Cast Offs Paragraphs

The extract from the series Castoffs portrays disabled people not in a stereotypical way, but in a positive light and doesn’t follow Paul Hunt’s 1991 stereotypical study as firstly when the disabled man is placed on the beach wide camera shots and pan shots are used a lot to emphasise the fact that he’s on his own without anyone to help him, which doesn’t typically follow the stereotype as people assume that disabled people need a carerer, so someone has to be with them all the time in case they hurt themselves. Also, the use of a slow pan shot and then a use of jump cut show temporal relations and the passing of time as we can see how slow he’s going in the wheelchair, but it also shows how much effort he’s putting into crossing the island, which doesn’t conform to stereotypes as society are used to people who are in a wheelchair being pushed and not generally doing anything.

The clip also uses the narrative device of a flash back, where the extract cuts between his life before the island and the trip. The flash back provided contextual knowledge for the viewer, but it’s also a binary opposition of his home and its protection of the walls, roof, which is then juxtaposed by the dull and isolated island, which he now has to fend for himself in. His isolation is stressed through the diagetic and verisimilitude sounds of the waves and the boat as they are the only sounds that the viewer can hear. This is then stressed further through the use of lighting used as the island is quite dull and dreary and not nice and bright, so the use of pathetic fallacy here suggests that the island is a bad place as it’s strange and un-known. I some ways the island is a symbol of his life; it’s isolated and away from others, so it must be dreary like the lighting suggests; the sea can also represent society as it’s very temperamental and you don’t know how it’s going to act, so you have to be weary of it. However, the viewer isn’t meant to feel sympathy for him, which is unlike stereotypical portrayals of disability. This is suggested through mid shots used on the boat, which hide his legs and don’t include his chair in the shots until he gets out, causing the viewer to not see his disability as a problem.

Disability in the media

The Inbetweeners park scene

Dialogue - unable to tell what she's saying and has a carer who doesn't speak english - communication barrier - binary opposition
Didn't see it coming and was unable to defend her self
'Bad' to harm disabled people - wouldn't get the same reaction with an abled person

Camera angles - eyeline match on frisby - know something bad is going to happen
                       - Will's point of view - his reaction
                     
Mise - en -scene
Lighting - Natural - verisimilitude - everyone can go
Normal teen clothes - age - personality - verisimilitude - audience would resond to/ understand

Foregin person looking after a disabled person - reflecting current society - lots of foreigners - UK upset by loss of jobs - foreigners doing jobs that british people won't do - like the lady in the clip

Binary Opposition - activity playing out on screen - boys doing an able body sport (frisby and footabll), she's still and 'stuck' in one postition - xreates slight humour and sympathy as she's not able top move by her self

Sound - woshing of frisby (foley)- comical

Other stereotypes - 'gay' being bad
                            - 'jugasaurus rex' - males portrayed as sex addicted


In his life 1991 study, Paul Hunt identified 10 stereotypes that the media use to portray disabled people

• The disabled person as pitiable or pathetic
• An object of curiosity or violence
• Sinister or evil
• The super cripple
• As atmosphere - group of people laughing then stop when disabled person comes in
• Laughable
• Their own worse enemy
• A Burdan
• Non-sexual
• Unable to participate in daily life

Narrow, shallow view of society - if you don't fit into the media's stereotypical beauty then you're seen as 'wrong' and 'ugly'


Castoffs

Non stereotypical - shows disability in a positve light
The name itself is demeening, as it suggests that they're not wanted. The title represents society's and media's views.

