In this scene from Some girls, we see stereotypical representations of genders. Firstly, men and boys are betrayed as irresponsible. When the main female character walks up to her flat, we see two teenage boys mucking about with a trolley, which is mise-en-scene. This presents boys as not taking things seriously and having a laugh, even if it means being a risk to theirs and others safety. To emphasis the impact of the crash into the lamppost, the camera follows the trolley (tracking shot) and then the transitional to the next scene is a slide transition. This effect makes the audience follow the trolley and get some idea of the force and speed it is going. The next representation of male characters is her dad. When she arrives in from school, her dad has no food prepared for her and does the opposite of welcoming her home with open arms. This may be because this is usually a feminine thing to do and her dad is being a typical man. Even after she complains that she is hungry, he still says that she should get it herself and this may reflect the fact that he has old fashion views that women belong in the kitchen. Also, later on in this scene, we see her dad and brother hooked to their video games. Again, this is a stereotypical representation.
Women also have their own representation. For example, when the PE and her step mum comes out of the shower, we hear music which is soft and classical, which relates to feminine themes. Also the way she dries her hair with the towel is a very stereotypical way which comes across that everything she does is perfect. Men used to think that all women like that were perfect and it is still a stereotype which is used here. Also, within the programme as well, there is a strong theme of friendship seen through the group of girls. We see this in the PE class that they are all close and are fond of gossiping which we here through the dialect. Gossiping is seen as a female activity rather than a male one.
Although all these points are stereotypical, there are also some points which are anti stereotypical. Firstly, we see the dad, who we assume has stayed home all day as he seems very relaxed, and, as we know, his girlfriend has been the one working. Later on in the same scene, she questions 'Are you going to let her talk to me like that?' This shows how she dominates the house and she uses this power over the kids and the dad. As mentioned before, we know the step mum is a PE teacher. Women are not traditionally associated with PE so this may represent the changing times and modern views. When the girl leaves the flat, her stepmother is laying down relaxing reading a magazine. In past generations the woman of the household always had housework to do so again, this may represent modern views. When the girl finds out about the pregnancy, there is a cross cut between the couple and her, which may be to show all the different reactions. There is also a close up of the girl's reaction. This may be to show more shock, which is an unusual way for a girl to react to a pregnancy as they are expected to be happy rather than mention the idea of an abortion.
So in conclusion, the clip from 'Some Girls' shows a mixture of both stereotypical gender and unusual betrayals of gender. This is shown through; sound, mise en scene usually in the form of props, transitions, and camera shots.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Discuss the ways in which the extract uses camera shots, editing, sound, mise-en-scene to construct representations of relationships
In the clip from 'Cutting it' we see many different themes presented in the two main characters relationship, such as; closeness, secrets and complications. It is presented through sound, mise-en-scene, editing, and shot types.
In the first part of the clip, we see a cut in of the couple holding hands which shows off their wedding rings (props), so we instantly know their status, and also we can see they care for each other by holding hands. We see this closeness again shortly, this time through dialect. She mentions how she wants him to move on if something happened to her, and he replied stating that its not an option to love someone else. This obviously shows how strong his feelings are for her if he'd rather be single than not with her. At the end of the scene, when she has been hit by the car, he runs over to her and they lay together, which is similar to the way Romeo and Juliet laid together when Romeo finds Juliet dead. As we know, Romeo then goes onto kill himself so showing the couple impersonating the famous pair could indicate that he is going to struggle living without her, which is backed up by the previous point. With the shot looking down on them from above could be symbolising heaven looking down on them and admiring their last moment together. The final transition at the end of the scene is a fade to black, which could show how she lost her soul, or even how he lost his happiness.
Even though the couple did come across as having strong feelings for each other, there was a scene of uncertainty or complexity to the relationship. We see this mostly through dialect and sound. In the taxi, there is a mention of 'third time lucky' which implies that they have a history, and this is backed up when she apologises for doing something to him, and then saying she knows about Melisa. This means that they must have had an extremely complicated relationship full of possible affairs.
