Editing - The Street (Group PowerPoint)

By: Nathan on 08:28

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Editing Through Moving Image (diability)

By: Nathan on 02:37

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The Grand Budapest Hotel Research

By: Nathan on 01:01

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Gender representation - Sherlock Holmes

By: Nathan on 02:29

When the video starts There is an establishing shot with some upbeat music (diegetic sound), we are immediately drawn in my the combination of the sound and the shot, which focuses us on the fact that there are no women in the scene. This is quite an effective way of stereotyping that the world that we live in is a very much male dominated one. Also worth focusing on is that the people (men) in this scene all clearly have good jobs, and I will explain how I came to that conclusion below, it portrays the representation stereotype that women all occupy lower level jobs comparatively with their male counterpart, if we look in deeper we could see that this has been used to represent that they also occupy a generally lower role in society as a whole and that they are an inferior gender. 

In this same section of the video we find out that these men are represented to have high level jobs, we can tell this as they are wearing high level clothes, such as suits, top hats and pocket watches. All of these items are associated with wealth. This gives the impression that women are generally accepted (due to a stereotypee) to be inferior as these clothes are generally only made for males.

Of further interest is that the main character "Sherlock Holmes" is often looked down on by the camera which, points down. This could be representative of the fact that, despite the previous gender superiority idea, there can still be inferiority/superiority within the same gender. This is further portrayed as the character that tries to shoot Sherlock is often mounted higher in the shot, thus further representing the fact that there can be superiority/inferiority within the same gender. This is also further backed up when goes to turn the extractor fan on, in this shot the camera is clearly pointing upward and by doing this the director empesizing is the characters control over the situation, this could further link back to the question as it could be representative of the fact that males are stereotypically level headed and in control of situations. 

Also in this scene is the fact that in all places where there is a male presence the decor is of gold. This could be further representative of the importance that males have in society as gold is often associated and represents high class and superiority, in this particular scenario, the male gender as a whole. 

The relatively calm colours of white and black could also be representative of the commonly used stereotype that as mentioned before males are always level headed and can stay calm in an otherwise stressing situation/environment.

Also present in this section of the video is that most of the men have beards, these are often associated with strength and raw power. Which is the desired image and stereotype (that men are powerful and always strong).

Throughout this section of the video the transitions between different shots are largely jump cuts and fade effects, the latter could be representative of the tranquility and calmness in which men can stereotypically deal with stressful situations. The jump cuts in this scene are largely used in order to create tension. Both of these transition effects back up points made earlier, for example the jump cuts that are quick are generally used as I said before to increase tension, this is likely to give the effect that the situation is quite intense and this then represents the stereotype I talked earlier about that males are strong and have a lot of power. This would cause the situation to be more tense as it is more equal. 

In the scene, when it cuts to the male in the sewers, the initial camera angle is a sort of areal view, giving the effect of vulnerability, thus portraying that in some secnarios even males (agreeing with the stereotype that normally they can always cope with situations) can be out of their depth. In a way this can be seen to promote gender equality as it gives the effect that both men and women can be out of their depth and that men went always totality in control of everything. This effect is, however reversed when we later see an up-tilted camera angle, this re-imposes the genes superiority as a camera pointing up is indicative of power and superiority. 

The lighting in the house of commons scenes is natural while by contrast, the sewer scenes are darker. This is representative of the stereotype that males are conformable;e in most situations. This gives of the general effect that the stereotype that the male gender is the strongest and most easily adaptive, as they can deal with multiple scene changes and receive no effects.

Once the main character (Sherlock Holmes) jumps out of the window and into the river and we see the male on the boat, he is higher placed in the set consistently, which could again be signifying in-gender superiority. 
In this same scene there are various shots of a woman, she is clearly not important though, as the shots are short and the editors have sped up the transition speeds. We do however, get a chance to see what she is wearing, it is a tweed style (grey) coat which could represent efforts to fit in to make society in order to get some importance. She has though still got lipstick on to keep her feminism. meaning that women always try to make themseveles appealing to men, this is also caused with her hair, as it is nicely made up and is styled in a fashionable (for then) way.

