A Touch Of Frost - Analysis of Representation of Disability

To watch the clip, follow the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7P35GcPX94http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7P35GcPX94

          At the beginning of the scene, when Inspector Frost walks into the room and sits down to interview Billy, he is portrayed as being both vulnerable and slightly sinister at the same time. 

          This is established through the use of cinematography, as a medium close-up shot shows Billy with his head tilted to the side. The lighting used allows one side of his face to be shown in high-key lighting, and the other side of his face has a shadow cast over it. Billy also has a large cut on this side of his face. The high-key lighting connotes that Billy is a vulnerable and innocent character. However, the shadow connotes that he may have a more sinister side to his personality. The large cut on the shadowed side of his face adds to the suspected darker side of his character; although, this could also reinforce the pity that the audience feel for him. The injury is ambiguous, however, as it could make him look either like a victim of something or guilty of something. These portrayals could be linked to and define by Colin Barnes’ theory, as these descriptions can be put into several of his categories for disabled people; ‘pitiable and pathetic’, ‘an object of violence’, or ‘sinister and evil’. 

          Mise-en-scѐne is also used to portray both of the opposite aspects implied of Billy’s personality. For example, when the camera first enters the room and the audience is able to see Billy sitting down in the living room, he is made to look quite small in terms of the entire frame of the shot. He is positioned to the left of the shot, sitting in an armchair, and on the far right of the shot, a man is standing, with no light cast upon him, making the audience unable to identify him, but it can be presumed that he is a policeman. The room is basic and made to look quite empty, consisting of dark, dull colours, therefore allowing the audience to focus on Billy and the man standing in the room. The fact that Billy is made to look small and lonely in the shot, causes the audience to categorise him in Colin Barnes’ ‘pitiable’ group once again. However, this sense of innocence is contradicted by the fact that there is policeman standing in the room with Billy. This implies to the audience that Billy cannot be left alone in the room, to the extent that he needs a police officer to be present. This therefore gives the audience the impression that Billy could be a danger to himself or others around him.

          This part of the scene also uses cinematography to portray these two different traits of Billy’s character, as the lighting in the room shows Billy in harsh high-key lighting in comparison to the darkness of the rest of the room. This creates a spotlight effect which is shining on Billy. This use of spotlighting the character connotes that he is about to be interrogated, reflecting the situation that Billy will be in later on in the scene. Once again, the fact that it is implied that Billy is about to be interrogated, shows the audience that this character has maybe done something wrong, but on the other hand, he could be being falsely accused of something, causing the audience to feel sorry for him.

          Sound is also used to establish Billy’s personality in the way that Inspector Frost speaks to him. This is because although his tone of voice can be interpreted as caring, it is also quite patronising. This is shown through the fact that despite Billy being a young adult, Inspector Frost speaks to him like a young child. This reflects the stereotype of disabled people as being less intuitive than able-bodied people. This stereotyping is reinforced later on in the scene when Billy’s father feels the need to answer a question for him, presuming that Billy did not understand what was being asked; and also when Billy says something which Inspector Frost does not understand, so rather than ask Billy to explain, he completely ignores him and asks his father instead.

Monarch Of The Glen - Analysis of Representation of Age

 To watch the clip, you can follow the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs9vN5kvAmw

          In the scene when the headteacher is speaking to the man in charge in the office, cinematography is used to represent both characters in different ways. When looking at the man from the headteacher's point of view, there is a significant use of over-the-shoulder shots, which help to emphasise the fact that the audience is looking at the man from the viewpoint of the headteacher. This type of shot also gives the audience the impression that they may be listening in on their conversation, which in turn creates a certain amount of tension and suspense with what may be about to happen. The angle at which the over-the-shoulder shot is taken from creates a view which gives the man a sense of dominance within the scene, that makes him fit in quite well and more comfortably into the environment.
          This is in contrast to when the camera is showing the headteacher, who is an older character. This is because the camera does not use an over-the-shoulder shot, but a wide-angle shot. This makes the character look quite small in terms of the shot, as there is a lot of empty space around him. The fact that the shot makes the character look quite isolated, gives the connotations (Barte's theory) that he may be an outsider to the environment in which he is in.
    
