Example mini analysis – TV drama: Hollyoaks (inital 3 mins)

Title sequence:
Hollyoaks has a fast paced guitar tune as its theme song and this would be a feature that would be instantly recognisable to fans of the show. Hearing the theme tune may encourage those out of the room to return and watch the show! The opening shot is an extreme close up of a blue eye. The long eyelashes and make up suggest that this is a female eye and the blue is enhanced to draw the audience in. It also suggests that this teen drama contains lots of ‘looking on’ or seeing behind the surface of characters (voyeurism). It also connotes glamour and draws you in. The fast paced editing helps to contribute to its appeal for a younger target audience (with perhaps lower attention spans who therefore require fast paced action to stay hooked). The narrative structure of Hollyoaks also supports this idea as storylines are often on-going however they are edited together with no scene lasting more than 2/3 minutes before switching to a contrasting storyline. Light storylines are juxtaposed with heavy or intense storylines so that it does become too serious for the audience.

The costume and actions of the characters in the title sequence, despite being brief, help to suggest aspects of their character. Cheryl blows a kiss into the camera and laughs. She looks directly at the audience, therefore making a connection with them and the shot zooms from a long shot to a close up as she laughs helping to show her emotions. All of this connotes that she is a fun loving girl. All of the characters are shot singularly which also adds to the younger audience appeal; they may prefer characters with individualism as opposed to close knit family communities. This is a community and the rapid editing suggests that these characters are linked and have strong friendships but are also individuals with unique personalities. They are in the same surroundings but the other elements of the mise-en-scene contribute to the representation of character. Mercedes wears a very figure hugging dress and pouts at the camera which shows her sexy and confident image.

Initial opening sequence:

The opening shot is a montage of extreme close ups of various ordinary objects. This makes the audience focus on these items and builds intrigue as you don’t know who these objects belong to…yet. The items fill the frame. The objects are everyday items such as a toothbrush, bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice being poured. This helps the audience to immediately identify with the programme as these are part of a normal morning routine of an ordinary person. The audience will acknowledge that this programme may potentially contain characters that they can relate to, ensuring that they stay on the sofa!

Scroll to the next page for some questions…

Write your answers underneath the questions; put your name at the bottom and post it on you blog.



1. Does this analysis discuss the four key areas? How?
sound, mise-en-scene, camera shots and editing

2. What does ‘juxtaposed’ mean?
''Place or deal with close together for contrasting effect'' an example is black and white photos against coloured put next to one another.
3. This essay is very focused and detailed about a few elements – is that a good thing? Why?
yes as it means your fully analysing specific details and showing your knowledge of specific things being able to dig as deep as you can.

Essay on the representation of gender.

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations of gender using the following:

·         Camera shots, angles, movement and composition

·         Editing

·         Sound

·         Mise-en-scene

Gender can be represented in many different ways in television dramas through how the image is shot and put together, as well as how its edited, what sound is used and what mise-en-scene there is. Television dramas often use stereotypes to make it quicker and easier for the view to establish a characters role within the drama.

Firstly the use of various camera shots, movement and composition can help represent gender, So instantly in the opening credits we see many establishing long shots including one of a village which is zoomed in on before focusing on a field where a male ploughing with a tractor up hill. This instantly shows you the male dominance within agricultural work by most of the farmers being male. It then focuses even more on the plough with a close up birds eye shot as it begins tracking it up the field before tilting upwards and having a medium long shot of a woodland area. In the woodland we see a younger boy and an older girl, it shows a very stereotypical younger brother and older sister situation because she is winding him up but as soon as she detects danger she becomes very protective. You can see this by certain shots that are used such as medium close up of her talking as she looks down to him. We can also tell that the boy believes his sister as his fear grows as she mentions the tall trees we get a point of view shot as the bot looks up to them waving in the wind. The camera continues to track the two children using a variety of medium close ups and close ups. Then its cuts to a close up of a hand wearing a black glove picking flowers. Then when the voices are heard we see a medium close up of the person picking flowers dressed completely in black run away. But the audience still has no idea of the sex of this person this allows the plot to thicken and so nobody knows who the main suspect is initially. This is key to the story due to the nature of the story being crime fiction. The big sister then notices a leg so she creeps over telling the boy to stay back showing her protective role as we get a point of view shot from the girl as she creeps up and then peers over the body with a close up birds eye shot followed by an medium close up shot of the girl as we see the boy creeping up in the background disobeying his sister. Before they hear a dog coming and run off.  Then we move to a court room with an opening shot of a male judge giving his verdict on a case. It pans round to show the rest of the courtroom using a high angle shot to show that he is looking down on them due to his position of power in the room. It then looks back up at the male judge using a low angle shot to again emphasise his power and dominance. Then a woman poses an argument which is instantly shot down as he uses his power over her, then we go to a medium long shot outside where to males break out and its broken up by a male policeman, again males only seen in certain roles, farmer, judge, police officer, estate owner and few women are see in these important positions.

The editing of the drama at first in the opening sequence when zooming in on the village it fades into shot when zooming in and all editing is very seamless, however the editing skips to black before going to the court scene this suggests to the audience that its not just something else close by like the children and the flower picker and it is of great importance. Sound is also used as there are diegetic sound in the opening credits as they are birds, a tractor ploughing and then it moves on to hearing the big sister telling a story, then in the courtroom the judges voice is quite louder to again suggest power. There is classical music played at the start but no music in the courtroom to show it is a serious matter being taken care of. Mise-en-scene includes the leaves on the forest floor and woodland area, the hammer in the courtroom, the birds and the dead body. None of which really impact the representation of drama within the television drama. But this does also include costume, which has a massive impact as the farmer at the beginning has a flat cap instantly showing a stereotypical male farmer. The person picking flowers was in complete black clothing so nobody could tell the gender meaning no assumptions could be made about them.

