into sea foam.

In the Disney version, this does not happen. Although the disney version was softened down to make it more suitable to be seen a fairy tale, most of the heroic acts are done by the female characters are cut out. Leaving the female characters, especially Ariel to be seen as less of a hero leaves the Prince to be the hero, making him out to be macho. Is this what caused the problem we have today? Children are growing up with stories which suggest the male character is always the hero and the one people should be like.

The next clips are about music, mainly with how female singers are represented. With music and music videos, there is a lot of difference, but this could be due to female views of other females More of this is explained by this video.

Cutting it (extract) relationship representation.

We saw an extract from the movie "Cutting It". This scene included a couple riding in the back of a taxi which seems to be in London due to the black cab. The first scene shows Allie with her head on Gavins' Shoulder. This action may portray slight dependency on Gavin, however it could also simply portray their relationship. The close up of their rings in screenshot 4 emphasis they were wed not too long ago.

Allies persistent to see the consultant on her own suggesting she is independent and is able to handle news on her own. This scene shows more respect to the female character implying she can undertake heavy (emotional in this case) task's on her own.

Scene 17 shows Allie receiving the results from her consultant. Her expression is emotionless, so the viewers are not sure what to expect with the news. The setting and the light on in that particular scene slightly replicates an interrogation room, with one main spotlight in the middle. This is also then reflected back to the first few scenes, when they each mention each others partners before Gavin and Allie got married. There is also then a repeat of the close up on the wedding ring on Gavins' finger (a like in scene 5 - and scene 4 with a close up of Allies' wedding ring). This suggests he is reflecting back to the conversation they had in the taxi about previous partners and how they are happier with each other. In the majority of other TV shows/films, it is usually the female reflecting back to a previous conversation. This may be because, females generally have the role of the nurturing character with more emotions and feeling out in the open.

Scene 27 and 28 also suggest going against the stereotypical imagery, as usually that would particular scene would be shown with the male character shouting across the road, with the female character staying quiet to take in what the male character was saying and then responding with a simple facial expression (usually of agreement) Whereas in this scene; Allie is the character shouting across the road with Gavin replying with the use of silent facial expressions. This suggests Allie is in charge of the scene - mainly because she knows the results, however the audience and Gavin do not know the results.

When Allie is hit by the bus, it shows Gavin as the superior one, however this is expected as she has been hit by a bus and cannot move. During that scene, it seems as if Gavin was portraying some sort of super hero as he flew to her aid. It is only when Gavin and Allie have interacted you see the Lillies spread out and all over the place. Lillies represent charm and beauty (in Victorian times) therefore this Mise-en-scen could imply the beauty of their relationship is over as she is about to die.

Continuity

The continuity of the shoot is important to  make it flow. This is what we did in this lesson, we had a range of different shots from a story board. Continuity can also be known as invisible editing - this is so the viewer does not notice the editing and the story flows logically with the audience. The reason for the logical flow is so it seems not much time has passed.

There is also the aspect of the 180 degree rule. This intended to make the conversation also flow more. In order to do this, the shot has to be along one imaginary line.The shot for this is created with many different shots. One rule to always remember is to film with the same ear, such with person 1, film nearest their left ear. With person 2, also film nearest their left ear - this makes it seem more naturalistic in terms of a conversation.

 (Film: Mental (2012)
This establishing shot is to show and establish the location for the scene. In this case it is 4 sisters of the Moonchmoore family near a tree as they are coming back down from climbing a mountain and admiring the view.

(Film: Mental 2012) This close up to show the main character questioning the members of the family she is too supervise. Although most close up shots are used for the tension, this is used to portray across Shaz and her concern/need to question what is about to happen.

Match on action, shows the shot from different angles to show different views but to also show how time has not moved on. This could be shown by the first shot of someone closing a door from a front angle, then you also see them closing the door from a angle behind the character. This would be seen as the second shot in this instance.

Doctor Who. Gender representation

This extract follows the stereotypical representation of women in one aspect. In another aspect, this extract goes against stereotype.
Martha Jones (female lead in this case) ends up saving the day. Whereas, most TV shows or films including some sort of crime are resolved by males. Mainly males with a strong "macho" build. This is usually because of the strong look, however, in this extract the female saves the day, and in turn the world.
The aspect of going with the stereotype is a idea of a female character being hopeless and constrained by the villainous character. This is similar in this case due to the lady in the orange/red dress who is in the background. With a villain, there is usually a female, however portrayed as an object to attract more people. Another aspect to do with the mise-en-scen is the costume of the two ladies at 0.07. It appears to be a nursing costume, which is generally portrayed by females in TV/film. The male at 0.12 shows someone in conflict, which is what you would usually see to be portrayed by a male.