          The mise-en-scene is also used to represent age within this scene. For example, the way in which both characters are dressed suggests the kind of background that they may come from and are used as signifiers (Saussure's theory) for the kind of status and job that each of them may have. The man is wearing a shirt, coat, trousers and Wellington boots. This gives the audience the implication that he is middle-aged and capable of hard manual work. Whereas, the headteacher is wearing a suit, which implies that he is smart, professional and respected. The way in which he is dressed shows that he may be quite old fashioned and traditional, but also quite authoritative. This therefore makes it quite difficult to determine which one of the characters is the dominant subject within the scene.

Hotel Babylon - Analysis of Representation of Ethnicity

To watch the clip, you can follow the link below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl5EDzss4-Q

          This clip explores the ways in which ethnic minorities are stereotypically represented and reflects the fact that these ethnicities can be stereotyped in such a way within society.

          The clip begins showing an older white male being served by a young black man. The white man is seen relaxing on a sun-lounger by the swimming pool in a dressing gown. Whereas, the black man, who could be assumed as being a waiter, is dressed in a smart black suit behaving attentively towards the customer/client. Although the mise-en-scene is quite plain, the audience immediately gets the impression that the scene is set in quite a posh and expensive, higher class hotel. The basic pastel colours give the setting quite a 'clean' look, and compliment the fact that the mise-en-scene is quite empty, as this gives the impression of quite a peaceful and tranquil place.
          The high key lighting on the white male suggests that he is important and has a higher and more significant status than anyone else in the screen shot. however, there is a slight shadow and lower key lighting cast on the black waiter, which implies that he is not of a very high status and is not very significant within the shot. The audience's attention is therefore drawn straight to the customer rather than the waiter. This could however cause juxtaposition, as the lack of lighting and therefore information that the audience gain from who the waiter is, could cause them to be more interested in who he is and what he is doing. The fact that the black man is initially represented as quite a mysterious character can be seen as quite stereotypical, as they audience does not know what
to expect.

         Near the beginning of the clip, a black man is seen to be conversing with the waiter previously seen in the clip. The two characters seem to contrast in terms of their stereotypes through the use of mine-en-scene. The guest has dreadlocks and tattoos, along with noticeable silver jewellery. These features can be associated with someone involved in gang culture, therefore suggesting that this character may cause trouble. This stereotype is also emphasised by the way in which he speaks, as he uses a lot of slang, and language which you would not normally associate with the type of environment in which he is in. As previously mentioned, the mise-en-scene shows the setting as being an expensive, higher class hotel. This gives the implication that is character does not belong in this type of setting, which causes the audience to be interested into why he is there. This is in contrast to the waiter, who is dressed in a smart suit and is quite well-spoken, suggesting a more sophisticated character, which in turn makes him look more comfortable and suited to the environment. This gives the connotation (Barte's theory) of the fact that the guest represents the typical stereotype of a young black man, whereas the waiter could represent how he has broken this stereotype. This suggests that, through their familiarity with each other, the waiter may have had a past which was involved with the other characters and gang culture, which he is does not want to go back to.
          During the conversation between the guest and the waiter, there is a frequent use of over-the-shoulder shots when the camera is on the characters. This use of cinematography could connote the fact that one or both of the characters may have something to hide. This is shown, as the over-the-shoulder shots make the audience feel as if they are sneaking up behind the characters and almost as if they are listening in on their conversation. This in turn suggests that they are talking about something which they shouldn't be talking about, which relates back to the stereotyping of gang culture and young black people causing trouble.

          During the clip, there is a scene when two maids go into the room of a Japanese man, and it is suggested that they are there to pay him an extra service in order to receive extra money. The fact that both the maids are European could be seen as stereotypical, of the fact that it is not uncommon for the majority of maintenance staff to be foreign, as these types of jobs do not require many qualifications. Before the maids walk into the room, the more dominant maid tells the other maid something, which suggests that even the lower status staff have levels of authority within their groups.
          When the more inferior maid is told what she is going to have to do, she is seen touching the cross which she is wearing around her neck. The cross is a signifier (Saussure's theory) of the fact that the maid is Christian. It is therefore implied that what she is about to do could be of concern in terms of her religious beliefs, which creates tension within the audience, as they know that something climatic may be about to happen.
          Later on in the scene, there is a close-up shot of the Japanese man and then immediately after, a close-up shot of a pile of money on the table beside him. The close-up shot could also be seen as a reaction shot, as it shows the reaction of his face to what the maids are doing, which is an expression of anticipation. The diegetic sound is quite sensual, and put together with the man's facial expression, the audience gains a clearer idea of what is about to happen, and what the maids must do to get extra money. Also, when the camera shows a close-up shot of the money, there is a non-diegetic chiming sound. This gives the connotation of something that is magical or precious; it emphasises the importance of money from the maids' point of view and suggests to the audience how rare this kind of money is for them.