So to conclude the main ways in gender can be represented are camera shots, sound and mise-en-scene and more specifically costume all of these can suggest where power lies in gender, what job roles men and women have in society and can have both positive and negative effects.

Essay Questions on representation of gender (question)

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations of gender using the following:

• ·         Camera shots, angles, movement and composition
• ·         Editing
• ·         Sound
• ·         Mise-en-scene

T   The extract we had was the first 6 minutes of the clip below Midsomer Murders.

STRUCTURE

1.       Intro

2.      Camera shots, angles, movement and composition

3.      Editing

4.      Sound

5.      Mise-en-scene

6.       conclusion 

Success Criteria

Analysis à20

Examples à 20

Terminology à 10 (refer to glossary)

Representation

Stereotypes:  Media Institutions use stereotypes because the audience will instantly understand them. If you think of a stereotype e.g. Teenagers, Older People it becomes a visual shortcut for the audience. So if you think of a stereotypical Scotsman they would be wearing a kilt which instantly informs you they are Scottish.

 

Archetypes:  This is the ultimate stereotype, for example a stereotypical Blonde isn’t highly intelligent.

 

A male hero à tall, muscular, good looking, smart, clever, witty

 

A Female Business woman à shirt, blazer, strong independent,

 

A Black Male Youth à no job, wears baggy clothing, stays out late and causing trouble.

Countertype:  a representation that challenges traditional stereotype associations of groups, people or places.

How and why do the media create representations for an audience?

The media do this by putting them in certain roles in TV dramas, films and adverts. This can be done by their costume, so an unemployed male youth may be told to wear trackies, vest top and a huddie.  The media do this to make is easier for the audience to understand the characters and the story, also it means they can put a spin on it to make comedy. It isn’t always bad as the audience can possibly relate to these characters or they can go too far and become offensive to the audience. More and more TV dramas are starting to challenge these stereotypes where they are starting to use countertypes so portray a blonde as being un-intelligent and then find out that she is highly intelligent and in a very important job role.

A geek/nerd can be stereotyped as having his trousers high up, shirt buttoned to the top, tie and glasses.

 

A Gay male may be stereotyped in bright clothing, a bit over extravagant and a feminine personality.

Basic Camera Angles Revision

Basic camera angles revision: TV Drama.
Which is the most suitable camera angle to use in the following situations?
Answers in Bold

• To make the character seem small and powerless: high angle shot
• To make the audience feel they are part of the action: over the shoulder shot / canted

• To show a characters body language: medium long shot/ medium shot
• To make the audience feel over-powered and oppressed: low angle
• To show a characters emotions: close up / extreme close up
• To show exact detail of an important object: close up
• To show the setting/environment: long shot / extreme long shot
• To show dialogue between two characters: over the shoulder shot / medium shot
• To place the character within the setting long shot / very long shot

Notes On Downton Abbey

Opening Credits

·        Shows servant’s bell, handwritten letters, a grand dying table laid out to show era.

·        Has opening credits of actors/writers/directors names

·        Classical music again to show era, and that is a period drama

·        Camera pans/zooms different ways on each shot

·        Slight movement of props à bell ringing, petal falling off flower, maids going up stairs, hands measuring plates cutlery when setting table.

·        Title shown on silhouette line showing grand country home and name of programme in extreme long shot, with writers name below

 

Music/ Sound

·        very classical to show era

·        dark creepy music to build tension and add haunted atmosphere in very first scene when laying bed and clearing fire in bedroom. ‘I hate this room’ (high pitched violins), ‘what’s the matter’ (deep dark bass)

·        Clattering of poker as its dropped, clearing fireplace (Diegetic sound à source visible on scene and is part of it)

·        Keys jingling Diegetic sound

·        Singing birds outside in their land

·        Violins come in at heartfelt moment

·        Music builds of dark sadness when they know they shouldn’t be talking about something

·        Quick plucking of violins when you see someone running urgently.

 

Character (casting, character)

·        Maids young and old

·        Masters

·        High status shown in upper class characters

·        Clothes shown class

·        Colours of clothes, bold dark clothing for upper class and plain white/grey on maids

·        accent shows class by how they speak to one another à sir, mame, if I may, ladyship, lordship

·        hierarchy between servants à tell me why your sat on lady Seville’s bed’

 

Setting

·        mise-en-scene (everything in shot)

·        pots and pans in background, jars of food, wooden chairs, clean bedding, gold frames with paintings, gas lamps, fresh flowers, type writer

·        large stately home

·        rooms of the house

·        small country cottage

Camera Shots

·        camera pans left/right and slow zoom on very close up and close shots in opening credits

·        establishing shots used at every change of location

·        establishing shot/ long shot pans upwards to establish setting and the size of the building and add the idea of upward status

·        2^nd establishing shot shows large furniture and painting as the upper class are eating

·        Very close up shot of letters in maids hand

·        Slowly pans in on conversations from a medium shot

·        Follows rule of 3rds

·        Over shoulder shot to involve you in the conversation

·        Close up of significant moments hanging up keys on wall, bottle of drink snook by side, clock showing time

·        Close up shots of conversation in pantry

·        Establishing shot of town hall showing change in location as well as a long shot showing everybody working hard setting up

·        Long shot slowly pans to the left whilst zooming when man on bike talks to woman delivering telegram

·        Camera all ways focusing on the person who’s talking, even when others are it shot they may be slightly blurred in foreground, background

·        Shows movement of horses feet as it tracks and follows the horse. highlighting how they travelled

 

 

Downton Abbey: Opening Credits

Have a look at the opening credits for Downton Abbey and comment below on your thoughts of the camera shots used.

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