Occupational Dramas

As a class we were set the task to research a specific type of drama, in this case Me and Toni had to research occupational Drama's, in specific we chose school drama's such as
"Waterloo Road" and "Grange Hill". We then had to prepare a lessons worth of information and create hand outs in order to present it to the class so they then learn the same information by taking notes. Each group had a different type of drama so that in the end each student would have notes on all the different types of drama's.



This is an example of a TWO SHOT used in the Drama:


It creates the emphasis on the conversation as well as hightening the dramatic impact. This kind of shot also creates a sense of realism and the idea that the conversation is private, but we as an audience are being let in on it.

From These Clips Of Waterloo Road,

How are Youth Represented?

Rebelious
Out of Control

quite negatively but are portrayed in a positive way due to camera shots, mise en scene, sound and music and editing.

Criminal justice extract

Write a response to the "criminal justice" extract;

how is the prison represented in the extract?

refer to camera work, editing, sound and mise en scene.

There are many different representations created in the extract of "criminal Justice" towards how prison is represented, examples of these representations are mainly corrupt, enclosed, cold and violent which is portrayed through the camera work, editing, sound and music as well as mise en scene.

The editing used in this film sequence of criminal justice build towards the representations, which are mainly corrupt. there is a use of match on action when the main character Ben walks through a cell gate. he does this after walking through a dark tunnel and after walking into a blue tinted lit room, this therefore creates a contrast between the two rooms and reinforces the representations of cold and isolated; this therefore creates the enigma. this representation has bee created through the clear contrast through the match on action, although the security guard is there, the blue lighting creates a negative view although the audience are unaware of whats about to happen.

The 180 degree rule has been kept throughout the whole sequence simply in order to make sense and work logically. the fast paced editing at the fight scene as well as the unsteady camera creates the representation of uncontrollable (corrupt) and violence. the audience are unaware of what will happen next due to the really unsteady camera therefore makes the seem more violent and unpredictable.

The camera work used works with the editing in order to create representations. for example, there is a deep focus shot on the inmates with the security guards in the foreground, but we can still hear the two guards conversation. this is one of the strongest examples in the sequence which creates the representation of strong corruption within the prison.

There is also a use of a tracking shot at the beginning when Ben is walking through the tunnel, the camera then zooms as he is walking through the gate, this is all been done from a low view. this could represent the idea that the character is important and builds up on the enigma, its also has a link to the idea of a boxing match, as the fighter walks through the tunnel and is usually viewed from a low angle shot in order to make them look superior and more intimidating, which later proves to be the opposite as he looks more vulnerable.

when we see the two shot of the villain and Ben, it is viewed from a low angle shot, this makes the conversation between them look intimidating and presents the idea of a conflict. later there is a cut shot to the guard who is stood to the right and quite far away from the gate; the left third is taken up by the gate, the middle third is left blank with the prison wall and the guard is seen in the right third, this implies that he is not part of the police service and shows a clear representation of corruption in the force.

The camera has a close up shot of Ben's face, this presents his expressions and emphasises his emotions created from what is happening around him, at this point the interrogation from the villain. The camera is also very steady when ever filming the character Hooch, apart from when he has his confrontation with the villain. this portrays the idea that he is not violent and is presented in a positive way. when the camera is unsteady on hooch it represents the idea that he does have a negative side that is uncontrollable, and also allows the audience to see this side of him as well, the unsteady camera is at the scene where he is with the villain, this could also imply that something is not right and that there may be some confrontation.

Mise en scene plays an important role in this sequence. the red chair featured in the fighting scene could represent danger and contrasts against the grey colour scheme in the rest of the set. the red could also be linked to the representation of violence as it is in a prison and the characters look very intimidating. the villain has darker clothing than the rest of the characters, this could represent the idea that he is more negative than the rest of the characters which can then furthermore be linked to being more dangerous.

The lighting used in this sequence is kept very dark, but the lighting has a blue tint, this emphasises the negative impact and idea that there is trouble as well as heightening the dramatic impact. One scene with the lighting is where the villain has key lighting on one side of his face and shadow on the other side, this makes him look more intimidating as a character and clearly shows he has a negative side to his personality.