-Narrative device of flash back - Dad messing around with the chair and falls over- makes a mockery of being disabled as it doesn't portray it as a serious condition - something to be laughed at. The fact that the family laugh suggests that it's acceptable for others to laugh - like an able person using crutches.
                   - Contrast between skill - dad can't use the chair well, but he can
    - Basketball - able person sport - connote his past able life - father gave him the basketball after the accident - family support
- Men in locker room seem threatening - makes the disabled boy appear vulnerable
- Plonked down on the sand - can't move his chair - audience feels sympathy as he can't move - stereotypical -but then finds a way to move
- Pan shot and wide- follows him - tracks the little progress he's made, but also how har he works
- Jump cut "" temporal relations- shows the passing of time - shows his effort
- Island - dull and dreary - not nice natural light - - Island - lonely - represents his life - no one there to support him - vulnerable
 - Binary opposition - home and island- protection of walls, roof contrast with the bare island
- Dialouge - 'old me new me fuck me' - stuck as a person - burden
- Sound - diagetic sound of the waves and boats - only sounds - verisimilitude - natural - stresses that he's on his own
- contrasts with shipwrecked - bright island in the carribean - dull island in the un known - island represents their life - sea tempremental and can't predict what's going to happen - society

Conventions

Code - objects you can associate genres with - knife with blood - horror
Convention - what you expect

Code	Convention
Blood Screaming Knives Death	Chase scenes Good vs Evil

TV Dramas have the following ingredients

Characters - even particular kinds of characters - good vs bad
Stories - They all tell stories, whether those stories involve adventure, crime or romance end they often, but not always end happily
The stories are told against familiar backdrops - homes, police stations and offices (crime dramas), hospitals (medical) - most of which are created in studios. However, most dramas also use outside locations to create particular effects
Camerawork - particular kinds of shots are used - sequences involving establishing shots followed by mid-shots of characters, shot/reverse shots to show

Exemplary Paragraph

Representations of gender have been clearly illustrated throughout editing. For example a mix of pivot/panorama shots as well as fast tracking shots have been incorporated when the girl is trying to save and protect the male character. This illustrates the fast movement and action of the cut however it may also signify a chaotic environment where women struggle to take and maintain power. Another example of a tracking shot is portrayed when the male character is travelling down the rope. This editing however demonstrates to the audience the thought and power the character has from making a quick rational decision which is a stereotype of male behaviour. A long establishing shot is used which clearly signifies the three male characters in an equal line. The equal line personally connotes equality however as the majority of characters were male this illustrates women inferiorly in serious situations. Near the end of the extract one male in the process of saving a women from another dangerous man however the framing of the cut demonstrates representations of gender. For example the female protagonist was placed significantly behind the male which illustrates the girl’s subordination compared to the male.

G322 Candidate Exemplar Response

Date: June 2010

Representation: Gender

Throughout the extract representations of gender are illustrates through various elements such as editing and sound. A mix of dominance and equality is produced through the extract however overall it is conveyed that women are physically subordinate compared to physically strong and stereotypically hegemonic male.

Representations of gender have been clearly illustrated throughout editing. For example a mix of pivot/panorama shots as well as fast tracking shots have been incorporated when the girl is trying to save and protect the male character. This illustrates the fast movement and action of the cut however it may also signify a chaotic environment where women struggle to take and maintain power. Another example of a tracking shot is portrayed when the male character is travelling down the rope. This editing however demonstrates to the audience the thought and power the character has from making a quick rational decision which is a stereotype of male behaviour. A long establishing shot is used which clearly signifies the three male characters in an equal line. The equal line personally connotes equality however as the majority of characters were male this illustrates women inferiorly in serious situations. Near the end of the extract one male in the process of saving a women from another dangerous man however the framing of the cut demonstrates representations of gender. For example the female protagonist was placed significantly behind the male which illustrates the girl’s subordination compared to the male.

The next element which produces representations of gender is through sound.

