Representation of Age - Criminal Justice

Initial Thoughts:
The first thing I noticed was a young man / teenager entering manhood in a place filled with middle aged/ adult men, the boy also looked out of place, this represented that there was some hierarchy where age was concerned. The scene is set in a prison and the boy looks quite worried whereas the older people just seem to get along with it, this represents the older aged to be quite careless and easy going where as the boy is quite obviously concerned. The men older than the boy are also represented to be quite tough as they stand up against one another and one tries to push the younger boy around, almost seeing him as an easy target die to his age. The elderly are represented to be quite nosey as as soon as the boy walks into what looks like his shared cell, the old person is questioning what the man who previously talked to him wanted, showing an evident interest in other peoples live that aren't their own which can only be described as nosey. The elderly are also represented to be quite knowledgeable because when the boy is questioned what he is in for and answers, the old man continues saying what the other man had said, showing that it is a typical story and that due to his age he has heard it many a time before. This segment also represents the the boy and the old man to have a child and father relationship because the boy lies to the old man telling a story a friend has told him to say and the old man catches him out like a parent does. The old person is also represented to be friendly despite what he is 'in' for, this is shown in the way that he is giving the boy advice of what to do, this representation is very strong because the old man is in fact a criminal in addition to this. You can hear the men walking about as they have just woken up, the young man is still in bed, this is a representation of the young being lazy and lay about's, this representation is usually a stereotypical view about teenagers. The scene switches and the younger police officer asks the older police offer to check over his statement to see if he has done it right, this is like a child and teacher relationship, the younger person wants the adult to recognize and correct their efforts, this shows the representation of age hand in hand with superiority, the older person is higher up and in charge of the younger people.

Camera Shots: 
An extreme close up is used on the younger males face which highlights the emotion of worry on his face, this represents his age to be quite innocent. The fact that he is in prison and very unhappy about it does not make him seem like a hard, strong character and makes his seem as if he is too young and innocent to handle such a situation. This camera shot also highlights his features, showing that he has smooth young skin, rather than wrinkled which is a stereotypical representation of elderly. (0:23)

A medium close up shot is used of the old man, this shows his facial features which include wrinkles, baldness and slight breathlessness from the action of taking off his shoes. This represents the elderly to be quite weak, this is put in comparison to the young when the young male is shot being stood up with ease, whereas the old man is shot sitting down, taking off his shoes, clearly striving for comfort. (1:44)

An over the shoulder shot is put in use when the young male and old man are sat talking sitting down, the old mans is talking first which represents the hierarchy of age when speaking, but mainly it shows respect and that the old man is thought of first when filming rather than the young male. This over the shoulder shot also shows the young male listening, which again highlights the representation of respect and how it is more given to those of an older age. In contrast to this, earlier in the clip a middle aged man is shown harassing the young male which is a representation of no respect, the boy also just takes this harassment , showing the fear that is represented due to his young age and the tolerance due to the representation of respect given to those of an older age. (3:22)

There is a low angle shot from the boys shoulder which represents him looking up to the old man which again is the representation of the respect the youth have for the elderly. (3:50)

Editing:
The first thing I noticed in terms of editing was right at the beginning, there are eye line matches between the young male and the older man, in the end the young male looks away as if it is a stare down. This is representation of the power that older ages hold, making them also a thought to be more important figure. (0:01)

In other eye line matches the young male seems to be looking up the the older people which represents the youth to be aware that their elders are more important than them, this is also a representation of the respect the youth have for their elders again. (0:28)

Sound: 
At the start there is a backing track which can only be described as mysterious and creepy, this is a representation of the boys feelings and how he feels scared and out of place, this is a representation of his age as he feels out of place next to older people, also this adds up well because the whole scene only contains older people and he is sort of the odd one.

There is also diegetic sound of the prison and the bustle of the amount of people in the prison this represents those of an older age (which the prison is made up of) of being quite loud and confident because of their age. The boy is silent which contrasts against this as it represents the older people being superior to him and the young people to be quite scared and attempt to fit in which is another representation of younger people strive to fit into certain groups.

A synchronous sound is the dialogue within therefore their voices, the young boys is quite timid which represents young people to be quite shy and again their attempt to fit in and not make too much of a fuss, also his voice is higher in comparison to the older mens which shows that he is young. The older mens voices are booming, loud and low which represents their age to be older and represents them to be confident, loud, bustling people.

