Representation of Ethnicity; Luther

Mise-en-scene.

 The costuming used for the first two characters were complete opposites and made the audience second-guess who was more superior. At first we though the man in the suit was the more superior one and the man in the hoodie was inferior. This is because usually, men in suits are of a higher status than those in hoodies. Furthermore, stereotypically it could be said that black people are more of the criminals than white people.

Low key lighting was used throughout the scene along with artificial when there was the police cars. With the low key lighting in the warehouse, it showed their story was shrouded with mystery and if lighting was used, it was mainly on the man in the suit and the man in the hoodie was somewhat in the shadows.

Editing.

The pace of the scene was used also to show the opposite characters. The pace was rushed when the suited man was in shot, whereas when the hoodie was on camera, the pace slowed and seemed a lot calmer. This showing that the hoodied man has more control, therefore is more intimidating than the panicked suited man. This again is stereotypical, as black men are seen as the more frightening of the two. Further in the scene, we find the roles have been reversed, making the pace of the scene become clear and in fact, the suited man is in fact the criminal. Action match is used to show the hooded mans actions; a hand on a railing and the dropping of the metal off the bridge. The action match of the piece of metal, gives a sense of foreboding as we know something bad will happen due to a part being missing/broken from the walkway.

Sound.

A sound track is used throughout the ‘chase’ scene, and sound mixing is further used to create suspense and build tension. This is shown when the suited man is running. The scene is somewhat quiet but as soon as the hooded man finds him, the music becomes louder. This makes the suited man seem vulnerable in comparison to the hooded man who still comes across as calm; despite the loud music. This shows how the hooded man is more superior because it could be said that the music used is somewhat of a sound motif. Dialogue is also used to show how the suited man is in fact the criminal as he is hiding something and wont tell the superiorities what has happened. We only just find out what has happened near the end of the scene, adding mystery to both men.

Cinematography.

An establishing shot is used at the start to set the scene and show the audience, where this scene is taking place. Selective focus was used on both men, but more so for the hooded guy. This is because, at the start we assume stereotypically that the black man is the criminal. Therefore, we do not see his face at all just certain parts of his body. To further show the contrast between the two men, there is a birds eye view of the hooded man walking; showing his calmness. Whereas, with the suited man there are more close ups and mid shots to show his panicky posture. When the two men join together, a close up of both is shown. The hooded man looks determined yet still calm, whereas the suited man looks worried, panicked and somewhat murderous. Once the suited man falls, a high angle is used to show his desperation and inferiority. A low angle is used upon the hooded man to show that he is superior and now in control.

Representation of Gender - The Bill

At the start of the extract, an establishing shot is used to show the area in which a crime has been committed. Ambient sounds of police sirens, radios and people talking add to the event and make it seem more realistic. The camera somewhat tracks a car straight away and long shots are used throughout on the women that gets out the car. Straight away we know this women is of some importance due to the amount of camera time on her. Furthermore, she doesn't wear the normal police uniform, offering the idea that she is higher up and of more importance to those around her.

The camera then tracks her and another man, out of uniform; a low angle is used on both the man and women, this suggests that they both have the same amount of power but are of more superior than the others on duty. This is also shown through the high angle on the girl on the floor, somewhat belittling her even more and making her seem even more smaller, vulnerable and inferior. We don't get to see this girls face and her name is non-existent; again making her seem irrelevant although the case is about her.

A sound bridge is then used to hear a man speaking about the events that has just occurred, this links in with the women hearing him and not believing what he is saying to the officers. Here we see her have complete control and power over the man as she belittles him by asking him about 'CCTV' etc. Which he denies they have. At this point, the 180 degree rule is not broken, which gives us a sense of how important it is to find information on the events.

Throughout the short extract, we see a strong, independent women being mostly in charge and being of a more superior than those who work with her. Yet with a complete contrast there is a girl who is vulnerable and is dependent on others that she doesn't know which gets her into trouble. This could be due to the generation difference of both women, one knowing that women have equal rights whereas the other allows men to treat her badly and in ways that could hurt her.

Hotel Babylon Analysis

Hotel Babylon – Ethnicity

In this extract, a soundtrack is used throughout to build the pace and tension. There is a contrast within the soundtrack, the pace is more frantic when on the people rushing to hide whereas it slows down and is more calm when the camera is on the police; this shows that they are in control and have the upper hand. Rule of thirds is also used at the beginning to show which officer is in more power.  A handheld camera is used at some points to build on the pace, it makes us as an audience feel uneasy and on edge and somewhat apart of the frantic rush.

To add to the tension, parallel editing is used to fasten the pace of the scene; it creates tension and makes the audience empathise the panic. By using parallel editing, it makes the transitions a lot smoother and makes the scenes a lot more realistic in the sense of the panic and pace. To add to the panic, ambient sound is used, the shouting of workmen and women and the heavy breathing of those in the room; this gives us a sense of how they are feeling; panicked and worried for their safety.

Mise-en-scene is used to give a complete contrast on how the different ethnicities are treated; the front desk is spacious, light and clean whereas the office in which the foreign women works in is cramped, dark and looks like where they store boxes. This shows who is more superior within the work place and conveys the idea that because the woman at the front desk is not foreign, she is treated a lot nicer. The use of colour is also used; the immigrants are wearing reds and dirty white uniforms whereas the non-immigrants are wearing pure whites or suits; therefore they are conveyed as more pure and powerful and that they belong there more than the others.