The fighter character has no hair and doesn't talk for the whole sequence, this makes him look harsh and violent as he is wearing a hoody which can also be portrayed as yobbish, he is also the only character that is wearing a hoody which also makes him stand out from the rest of the characters. Hooch is wearing a grey cardigan and blue top, this makes him sand out from the rest of the characters are they are all dressed in complete grey. he is mocked by the villain as the "father figure" and also is presented this way as he is dressed the smartest and he also appears the oldest character there, therefore we automatically assume that he is a positive character that is non-violent. while the interrogating conversation is taken place with with Ben and the villain, the inmates are sat in the shadow which makes them look negative, this contrasts against Hooch who is sat in the light, making him look more of the positive character. The two guards also create a contrast against each other. the young guard is clean shaven and looks innocent where as the old guard has a beard and is the character to be corrupted, this gives the impression he has experience with the prison and has experience with these awkward situations.

Sound and music also has an important part in this sequence. amplified gate at the beginning emphasises the representation of being isolated and enclosed. footsteps amplified in the empty room when Ben is walking to the group portrays the idea he is walking for a purpose which therefore builds the enigma, there is also the amplified heart beat as he is walking which reinforces this, it implies its his heart beat and possibly his nervousness which therefore makes the audience feel this emotion as well. There is also a use of ambiance throughout the sequence as we can hear the rest of the inmates shouting, cheering and pressuring the other characters, this could further more be linked to the representation of violence/ aggression. While Hooch and Ben are talking, their conversation is slightly more amplified than the other conversations, this has been done in order to make the audience more aware of the conversation as well as making it seem more important. throughout the sequence, all the dialogue is slightly echoed, this reinforces the idea o the empty room and further more strongly shows the representation of being enclosed.

An eery score is played throughout the conversation/ fight part of the sequence in order to build the enigma. it also makes the place seem more cold as it is quite a negative tune due to it being slow paced and a low tone. when the villain character shouts, all the sounds go quiet including the score, ambiance and amplified sounds, this portrays the idea that he has power over the other characters including the security guards and yet again links to the representation of being corrupt. During the fight the punch sounds are slightly amplified to portray the representation of violence, further more, when Hooch punches the Fighter his punch is even more amplified to make him sound stronger and more important. this however makes the sequence build the representation of corruption and violence.

To conclude, the representations created by music, mise en scene, editing and camera work have been created in the extract from Criminal Justice in order to portray the idea of prison as enclosed, violent, corrupt and cold. this has been well done by all the use of filming techniques working with each other in order to portray these representations strongly to the audience, over all, the representation of prison is completely negative.

Sound &&+ Music

How Sound And Music Is Used

In This Clip (0:00 - 02:32)

In Skins Series 3, Episode 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kn1jbCC4Is

In this sequence taken from episode 7 of Skins, sound and music play an important role in creating an eary atmosphere which leaves the audience on a cliff hanger and not knowing what to expect next.

The first sound that can be heard is an ambience of the muffled sound of cars driving past which gives the impression that the characters are hidden away from other people, which further more gives the impression they are up to mischeif and makes the audience want to know more on what is happening. Over the muffled car sounds we hear a dogs bark amplified which also seems muffled and quite far away, this usually portrays the idea of something rebelious happening that is taking place somewhere that many people wont be around. It is also possible to make the link to other films etc that use this sound as it usually used at a night time to create an eary situation that something is not right, which therefore fits perfectly with this scene, we as an audience know something is not right by the atmosphere created by only just two of these sounds.

The camera then cuts to a LS where there is dialogue; 3 people arguing which has also been made to sound distant, this makes the audience feel like they are actually there just watching what is happening, but we are left in suspense as we do not yet know why they are arguing. JJ then walks into the shot, his feet on the gravel and his unsteady, heavy breathing have been amplified, this represents that he as a character does not feel secure in this atmosphere which reinforces the idea that something rebelious is going on.

The camera the cuts to a MS of the three people having a conversation from the background then becomes clearer and the audience find out its about drugs, which then comforts them as they know why JJ is insecure about the situation as a character. The Dialogue has been made louder in order to support the idea of drugs so the audience securely know what is going on in this scene. However, the ambience of the dog barking and cars have been continued on through the scene which portrays the idea that the dramatic impact is being built, which leaves the audience wondering what is about to happen.