In one cut once the female had saved the male from the life threatening situation from the dialogue such as “Come on” with a high intensity, provoking the animal, suggests bravery and a strong masculinity. This dialogue may have been said as an attempt to regain status as he’s just been saved by a girl. At the start of the first cut a synchronisation from the strings is displayed when the music matches to the sombre or negative topic. “Let her go” by a different male suggest he may think of the male as being superior therefore shouldn’t have to run after her. In this scene within the barn one female protagonist was trying to bribe the male character through dialogue. Therefore this could represent woman being manipulative to convery power in antithesis to males who assert their power in a physical manner. “My best coat!” also creates representation of women such as an obsession of appearance and vanity. However positive representations towards woman are also portrayed. For example once one woman has undertaken the stressful experience the other female protagonist says “you okay” which suggests women to be expressive and caring in contrast to males who are minimal with their dialogue. The diegetic sound the dogs barking emphasise the bad situation of the woman conveying the woman’s vulnerability further. This is also emphasised by the harsh sound effects which build and sustain tension creating a climax.

The next factor which displays representations is through mise en scene. Expressions play a key role, for example when the blonde male is approached by the sabre toothed tiger his expression coveys fear leading to a sympathetic response from the audience however this contrasts greatly to the calm and collective expression of the girl, which suggests a swap in roles involving dominance. At the start of the scene the colour intensity is high on the male compared to the grainy background. This demonstrates the natural setting however focuses the attention on the male protagonist which could suggest male superiority. The females clothing (blonde) presents a male style which is in contrast to the stereotypes of a feminine woman, however another female character in the film is represented with a high pride in her appearance which conforms to the stereotype.

This however portrays the different roles and characteristics of women which may have changed in contemporary times. The props such as the heavy machinery emit connotations such as manual masculine feelings. However the female is in charge of the stereotypical male vehicle. Therefore this suggests equality and an improvement of women within jobs and status compared to the traditional domestic duties. Even though the women within the extract portray dominance through props, the male characters continually illustrate dominance. For example the males usage of the guns for example, the shot gun in the barn and the hand gun involving the key protagonists. This contrasts to how the brunette women displays authority by attempting blackmail. Overall this could suggest males and women are equally dominant although just portray it through different criteria.

A final way in which representations of gender have been displayed is through camera work. For example the low angle looking down on the male in the whole illustrates his vulnerability and helpless position which displays him as subordinate. However a different low angle in conveying the tiger illustrates dominance of man and a hierarchy with the animal being lower. Establishing shots such as before the male jumps looking on in the long distant horizontal plane suggests his thoughts which leads to the male’s hasty decision. An extreme close up on the woman’s face when she’s been knocked down suggest demonstrates her fear and panic further suggesting the women’s weak position compared to the male. A pivot shot is used which creates the effect as the camera is on a fixed position that someone or something would be looking at them for example the dangerous tiger which overall represents vulnerability to the male and the woman.

Overall the particular extract conveys elements of representation through various ways of media aspects. In conclusion a mix of equality is suggested overall, however the traditions where the male characters save the day are clearly presented. Although a mix of response from empathy juxtaposed to spite is displayed from the audience involving both genders.

Explanation/Analysis/Argument:  19/20

Use of Example:  19/20

Terminology:   9/10

Merlin Essay

Overall the representation of class and status constructed in this sequence is of people of the higher class wearing better clothes and living in better than conditions than those in the lower class, causing them to be more powerful rich, and thus superior. As well as this status is represented through age and skill.

Firstly, an establishing shot is used of a room in a castle to show the audience where the action is taking place, and it is clear that Merlin doesn’t fit in with his surroundings due to his appearance and his behaviour, as his clothing is quite frayed and shabby, suggesting that he doesn’t have the money to fix his own clothes, let alone buy new ones. Also, the director uses a close-up shot to show Merlin’s worried facial expressions, showing that he’s not meant to be in that room as it clearly belongs to someone of a higher status than him (this is shown through the bright flowers, grand furniture and jewellery in the background). While Merlin is searching, short quick shots are used to emphasise that he’s in a hurry as he’s not meant to be there, however when the lady is introduced she has longer on screen, suggesting that she’s of a more important status than Merlin. Sire sound is then used to create tension as the lady is coming to her room and it is clear that she will catch Merlin. The tension is increased further, when the camera is back on Merlin who can hear footsteps outside. The use of the diegetic sound of footsteps was done using the Foley technique to emphasis the lady’s entrance and status as it was her room Merlin was searching, causing her to have more power as she could control what happened to Merlin after catching him as he is of a lower class. This is emphasised by the fact that she’s the one who questions him. Throughout their discussion, over the shoulder shot is used to show the contrast between their classes as you can clearly see the differences between their appearances: she’s wearing a nice purple dress with jewellery, while he’s wearing fraying clothes and no jewellery. The use of purple for the dress connotes royalty and highlights the fact that she’s of a higher social class than him.