Following on from this, we see a lot of secretive behavior in the clip. For example, she goes to see the consultant without him even when he questions 'Why cant I come?' This means she keeps information from him as well as the audience as there is music playing when she is in the consultant's office. This means we are at the same understanding as him, especially at the end when he runs across the road to look after her, we hear his heartbeat more than anything else which helps build suspense. Also, the fact she goes to the office alone, shows that they are in different locations, and the inter cutting between the locations represents separation between the newly weds. Going back to the music, also makes the audience question the stability of the relationship. For example, when they are separate, we see him playing with his wedding ring and the music says 'and you are free' which is not what you would associate with a wedding day. This is followed by a close up of her crying at the news the consultant gave her which shows she is keeping something from her, its almost as if she is saying the lyrics to him, again, relating to the dialect spoken in the taxi where she says she wants him to move on, almost as if she was expecting bad news, even though she says to him that she's sure its good news and puts on a smile. Also, in the office, she nods along to what the consultant is informing her with, like she knew already and was has already come to terms with it.
In concision, through this clip, we see possible aspects of relationships but ones that rarely occur on a wedding day. We see this through mostly dialect, camera shots, and sound. However, mise-en-scene (represented as mostly props) and editing also play a role in presenting these themes.
In the first part of the clip, we see a cut in of the couple holding hands which shows off their wedding rings (props), so we instantly know their status, and also we can see they care for each other by holding hands. We see this closeness again shortly, this time through dialect. She mentions how she wants him to move on if something happened to her, and he replied stating that its not an option to love someone else. This obviously shows how strong his feelings are for her if he'd rather be single than not with her. At the end of the scene, when she has been hit by the car, he runs over to her and they lay together, which is similar to the way Romeo and Juliet laid together when Romeo finds Juliet dead. As we know, Romeo then goes onto kill himself so showing the couple impersonating the famous pair could indicate that he is going to struggle living without her, which is backed up by the previous point. With the shot looking down on them from above could be symbolising heaven looking down on them and admiring their last moment together. The final transition at the end of the scene is a fade to black, which could show how she lost her soul, or even how he lost his happiness.
Even though the couple did come across as having strong feelings for each other, there was a scene of uncertainty or complexity to the relationship. We see this mostly through dialect and sound. In the taxi, there is a mention of 'third time lucky' which implies that they have a history, and this is backed up when she apologises for doing something to him, and then saying she knows about Melisa. This means that they must have had an extremely complicated relationship full of possible affairs.
Following on from this, we see a lot of secretive behavior in the clip. For example, she goes to see the consultant without him even when he questions 'Why cant I come?' This means she keeps information from him as well as the audience as there is music playing when she is in the consultant's office. This means we are at the same understanding as him, especially at the end when he runs across the road to look after her, we hear his heartbeat more than anything else which helps build suspense. Also, the fact she goes to the office alone, shows that they are in different locations, and the inter cutting between the locations represents separation between the newly weds. Going back to the music, also makes the audience question the stability of the relationship. For example, when they are separate, we see him playing with his wedding ring and the music says 'and you are free' which is not what you would associate with a wedding day. This is followed by a close up of her crying at the news the consultant gave her which shows she is keeping something from her, its almost as if she is saying the lyrics to him, again, relating to the dialect spoken in the taxi where she says she wants him to move on, almost as if she was expecting bad news, even though she says to him that she's sure its good news and puts on a smile. Also, in the office, she nods along to what the consultant is informing her with, like she knew already and was has already come to terms with it.
In concision, through this clip, we see possible aspects of relationships but ones that rarely occur on a wedding day. We see this through mostly dialect, camera shots, and sound. However, mise-en-scene (represented as mostly props) and editing also play a role in presenting these themes.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Creating my own TV Soap Drama- Sunny-side Avenue
Setting
I have decided to not stick to the traditional soap setting which are set in the UK. I have decided to set my soap in California, USA. The Characters will mostly live on Sunny-side Avenue which is also the name of the soap itself. I decided to call it this as I discovered that successful soaps are named after the place where the soap is set or at least based around it. As implied by the name, it is a sunny place, with a local beach, cafe, supermarket, club, leisure centre, and is a popular tourist destination.
Characters
Even though the characters will consist of Americans, many of the known characters are British too. I decided to do this so it will give audiences an aspect of the other country's way of life.