We then see a point of view shot from JJ which repetitively cuts between a CU of him and the point of view shot. At this point the conversation is muffled again and we hear JJs breathing being amplified again, this shows that he is worried for something and then we see why. As the figure crouches by the bush we hear a sting which sounds spine-chilling; at this point the audience know something isnt right which hightens the dramatic impact even more. Then there is Dialogue used from JJ as he whispers "Cook", although we see JJ is trying to whisper he also does it loud enough so that it is nearly a shout, this creates the effect that he is trying to distract Cook without having anyone else notice, which clearly dosnt work as one of the drug dealers raises his voice louder in order to talk over JJ. This gives the impression that JJ as a character isnt noticed and appears to be unimportant.

As we see the police torches, the sounds do not change untill we see the MS of JJ running to grab Cook and the yobs scatter. We then hear the amplified sound of the police cars and the ambience of the police officers shouting and running. There is a quiet score in the background of fast, upbeat violins which create an action like atmosphere as above this we can still hear the sirenes. This builds the impression that theres alot of trouble happening and leaves the audience in suspenese to if the characters will escape it or not, which is then reinforced as JJ and Cook escape through the fence which has been amplified. While we see Cook and JJ running freely away, all the outher sounds are faded out and the score has been made louder with an added piano and it has changed slightly to a more positive upbeat to show that the characters have escaped the trouble, therefore we as an audience feel relieved and still look at the characters in a positive way although they had just taken part in a drug deal and escaped running from the police.

When the characters finally stop running, their footsteps are amplified as well as their heavey breathing in order to show their fright and determination into running away. The score then fades out which represents the idea that there will be dialogue or something else important is about to happen. The Dialogue then starts and when cook finnishes his sentence the score completely stops which enforces the idea that the situation is back to being serious again. In the background, we can still hear the non-digetic sound of the dog barking, this gives the impression that theres is still something happening which could relate to the two drug dealers still struggeling with the police. The ambience of the dog barking is heard throughout the rest of the dialogue aswell as passing traffic, which represents the idea that they are still rebelious.

To Conclude, Sound and music play an important role in TV Dramas such as Skins as they create the atmosphere of emotions and feelings for the audience. They create a variety of different effects and can change the perception we as an audience have on certain characters or events. In this series of skins we can see that sound and music has been used to create an eerie and uncertain atmosphere, however we still see the main chracters Cook and JJ in a positive way due to the techniques used.

Representations on Families in Shameless:

Representations of “Families” in Shameless
Series 1 Episode 5
37:23 – 40:00

During this lesson, we as a class de-constructed shameless series 1 episode 5 37:23-40:00 in order to find out how the representations of families are portrayed through the camera techniques and also through the editing. In this episode we see that Frank is in a relationship with Sheila and that Karen is in a relationship with Philip; Karen is also Sheila's daughter. However, a problem starts as Philip finds out that Karen has been Sleeping With Frank and therefore attempts to beat up Frank as he is walking home alone, drunk from the pub. Once Philip has been dragged away from Frank, Frank returns home in order to be helped cleaned up by Sheila, as she could not leave the house due to her illness of being Agoraphobic. Frank however lies to Sheila and says Philip beat him up due to him owing money, at this point Karen is in the room and has to walk away as she knows it is a lie.

In Shameless, series 1 episode 5, families are portrayed to be untrustworthy, unstable and troubled. This has been created through the use of camera techniques as well as the editing.
While Frank has been the character in the wrong, he is portrayed in a positive way where as Philip is portrayed negatively even though most people would react in the same way if they found out their partner was having an affair. Also the issue of trust is portrayed strongly because we as an audience know that Frank has had an affair with Karen but witness him lying to her, Karen also witness' this and still keeps quite while her mother believes Frank's cover up story which heightens the dramatic impact for the audience.

This sequence begins with a P.O.V shot on Frank as it is tracking him walk down a street, as it is a P.O.V shot we can see the dashboard from a car, this portrays the slight idea that Frank could be in trouble as he is being watched from a distance. As frank moves further along the road alone, the pacing of the tracking is very slow, we can then hear the amplified sound of a car screeching, the music pace quickens as well as the pacing, which portrays the idea of danger. Then we see a close up of Franks face which is confused but portrays the idea of panic. We then cut to a medium shot of frank dodging out of the way to then see the car crash. The editing continues to get faster as Philip gets out of the car and starts to beat up Frank. The sounds of punching have been amplified in order to heighten the dramatic impact and portray the idea of trouble and aggression. Throughout the sequence of the fight the camera shots are very unsteady which portray the idea of the fight to be uncontrollable as well as unpredictable.