In terms of camera shots and angles, at the beginning, Martha has more mid shots and the male character opposite has more close ups. For this moment, the attention would go to the male character. This works due to the plot and context. It implies Martha has given up and will die. However, when it is revealed she has not given up, Martha has more close ups with the male opposition in more mid shots. In doing this, the attention is diverted to Martha - when required.

The soundtrack at the beginning gives the impression of a mission to be somewhere, with an impact of suspense wondering what the mission or strive would be. The moment the improvisation singing of "aah aah aah" comes in there is the feeling of emotion and an objective behind the traveling for the "mission". In this case it seems Martha is throwing herself in the arms of death with sorrow and guilt of seeing the disappointed looks on the surrounding peoples' faces (this to the audience). The backing music stops as the person opposite commands Martha to "kneel" suggesting her mission or strive is complete. Although walking up to him was not her mission - that is showcased later. The sound used after Martha kneels is what would usually be used to create a eerie atmosphere, however it can also be used for motivational speaking. In this case the sound satisfy both uses. The eerie part is for the audience and the other people in the scene. The motivational part is done on behalf of the villain as he is trying to portray how he will dominate the world. There is also the use of diegetic sound when he flick on the switch the start conversing with his allies in the universe, there is also diegetic sound used for the ticking of the clock. After the countdown begins, there is also use of what seems to be a violin track, this could be to symbolise time passing the nearing of something big. There is a change is sound as Martha starts laughing, the sound is more upbeat played on a guitar - this could be highlight the change in position of superiority, because Martha knows something the rest do not until she tells them.

The editing shows continuity between the different shots, however, at 0.27 there seems to be slight glitch in the music, as it stops for a split second. However, this could just be this particular video facing the glitch in sound.

rought edit

For this lesson, we recorded different types of shot while tracking as well. Once we filmed the different shots, we started to edit our first piece. This is a very rough edit which does not flow but has the different types of shot labeled. Although not a good piece of editing, I feel I am now more confident with using final cut and know the basics of editing using final cut.

Home Learning - Enemy of the state

What is the point of this sequence? Describe briefly how tension is created through the editing.

The point in this sequence is to summarise what is happening at the point with all of the technology taking over and invading the privacy of all the citizens. Tension is created by cross-cuts, to show the fast paced movement and what the characters may be going through. the close up on Will Smith's face at 1:35 represents the tension and worry building up on his face. It really focuses on his face, leaving the audience to be able to interpret the thoughts he's having. The low angle at 1:52 also creates tension because you only see footsteps and smoke, creating an illusion of not knowing what would happen next.

2. Look at the use of CU or Medium CU. Why are they primarily used here? Refer to specific shots.

As mentioned before, there is a great close up of the character of Will Smith at 1:35.

 The close up is used here to show the tension on Will Smiths face. There is also the sense of wondering what is going on around him because he is the only aspect to focus on. There is also the close up of a metal bars along the front which shows they are held up somewhere in safety, away from the people outside.

Choose 15-20 seconds from anywhere in the sequence and describe each shot in detail, explaining its effect / function for the audience, as well as commenting on how the cuts (the editing) adds to the meaning.

close up 2:16 There is a close-up of the padlock. From the shot after, it seems the two men will try to break open the padlock to get on the other side of the gate. The effect it has on the audience is the question of if the two men will try to break open the padlock, if so, how they will go about it.

extreme close up 2:20 - at this point there is an extreme close up of the gun. This, for the audience will make them wonder if he will break the padlock with the gun. Or whether he will use for protection for whatever he trying to do. If he is walking to somewhere that is not safe and the gun is for his protection. Or if he, himself is on other villainous side of the story.  

close up 2:24 - There is a close-up of the characters face, straight after a shot showing a computer analysing a profile.This shows a concern on the face on the character for the audience because there is a clear link between the computer analysis and the concern on the characters' face.

digetic sound 2:30 - This is not exactly realistic sound, but it shows sound within the story. The sound is of the computer checking through records. Although it is not what would be expected in the real world, it helps to identify what is really going on and what the computer itself is doing.