Mise-en-scene: 
In the clip you can see there is a shot of the prison with barb wired around it which is a stereotypical thing for a prison. However the clip surrounds around the young boy and the barbed wire represents protection and therefore the protection that the boy could need because of his age and he is seen as a man but in fact a child due to his age against everyone else.

Also the man is taller than him when the man is blowing in his face, this represents the older you are the more superior you are and the higher up you are, which is represented literally within the height factor. The young man is smaller which represents him to be under the older peoples command. The older person is also in his face which represents the superiority and shows that he can take advantage of him. Also the people are also all dressed in the same, this is because it is in prison, however this is contradictory as it shows that everyone is equal when inside however everyone is not as the age makes them differ to who can take advantage of who. The only people not in the same uniform is the police (obviously) and the older person who is in a 'listener' t shirt, this is a representation to the audience that the older person is more important and more respectable due to his age.

Overall, age is mostly represented in the idea that the older the person is the more superior and the more respected the person is.

Representation of Gender in Cutting It

Initial Thoughts:

Right from the beginning the woman's hand is kissed and she smiles, representing the feminine gender to be appreciative of caring acts and therefore over emotional, however the man is giving affection which is usually associated with being feminine. Feminine is represented as being over emotional again when the woman wants to talk about her relationship problems and the man just sh's her, indicating that masculine is represented to be more easy going and perhaps physical within a relationship rather than someone who is feminine in a relationship who is represented to be more emotional and moving in a relationship. The man is a bit lost for words when the woman reveals she is going to see her consultant, which we assume is about a life threatening illness, the man is shown to be lost for words which represents the masculine to be quite physical again as they are unsure of how to deal with the emotional and are not quite sure of the right answer or the right approach. The man is twiddling his wedding ring as his wife is in the hospital which represents the masculine to be a gender that hides their true feelings behind closed doors as he is did not do this in front of her, therefore not letting on how much he thinks about her in front of her, this is perhaps the masculine are stereotyped to be tough and this would crush their hard exterior. The woman is crying as the shot returns to the hospital room which is representing the feminine to be emotional and unable to hide behind close doors in comparison to the masculine. The wife is then hit by a car and the husbands first reaction isn't to cry which was the woman's first reaction when hearing bad news, instead he rushes over, presenting the masculine to be a hero and therefore the feminine need them. Only right at the end of the scene after the wife has died does the man begin to cry, this counteracts the masculine stereotype however becomes an exception because someone close to him has just died before his very eyes.

Camera Shots:

The first shot used is a medium shot, which clearly shows the woman leaning on the man, this could be representation of how the feminine lean, meaning depend on the masculine for support. The medium shot is useful in this way as we can see the husband going for his wives hand, therefore comforting her. This counteracts the idea of the female being feminine as this movement is considered to be stereo typically feminine as they are believed to be the comforting one, therefore the male is represented to have feminine attributes. (0:05)

My previous point is counteracted when there is an extreme close up shot of the wife reaching for her husbands hand, which is a comforting gesture. This is the gender of feminine being represented as the woman is emotionally supporting the man as he she has just cracked news to him that we can guess is she has just told him she knows about his previous relations. The forgiving gestures is represented to be feminine as a stereotypical feminine trait is to be a push over and overpowered by those of masculinity. (0:50)

There is a high angle shot showing the man behind the desk and the woman in front of the desk, this represents the masculine to be in power and the feminine to follow the power. This is also a representation that there is masculine dominance and that feminine people are submissive, in this case, the masculine are the talkers and the feminine are the listeners. The seating in this shot is very important for the representation of gender,  as I have explained. (2:16)

There is a long shot used which shows the males physique as he runs towards the woman who has been run over, it also displays him running. This represents the masculine gender to be the hero of the situation and quite physical, which leads to the assumption that they are quite muscly, however in this sense we cannot really tell if the masculine man is muscular. (3:38)

Editing: (doesn't represent gender but general editing in this clip)

Cuts are used at various times in this clip as it quickly shoots from one shot to another, this is common within most TV and film as it is smooth and considered to be invisible (mainly for the audience and not so much annotators), it is also a quick way to move from one shot to another and prevents wasting time and perhaps saves using a different editing tool like a fade which may not fit in with the moment of the clip and would be visible to the audience.

A fade is used right at the end of the clip when the screen fades to black after the woman dies, this signifies the end of a narrative, in this term, the end of her life as she has died. The fade is different to the cuts used and it used to show the importance of what we have just seen, which evidently was what we assume was significant character as she was one of the 2 constants within the 5 minutes, dying. This highlights the moment and allows it to stand out.