We then cut to a Medium shot of Sheila at the door, she opens the door to attempt to help Frank, but instead we see a bright light which signifies her Agoraphobic illness. As Sheila slams the door we cut back to the fight, the sound of the door slamming has been amplified in order to represent the sound of a punch. Mean while we see Karen from a fly on the wall shot in her room, the camera is very unsteady as she is going “crazy” in her room which emphasises the idea that she is not in control of herself any more and as a character is very unsteady. However as an audience we sympathise with Sheila as she is clearly confused and doesn't know what to do and has sent Karen to phone the police, but instead is having a break down in her room as she doesn't know what to do either, this creates the impression the family as a whole are very unstable.

Further on in the sequence, we then cut to a XCU of Franks bloody nose and mouth as Sheila is cleaning him up, this emphasises the damage done from the fight, however we seem to sympathise with Frank as we see him from a slightly high angled shot. The camera then zooms out to a CU shot of Sheila and Frank together as Frank is Explaining the story, in between his moaning and groaning from the pain which has been amplified in order to emphasise the un-stableness of the family. As he says its about “money” the camera cuts to a CU of Karen who is clearly upset/angry and cant take the thought of lying, she begins to move when the camera cuts back to Frank and Sheila. Karen's footsteps are amplified in order for us as an audience to know that she is leaving the scene, this is then reinforced by the ambiance of Karen slamming a door.

To conclude, the representation of "families" in shameless series 1 episode 5 has been portrayed to be unstable, troubled and untrustworthy through the different camera techniques as well as the editing. Frank has clearly acted negatively but has been portrayed in a positive way so that the audience sympathise with him. There is also a slight bit of humour created as we know Frank is lying about the situation, but covers it up by over reacting with his injuries. The editing of this sequence such as the faster pace enforces the idea of trouble and danger where as the types of camera shots portray the family to be unstable. This therefore does not portray the family to be nuclear as there is so much trouble and loss of trust within them, Frank has also lost the respect from part of his family, and the rest he has lied to which will coincidentaly cause them to later find out and lose respect for him as well.

representations of youth and adult figures

Today we looked at how representations of age (youth and adult figures) were reinforced through the editing in Skins, Series 3, episode 1, 0.00 - 08.00

Freddie is portrayed as rebelious as he is skating amongst the public although he is acting like he dosnt care. We see this through his attitude towards the public who are shouting abuse at him and he is ignoring them as though he is use to this abuse from adults, this portrays it to be a regular thing for Freddie.

Adults are portrayed as ridecule.
Youth are portrayed as : carefree, rebelious, reckless
- Youth can therefore relate to this.

This therefore portrays the youth to be unified

aswell as showing a clear division between young and old.

Notes on this sequences editing:

• begins with black screen with amplified sound of the skateboard
  - creates anticipation and enigma
• Cut to a CU shot of skateboard going down the street
  (low level) tracking shot, long take
  - see skill of skateborad, appeals to youth.
• Cut to a shot of a turd
  - makes it more light hearted and creates humour
• Low shot of a jump (match on match action)
  - portrays the idea he knows what hes doing
• The camera is still tracking the skateboard, we still have not seen Freddies face, creates a suspense for the audience.
• Sparks from the skateboard portray the rider to be "powerfull"
• The camera then tilts to Freddie removing his phone from his pocket (CU shot -> cut in shot)
  -detail of drug reference
  -rebelious and antisocial
• Camera then carries on tilting up to Freddies face, slightly low angled
• "fuckers" - Camera then arcs
  - establishes sequence
• We see Freddie looking, then what hes looking at
  (eyeline match)
  - REBELIOUS
• Cuts to face (master shot)
• Editing speeds up as Freddie skateboards down the hill
  - 180 Degree Rule is kept
  *emphasises speed*
• match on match action with the bus
• unsteady camera (emphasises the realism and the rebeliousness)
• static shot
  -MS of police
• Contrasts the youth and adults
• Slow motion of jump
  - emphasises the stunt, portrays Freddie to be "cool"
• Point of view shot of the bin lorrey getting closer

Overall this portrays Freddie to be a Cool and Aspirational Character.

h.w. Camera technique

The lesson before, we deconstructed Shameless (Series 2, Episode 2, 33 - 37 mins), focusing on the representation of Marty's disability through the camerawork.