Overall, colour and setting is used to show how a different ethnicity affects others in a workplace. The sound used plays an important role as well as it shows the audience how in control and superior the policemen are in comparison to the panicked immigrants. 

'Doc Martin' Essay

Doc Martin Essay – Regional Identity

The extract starts off with a mid shot of two men talking; another man then enters in the background. Instantly, we know there is a complete contrast between the two men and the one in the suit; Mise-en-scene plays an important part in this scene as Doc Martin is wearing a suit, therefore holds more authority and seems to be in power. The other two men are wearing what seem to be mechanical jump suits; this shows us that they are working class. Furthermore, we can tell that Doc Martin holds more power over the two men as the camera angle is at a low angle, making Doc Martin stand over the men. On the other hand, Doc Martin is distanced from the other men; this is shown through the long shot of him standing above the men.

Contrast between the men is shown through long and short takes, the long takes on the country men imply that they are a lot more slow paced in how they talk and act. Furthermore, the long takes slows down the scene and makes us feel part of their conversation, making them come across friendly and chatty. On the other hand, short takes are used on Doc Martin, suggesting that he works quicker therefore, giving us the idea he is more educated than the workmen.

When the pipe bursts, you can tell that the workmen aren't fazed by the situation, they keep calm but Doc Martin is panicked and you can tell he is not used to working with such de-focused men. The panicked atmosphere is heightened by the use of sound mixing, the ambient sound of the phone ringing and the dog barking along with the workmen’s dialogue.  This creates a fast pace and we can tell by Doc Martins performance that he is not coping well with the situation at hand. This is shown through him shouting instructions at the other people present, making him seem somewhat controlling.

A sound bridge is then used; a happy sort of song is played in the background when Doc Martin is walking with the dog. The song has a complete contrast to the emotions that Doc Martin is feeling and contrasts with his personality. The setting of the scene has a contrast to Doc Martin; the setting is quiet and friendly whereas Doc Martin is somewhat anti-social and loud, as he is used to being in a busy city.

Overall, stereotypes are used to convey a contrast between regional identities; the workmen are lazy and eating while on a job. They are in a untidy and dark lighted location, suggesting that they aren’t as educated and all there. Whereas, Doc Martin is the typical arrogant and demanding middle class citizen who is well dressed and educated. The contrast is clear to see by their accents and personalities shown through camera angles and shots. 

Coming down the Mountain - Disabled representation

Coming down the Mountain - Essay

The extract starts with a bird’s eye view of a bedroom, shared by two brothers. We can tell straight away that there is a complete contrast between the two boys; there is a divide down the middle of the room. The Disabled brother’s half is brightly coloured, implying that he is quite childish. Whereas David’s side is plain black and white, showing us that he is a lot more mature in comparison to his brother, Ben. Furthermore, with David’s bedding being stripped, it could show that he feels trapped and stuck in the same routine with his brother. The camera pans around David at this point, this makes us as an audience member feel very intimate with David and because of it being a close up shot, we can see all of his personal angles and thoughts.

Furthermore, within this scene there is a voice over/ the subjective voice of David speaking. This conveys the idea that the only way to communicate is to talk directly to the audience, this shows us that this extract is in his point of view and could be relatable to the majority of the audience as he is more superior to his brother. Shown by the use of his voice over and his disabled brother not really having much of an opinion.  A montage is used to show the stages of evolution, the clip is black and white; this links with David’s bedroom and implies that David thinks that we all came from the same thing, therefore we shouldn’t be treated any different. In addition to this, a sound motif is used when David has a voice over and this same soundtrack is used within all of his voice overs, conveying the idea that he slips into his own world and the music only stops when someone interrupts his train of thought.

There is then an establishing shot of where this particular family lives, in an estate of flats.  There is a sound bridge of a song when we get taken into the kitchen/dining room, which continues to play on what we can assume to be a radio. Already we know that they are quite family orientated due to them having breakfast together. Shot reverse shot is used within this scene, where David realises that Ben has eaten all the Weetabix. The shots are close-ups so as an audience, we feel quite awkward and emphathise for David and his anger for his brother getting away with eating all the cereal.  The shots are also eye level; showing that they all have equal importance in the house. In this scene, we also see a divide in the two brothers and how they are treat by their parents. The attention is focused on Ben in the house; this is shown through the selective focus. Ben is in focus whereas David is usually slightly blurred; furthermore, their mother only kisses Ben when she leaves for work. There is a reaction shot of David, he seems disheartened and slightly fed up at that they get treated differently. It seems that in the household, Ben is more superior than David because his parents treat him a lot more like a child and focus more on him and his needs rather than what David wants/likes. Moreover, it is also shown that Ben, being disabled, needs more help than David; he needs help to the toilet so there isn’t another ‘accident’ implies this. Implying that disabled people aren’t very dependent and rely on others.