When Merlin does leave her room, there is a use of a high angle camera shot of him leaving the castle. The use of this shot causes the viewer to look down on him physically as well as metaphorically as he’s going down steps, suggesting that he’s of a lower social class. This shot is also an establishing shot of the castle and provides a contrast between the clean castle and the poor village, as the ground of the village is dirty, has goats running around everywhere, lots of straw on the ground and lots of people, while the castle is practically deserted and cleaner. The difference in people also constructs the representation of class and status as because there are more people in the village it suggests that the majority of people at that time were poor, while the deserted castle suggests that a small amount of people are there as you have to work hard or be born into it to live that sort of life. Finally, the lighting in both scenes is very different: the village is dark, while the castle is light; the dark colours suggest dirt and death, while the light colours connote hygienic and happiness, suggesting that people who live in the village have a dark and dirty existence, while the people like Arthur and the knights live a bright and clean life.  This is stressed by the fact that when Merlin leaves the castle he only spends a shot amount of time on, in comparison to the longer time he spent in the village screen and is at eye level with the camera, which implies that the village is where he belongs as he’s a servant. This contrast in scene, editing and camera angle is also a binary opposite (Levi-Strauss 1969) which was used to emphasise the fact that Merlin is of a lower class.

In the village Merlin is spotted by Arthur and the audience can instantly see that Arthur is of a higher social status as Merlin’s clothes are juxtaposed by Arthur’s shiny armour which connotes strength and wealth, implying that he has the higher status of the two. Also, through Arthur’s and Merlin’s banter the audience can clearly hear the crowd, but the noise of the crowd stops when Merlin calls Arthur a ‘royal ass’ and says ‘my lord’ sarcastically, when apologising, suggesting that he’s not acting properly. This is stressed by the use of over the shoulder shot as it suggests that Merlin doesn’t care that Arthur’s royal because as far as he’s concerned, he’s no higher than him, which the others and Arthur included sees as disrespectful. Through these over the shoulder shots, we can see that Merlin is having high angled, close up shots alone, while Arthur has mid shots, showing off his clothes and the two armoured men behind him, which shows the audience Arthur’s wealth and the fact that he is superior to Merlin in every way, but Merlin is standing alone and it suggests that he doesn’t need anyone as Arthur does, causing him to look powerful.

When Arthur and Merlin get into the fight, Merlin didn’t have his own weapon – he was given it, while Arthur had his to hand, suggesting that Arthur has enough money to afford weapons, while Merlin doesn’t. This also gives Arthur the higher status he expertly demonstrated the batons use, while Merlin dropped his and clearly didn’t know how to use it, as he wasn’t privileged enough to be trained, which suggests that Arthur is more powerful than Merlin, thus giving him better status. Throughout the fight scene jolly, fast paced music is played suggesting that both of them are having a fun and playful fight, regardless of their status, however status is still represented as the director slows down the speed when Arthur swings at Merlin, causing him to have a graceful and powerful presence, which represents class and status as the higher classes are expected to be graceful and elegant and using slow motion represents this. However, Merlin’s fight shots appear to have been sped up slightly, causing him to look more frantic compared to Arthur, which I think is used to represent the division in the two classes as Arthur is in control and therefore superior, while Merlin doesn’t appear to know what he’s doing causing him to look stupid and thus inferior. Although, the roles of Arthur and Merlin are reversed slightly when Merlin used his magic – this is shown through an extreme close up on Merlin’s eye and creates dramatic irony as the audience know that his magic is meant to be a secret and as shot reverse shot is used, this time the camera spends longer on Merlin’s face, inferring that Merlin now has more power and is now superior to Arthur. On the other hand, his social class is still clearly represented as he uses simple objects like ropes and boxes to help him, while Arthur still uses his metal baton. His use of simple objects is also humorous and is emphasised through the use of the Foley technique making the chemical twang when Arthur tripped over it. Nevertheless, Merlin’s new found authority is short lived as Arthur hits him over the head and comical music is used to highlight every time Arthur his him to remind the audience that it’s a play fight. It also suggests that people who have wealth and power will always be superior.