Jessica Cooper: played by Michelle Keegan: Age: 24
Dan Cooper: played by Jamie Borthwick Age: 16
Haley Daniels: played by Kaley Cuoco Age: 26
James Daniels: Played by Mathew Perry Age:49
Sean: Played by Channing Tatum Age:27
Paul Davies: Matt Czuchry Age:16
Kim Andrews: Emma Stone Age:25
These are a most of the main characters that are in my soap. I've only put in a few because as i mentioned, the soap is set in a popular tourist destination therefore they is a high demand for many guest stars.
Plot
The soap follows the story of siblings, Jessica and Dan, from London who are incredibly close and moved to the states to prove a point to their parents. They instantly find friends, Kim and Paul who live on the same street, sunny-side avenue. Jessica starts to work in the local cafe, run by James Daniels. Jess then meets Haley, James's daughter who works alongside her at the cafe. Dan then starts to develop a little crush on Haley, even though there is unmissable chemistry between him and Kim. Similar to this, there is also chemistry between the mysterious Sean and Jess. However, Sean is in a relationship with Haley. This may all come as over whelming but these storylines will develop over time and will become more clear when acted out. The soap is aimed at teens or people in their early 20's. Its a fun, and sometimes dramatic soap.
Target Audience
I think the target audience will be 15-25 year old. This is because of the strong themes in the programme which consist of relationships and having nights out which are stereotypical of this age range. I think it would air at around 9pm or 10pm so it gives students time to study before hand and will fit into their daily schedule. there may also be a catch up on a sunday afternoon incase they have missed episodes in the week.
I have decided to not stick to the traditional soap setting which are set in the UK. I have decided to set my soap in California, USA. The Characters will mostly live on Sunny-side Avenue which is also the name of the soap itself. I decided to call it this as I discovered that successful soaps are named after the place where the soap is set or at least based around it. As implied by the name, it is a sunny place, with a local beach, cafe, supermarket, club, leisure centre, and is a popular tourist destination.
Characters
Even though the characters will consist of Americans, many of the known characters are British too. I decided to do this so it will give audiences an aspect of the other country's way of life.
Jessica Cooper: played by Michelle Keegan: Age: 24
Dan Cooper: played by Jamie Borthwick Age: 16
Haley Daniels: played by Kaley Cuoco Age: 26
James Daniels: Played by Mathew Perry Age:49
Sean: Played by Channing Tatum Age:27
Paul Davies: Matt Czuchry Age:16
Kim Andrews: Emma Stone Age:25
These are a most of the main characters that are in my soap. I've only put in a few because as i mentioned, the soap is set in a popular tourist destination therefore they is a high demand for many guest stars.
Plot
The soap follows the story of siblings, Jessica and Dan, from London who are incredibly close and moved to the states to prove a point to their parents. They instantly find friends, Kim and Paul who live on the same street, sunny-side avenue. Jessica starts to work in the local cafe, run by James Daniels. Jess then meets Haley, James's daughter who works alongside her at the cafe. Dan then starts to develop a little crush on Haley, even though there is unmissable chemistry between him and Kim. Similar to this, there is also chemistry between the mysterious Sean and Jess. However, Sean is in a relationship with Haley. This may all come as over whelming but these storylines will develop over time and will become more clear when acted out. The soap is aimed at teens or people in their early 20's. Its a fun, and sometimes dramatic soap.
Target Audience
I think the target audience will be 15-25 year old. This is because of the strong themes in the programme which consist of relationships and having nights out which are stereotypical of this age range. I think it would air at around 9pm or 10pm so it gives students time to study before hand and will fit into their daily schedule. there may also be a catch up on a sunday afternoon incase they have missed episodes in the week.