In the next scene, Ben and David are at the bus stop; because the scene is now set outside, the focus is more on David and the camera focus/shots single out Ben. At the bus stop, a montage/passage of time is used during David’s voice over, this indicates that, again there is a difference between the two brothers. David can sit and wait patiently whereas Ben has to walk around and be constantly moving. There are different insert shots used; close ups, mid shots and long shots to show the speeding up of time and to emphasise Ben’s impatience. During this scene, there are flashbacks to holidays/trips that the family have been on, throughout these flashbacks, David is at a higher angle than Ben (when he is getting the kite out the tree) this indicates that he is superior Ben even when with the family but only when outside of the house. It could also show that Ben looks up to David when outside of his comfort zone and uses him as his barrier to block out the world in which he is different.

In the next scene, David has more screen time than Ben, this shows that Ben is insignificant when outside the house and people tend to ignore him. When David is talking to a friend, there is a cutaway where just behind David, Ben is standing and waiting for his brother. There is selective focus here and Ben is cut off from David and his able friend; this implies that again, people don’t associate with Ben and he gets left out a lot. It is also shown that Ben is out of his comfort zone outside of the house as he is clutching to his bag and says “I want to go home” which seems to be where he is most comfortable. It is further shown that Ben is not independent and is uncomfortable outside when he is on the bus by himself. There is a clear difference between him and the able students on the bus; because he is alone, he sits still and tries to be as unnoticeable as possible. His un-comfort is shown through the close-up as we can see all his emotions.

Overall, throughout the extract David (being the abled brother) is more superior than his disabled brother Ben. This is shown through the camera angles and focus during the scenes, furthermore, when outside of the house, Ben is almost hidden and blocked out into the background. Whereas, David has the majority of the camera time. Ben, as a disabled person, is represented as being dependent on others, quiet and somewhat invisible to those around him at school. 

'Oliver Twist' Analysis

Oliver Twist Essay – Representation of Class

The extract starts with the camera panning across a line of children, this sets the scene and instantly we know that the children are being used as slaves. There is blue lighting which has connotations of depression and sadness; this contrasts with how children that age would usually act as they would be best described as hyper and uncontrollable not quiet and robotic-like. When Mr Bumble enters the set, we know straight away that he is superior to all the others present. This is because no one gains eye contacts with him and try to avoid looking at him. We also know that he is more superior by the low angle, he is higher up from all the children and from the audience, making us feel intimidated by him.

                   In the next scene, a birds eye view angle is used to show the setting of the room where the children eat, the camera tracks Mr Bumble, again with no one making eye contact with him. The camera then goes to a close up of Mr Bumble and pans out to see two women standing behind him, we can tell that Mr Bumble is more superior than the two women but the women are still more superior than the children. We know the Mr Bumble is more important than the women as he is in the middle of the camera and standing closer. The Camera then zooms out to show a quote ‘God seest thou’, this gives power to Mr Bumble as if the children are looking in his direction, they will be able to see the quote, knowing that Mr Bumble, alike sees everything.

                   Composition is used to show how ordered and routined the orphanage is, they are all in lines and Mr Bumble has the power as to when they can eat. He is a cruel character as he makes the children wait even long, just because he can as they won’t disobey him; once they start eating, it is implied that they are inferior due to their lack of self control. Lighting is again used in this scene, this time it is used to give the effect that the children are trapped; the light through the window gives the effect of being stuck inside a prison with bars. This again gives the children no power as they have no way of getting out of their daily routines. The colour of the room is dull yet again, which demonstrates that the children are bored and fed up of the same old routine that they live each day. 

                   There is a cut in of Oliver’s porridge, it seems to have some sort of insect in it, yet he still indulges in the spoonful; conveying the idea how desperate he is to be full and satisfied. There is then a Point of view shot of Oliver looking at the boy who previously got beaten by Mr Bumble for stealing, this is the shot in which Oliver is determined and wants things to change. The music seems to build when Oliver walks up to Mr Bumble, building tension and making the audience afraid for Oliver. Reaction shots are used of the other children, implying that no one has ever dared to stand up before Mr Bumble to ask for ‘more’ food. The fact that Oliver asks for more, shows how desperate he really is; and Mr Bumbles reaction conveys the idea that he thinks it is a complete disgrace to ask for more as he thinks that how the children are treat are at a satisfactory standard. There is an over the shoulder shot of Oliver, and here we see a child look directly at Mr Bumble; this threatens Mr Bumbles position in power, hence why his reaction comes somewhat of a shock to him. A big close up is then used when Oliver repeats his question; “Please sir, can I have some more?”. This gives the audience a complete insight of Oliver’s emotions and makes us sympathise towards him and his desperate actions.

                   The next scene, the camera pans across the food and then up to a man. This shot shows the audience how the others, who are more superior to the children indulge in riches foods while the ones who are hard at work get given worm-invested porridge. Although Mr Bumble is more superior to the children, in this room with the other men, we notice that he has little power in comparison to them; he stutters and rushes his sentences in front of them, likewise with how the children are with him. There is a reaction shot of the men when Oliver speaks up; “he didn’t need to be beaten”. There is a sense of foreboding as we know that no child has ever thought to speak up, nevermind in front of Mr Bumble but especially in front of those in a much higher power than him. Mr Bumble leans down at this point and the camera angle is at high level between him and Oliver; this suggests that at this point, Oliver has the upper hand.

                  Altogether, throughout this extract, class is shown that the adults have more superior than the children, shown through the camera angles. Furthermore, the women are inferior with the men but are still superior to the children, this is shown through composition of characters. Overall, we notice that when the adults are challenge by someone with less power; they do not know how to react as for a moment, there power has been completely stripped from them.