4. How far does the editing of this sequence fit in with the genre of the thriller? Justify your opinion.

The editing of this sequence fits in well with the genre of a thriller due to the multiple close ups and cross cuts for tension and showing what is going on throughout the story. The close ups show the true tense moments and what the characters would be thinking. Whilst the cross cuts keep up the pace of the film, showing how fast everything is moving and how quick the characters would need to act.

First lesson, different camera shots.

For our first lesson, we learnt about the different types of camera shots, ranging from long shots to close shots and cross cutting for effect.

When recording a scene or taking a position, it is important to position your audience. You need to make sure they see what they want you to see. For example, if you have a scene with someone on fire, you would not want the shot to show a nurse/health and safety inspector standing by with a fire extinguisher. considering that particular scene, the camera should be positioned where it can capture exactly what you want the audience to see. In the case of the scene with someone of fire, it would ruin or eradicate the suspense and terror  of someone in flames for the audience, if they could see someone standing by ready with a fire extinguisher. It would ruin the illusion created of the characters life in danger.

WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!
NOT INTENSE!
WE CAN SEE THE FIREMAN!

 Another technique of creating suspicion is cross-cutting.This includes cutting from two or more points of view to show what each character would be seeing. This shot would show the exact view of the character and in turn might also help the audience feel what the character would be feeling. There could be a scene with a heavy chandelier falling and someone about to walk under it. In this case, the first shot could be the person walking in the direction of the chandelier. The second shot could show the chandelier its last bracket breaking, to carry on, the person would be nearing the chandelier at this point for the third shot. Fourth, the shot could be the chandelier actually falling. Lastly, you would see the person directly under the chandelier. That would create the suspense of the moment and the last impression or thought from the audience would be if the person moved in time or was in fact hit by the chandelier. A similar scene can be seen below with the use of cross-cutting.

Within the many different camera shots, there are also different angles to show different perspectives and different angles prove better for certain shots. Such as seeing a birds eye view point of a city right before a story starts to progress. If there is a second birds eye view angle right after the first, it should be at least 30 degrees away from the original shot. This is to show the scene from a different angle but to also make the shot look more professional like it has not been badly edited or shot. Eye level angles feature more heavily in sitcom's such as "not going out". In this particular sitcom, you do see an overhead shot, but this again is usually at the beginning. With only a few examples of overhead shots through the middle of the episodes. This is because sitcoms do not require the need for suspense due the main idea and goal is to make the audience laugh.

Two other angles which are used to complement each other are low angles and high angles. A popular example to show this is a conversation or scene or photo with characters who are inferior and superior. Such as a scene between a bully and victim or between a young student and scary teacher. An example which shows both is any scene with Miss Trunchbull and any other pupil, before the last 10 minutes in Matilda. Miss Trunchbull is the superior, scary teacher who is considered a bully, whereas the students are inferior and victims. In a scene with these two characters, Miss Trunchbull would be shot from a low angle - so the shot would be the audience looking up at Miss Trunchbull. The students would be shot from a high angle, so the audience would be looking down on the students, making them inferior.

An over the shoulder shot is primarily used to create tension of what they can/cannot see and what they might do about about it. This shot shows the characters perspective of their life at that moment. You would usually see this shot in use in a thriller but it can be used in any genre to create any sort of tension during a climax. In the case of tension, diegetic sound could also be used at this point. Again with the example of Miss Trunchbull, when she is walking around her house, you can hear her footsteps echoing as she searches for intruders. Diegetic sound is when there sound which is part of the story such as footsteps. However, diegetic sound is not only used for thrillers or climaxes, it can be used within slapstick comedy, such as the classic "Laurel and Hardy" anytime they would slap each other or break something there would be sound within the story. A modern use of diegetic sounds in comedy is Miranda, when she breaks or throws something, diegetic sound is used to make it more realistic.

Within the heading of angles there is also the aspect of Mise-en-scene. This is where the the props around the scene are placed, and what their placement reflects/represents about the character or characters in the scene. Such as a bird cage in the background of a scene would show the person possibly has or had a pet bird. Although there are many other psychological representations of a bird cage.

Throughout the lesson, I think I was ok with the close ups and overhead camera shots for representation in pictures. I think my weaknesses lie within low angle and high angle shots. For recording, my weakness lies in tracking shots. With the tracking shots, it's about moving alongside the character and keeping the camera still if not on a tripod with wheels. One of my greatest weaknesses is definitely keeping my hands steady and making sure they do not shake during filming.