The conclusision is that this video focuses largely on male superiority. As the whole idea of men fighting with guns and action is what expected of a male in that situate, stereotypically. Also touched on is how women sometimes attempt to fit. Another point we can conclude from this video clip is that it also emphasises in-gender superiority throughout.

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Analysing mise en scene through moving image

By: Nathan on 02:22

The clip starts with some dull subdued colours, these are representative of lower class people as the colour relates to their lives relative lack of fulfilment. Be it financially or happiness. As a viewer we can see that the colours have started to change colour due to age and treatment, this could also indicate that they have little money to repaint the walls.  

The colours on the males clothes also coincide with the colours of the decor. The relatively dark colours of this scene could be aiming to represent that he is bringing darkness to the family, it also emphasises what he is saying with could give the idea that he is drunk, this is usually associated and viewed as a 'dark' think. 

The next scene shows us the rest of the family which are dressed in lighter more appealing colours, this is highly representative of the fact that they bring the light into the family that otherwise wouldn't have it, there are still reminders of their background though as, there is a solid grey wall, this is indicative that lower class people (we are indicated that these people are) struggle to get away from their backgrounds no matter how hard they try. 
The baby is dressed in pink, this is generally viewed as a happy upbeat colour, which links to them (in this case specifically the baby) being the ones to bring happiness in an otherwise sad environment that a lower class household maybe. It is often stereotyped that lower class members of society hold on to certain things for happiness, one of such stereotyped items is a baby.

Also noticeable is that they have a red front door, this could be perceived as danger, this is how these class of people are sometimes viewed. As danger is undesirable to people that could be the representation idea.

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American Beauty - Mise en Scene Written Analysis

By: Nathan on 01:12

In this image taken from American Beauty there are many mise en scene aspects to look at:

• First of all is colour, there are multiple examples of colour in this single image and each example informs us of something about either one of the characters or their surroundings. One of the above mentioned colour representations mise en scene relations is how the women on the left links with the situation through colour. She is wearing a plain blue formal shirt whilst the table cloth and mats are also blue. This may suggest that she is responsible for setting the table and making the meal that they are currently eating. This also gives us ideas about her role with in the family and that she is the member who does all of the domestic work around the house. On top of the fact that the links with the table, both the parents blend into the background due to the colour of their clothes. They are both wearing dark coloured clothing which is of a similar colour scheme to the background behind them. This could suggest that they are of less importance in this specific scene and we are not meant to be focused upon them. The clothing of the young girl (presumably daughter) in the middle of the table is very brightly coloured compared to the rest of the people and items surrounding her. Bright colours could suggest she is of higher importance in this specific scene and that we are meant to give our attention to her. Finally, in terms of colour, the red flours in the middle of the table may suggest that the young girl has poor mental state. This is because red is a colour that is often associated with evil or pain.

• Alongside colour, we are also able to identify features of facial expression and their meanings. Obviously since there is only three people in his particular image, there are three facial expressions but each one tells us a lot about each specific character. Firstly, the women on the left appears to be uncomfortable. She is staring at her husband  with a very blank but aggravated expression which may show unhappiness within their relationship. Next, the daughter in the middle. She, similar to her mother, has an annoyed/agitated look upon her face. She is starring directly at her father with this same expression which shows that she may be unhappy with what he has said. In contrast to the two females, the man has a much more joyful look about him. It appears that he is laughing which suggests that he is the only one that is having fun at the table.

• In terms of framing, they are all in frame sat around the table. They are all sat separately with the parent at each end and the young girl sat directly in the middle. This gives us the idea that their is discomfort between the family and that the girl is caught in the middle of arguing between the parents. A second idea is that because the daughter appears to be quite sinister, the parents are aware of this and that is why they are sat as far away as possible from her.