'Mad Men' analysis

Mad Men

At the start of the scene, it showed a women getting dressed. It started with a pan shot of the dress; this implies that woman are seen as an object as we do not see her face straight away but rather her dress/body. There was then a dissolve to show another woman getting ready to emphasise that woman take care of themselves and worry about their appearance because they aren't valued for anything other than their appearance to the opposite sex. The next dissolve went on too a men getting ready with his wife's assistance; implying that he demands attention and has the upper hand and his wife is inferior to him. The sound used for this scene, was upbeat and contrasted with the slow paced actions by the characters. The music furthermore shows that it is a necessity to take care of themselves which they have become accustomed too. We know this because if the music was dull then we would know that it would be more of a chore and burden too them.

There is parallel editing between a women on a horse and the man at the doctors. This is too show what different genders do at the same time. It is shown that men are more independent than women as even doing something she enjoys, the women is still getting told what to do. Furthermore, the women at the doctors is used to do the 'dirty' work and is dismissed by the male doctor when he arrives. Showing again, that she is inferior to the male characters in the room. It could be said that men don't like to admit that there is something wrong, we know this as the man at the doctors is being secretive towards the doctor. While at the doctors, there is ambient sound to give the scene a sense of realism.

Throughout all the scenes, we know that the men are more superior to the women as they are on the screen longer than the women. Furthermore, when the woman is helping her husband get ready, she is off to the side whereas he is in the middle. This is the rule of thirds and with him being in the middle, we are more likely to look at him. Again, at the doctors, even when the women nurse is speaking; the camera still focuses on the men in the room. The women was barely on camera during the scene although she played an important part, whereas both the men shared equal camera time. We would think that the doctor would have more screen time because of his job, therefore this conveys the idea that the man must have an equally important job or because he is the main focus of the episode.

Sound, M-e-s, Cinematography and Editing

Types of sound/when sound is used;

• Ambient
• Dialogue -chunk of speech
• Foley - re-creation of a sound
• Sound Bridge - continues from one scene to the next
• Sound Scape 
• Sound Mixer - changing level of sound with speech and music
• Synchronous - natural within a scene
• Asynchronous - Odd and surreal
• Diagetic - natural sound
• Non- Diagetic - post production created
• Sound motif/perspective
• Incidental music
• Direct address - breaks 4th wall
• Voice over - voice of god

What to look out for, for Mise-en-scene;

• Props
• Background
• Lighting - Low/High key, natural, artificial, 3 point, backlight, chiaroscuro 
• Costume
• Connotations of colour
• Setting
• Facial Expressions
• Performance/Body Language
• Positioning/composition

Types of cinematography;

Movement;

• Dolly in/out
• Tilt
• Dutch tilt
• Tracking
• Pan
• Zoom in/out
• Pedestal up/down

Cameras;

• Steadi-cam
• Handheld
• Crane

Shots/angles;

• Establishing shot
• Weather shot
• Long shot
• Mid shot
• Medium Close up
• Close up
• Big close up
• Worms eye view
• Birds eye view
• Point of View
• Over the Shoulder

Focus;

• Depth of field focus
• Selective focus
• Pull/rack focus

Types of editing; 

• Cut in/out
• Cut away
• Straight cut
• Long/shot cut
• Cross fade
• Fade in/out
• Dissolve
• Wipe
• Slow motion
• Action match
• Graphic Match 
• Expansion of time
• Passage of time - Ellipsis
• Shot reverse shot
• Special effects
• Parallel edit
• Crossover 
• Jump cut -usually an error

Editing Analysis on 'Death in Paradise'

Our first task while watched 'Death in Paradise', was to count how many cuts were used in the first 30 seconds of the episode. We then had to find out who was being represented and why? and how we knew they were being represented. 

Number of cuts; 43
I think that 43 cuts were used as dramatic effect. It created excitement within the scene and made the audience feel part of the game, this is because we too felt rushed and panicked while watching as the shots only lasted a maximum of 2 seconds. By using this amount of cuts to show the event, we could say that 'expansion of time' was used. This clip only lasted 30 seconds yet the exercise course they were doing would of lasted a lot longer. Expansion of time was used to make the clips pace faster and keep the audience engaged.

Who is represented?
Age and gender are mostly being represented in the clip. The age being 40's + and gender being mixed although the women are doing most of the hard work. In the clip, the women are extremely competitive whereas the men are being very supportive. This contrasts with what usually is stereo typically known as women are usually the supportive ones and men are known to be very competitive. This makes the audience think about what will happen to the characters, why are the men so laid back and the women so competitive? does this link in with what happens further on in the episode?

Colours
There were two teams with different colours; blue and red.
The red team were the more competitive team and seemed more annoyed if they didn't win whereas the blue team seemed to be enjoying themselves and having fun. This links in with connotations of colour as red links with 'danger' and 'anger' whereas blue is the complete opposite and his connotations of 'relaxation' and 'calmness'.

Further Analysis on 'Pretty Little Liars'

This time when watching 'Pretty Little Liars', we had too look at how certain characters were represented as well as looking at the cinematography etc.

The main groups represented were;

• Age
• Class
• Disability

Age and Class was represented when the four girls were in 'The Grill'. Hanna poured some alcohol from a flask into her drink. An older couple gave her a look of judgement and disappointment; it is common now for teenagers too drink but it is still a shock to older couples when they do it so openly. 