How is the use of camera work used to present the character Marty in Shameless series 2 episode 2?

In shameless there is a character called Marty who has a disability called tourettes. This is important as we can see how disabilities are represented in TV dramas. However, Marty is represented to be ‘different’, ‘isolated’, ‘unsteady’, ‘vulnerable’ and that people should be cautious around him. Overall Marty is portrayed in a negative way in order to represent his disability to be dangerous towards other people as well as make him look vulnerable, therefore as a character we feel the tension but also sympathise with him.


During the beginning of the first sequence we see a deep focus shot of the three characters including Marty. There is a clear distance between Marty and another character sitting on the sofa, this represents him to be “isolated” and reinforces the idea that he is different from the other characters as he is in the foreground. The camera then cuts to a two shot of two characters having an intense conversation about Marty; this type of shot enforces the idea that Marty is different from them and should be treated cautiously. The camera in this shot is very unsteady, this portrays the realism of the scenario, and there is also a lot of use of mise en scene in this sequence in order to portray the realism of the TV drama shameless.


In the next sequence we see a contrast of colour, as Marty is alone in a dark room wearing dark clothing; this can be linked to the Propp theory where Marty is viewed as the villain. It begins with a cut to a high angle, long shot of Marty, the angle of the shot is also cantered which represents something is not right. This type of shot portrays Marty to be Vilnius and as a prison like theme to it due to him being sat in the dark with a low light from the window to show part of the character. The camera then cuts to a close up shot of Marty’s face, the shows and emphasises Marty’s emotion, which appears to be angry, which therefore reinforces the idea that he is dangerous. We can also see a deep focus shot which emphasises Marty’s Disability and portrays the idea he is vulnerable and should be treated cautiously.


The car sequence clearly enforces the idea that Marty is isolated from everyone else as we can see the 180 degree rule being used; the camera is focused from over Marty’s shoulder onto the other characters, this creates the idea that he has opposition. We then cut to a CU shot of Marty, which shows him to be angry and distressed. In all of the next couple of shots we can see part of the lighter or the lighters glow, this emphasises the idea of it being a motif, it leaves the audience wondering what will happen next as well as building up the tension. We then cut to a crowd shot which portrays the idea that the crisis is over and that the problem has been solved, but then there is a close up of the cigarette falling onto the petrol, this short sequence has had its pacing edited slower in order to create the dramatic impact on the situation. We then see the petrol catch alight and the car blow up; this ensures the audience what is actually happening before zooming in on the characters reactions to the flames. The next sequence is in slow motion in order to emphasise the dramatic impact that has been created. The camera then pans across each of the character’s where Marty looks happy and the others are still stood shocked, this emphasises the clear difference between Marty and the other characters; the panning has been used to emphasise this and show the contrast between them all.


To conclude, the use of camera techniques portray the character Marty in Shameless series 2 episode 2 to be very different and isolated from all the other characters presented. He can also be viewed as dangerous and to be treated cautiously by the other characters due to his disability of tourettes. This is important as we can clearly see how disabilities are presented in TV dramas, in this case it is negatively, however while feeling the tension from the character we as the audience also sympathise as he clearly does not understand due to his disability.