While the fight is going on, the scene is cut to an older man with long white hair, looking out of the castle window, onto Arthur’s and Merlin’s fight. Here a high angle shot is used to show that he is both higher physically and metaphorically as he’s above the fight and doesn’t wasn’t to get involved as he’s more mature and sensible. We can also see that he’s reading a book and wearing glasses, which infer that he’s clever and therefore superior because of this. When the old man does come down to the fight an eye-line shot is used between Merlin and him to show that Merlin knows he’s done wrong, causing the old man to be a teacher- like figure to Merlin, thus giving him a higher status than him.

Sound: Micro Elements

Sound has the power to create certain moods to create character and can signal events that are about to happen. The power of music can also manipulate audience’s emotions.

Sound is compromised of three essential ingredients

·       -  The human voice/ dialogue

·       -   Sound effects

·       -   Music

In TV dramas all of these three effects create the realism of the world

Two types of sound…

Diagetic sound: any sound or music that happens inside the story – music, footsteps, dialogue – helps to contribute to the realism and a particular atmosphere

Click of an opening door may be manipulated – increase in volume to show that someone is breaking in

Non diagetic sound: sound which takes place outside the story – provides an appropriate emotion or mood and can add realism

Foley - everyday objects used to reproduce everyday sound after filming. There to underline the narrative that is playing out, without these background noises, the clips feel unnaturally quiet and uncomfortable

Modes of Address

Voice over

·         - used in TV drama as a narrative device – creates a greater understanding

·        - First person

·        -  Helps us to understand the main characters

·        -  Allows us privileged information which creates drama (the bomb theory)

Direct address

·         - When characters break the forth wall

·         - Alternative to the voice over

·          -Creates humour/ acts as a narrative device

·         - Breaks the verisimilitude of the drama and stops the action taking place

- Soundtrack is used to tell the audience how we should be feeling (happy or sad) and the use of music is a convention of TV drama

Incidental Music

·         - Adds emotion and rhythm to drama – not noticeable

·         - Provides tone/ emotional attitude towards the story

·        - Background music often foreshadows a change in mood – dissonant music used to indicate approaching danger

·         - Links scenes together – music can be associated with characters

- The effects of sound are often largely subtle within a scene so it’s hard to detect

- Parallel and Contrapuntal sound

·         - P – it complements the images we see on screen – meet audiences expectation

·       - C – doesn’t fit the images we see on screen – challenges audiences expectations

Verisimilitude: how believable something is in film/drama

Diegesis:  a fictional world on a screen that you are watching

Editing

Film Editing

·         Co-ordination of one shot with another in order to create a coherent whole

·         System of editing employed in narrative is called continuity editing – its purpose is to create and provide efficient and artful transitions

Editing Film

·         Task of selecting and joining camera takes

·         In the finished film, the set of techniques that governs the relation among shots (Bordwell and Thompson)

“Editing Is the process of preparing language, images  or sound through correction, condensation, organisation and other modifications in various media…Editing is, therefore, also a practice that includes creative skills, human resources and a precise set of methods”

Juxtaposition and meaning

·         Edwin S. Porter, The Great Train Robbery, 1903 Shots in sequence create meaning for audiences