You could tell by Hanna sneaking a alcohol into her beverage that she is a rule breaker, as it is illegal in America to drink alcohol under the age of 21. 

Editing

There was a passage of time. It went from the funeral scene too the scene where the girls were in the restaurant. To show that the scene was a few hours later, ellipses was used (the screen went black until the next scene was played). 

Sound

The music that was played foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen, this engaged the audience and made them concentrate more on what the characters were talking about. 

Cinematography

Shot reverse shot was used throughout the whole scene to show the over the shoulder conversation between the four girls. The 180 degree rule was not broken as a steadi-cam was used to pan around the girls' table. 

Mise-en-scene

Class was also represented by the costumes that the characters wore; they were wearing quite posh and stylish clothing. Giving the audience the idea that they are high class and probably have rich families.   

Analysis on '24'

We looked at 10 minutes of Season 1, Episode 1 of '24'. Again analysing it in complete detail.

Cinematography
Low angles were used on Jack when he was with his boss. This conveys the idea that his boss is more superior than him, whereas when Jack is with other people, he is more superior as he has the most camera time during a scene. A handheld camera was used in the scene between Jack and his daughter, this involved the audience into the scene and made it feel like we too, were in the conversation making us feel awkward and uncomfortable. POV shots were used to make the reader feel more part of the situations. Furthermore, over the shoulder shots were used so that the audience could see both reactions of the characters during a conversation.

Sound
Ambient sound was used a lot throughout the episode, although a conversation between characters was the main focus, we could still hear the background noise. Therefore, making the scene seem a lot more realistic. Non-diegetic sound was also used, which contrasted with the ambient sound to make it seem more realistic.

Editing
Parallel editing was used a lot within the 10 minutes of the episode that we watched. It was following different characters doing different things but at the same time. There was also a split screen when parallel editing was used, this gave the audience a better insight to what was happening and to hear both sides of a conversation when the characters were on the phone.

Mise-en-scene
The programme is set in LA, we know this because of establishing shots showing the area in which it is being filmed. Furthermore, we know that one of the characters works professionally as he works in a posh building where everyone is sophisticated and always in a rush.

Analysis on 'Sherlock'

We analysed the first 15 minutes of 'Sherlock' Season 1, Episode 1. Again looking at; cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene.

Cinematography
The rule of third is used in the first scene; the character is on one side of the screen, conveying the idea that although he is the first character we meet, he is not the most important character. If he was in the middle of the screen, this would suggest he was the main focus and therefore had power, with him being off to one side, it suggests someone else is more dominant than him. Establishing shots were used to show where the programme was set, this gives an insight to the audience of whereabouts the characters live and what kind of neighborhood they are involved in.

Sound
The soundtrack used, foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen each time a victim was on screen. The music build tension and added suspense to each scene, making the audience engage more to the programme. Ambient sound was used in some scenes to make the scene more realistic. If the ambient sound wasn't there we would know that it was filmed in a studio and it would make it seem quite dull.

Editing
At the beginning of the episode, there was a montage of the characters memory. The flashback contained images from war, this gave us a bit of background information on the character without the character actually speaking. Parallel editing was used a lot in the episode, as when the victims were taking the pill, there family members were on a panel, discussing the suicide issue. This is a good way to show a story in a more fast paced way and keeps the audience engaged and fully focused. Fade in and fade out was used in the scenes were the victims were taking the pill. It would fade in and out of three shots; their face, the pill and then the body after they had taken the drug. By using fade in/out, it made the situation more mysterious as half of the story was being showed; this makes the audience want to keep watching!

Mise-en-scene
The lighting used in the first scene was low key. This added some mystery and in comparison to the montage we had just watched, the scene seemed a lot more dull in comparison to the Army scene. Conveying the idea that the characters life is boring now he is no longer in the forces. The characters room was extremely tidy and everything had its own place, this indicates that the character misses his past way of living and is still in a routine.

Analysis on 'Eastenders'

In lesson, we watched the 'Flashback' episode of 'Eastenders'. We had to comment on all four elements; Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Mise-en-scene.

Cinematography
There were over the shoulder shots throughout the episode when two actors were talking to each other. This is so that we got reaction shots of both actors when the other one was talking.
There were mid shots of the actors along with close ups of Lucy to get her full reaction to situations. There was a POV shot when Ian, Lucy's dad, was looking at his daughters empty bed; this made the audience feel the same pain as Ian and made us think why Lucy isn't home. There were a few cut in shots, one of Lucy sending a text and another of Ian's keys. Both these shots gave the viewers a bit of insight of what was happening in both of the actors lives.
Throughout the episode, the camera tracked groups of actors, when Ian left one of his companies, it tracked him and then when he passed Ronnie and her 'friend', the camera started to track them. This happened several times in the episode with different actors. At points, a handheld camera was being used. This made the audience feel uneasy as we knew we were going to find out who Lucy's killer was and by using a handheld camera, it made the scenes look physically worrying.

Editing
Shot reverse shot was used during an over the should shot conversation between Lucy and one of her friends. This was to, again show the audience how both actors were feeling during this conversation. Parallel editing was used throughout the full episode, although we were mostly following Lucy's journey, we also got to see what the other actors, that were possible suspects, were getting up to. Furthermore, there was a montage scene at the beginning of the episode; it contained flashbacks of the night leading up too Lucy's death. This was used to remind the audience of highlights of what happened that night before starting the episode.

