Exam Preparation; Textual Analysis (Section A)

First piece of work on Textual Analysis. Choose an image from a TV Drama and think about the camera angle/shot, lighting, mis-en-scene, characters performance etc.


Image from The Big Bang Theory; a scene between Penny and Leonard.

Costume
Penny; Seems to be wearing work clothes, this means she's either on her way back from work or going to work. It is more likely she is going to work as she looks quite impatient and annoyed that Leonard has stopped her.
Leonard; Leonard is wearing normal clothing (what he usually wears) so he doesn't have anywhere to be as he isn't dressed for work or any other event.

Lighting
The lighting used is artificial. By using artificial lighting it gives off the effect that there is over head lighting.

Location/mis-en-scene
They are in the apartment hallway outside their apartments. You can tell the building is quite run down as the lift is out of order and the decoration seems very old.

Performance
Penny is slouched and this implies again that she is feeling impatient and annoyed. You can tell she doesn't want to be there and must be in a rush to be somewhere else.
Leonard seems quite worried and apologetic. Furthermore, he seem somewhat confused.

Camera angle/shot
The image is a wide, mid shot; this shows some of the mis-en-scene behind them but also highlights the distance between both characters. They are quite far apart, and conveys the idea that something has happened between them as they aren't even standing close enough to give off the idea that they are friends. Moreover, this shot shows off their body language and gives the audience and idea of what they are feeling.