·         From exterior shots to set, audience is encouraged to believe the events they see are immediately happening

The Kuleshov Effect

·         Suggested that audience’s interpreted emotional responses on the actor’s face based on the juxtaposition of images

·         Whilst much of the moving image we see uses this effect, it does not usually draw attention to it

Kuleshov edited together a short film in which a shot of the expressionless face of Tsarist matinee idol Ivan Mozzhukhin was alternated with various other shots (a plate of soup, a girl, a little girl's coffin). The film was shown to an audience who believed that the expression on Mozzhukhin's face was different each time he appeared, depending on whether he was "looking at" the plate of soup, the girl, or the coffin, showing an expression of hunger, desire or grief respectively. Actually the footage of Mozzhukhin was the same shot repeated over and over again. Kuleshov used the experiment to indicate the usefulness and effectiveness of film editing. The implication is that viewers brought their own emotional reactions to this sequence of images, and then moreover attributed those reactions to the actor, investing his impassive face with their own feelings.

Four main functions of film editing:

·         To make sure that the production is the required length or time

·         To remove unwanted material or mistakes

·         To alter, if necessary, the way or the sequence in which events will be portrayed

·         To establish the particular style and character of a production

Relations in Editing


Graphic Relations – Although the primary focus of the film editor is to ensure continuity of the narrative, film editors remain acutely aware that film is a visual art. Therefore, they work to achieve visual interest by creating transitions between shots

·         Graphic Match – achieved by joining two shots that have a similarity in terms of light/ dark, line or shape, volume or depth, movement or stasis

·         Graphically discontinuous edit – creates a clash of visual content by joining two shots that are dissimilar in terms if one or more of the above principles

Rhythmic Relations

Editors remain aware of the effects achieved by manipulating the rhythms experienced by perceivers through thoughtful juxtapositions of longer and shorter shots as well as through transitional devices that affect the perceiver’s sense of beat or tempo

Rhythmic Transitional Devices

·         Straight-cut

·         Fade-out

·         Fade-in

·         Dissolve

·         Wipe

·         Flip frame

·         Jump cut

Temporal Relations

Editing is the process by which the difference between temporal duration and screen duration is reconciled. It sounds simple, but consider this: most feature films present in roughly two hours sufficient intersection of story and plot to provide perceivers with everything they need

Two most common disruptions: Flashbacks and flash-forwards (flash backs are more common)

Spatial Relations

The most important and overlooked; the function is to provide perceivers a reliable sense of physical space that constitutes the world of film. Editors are responsible for relating points in space in order to achieve narrative

·         Establishing shot

·         Shot reverse shot

·         Eye line match

·         Re-establishing shot

·        

·         180 degree rule

·         Multiple camera technique

·         Axis on action

·         Match on action

·         Cheat cut

Thematic Relations

This manipulates the perceivers place in the hierarchy of knowledge, and therefore affecting our thematic understanding of the film: montage sequence and cross cut editing.

Media Essay Homework

 Discuss the ways in which the extract connotes the representation of ‘gender’ using the following:

·         Camera angle, movement and position

·         Editing

·         Sound

·         Mise-en-scene

Overall, the gender representation constructed in this sequence conforms to stereotypes; placing the man in the more powerful roles, and objectifies the females (Mulvey 1964) as firstly when the blonde woman firsts appears on screen, she shares her shot with the shop assistant, and is placed in the background coming up the stairs, so her whole body is obscured from view, while the shop assistant has a full body shot, causing him to look powerful. The fact that the woman doesn’t have her own shot suggests that she’s firstly not as powerful as him and connotes the stereotypical idea that a woman needs a man nearby in case something goes wrong, and in typical female roles the man is always saving the woman, so her sharing the shot stresses this. Also the fact that she’s coming up the stairs onto the shop floor where the man is in full view further supports the stereotypical view that women are inferior as using the stairs in the scene puts her on a lower platform compared to the male shop assistant, and she’s therefore inferior to him.