Sound Types: 

The dialogues used is important for representation as when speaking the masculine person is represented to have a stereotypical deep voice and then feminine is represented to have a stereo typically higher voice than the masculine person.

Whilst receiving news from her consultant, non diegetic sound is played, which can only be described as mood music as the song seems quite depressing, This reflects the woman's mood which represents those of a feminine gender to be emotional, as also the song is quite emotional. This is quite a stereotypical view held of those who are feminine.

Mise-en-scene: 

The woman and man are shot standing next to each other, the masculine man is wearing dark neutral colors whereas the feminine woman is wearing a light but noticeable tan coat. This is a representation of the feminine caring what they look like and their strive to stand out, whereas the masculine blend in and therefore are not overly bothered about what they look like. The masculine man is also in a suit in comparison to the feminine woman's casual day dress, this represents the masculine to be formal and therefore perhaps quite work orientated, making them a serious personality in majority. The feminine side contrasts this as the cute little day dress represents the feminine to be quite carefree and less up tight, which is demonstrated in the formal and informal wear contrast.

Breakfast at Tiffany's opening scene Textual Analysis

At the beginning there is an establishment of the company that created this film, this is a recognisable logo for the audience and allows them to decide if they like the creators from previous films to determine whether they will like this one. This is also a credit as it is acknowledging the people who made this film.

A fade then darkens from the logo to the establishing shot, the screen darkens in order for this happen. This signals the end of the creators logo credit for the audience and they become aware that the film is about to start, this works as a smooth transition for the audience and it is not too sudden and does not break continuity harshly.

Music begins it is non diegetic , the sound acts as a description for the character, the music acts as sweet and pretty, the music is played alongside the woman getting out of the cab and her walking around Tiffany's, therefore the music could only describe which creates character establishment that she is both sweet and pretty which is reinforced when she gets out the cab because you can see she is pretty visually and you can assume she is sweet as she is kind of cute for bringing a breakfast to eat outside of Tiffany's which we also assume is her favourite shop due to her being there to window shop so early before anyone else is up. She is also established to be cute because she has dressed up to go to her favourite shop, the music is just generally helpful for character establishment. The audience could also assume it is morning from the music as it isn't to loud and its sweet, therefore leading to the assumption that people would like to wake up to it.

The first shot used in this opening sequence is an establishing shot, this is good for an opening sequence because it allows the audience to know where the film is going to be set which helps understand the personality of the characters as you then can see if they are like the other people or the stereotype set for that place. You can tell that this film is set in America because the cab is yellow and that is a common association with America, you can tell that it is specifically set in New York though because you can see the Empire State Building. There is also mise-en-scene within this shot as you can tell that the region is urban as there are concrete streets and lack of foliage compared to a country region. There are buildings lining both sides of the street, telling the audience that the region is busy and urban. There are several street lights also lining the streets which tells us that this place is a place where people visit at night also . The buildings are modern telling us that this place is a modern area and therefore urban because if this was set in the country there most likely wouldn't be many buildings to start with however the ones that there are would have been old. The use of the modern buildings and the streets alert the audience that this is set in an urban region. The street lights are also on but the sky is also getting light, this allows the reader to assume that it is morning as with the region of city the people are stereo typed to be nocturnal therefore the audience guesses its morning which sets the scene further for the audience by the use of mise-en-scene as it is the use of lighting.

A pan shot is used to follow the cab which shows the main focus in the shot and you know that the person who steps out of the cab is going to be important because the camera is following them so all the audiences attention is now on them . This is god for an opening scene as you can assume that the person who gets out of the cab is going to be the main character therefore there is establishment of character. The cab also works with mise-en-scene as due to its association with New York we again know that this is set in New York and therefore that the region is urban within this clip.


There is a low angle shot of the Tiffany&Co sign which establishes where the setting is for the audience, you now know that the woman has came to visit this shop. Also the use of the shop shows the sign to be higher than the woman and she is blurred about which helps the character establishment as you can see that form this positioning that the woman looks up to this shop and loves it, in facts idolises it.





This shot is an extreme long shot and allows us to see both where the person is and who the person is. You can see from this that the person is a glamorous woman, and you can she is on a sidewalk in New York window shopping. This is good for character establishment as we now know she is the main character as for a good couple of minutes she is the only person in focus telling us that she is mostly likely to be the main focus of the film the whole way through. You can see within this shot that the woman is wearing a long sleek black dress that is very flattering, this tells the audience that the woman is feminine as she is into feminine things, she is also observing a Tiffany's window showing that she has an interest in jewellery and general feminine things. This is helpful for the audience for character establishment as you can tell she is a girly girl and this is a stereotypical feminine woman. In this shot the actresses name also appears alongside her, which makes the audience aware who is playing who, there is no one else in the shot so it is evident that the actress in the shot is Audrey Hepburn, this allows the audience to establish who the main actress is in this film.