Hotel Babylon - Immigration Raid - Analysis of Representation of Ethnicity

To watch the clip, you can follow the link below:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VG5GJQjyGo


          In this clip, the stereotyping of ethnic minorities and immigrants is reflective of the stereotyping that occurs in society. During the clip, the hotel is being raided by the immigration authorities.

          Near the beginning of the clip, when the immigration authorities first enter the hotel, the camera pans across the foyer and reception to show the setting and give the audience a broad view of what the hotel is initially like. The mise-en-scene consists of bright lighting to bring out the light colours of the walls. This connotes a happy atmosphere, and the use of light colours connotes something fresh and new. The mise-en-scene also includes some paintings on the walls and abstract furniture, along with quite a few glass objects, such as vases and chandeliers. The fact that the hotel consists of these objects, gives the implication that it is a very modern and high quality hotel with high standards. This is complimented by the way in which the manager, who is a white female, is dressed; in a smart, white suit, giving the connotations of also being quite sophisticated and of a higher status. However, this is in contrast to the immigration officers, who are all white males, and are dressed quite plainly and in dull colours, which implies that they are mysterious characters, which in turn makes the atmosphere less cheerful and more dark and suspicious. This is also emphasised by the background music which is played as the immigration authorities approach the manager at the reception desk. This is because the music begins quiet and slow-paced, subtly played in the background; but when the camera cuts to the scene with the immigration officers, the music becomes slightly louder and more fast-paced, and can be noticed more, and can create tension within the audience.

          In the clip, when Jackie, who is in charge of the hospitality staff, (which includes the immigrants), is told by her colleagues that there is an immigration raid about to happen, the audience is able to see her office. The mise-en-scene of her office is very cluttered and quite plain, consisting of quite a lot of cardboard boxes and stationary equipment. This is in contrast to the way she is dressed, as she is in smart business-wear, making her appearance quite sophisticated, and suggesting that she has some type of authority within the hotel. She is also of an ethnic background, which is significant because although she is seen as quite a higher status and professional, her office suggests that despite all of this, she may still have quite a low level of authority in terms of the broad range of staff at the hotel.

          During the panic of hiding the immigrants, one of the female workers faints. The person in charge does not know what to do in the situation and therefore, her superiority over the immigrants decreases. Another worker takes control of the situation, although the camera angle remains low, which connotes inferiority. This is until he mentions that he "wasn't always a cleaner". This gives the implication that in his country of origin, he was someone of authority, as he had a medical background. This realisation, by both the audience and the previously superior character, is represented through the camera, as there is a transition from the low angle shot to an eye-level shot. This suggests that this kind of behaviour and knowledge would not have been expected of an immigrant and someone of a lower class, and due to his expertise and ability to take control of the 
situation, he became of an equal status to that of the original person in authority.

           After the immigration raid, when the workers have found out that another co-worker has been caught and taken by the authorities, there is a short scene in which a person of authority is seen emptying the locker of the captured immigrant with some workers watching in the background. The positioning of the shot is such that the person of authority is in the foreground in sharp focus as a medium close-up in the far right of the shot. Whereas the other workers are grouped together in the background in slightly less sharp focus as a mid-shot, taking up the majority of the rest of the screen shot. This subtle use of camera positioning allows the audience's attention to be drawn to not only the person of authority, as she is seen as the larger subject in the shot, but also the immigrants, as they are grouped together and take up most of the screen space. The positioning of the characters also creates a sense of the situation being 'them and us'. This is also shown by the fact that the person of authority is a white female, seen on her own, well-dressed, taking control of the situation, which all give the connotations of someone who is independent, sophisticated, well-educated, and of a higher status. This is in contrast to the immigrants who are grouped together, dressed in plain uniforms, all of an ethnic background, and only being able to watch what is going on in the background. This description gives the connotations of people who are more dependent on each other and of a lower status. 

           Towards the end of the clip, the camera crabs across a scene in the workers' dining area. The mise-en-scene consists of very little, making the setting look quite plain and dull. This, therefore, gives the audience the implication of quite an unhappy atmosphere. This reflects the way in which these immigrants are treated compared to the 'front-of-house' staff who are represented as being of a higher status. The contrast between the main hotel, which is decorated with high quality furniture, and the workers' dining area, which is dull and completely bare, shows the clear divide between the immigrant workers and the English workers.