H.W how is youth represented in skins series 3 episode 10

• The strobe light effect at the beggining of the episode reveals the idea of a teenage culture represented as rebelliousness through fast cuts showing flashes of teens dancing, snogging, fighting and drinking. This portrays them to be rebellious and shocking.
• Effy and Cook are seen in many different shots drinking serious amounts of alcohol, in one scene Effy is drinking straight vodka which represents the idea that she is use to drinking this amount of alcohol where as normally people would not be able to drink such strong amounts of alcohol without mixing it with another non-alcoholic drink.
• In another scene Freddie is seen smoking a spliff, which represents the drug culture within the youth culture, many teens see weed as nothing serious and see no harm in doing it, and there is Fredie representing this smoking weed while he is supposed to be working.
• The idea of rebelling against adults is seen in this episode as Effy and Cook have ran away from home in order to be together, we then later see a scene of Effys mum talking about Effys unusual behaviour.
• The idea of youthful competition is seen many times in this episode. Fredie and Cook compete in a "Granny Race" in order to see who wins Effy as they are both in love with her. Also there is the scene with the bar man's son and Cook fighting for Effy then later competing in the race for Cooks fathers boat or his tab money at the local pub.
• The idea of youth always having close friendship groups is portrayed alot through this episode, they also have many nicknames for their friends or friendship groups etc, such as JJ calls him and the rest of the boys "the 4 musketeers". The pub owners son's friendship group also use a hand signal to represent their friendship and beliefs... this is like personal handshakes etc.
• The idea of teenagers being sloby is portrayed strongly, all the characters wear the same clothes throughout the episode (viewed as over a couple of days) even though they are dirty and ripped e.g. Cooks top being ripped and covered in blood from the fight.
• Rebelliousness is portrayed strongly, mostly through many different fighting scenes, the over use of alcohol, strong and abusive language and the general attitude towards other people.
• Youth relationships is portrayed very negatively, they seem to be very un-controling, shocking and cause nothing but trouble, this is portrayed by causing friction between the best friends Fredie and Cook. Also portrayed by Cook fighting another lad for dancing with Effy.
• The idea of Youth looking up to their elders is strongly portrayed, Cook and Effy went to live with Cooks father. Cook soon began getting in trouble with his dad and being viewed as scum e.g scabbing off free drinks at the bar, living off a boat as its cheap, trying to gain respect for his dad by doing wrong etc.

Overall in this series, Youth has been portrayed negatively through the use of representations. Many adults view youth as rebelious for excessive drinking, sleeping around, fighting etc and this is all portrayed strongly through the characters attitudes. However, in the first sequence where the strobe light effect is used, all these representations of the youth culture can be seen, such as the alchohol abuse, fighting, kissing etc, but the one thing that can not be seen is drugs, however the type of music being played can be related to the stereotype of the drug culture as we can see youth dancing, sweating and not caring as they just want to have fun. The skins series also follow the Todoroff theory as at the beggining (the equilibrium) its all fun and happy for Effy and Cook, then there is the disequilibrium when Effy dosnt want to be with Cook as he is in trouble and realises she loves Freddy, then there is the re-equilibrium when the friends are all re-united and Freddy and Effy get back together and they all go home.

Skins Season 3 Episode 10 Finale
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Representations &&+ Signifiers;;

Today we looked at how representations in TV drama clips such as 'Shameless' are created. A representation is a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image. A Signifier is something that builds up to represent a cerain thing, e.g. a 'chav' could be represented by signifiers such as wearing trackies, hoodies, burberry hats etc. Representations can be created through signifiers such as:

• Gendre


• Age


• Region


• Disability


• Race


• Crime


• Law


• Sexualtiy

The TV Drama 'Shameless' use many signifiers to create representations of...

• Life style


• Gender


• Region


• Crime


• Family

The signifiers they use for creating the representation of the...

region is portrayed it to be:

• poor


• run down


• typical council estate


• dodgey dealings

Crime is portrayed to be:

• a good thing


• not taken seriously


• normal and fun

Family is portrayed to be:

• odd


• working class


• unstable


• likeable

We then watched a clip of the opening sequence to the first episode of the Shameless series to see how the family is portrayed through signifiers. The voice over its self is the main character (Frank) talking, he sounds very common as he uses phrases like "me children" instead of "my children" which could also represent him as being Northern. We then cut to a shot of the main character himself, the camera is unsteady which represents the character as being unsteady himself, he looks drunk or even drugs. There is a lot of unsteady camera movements when Frank introduces his children, this makes the Drama seem more real in orde for the audience to relate to what is happening. It may also represent that the family its self is unstable like the main character Frank. We see a use of the 'fish eye lense' shot when Frank introduces his daughter, this makes the audience focus more on the character and not what is going on around her. There is a lot of irony used between the voice over and the camera technique, the voice over is portraying the family in a positive way where as the camera techniques are presenting the family in a negative way, which creates humour. However, as the audience, we still sympathise with the characters and automaticaly look at them in a positive way.