The title is shown right next to Audrey Hepburn when she gets her coffee out and holds a croissant in her mouth. We already know she is a Tiffany's from a previous shot, so if you put both together you can clearly see she is having breakfast at Tiffany's just like the title. The fact the Audrey Hepburn is right beside the title reinforces that she is the main character as she is placed right next to the title which highlights her importance, especially since she is the only person in the shot.  This shot also raises a question for the audience, is this a regular thing for the woman or is this the first time she has done it? This grips the audience and makes them want to find out, they also want to find out why she has such a fascination with the shop, this makes an audience want to continue watching.


The credits continue within the opening scene and this alerts the audience of who is who, this is also helpful for character establishment as the audience may recognise and actors name and then choose to watch the film because that actor is in it.

Within this shot you can see that woman is by a door and because she is looking down we can assume she is looking at a keyhole and therefore we can assume that this is where she lives, We know that she lives in an apartment sort of place so we know that she isn't rich, even though her clothing suggests otherwise. This shot is good for character establishment as we learn about her class position and then learn that because of her class position yet her contradicting clothing, she has an interest in fashion.







Overall I think this was a good opening scene because from it I learnt that a lot about Audrey Hepburn's character, also I learn about opening sequences in general and the main aspects which are included, for example, music and opening credits. However this opening sequence seemed to be an introduction to the film, which I liked.

Sound track opening inspiration

We were instructed to listen to this piece of music and then imagine what images come in our head for a film opening. The music was both sad and dramatic so I got the image of a teenager standing at a grave and the camera switches between the teenage girls eyes and the tombstone, zooming in on the tomb stone with each cut, and zooming in on the person on each cut, focusing more and more on their eyes each time. Then there is an extreme close up of the eyes and bright light shines and it goes into a flashback. There are various shots, with the 2 peoples clothes changing each time, the teenager is being yelled at by her drunk father. In these shots you also see the girls dad raising his hand at her indicating that he beats her but before the crash comes down on her it switches to the next shot. On the last shot the girl is in the living room being shouted at (however all dialogue is muted so technically it could be miming) and you see him getting more and more in her face and then you see the girl reach slowly for the knife thats behind her as she knows that a beating is coming and she cant take it anymore, the dialogue sound comes in and all you hear alongside the music is her father saying "You worthless piece of shit" and then she grabs the knife and with a really angry face you see her stab him and then a bright light appears and freezes the frame and then the bright light re appears in the teenagers eyes and the flashback is over. There is then a long shot of the teenager at the grave, there is then an establishing shot taken behind the tombstone and you see the teenager walking away, this shot is also wide and that is the opening scene I imagined.





With the second soundtrack i found the music quite depressing so I imagined a wife leaving her husband and she is shouting as she is gathering her things in the bedroom, however it is mimed so all you can hear is the music, the husband tries to grab her hand but she yanks it away, zips up her suitcase and runs downstairs , this shot taken from bottom of the stairs so you can see her leaving him. he then chases down the stairs and all that is left in the room is his chair that he sat in, everything else has been taken by her and removed. She shakes her head as they both stand in the door way and he she has tears in her eyes, over the music all you hear is an "I love you and I will always love you, I just don't like you anymore" She then walks out the door and it switches to the husbands eyes and there is flashback of him carrying her into the house. It then switches back as the door finally shuts. There is then a flashback of them playfully painting a room together, it then flashes to normal time and there is an extreme close up of the husbands mouth taking a swig from a whisky bottle. There is then a flashback of the husband and wife laying in bed together. There is then a close up of a lot of empty bottles showing the amount he drunk, there is the a flashback to a doctors room and the doctor writes miscarriage on a piece of paper which is an extreme close up and then the camera lifts to the wife crying on the hospital bed with the husband holding her. The flashback is then over and the woman is walking back through the door in different clothing and more winter clothing, indicating it has been a long time since she has left. There is a long shot of her and then there is a long shot of her husband who is laying still in the chair and a bottle is smashed on the floor which lays under his hung hand, the wife rushes over to the body which she realises is dead and it is an over the shoulder shot of the dead man meaning you can see his wife from his perespecting. She is crouched down and beside her you can see the ghost of her husband who is staring at his wife with tears in his eyes, the camera slowly zooms in on the ghost indicating that the film is going to be about the ghost.