Sound
Foley was used when Abbie went to slap Lucy, instead of hearing the slap against Lucy's skin, it cut to a scene were her dad dropped some pans; this sound represented what the slap would sound like. A graphic match was also used at this point as it cut from Lucy's face too a colander; both are round and Lucy's head shape resembled the colander.

Mise-en-scene
Most of the Scene was shot in Albert Square, which is familiar to the viewers. This made the audience feel uneasy because most will know where most actors live and most of the actors on the show, yet one of these people murdered Lucy.

Editing; Continuity & Non-Continiuty

Continuity 
Takes the drama from one shot to the next or makes the dramas narrative, progress in a realistic way
- Flashbacks/forwards can still fall under this.

Long Takes
Short Takes
Straight Cuts
Action Match - follows character
Shot reverse shot
180 degree rule (camera stays on one side of the scene, can only be broken if camera goes round the conversation)


Non-Continuity
Breaks the realism and has no obvious connection. It can present the characters star of mind and force audience to consider a connection between events or characters. Furthermore, it challenges convents and breaks continuity rule.

Montage
Jump Cut (normally an error)
Non- Diegetic insert
Narrative logical progression challenged

Editing

When looking at editing, we look at;

• The order of shots (juxtaposition/binary oppositions; who's superior/inferior) 
• continuity 
• transitions
• shot duration
• pace and rhythm
• special effects

Editing can help hide or reveal information from the characters or the audience. Who is in the privileged position of knowing the information (audience or characters). Editing can also help show representations of; gender, age, region etc.

Overall, editing creates meaning. the editors role is to decide on order and speed. The key types are; 

• SFX (special effects)
• Cutting (invisible editing that helps diegesis and makes the scene seem realistic)
• Passing of time
• Transition  

Cutting

shot reverse shot

eyeline match

graphic match (a shot of an eye transitions too a door knob)
action match
crosscutting - two stories going from a flashback too the present and back
Parallel editing - two stories running side by side
Insert
short/long shot
Cutaway - "we weren't with Alison that summer" then flashback to that summer

Passage of time
Slow motion
Ellipsis - gap between next scene
Montage
Expansion of time - Bomb has 1 minute to go off but the scene lasts 10 minutes

Transitions
Dissolve - indicates connection between character/location
Crossfade -
Fade in/Out - Signifies passing of time
Wipe  - Indicates genre, comic book style

Special Effect
CGI - Computer Generated Images
Superimposition (green screens)
Post Production

Importance of Sound; Psycho

We watched the clip below from the movie 'Psycho'. We first watched it with sound and then without to show the importance of sound and what kind of mood/emotion sound can put forward to the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

Without Sound
Without sound, the scene was tense and I was completely unsure of what was happening. You couldn't really comprehend what the character was feeling as it was complete silence and her facial expressions and paralinguistic features weren't very obvious.

With Sound
With sound, we picked out that Diegetic and Non-Diegetic sound was used. The sound of the water from the shower was diegetic, along with the characters sighs. This made the scene seem more realistic. On the other hand, Non-Diegetic sound was used for the shower curtain opening, the characters being cut and the water escaping down the drain. Foley was used for these sounds as the shower curtain opening was a sharp, loud sound. They used Non-Diegetics to make the scene more dramatised. Furthermore, it adds to the suspense and makes the audience tense.

Sound is very importance to consider within a scene, we knew the killer was gone as the music got cut as soon as he left.When watching without the sound, we couldn't tell whether he had actually gone or not.

Intertextuality; Goodfellas VS LilyHammer VS The Sopranos

1. Definition of Intertextuality; is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. Intertextual figures include: allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche and parody.
   Example of Intertextuality (video starts at 40 seconds) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGs-yzWrjdI

In this video, the men stab and shoot another man in the back of a car. There is then a voice over saying 'I wanted to be a gangster as far back as I could remember'. In the scene from Lilyhammer, the character quotes from 'Goodfellas' by saying 'I wanted to be a skier as far back as I could remember'. There is no death scene which is ironic as the character from 'LilyHammer' has it much easier than the gangsters yet he still quotes it.

Another example of Intertextuality is, in 'The Sopranos' there is a music montage of the city. In 'LilyHammer', the guy mentions it 'being like a scene from 'The Sopranos'. The same soundtrack from that show is then played as a sound bridge as it is played on the radio in a car which links into the story. The montage is still the same; showing the city.

Sound Analysis; Romeo&Juliet Montage

One of our tasks was to watch a montage of Romeo&Juliet scenes and write down how the soundtrack for the video made us feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sekwrw9U_fg

The song 'Jeff Buckley - We all fall in love sometimes', made me feel quite emotional about the scenes. It is slow paced which builds tension throughout the montage. The lyrics have meanings to the story line, this is called 'synchronous'. The song makes us think about the forbidden love between Romeo & Juliet and makes us sympathise towards the couple. 

Our next task was to find our own song that would create a different kind of mood for the montage. The song we chose was 'Sugar by Maroon 5'. This is because it made us feel a lot more happier, due to the more upbeat and fast paced tempo about their forbidden love and made us think of the positives between Romeo & Juliet although there weren't many. The song was still synchronous as the lyrics still linked in with the story line. 