Key Words Glossary
Sound Key Words
Diegetic Sound: Sound or music that comes from something within a scene, such as a piano sound coming from a piano
Non-Diegetic Sound: Sound that the characters cannot hear and is not part of the imaginary world of the story. This includes a musical soundtrack or a voiceover (however this excludes a narration by a character within the story – referred to as an internal monologue and is diegetic)
Sountrack: A narrow strip running down a TV programme that carries the recorded sound in synchronisation with the pictures
Theme Tune: A piece of music played at the start of a programme that relates to it
Sound effects (FX): Sound of actions to add to the effect of scene or the event that has just been seen to make it more realistic
Ambient Sound: Sounds that add to the atmosphere of the scene such as traffic noises if set in a city
Dialogue: Speech between the characters
Voice-Over: Speech not heard by the characters usually found in documentaries
Source: http://www.heanorgate.org.uk/visualarts.asp?pageID=MediaKeywords
Shot Types
Extreme Wide Shot (EWS): A view so far away from the subject (the main person in the scene) that they are not visible. This is often used to establish a setting
Very Wide Shot (VWS): Where the subject is barley visable, but the main feature is still the setting around him
Wide shot (WS): The subject is now shown in full frame
Mid shot (MS): Some part of the subject is shown in more detail while giving an impression of the whole subject
Medium Close Up (MCU): This is half way between a medium shot and a close up
Close Up (CU): A certain feature or part of the subject that takes the whole frame
Extreme Close Up (ECU): This shot shows extreme detail of the subject, for example their eyes
Cut-in: Shows another part of the subject in detail
Cutaway (CA): A shot of something other than the subject, maybe what something that is happening in the subjects surroundings
Two-shot: Two people in one shot, similar to a mid shot
Over the shoulder shot (OSS): A shot showing the subject from behind a person
Noddy Shot: Usually refers to a shot of the interviewer listening and reacting to the subject. The opposite to an OSS shot
Point-of-view shot (POV): Shows a view from the subjects perspective
Weather shot: This is used when the conversation is focused around the weather. It could also be used for backgrounds for graphic products
Other Media terms
Mise en scene: is key to any scene. Focuses on the styling, props, lighting, sound and certain editing in the scene
Story: A sequence of events, also known as the plot
Narrative: The way events are put together to be presented to an audience
Technical codes: Refers to all aspects of narrative construction that involves technical decision making
Verbal codes: The use of language
Symbolic Codes: These are the signs contained in the narrative that we decode as being significant and having meaning
Diegetic Sound: Sound or music that comes from something within a scene, such as a piano sound coming from a piano
Non-Diegetic Sound: Sound that the characters cannot hear and is not part of the imaginary world of the story. This includes a musical soundtrack or a voiceover (however this excludes a narration by a character within the story – referred to as an internal monologue and is diegetic)
Sountrack: A narrow strip running down a TV programme that carries the recorded sound in synchronisation with the pictures
Theme Tune: A piece of music played at the start of a programme that relates to it
Sound effects (FX): Sound of actions to add to the effect of scene or the event that has just been seen to make it more realistic
Ambient Sound: Sounds that add to the atmosphere of the scene such as traffic noises if set in a city
Dialogue: Speech between the characters
Voice-Over: Speech not heard by the characters usually found in documentaries
Source: http://www.heanorgate.org.uk/visualarts.asp?pageID=MediaKeywords
Shot Types
Extreme Wide Shot (EWS): A view so far away from the subject (the main person in the scene) that they are not visible. This is often used to establish a setting
Very Wide Shot (VWS): Where the subject is barley visable, but the main feature is still the setting around him
Wide shot (WS): The subject is now shown in full frame
Mid shot (MS): Some part of the subject is shown in more detail while giving an impression of the whole subject
Medium Close Up (MCU): This is half way between a medium shot and a close up
Close Up (CU): A certain feature or part of the subject that takes the whole frame
Extreme Close Up (ECU): This shot shows extreme detail of the subject, for example their eyes
Cut-in: Shows another part of the subject in detail
Cutaway (CA): A shot of something other than the subject, maybe what something that is happening in the subjects surroundings
Two-shot: Two people in one shot, similar to a mid shot
Over the shoulder shot (OSS): A shot showing the subject from behind a person
Noddy Shot: Usually refers to a shot of the interviewer listening and reacting to the subject. The opposite to an OSS shot
Point-of-view shot (POV): Shows a view from the subjects perspective
Weather shot: This is used when the conversation is focused around the weather. It could also be used for backgrounds for graphic products
Other Media terms
Mise en scene: is key to any scene. Focuses on the styling, props, lighting, sound and certain editing in the scene
Story: A sequence of events, also known as the plot
Narrative: The way events are put together to be presented to an audience
Technical codes: Refers to all aspects of narrative construction that involves technical decision making
Verbal codes: The use of language
Symbolic Codes: These are the signs contained in the narrative that we decode as being significant and having meaning
Saturday, 3 November 2012
Different Shot Types used in TV Dramas
For this post, all my still shots are from soap drama, Eastenders.