• Lighting is a key factor with in this image. It tells us a lot abut the characters and the scene. First off, the fact hat the girl is in the middle of the table and is being lit up by the candles may suggest that she is the light and soul of the family. As well as this, the two parents are sat within the darkness which suggests that their relationship is not a positive one. It also presents the idea that the girl is more important in this scene and the parents are not as important. Because the only light in the scene is created by candle light, it suggests that the only light and happiness with in the family will eventually die out.

• Each character in this image posses their own body features/posture. The young girl in the middle has her elbows on the table may suggest that she has bad manors, especially since she is currently at the dinner table eating. In contrast to this, both of her parent's arms are positioned lower down with their elbows avoiding contact with the top of the table. This suggests that they have much better manors that their daughter. Both the daughter and her father are avoiding eye contact with the mother which suggests that she is emotionally rejected by the rest of the family. Finally, in terms of body posture, he father's fists are clenched. This is suggestive of the idea that the father is not presenting his true emotion upon his face. He appears to smiling ad enjoying himself yet his hands would suggest anger or rage.

• There are only a few essential props within this scene. The first is the win bottle. It is located very close to the women which may suggest that she is a heavy drinker. This may be due to a failing relationship with her husband or the fact that it appears her daughter is rejecting her. The positioning of the flowers in front of the young girl give us the idea that she is the only life on the table but requires looking after. A lot of the items on the table appear to be crystal or glass, this suggests that the family is likely wealthy. 

• The hair and makeup of the mother suggests that she may spend a considerable amount of time on making her self appealing. This can be identified by he short haircut and contrasting makeup. In contrast to this is the daughter in the middle. She has a very simple hairstyle (pony tail) and very simple makeup. This may suggest innocence however the bright red lip stick is quite sinister. The fact that she is wearing makeup at all may suggest that she is to act or at least appear as an adult. The man has a short and formal haircut which h may suggest that he is a business man. It is clear that his hair is receding which makes it clear that he may be under a lot of stress either due to his job or his family.

• The final factor is clothing. Both of the parents are wearing very formal, plain and colourless clothing. Even though this may suggest that they are boring people or that they live a dull life, it may also hint at the idea that they possess a high quality of wealth. The clothing of the young girl is typical of a child. It is brightly coloured and very casual, especially compared to her parents. 

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Regional Identity - Stereotypes

By: Nathan on 12:07

Scottish Sterotypes
One of the most used Scottish stereotype areas is that they all wear kilts and tartan clothes, this is not true and there are many people that certainly don’t. In the TV drama Outlander the male characters generally wear kilts, this would fit in with the original stereotype. An example of a counter type to this are most if not all the characters from Taggart, a Scottish TV Drama. They don’t adhere to this stereotype due to their lack of kilts. Another common stereotype for Scottish people is that they are very heavy drinkers; this can be highly offensive to some people in Scotland and is largely a false belief. Although not strictly a TV drama “Grounds Keeper Willie” from The Simpsons is a heavy drinker, thus representing this stereotype. He is also a cartoon, which means that his persona is completely manufactured, this means that the producers purposely decided to use this stereotype. The counter type to this popular stereotype is, again from Taggart. They don’t all drink heavily and a great proportion of the characters are Scottish. One further stereotype is that Scottish people are traditionally ginger haired, this stereotype originates from way back. A lot of producers choose to include this stereotype in a Scottish characters portrayal. This stereotype was used by Dr Who in the character Amy Pond, she has ginger hair, and she is Scottish. This is clearly an effect that the producers wanted to include. A counter type to this stereotype area is The Hound from The Game of Thrones, he does not have ginger hair which means that the producers did not choose to use that stereotype.