Three Part Narrative Structure

Three Part Narrative Structure

Todrov 

• Equiliberium (Start)
• Disequiliberium (A problem that has occurred)
• Newequiliberium (A resolution to the problem)

An example of Todrov's theory would be 'Home Alone'.

Equiliberium = The relationship between him and his family; they treat him horribly and he doesn't like how he is treat. 

Disequiliberium = His family leave him behind when leaving to go on holiday

Newequiliberium = When his family return, they are nicer too him as they feel guilty for leaving him behind and realise how important he is too the family. 

Sound Analysis on 'Better Call Saul'

The next TV Drama we looked at was 'Better Call Saul'; Series 1, Episode 1. Again we picked a shot, what the soundtrack conveyed and how it made us feel as an audience.

Although the play is set in the past 40 so years, the music is extremely old fashioned and sounds like something from the 1920's. This convey the idea that the character is living in the past. The use of sound helps to build tension throughout the scene, as when the main character thinks someones is staring at him, and starts looking as though he is walking towards him; the mixer gets louder which creates tension and makes us feel uncomfortable.
Throughout the scene we feel awkward and uncomfortable, likewise to the main character. Giving the idea that we are supposed alike to him. The character also seems paranoid and is socially awkward, we get this idea as when he is in public, music is constantly playing to fill the awkwardness of him not speaking. Yet when he is at home, there is complete silence which makes things even more uncomfortable for us as an audience.

The shot that I found most interesting was, the one where it had a close up, low angle of the main character making himself a drink. This is because it implies that the character may drink to rid of his sorrows. The fact he does it so robot-ically, suggests he does this every night and he is in auto-pilot.

Sound Analysis on 'The Paradise'

We analysed a TV Drama, and tried to figure out the effect of the soundtrack. While picking out shot that stood out for us. 

The first song that is played in the first scene is extremely upbeat, and it almost introduces the first character that we see (Denise). The soundtrack is somewhat symbolic and represents the character present.

We can tell straight away that the TV Drama is a Costume, Period Drama by what they are wearing and with Social Class being emphasised throughout the scene.

The shot that stood out for me was a close up of a bag. This could be symbolic to the time period and the fact that times are tough and you could be carrying just a bag around without a home. It also could symbolise the fact that Denise has no where to go either, alike to the woman who got thrown out.

Sound Analysis

Our first task to analyse sound was; listening to five different soundtracks and trying to guess the genre with given reasons of why we chose that genre. We weren't told the soundtrack we were listening too until the very end of the task.

1. I guessed when listening to this soundtrack that it would be from an action, comedy drama. This is because the music was fast paced, dramatic and the lyrics had meaning and linked in with the show. The soundtrack was from 'Orange is the new black'. So the genre I guessed was correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_isl1jjHc


2. The second soundtrack we listened too, I guessed that it was a mystery/crime drama, this is because the song mentions guns multiple times. Furthermore, It is upbeat yet slow paced therefore giving it a mysterious feel and makes you feel quite tense listening; which is how you feel when watching a Crime drama. The soundtrack was in fact from 'The Sopranos'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDkCiUhHCc

3. The next soundtrack, I guessed it had the genre of a crime/sitcom. This is because it was dramatic and upbeat. Yet the music was Jazz and bagpipes were used so it must be based in Scotland and I thought this may have contrasted and made it more of a sitcom. The soundtrack was from LilyHammer, so I was correct with it being a Crime drama but it wasn't a sitcom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1tl3vY3qXw

4. The fourth soundtrack we listened too, I guessed that its sub-genre was death or betrayal. This was because it was extremely dramatic, and it had a deliberate slow pace to make the tension build. I was right in saying it had death linked in with it as it was from '28 Days Later', which is a Horror.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6OtF7daIPM

5. The last soundtrack we listened too I guessed it was a costume drama, this was because it was quite upbeat and paced. I was wrong in saying this as it's genre was actually Crime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE69GhmzI9s

Key Factors of Sound (Diagetic and Non-Diagetic)

The Key Factors of Sound

• Dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music

Sound has the power to create a mood or an emotion for the audience. It can also be used to manipulate the audience into feeling a certain way about a character.

Diagetic

        Diagetic is something that naturally occurs within a scene, it is believable and something that would actually happen. 

1. Ambient Sound (Sound of a crowd)
2. Dialogue (Speech)
3. Sound effects (Naturally happen in the scene; footsteps, key turning)
4. Mode of address (How a character actually speaks, could show social status) 
5. Synchronous (Naturally occurring; dialogue, lip sync)

Non-Diagetic 

        Non-Diagetic is something that doesn't naturally occur and instead takes place in post production/ is prerecorded elsewhere. 

Voice

• Voice Over
• Voice of God (Character hears and sees everything going on in the scene)
• Epistolary Voice (E.g. Lucy leaves a letter for Dawn. Although Dawn is reading the letter, we hear Lucy reading it out)
• Subjective Voice (When we hear what someone is thinking)

Sound&Music

1. Sound Motif (The music played links to the character or the narrative)
2. Sound Effects (Out of the ordinary. E.g. Foley artists will re-create the sound of a door shutting to make it sound less natural.
3. Soundtrack (Music played during a scene)
4. Sound Mixing (Adjusting the level of sound. E.g. Making dialogue drown out and music get louder)
5. Strings (Sudden bursts of music that signifies something)
6. Incidental Music (Music that shows something happening)

Asynchronous doesn't naturally occur, it stands out and may be irrelevant to what is happening within the scene. 