Over the shoulder
This over the shoulder shot is very commonly used in soap dramas such as Eastenders as its an ideal way of showing an in depth conversation. The reason for this could be because you can see the other persons reaction relatively more clearly than any other shot that still gives of the feel of a deep conversation. For example in this scene, Sharon (the person who's face is not seen) is the one talking at this moment. Showing Phil's face lets us know his reaction as the scene progresses. The over the shoulder shot can also show the person talking face on, and this may be added so the audience can tell if there is a specific way the character is talking via their facial expressions. Who ever is talking face may be shown or not and this varies throughout the scene. It may vary so the audience feel like they are in the middle of the conversation meaning they will keep swapping who they are looking at, depending if they think the other person will give an interesting reaction.
The over the shoulder shot can be used at an angle also, as shown in the picture. The camera is pointing upwards, looking up at Phil, this may add to the fact that Phil may have a considerably high amount of power over Sharon.
Very Wide Shot
This shot is usually used at the start of the scene or programme to set the time of day, bring attention to changes/events or to maybe make the audience see something suspicious. In this shot, we see the edge of Albert square. Regular viewers would recongise the part of the square and who lives there, so they could start to consider who is involved in this scene. There is a suspicious car so the audience may sense that something will happen.
Two Shot
This shot is called a two shot as it simply shows to characters. This is usually used when there is a group discussion or conversation. These two characters are talking to a fellow friend. Here we can see Poppy giving advice or her opinion and we can clearly see Fatboy's reaction to what she is saying. His reaction could reflect on what Poppy is saying a d what the other person is thinking in one simple shot. It could be used for humor or give a range of opinions for the viewer to chose from.
Close Up
Close up is a fairly straight forward shot. It simply just zooms in on a characters face to express their emotion to the viewers. It is usually found at the end of a scene, when there is usually a view seconds of silence to give a chance for the characters and audience to absorb what has just happened. Deciding to show a close up of an emotion could be to set the mood of what the audience should be feeling or to show them how the character is feeling.
Over the shoulder
This over the shoulder shot is very commonly used in soap dramas such as Eastenders as its an ideal way of showing an in depth conversation. The reason for this could be because you can see the other persons reaction relatively more clearly than any other shot that still gives of the feel of a deep conversation. For example in this scene, Sharon (the person who's face is not seen) is the one talking at this moment. Showing Phil's face lets us know his reaction as the scene progresses. The over the shoulder shot can also show the person talking face on, and this may be added so the audience can tell if there is a specific way the character is talking via their facial expressions. Who ever is talking face may be shown or not and this varies throughout the scene. It may vary so the audience feel like they are in the middle of the conversation meaning they will keep swapping who they are looking at, depending if they think the other person will give an interesting reaction.
The over the shoulder shot can be used at an angle also, as shown in the picture. The camera is pointing upwards, looking up at Phil, this may add to the fact that Phil may have a considerably high amount of power over Sharon.
Very Wide Shot
This shot is usually used at the start of the scene or programme to set the time of day, bring attention to changes/events or to maybe make the audience see something suspicious. In this shot, we see the edge of Albert square. Regular viewers would recongise the part of the square and who lives there, so they could start to consider who is involved in this scene. There is a suspicious car so the audience may sense that something will happen. 
Two Shot This shot is called a two shot as it simply shows to characters. This is usually used when there is a group discussion or conversation. These two characters are talking to a fellow friend. Here we can see Poppy giving advice or her opinion and we can clearly see Fatboy's reaction to what she is saying. His reaction could reflect on what Poppy is saying a d what the other person is thinking in one simple shot. It could be used for humor or give a range of opinions for the viewer to chose from.
Close Up
Close up is a fairly straight forward shot. It simply just zooms in on a characters face to express their emotion to the viewers. It is usually found at the end of a scene, when there is usually a view seconds of silence to give a chance for the characters and audience to absorb what has just happened. Deciding to show a close up of an emotion could be to set the mood of what the audience should be feeling or to show them how the character is feeling.
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