Liverpool Stereotypes
It is largely stereotyped by people of other regional identities (primarily people from London and other "higher" areas) that people from Liverpool are unintelligent, uneducated, thieves, violent and hopeless. This is down to the fact that traditionally people in Liverpool did low paid jobs and left school early, now however this is largely untrue. Most current media representations of Liverpoolians are the old fashioned, outdated view.

Newcastle Stereotypes
This is one of the most stereotyped region in the UK, one stereotype of how a Geordie should be is that they are loud, usually drunk, always joking and many more things. These stereotypes are largely unfounded and not true. There are many successful people from Newcastle, thus contradicting the stereotype that people from newcastle are uneducated. Examples of Geordie stereotypes in media are Tosker and some other characters from our friends in the north. They largely fit the common stereotype. 

Yorkshire Stereotypes
The dialect in Yorkshire is easily distinguishable. The most common stereotype of a Yorkshire person is as tight with money, there is a saying that "a Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out of him", which referrers how Scotsmen are also stereotyped as being tight but not as tight as people from Yorkshire . Yorkshire people are often stereotyped as friendly but they are also stereotyped to be "bloody-minded" argumentative and stubborn. Generally it is stereotyped that men from Yorkshire wear flat caps and tweed style clothes. There are certain foods that are commonly associated with Yorkshire, these include: Yorkshire puddings, potatoes and other similar foods.

Birmingham Stereotypes
Brummies as they are referred to commonly, are largely stereotyped to be relatively unintelligent, this stereotype was largely brought about by the fact that a lot of Brummies had low level manufacturing jobs, for companies such as the now collapsed MG Rover Group. They had these jobs as there where many, and a lot of them where following in at least one ansestors footsteps. This is largely untrue today as many of the big employers have either seised trading or moved most of the production abroad, this is the case with MG Motor UK. The intelligence stereotype is also related to their instantly recognisable accent. Which to some may sound unintelligent.

Welsh Stereotypes
Wales is sometimes known as the land of song, and is used for its singers. A very widely used stereotype of Welsh people is that they all like rugby, although many people in wales do, in fact like rugby it is not everyone. The welsh also have their own accent when speaking English but they do also have their own language.
One example of a TV Drama that uses Welsh stereotypes is Gavin and Stacy, which all of Welsh characters, speak in the stereotypical accent. Another example of a TV drama that focuses on Welsh stereotype areas is Sky 1 series Stella.

Irish Stereotypes
There are many Irish stereotypes, one of the most widely used ones is that Irish people only eat potatoes, and cant be without them. This of course as with most stereotypes is not true and is a dated and passed view to take. Also a big stereotype area for the Irish is that they drink a lot, this I'm not going to go into to much detail about as it is not completely incorrect, however it's not 100% correct either. Ireland is often associated with lepricorns and people having ginger hair which again ins't true. The TV comedy Mrs Brown's Boys includes a lot of the above stereotypes and many more.

London Stereotypes
London can be seen in various ways because, as with other big cities there are good parts and bad parts. The residents from the better parts are stereotyped to be rich, which is largely true, well spoken, which is again, largely true and snobbish which can depend on the person in question. These stereotypes can be seen in some of the episodes of Sherlock Holmes. The other side to London stereotypes is the poorer not so good side of London, which its residents are largely stereotyped to be gang members, ethnic minorities, uneducated and other similar things. These are mostly untrue for the most part. These characters can be seen often on TV.

Essex Stereotypes 
Essex is an area where many stereotypes are aimed at, most of these are appearance related. For example it is widely stereotyped that people from Essex have fake body features, are orange and have had their teeth whitened. It is further stereotyped that they can only care about their appearance and that that is their number one priority, which is true in some cases. The Show The Only Way Is Essex uses these stereotypes and to an extent has caused them to be more widely used.

Cornwall Stereotypes
One of the most used and well known stereotypes for Cornwall is the fact that they are "inbred" this stereotype is obviously incorrect and can cause significant offence to local people. a further stereotype is that the people there are "backward" again this causes great offence to residents of Cornwall. Unfortunately these stereotypes are used in TV and it needs top be stopped.