When the viewer does get a view of the lady, the director uses a mid shot and a pan movement to emphasise her beauty, as the director would want the viewer to see that she is an attractive, carefully made up woman with blonde hair. The use of the mid shot keeps focus on her face and also her clothes that emphasise her figure to attract the male gaze and therefore use her as a sexual object. Also, the use of the blonde wig (she has long, black hair naturally, which is seen later on in the clip) connotes the idea that she’s a blonde bimbo who isn’t very clever. She also is wearing make-up, which suggests that she cares about her appearance, which women are made to be seen as in the media, while men are made to be seen as intelligent, suggesting that women use their sexuality to get ahead in life, not intelligence, while the men have to work hard to get anywhere. As well as this, you can see that she’s wearing a suit, which suggests that she’s a business woman, however it clings and highlights her figure, causing her to be seen as a sexual object and her business image is neglected because of this as well as the fact that she’s going into a designer clothes shop in the middle of the day; the director then uses a close up shot on her very flashy ring, which suggests that she’s married and therefore a kept woman by her husband who works all day, so she doesn’t have to work and can live off of his money, which reinforces the stereotypical view that women can’t do anything, they just have to find something to amuse themselves until their husband gets home.

Later on in the scene, we see the same blonde woman observing her dress in front of the shops mirror, where the director uses a tilt movement to go from the bottom of the dress - where we, as an audience, hear the woman cooing over it – to the woman and shop assistant in a two shot, where we see what she looks like in the dress to add a bit of excitement for mainly the female viewers. This also re-enforces the stereotypical view that women are very fashion conscious, which men can’t understand and hence see it as stupid, thus another reason as to why women are seen as inferior to men. Additionally, during this scene, when the blonde woman asks if it’s ‘terribly expensive’ and finds out that it is, she smiles when thinking about it and agrees to buy it. The fact that she’s smiling at the price suggests that she likes to spend money and doesn’t really see the cost as a problem as it’s her husband’s money really - not hers, causing her to not look money aware and therefore stupid and also selfish as she doesn’t think about her husband having to work to pay for her incredibly expensive dress, stressing the stereotypical view that women are stupid.

When the lady realises that she’s lost her expensive wedding ring the camera follows her madly rushing through the shop, trying to find it. A pan shot is used to get a first sense of her panic as she practically falls into one of the rails and a close-up shot with hand held movement emphasises her at her most stressful, such as when she vigorously empties her bag, and when she’s almost pulling the clothes off of the shelves and hangers. Also, the tempo of the fun, lively music increases to further emphasise the fact that she’s stressed and getting over emotional as she’s going to be ‘late for (her) hair appointment’ and her husband is going to ‘kill’ her. However, a sound like a record scratching is used and the director uses a steady two-shot when the male shop assistant offers to look for the ring for her, installing a sense of calm, stressing the stereotypical idea that a woman needs a man’s help as she can’t help herself because she’s not strong enough; she’s also very keen to listen to him which further emphasises this fact, and when he says that he will help her, there is a close up of her face, where she breaks down the fourth wall and talks to directly to the audience, whilst saying ‘I’m sure you can’ which stresses that what she just did was a decoy in which she used her sexuality, not her brain as a man would.

The extract also represents the male gender through the shop assistant, where in the opening scene we can instantly see what motivates him as the director uses a high-angle shot and point reverse shot to include the audience in the conversation when he’s having a discussion with a woman who doesn’t have enough money to buy a dress, yet he was kind to the blonde woman who does, as the director has a close up shot of the ring and then tilts the camera towards the lady’s face and uses an eye line match to show that the shop assistant is motivated by the flashy ring. Here the director uses Levi – Strauss’ (1969) theory of binary opposites to emphasise the fact that he’s motivated by money. This use of binary opposite’s, where he’s mean to the older lady with brighter clothes (presumably from a cheaper shop as everything in the shop is black, including the shop assistant, connoting elegance) and messy hair also could suggest that she is unattractive and therefore not following the traditional stereotype of women, where they are seen as sexual attractive objects for the male gaze (Mulvey 1964) and so therefore doesn’t get the dress because of this.