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Mr Selfridge'

We looked at Episode 1, Series 1 of 'Mr Selfridge'. Analysing the camera angles, shots etc. 

Camera Angle
The angle of the camera was always eye level. This gives us the idea that as as audience, we are supposed to be the main character.

Camera Shot
Wide shots were used to show the set of the scene. There was also an over the shoulder shot when the main character was talking to the other characters, this gives the audience an idea of how others react around him without using a reaction shot. Furthermore, a POV shot was used to put the audience in the main characters shoes, giving us a sense of empowerment.

Movement
Zoom in was used when showing the main character. Mainly tracking was used, and this was shown through a steadicam- to emphasise how busy and rushed the main character is.

Focus
Selective focus was used throughout the scene, this gives the idea that certain things aren't important but because the main character is most of the time in complete focus; it shows he is important.

Comments on how Class is portrayed
All the other Characters approach Mr Selfridge, this conveys the idea that he is of more superior and although he gives orders the other approach him more. Mr Selfridge is an approachable man and this is put forward by the camera angle being at eye level. Although we know he of a higher power, we notice that the other characters can approach him and he is not intimidating; but he is respected.

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'Pretty Little Liars'

Our next TV Drama we looked at was 'Pretty Little Liars'. Series 1, Episode 1. 

Camera Angle
Throughout the full scene, the camera angle was kept eye level. This made it feel like we were part of the group of girls and made us feel just as scared as them.

Camera Shot
There was a weather shot, this sets the scene and gives the audience an idea of what the weather is like. There is a group shot to show the group of girls and this introduces the characters. Furthermore, there is a POV shot, again to make it feel like we are part of the group of girls. There is also a reaction shot to show how scared the girls are.

Movement
Dolly out is used to move away from the girls. This distances the audience away from the girls and reattaches them to the new character entering, seeing the funny side of the scare.

Focus
Depth of field focus is used at the very beginning of the scene, this contrast to what is happening in the scene as we don't know what going on yet everything is in focus. Selective focus is then used when the new character enters, giving the idea that she isn't as simple as the other girls.

Lighting
Natural lighting is mostly used because of where the scene is set. Again, it adds to the mystery and makes things seem more scary.

Mise-en-Scene
You can tell by the clothing that the girls are wearing; that they are only young and probably still in school. This may relate the a large audience range watching and makes them feel even more apart of the group of girls.

Another thing I picked up on was the weather. It is thundering and lightening and that can be dangerous, therefore the weather creates a sense of foreboding as we know something bad is going to happen. 

Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis on 'LilyHammer'.

We looked at LilyHammer's Episode 1 from Series 1 and analysed the camera angles etc. Just like what we did with the other TV Dramas.


Camera Angle
Eye level is used throughout the conversation between the two men too show they are both as important. A bird's eye view is used to show the man in the coffin; this could imply he has been defeated as everything else is much higher than him.

Camera Shot
There are a lot of medium close ups, this makes the characters seem a lot more intimidating and seem a lot bigger. There are also wide shots to show and set the scene. Over the shoulder shots are used when the two main characters are talking, this is so we are only focusing at the one speaking.


Movement
Pan is used to move across the family members/other attendees of the funeral behind the two main characters. The fact the camera does not stop on any other character shows that they aren't of any importance.


Focus
Selective focus is used throughout the full scene. It focuses on one character to show who is more important at a certain time. Also it helps the audience focus on that one character and makes them seem more superior.


Colour
The colour Red is used throughout the opening scene, this has connotations of violence and even death, and because the scene is at a funeral, it is relevant to what is happening. Furthermore, Gold is used on some characters to show that they are superior and of a higher class.


Lighting
Ambient and artificial lighting is used in the scene. This is relevant to the situation and creates the right mood for a funeral. Also, it is still quite dull and there is little natural lighting which gives a gloomy feel to the scene.


Mise-en-scène
The man in the coffin was wearing a beaded bracelet, this could represent his background and religion. This is used as an iconography and to give the audience a bit of information about the characters without verbally saying it. Moreover, roses are spread around him. Roses often signify love but in this case it could signify anger with the situation going on between his partner and brother.


Proxemics
The two main characters stand quite closely together which could be seen as them being intimate but in this case, it gives of a sense of tension between the two characters.


If we were asked to comment on the gender within this scene, it would be said that the women are represented as being irrelevant. This is put forward because they are always in the background of the shot and the focus is always on the men. Furthermore, the camera stays with the men and only pans past the women. This gives the impression that they aren't important enough to be seen properly by others. 

Exam Preparations; Mise-en-scène

Saussure
Signifier + Signified = Sign

Barthes 
Denotation + Connotation = Sign


Denotation = literally what is there
Connotation = the hidden meaning behind what is there and how it makes the audience feel/what it makes them think.

There are five elements to consider when looking at Mise-en-scène.

1. Setting and Props
2. Costume, hair and make-up
3. Facial expressions and body language
4. Lighting and colour
5. Positioning of characters/objects within a frame