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Regional identity in TV drama - Our Friends

By: Nathan on 10:19

Analysis
Regional identity is represented in various ways through the 4 areas of representation in this clip from our friends.
The first shot is an over the shoulder shot this shows one of the male characters, he enters in  a rush type fashion, this could be a representation that he has not been educated on how to behave in such scenarios (posh restaurants). The next scene, is also an over the shoulder shot, this time however focusing on the other characters, another male and a lady, as soon as she says "hello" we can instantly tell she has a different regional identity to the rest of the characters, she appears to be from London or another "posh" area. On the other hand they appear to be from Newcastle, this is represented through diegetic sound when she speaks, the way she says "hi" we can instantly tell that she is of a "posher" regional identity.

Further more in the scene where she starts to read the menu and asks whether anyone has had the gamberoni, all the other characters appear confused, this instantly gives the viewer the impression that she is of a higher class region then the others. When the male character hesitates and then suddenly exclaims "prawns" it backs up our initial impression that he is less educated due to being from a socially perceived "lesser" region.
As far a mise-en-scene is concerned for this scene, the "posher" woman is clearly more used to wearing the upmarket clothes.

Helen then asks about the prawns, which is diegetic sound, the male from Newcastle then replies by describing the prawns. The characters from Newcastle laugh but Helen clearly doesn't find it funny, this represents that her sense of humor is different to theirs. Which could portray that she is from a more highly perceived regional identity. 
Subsequently there is a mid-shot of Tosker which shows him attempting to eat the spaghetti. He tries to eat some of the spaghetti from his fork. However, he largely fails as all of the spaghetti falls off his fork and back onto the plate before he places the food in his mouth. This could be trying to represent how Geordies may be perceived to not have very good table manners and are not be used to situations like eating in posh restaurants. 

When Mary and Helen are having a conversation (which is diegetic sound) Tosker interrupts. Helen replies to this interruption by stating "I'm sorry I was talking to Mary".  This could represent that Helen is not familiar with people interrupting into a conversation and she is used to talking to one person at a time. This may further suggest how people from Newcastle have little manners and talking over people is included in this, Tosker appeared to have no problem in interrupting. It may also show that people from London like Helen, have better manners and are not afraid to say what and how they are feeling as she appears to tell him right away that she was in fact, talking to Mary and that she does not wish for him to join the conversation.

The intelligence of Geordies is then touched upon by way of Tosker saying to Helen "whats one of them" (referring to the job she has said). This represents both that the types of jobs available in Newcastle aren't as "high end" as their London counterparts, and that Geordies aren't as educated as they fail to construct a proper sentence.

Eventually the focus turns to region based financial stereotypes, which links to the previous issue of the job, this comes about due to the fact that Helen doesn't respond to Tosker when he asked about what her job is, yet she choses to respond when the question is about money, this would be arguably a representation that people from London and other "higher" status regions are likely to have more money, it also portrays them as liking to show off their wages. This financial stereotyping continues when Tosker asks how much the deserts are, which could imply that people from Newcastle are tighter with money as they don't earn as much. The waiter laughs the question off (takes it as a joke). This is the stereotype that again, higher class people (which largely come from places like London), don't have much care over money as they earn more. 

Once that scene is finished, we move on to a series of close ups when Helen and Tosker start arguing, this is used to make us able (as viewers) to feel their emotions and establish their feelings more easily. In relation to regional identity though, this effect could be used to establish the representation that at this particular given moment there is no authority, as Tosker's less jokey and more serious side is revealed. This could portray the fact that in certain areas people are equal no matter what their regional background is.
When Helen realises this she quickly starts to laugh, and as Tosker doesn't know how to deal with this, she regains authority in the situation. This further backs up the point that people from London are stereotypically cleverer and thus are able to plan ahead better. It also could represent the stereotype that Londoners are rude.

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