Representation of Regional Identities- North and South Extract

Initial Thoughts: 
Right from the very beginning it is evident that this clip is a period drama and set in a different time period as the English is very posh and the props are also very old. The woman is wearing a bonnet which isn't stereo typically 21st century, also the source of lighting seems to be by candle which defies the current light bulb as a source of light. In this clip it also seems that God is a main theme as when the woman is talking she seems hurt that the man may have betrayed his faith or goodness to God in some way, showing that belief is important which it was back in olden times.  However this textual analysis is based on how regional identity is represented, through a first viewing of the clip the regional identity is represented through speech when the woman is saying that all the people in this place want is "money and smoke", at first listen I can guess that she is talking about urban people, I know i'm right when the scene then switches to an urban scenery, this represents urban people to be quite selfish and their main priority is to earn money or own luxuries. The urban setting is made out to be quite rough as it is described to have "no green" making it be represented as place for business and not a home setting. The urban setting is also represented to be quite busy and rushed when men pile down the stairs alarming the country lady, this also represents there to be a big difference between the region of urban and country. Without going too far into it as this is just an initial thoughts, it is evident that within just 3 minutes and 5 seconds with my first time viewing the clip that there a lot that represents a stereotype of certain regions, urban in this clip especially.

Camera Shots:

(0:04) The first shot used is a medium close up shot which reveals the woman's chest and up, from this hot you can clearly see a bonnet on the ladies head and a collared shirt, this isn't a stereo typical idea of current clothing. Later on in the clip the woman comments on how she is in an urban area and how she hates it, leading us to the assumption that she is a country girl and is used to a country setting. This represents people who live in a country setting to be quite old fashioned and perhaps even conservative in comparison to urban people.

Many extreme close up shots are used when people are bustling down the stairs, the shots also switch very quickly, this emphasizes the amount of people in one area which represents the urban region to be busy and very rushed in comparison to the country region which is represented usually to be quite relaxed and calm, however that is not shown in this clip. In this clip however a country girl is easily swept off her feet and is thought to be quite weak, puny and usually taken advantage of, this is proven in this clip.

(4:26) This shot is high angle therefore you can see an overview of the scene from this. In this shot you can see a lot of people showing again that the place is busy, you can can also see cobbled paved floor which is represented to be urban because if it was the country it would be represented with greenery and foliage. The urban region is represented to be quite fast paced and efficient.

Editing:

Cuts are mostly used within the conversations between the characters which shows the fast movement and how instant everything is, this reflects the representation of the urban area, which is represented to be fast paced and quick smooth movement. In fact, throughout this clip, mainly cuts are used, again reflecting the representation of the urban area, straight forward.

Sounds:

A diegetic sound is the pounding of the feet on the stairs as everyone rushes down, by the house you can tell that there a lot of people and you can hear that the foot steps are quick, this is representing the urban region to be busy and quick, which is the opposite of relaxation and calming, which is the country region which the two women are who seem to be quite different from everyone else.

(2:03) A non diegetic sound used is the mood music at the end of the first conversation, the mood music is quite intense and creates a horrible mood which is the result of the argument between the man and woman which I am assuming are husband and wife. This doesn't really have anything to do with the representation of regional identity however you could say that because the mood music is a result of the argument, the argument represents being self centered which is a reflection of the representation of everyone within the urban region.

(2:14) An asynchronous sound is the dogs barking off screen, this is quite the opposite of an urban representation as animals would usually be associated with the country region however this could represent urban regional identity for being loud as even animals are making noise as if the bustle of the people isn't enough.

Mise-en-scene:

(2:24) In this shot you can see washing hanging in the background which represents the urban area to be quite crowded and perhaps even overcrowded. You can also see women tending to the washing which leads us to the assumption that this is their job, which leads to the representation that people who are within the urban region are represented to be workers, money obsessed and therefore self centered. The ladies working are in a bonnet proving that they are working and aren't dressed up. However the woman at the front of the shot is dressed up and doesn't look as if she is about to work, this is shows that she is new to the area and doesn't really know what is happening, whereas the other people know they are there to work, which represents those of the urban regional identity to be quite determined and work orientated.

In conclusion I think this clip is a good representation of the urban region for regional identity and even the country region is represented through character and comparison. However overall the urban region is represented to be busy, self centered, rude, money orientated, work orientated, loud and fast paced. This is a very clear representation of urban and produces stereotypes that would not fit a country region, this however makes it clear to understand for an audience.