As well as this we can see the shop assistant is motivated by money and that the viewer can assume his sexuality through his traits as firstly he’s a shop assistant in a designer shop, which goes against the male norm as males tend to typically work in ‘intelligent’ jobs such as banking, yet he’s in a job involving fashion, which is something traditionally females are interested in, thus challenging the male stereotype. He also has slightly camp mannerisms, such as the fact that he skips slightly when he goes to get the dress the blonde woman asked for and when she says that she’ll buy it he does a little jump and has his hands close to his chest, which is typically a feminine trait. Also, he is wearing a presumably designer suit and he is well groomed, suggesting that he’s interested in his appearance, which goes against the male stereotype as it’s more women who are fashion conscious. However, he does wear glasses, suggesting intelligence, which does follow the male stereotype. The fact that he has glasses was probably to represent the fact that even though he might be gay or camp, the blonde woman is still inferior to him and his suggested intelligence.

Later, when another male character comes into to extract, the shop assistant is on his knees looking for the ring, and in the background we see a pair of stylish, man’s, black and white brogues, and so the shop assistant welcomes him on his knees. We then have a high angle, over the shoulder shot, making the shop assistant appear weak and vulnerable, especially since he’s smaller than the new man, causing the new man to look powerful, which is followed later when the new blonde man ‘finds’ the ring (he actually pulled it out of his sleeve) and argues with the shop assistant as he wants to be the one who tells the lady he found the ring to get the reward. Here, the director uses a pan shot when the shop assistant follows the blonde man around the shop in a nervous, flustered way, causing the idea that the shop assistant is now the inferior one, and when the blonde man leaves the shop, telling him to give him the lady’s number, the director uses a mid shot with a shallow focus of the blonde man counting to three, waiting for the shop assistant to cave in, showing the viewer that he’s being conned as the blonde man knows what makes him tick, as we saw it earlier. The shallow focus also enables the viewer to see the shop assistant slightly cave in, in the background due to the shallow focus, which stresses the fact that the blonde man is more powerful and almost the alpha male even, instead of the shop assistant. The use of the shallow field also supports the representation of the stereotypical view of the male, who is more powerful and intelligent (as he conned the shop assistant into giving him money) then women and even men with cam or female traits.

Finally, the extract uses parallel editing throughout, cutting between parallel conversations: the woman and man in the shop and a serious conversation between two men in a gentlemen’s club, where the director uses wipes to g from scene to scene, instead of straight cuts, which are typically used in TV dramas to make the extract more comical, to show that both scenes are happening at the same time. In the shop scene, fun, lively music is played, while the music stops when we’re cut to the men in the bar and the man working on an alarm box. The change in music is used to show that the men are having a serious conversation, using their brains, thus suggesting that men are more serious than women as they do the hard work, while the lively music used in the shop scene emphasises the fact that women like to shop and don’t use their brains as much as men. Also, the juxtaposition in the scenes in scenes further support this as the men are in are in a gentleman’s club (you can tell this from the large, framed pictures and nice furniture in the background) which is a privileged place where women aren’t allowed as they would get in the way as they are inferior and the shop is more modern and appealing to females. One large difference between the men is that the older man is dressed in a three piece suit, which is suitable for the gentleman’s club, yet the other man is wearing jeans, which wouldn’t be allowed, inferring that maybe he’s so powerful that he doesn’t need to.

So in conclusion, the extract connotes the stereotypical representation of gender, where men are seen as powerful, strong and intelligent, while the women are seen as over emotional, wrecks that use their appearance to get what they want. Also, we see that the male and female in this extract who don’t follow the stereotype in this extract tended to be inferior to the stereotypical man and woman.