Toy Story 3 Case Study

Skins Analysis

The clip I watched in skins showed a group of youngsters who are waking up in the morning and getting ready or starting a new day. Different camera shots are used in this clip to help the audience understand the storyline. The different shots also keep the audience involved and excited. The over the shoulder shot is used when the boy (Tony) is looking down from his window at what can be assumed to be his parents and sister getting in to a car, this diagonal over the shoulder shot gives the viewer a similar view as Tony once again involving them in to the drama. He seems to be waiting for them to leave. The distance between himself and the people bellow I believe represent the emotional distance between himself and them. We also see other camera shots such as a recurrence of Ariel shots through the clip, of Chris and other cast members sleeping. I think that this is used because it shows us the cast waking up and opening their eyes and it gives us a direct introduction to the different people. Another camera shot was used such as the tilt shot, this was used when the camera was moving over Sid’s body as he lay in bed, his stomach was covered with a stretched portrait of Casey and the camera continued to tilt upwards as we see his face when it stops. This shot was given to create suspense between the audience and what is going on it the scene, as we had to wait until last to see who the person in bed was.

The clip also contained sound which complimented the narrative. The sound helped the audience know what is going on; the dialogue for example allows the audience knows what is being said between the characters in the clip. We see sound in the clip again as ambient sound. An example of this could be the noise of cars in the background. This is used because it makes the scenes much more realistic. We see lots of use of sound bridge, when the music carried on but the images changed to different people sleeping in bed, this may have been used to connect the people together as to say that they were associated to each other. Another example of sound was used when the theme music was played in the background at the start of the clip. The sound was calm when people were happy and loud when something was wrong. The theme music is used again as a logo for the programme. Near the end of the clip a voice over is used when Casey is writing to Sid and her back is turned toward us. This could have been used to show Casey’s inner thoughts. Therefore connecting the character and the audience together as the character reveals their inner thoughts.

Editing was also used in the clip when Anwar and Max are on the phone talking to each other we see cross-cutting being used between them. This may have been used to show the reactions and emotions the characters make while talking to each other. Another use of editing that was very recurring was the use or a jump cut between every shot. This was used to show a clean break and it looks much more professional. The use of an eye line match is shown when Anwar is on the phone to max and we can see him holding a girls photo as he speaks and then a shot that shows the photo in his perspective. This edit may have been put in to give effect as to how much this girl may mean to him, or to show the girl in the photo more accurately.

Essay Plan

Group Case Study

Waterloo Road- IR

In this shot we see Christine Mulgrew, who is a teacher suffering with an alcohol addiction.Prior to this scene, we see Christine attack a pupil and see the alcohol truly take over her.This close up, high angle shot threw the railings comes across as though she is in prisonbecause of the cameras positioning. This relates to the character herself because of whatshe does e.g.- drinks in school and assaults pupils; in a way it is saying that she should be inprison. The high angle shot conveys that she still has authority and is of a high position inthe school however, the fact that she is sat down on the stairs contrasts with the idea of her authority and in fact pushes her back down be

cause of her state of mind and how she’s going against school rules. The following wide shot shows her sat on stairs that go up,straight then down- again relating to her life as it could be described as a sort of rollercoaster. The wide shot allows us to see the whole scenery but also makes her look verysmall and almost as if everything is over crowding her making her look very intimidated andout of control. We then see a hand move into the close up shot and knock a bottle of vodkaout of her hand, emphasising how out of control she is. The close up of the broken bottle on the floor could symbolise almost Christine’s broken heart because of the broken bottle as she is so attached and addicted to the alcohol she feels she cannot deal without it.

 

Her son, Connor, then comes into shot and he seems to be towering over her taking all of the control as she is helpless. This is exaggerated through the contrasting camera angles.Eye line shots are used for Connor but high angle shots are used for Christine. Despite thefact, the high angle shots are used for Christine, which usually indicate the power within ascene, it is in fact Connor with all of the power and a higher status in one way or another because his mother is sat down looking up at him- almost like a parent and child exceptreversed.

 

The majority of the shots used in this scene are all close ups which really allow us to see allof their facial expressions as it is an emotional scene between the two of them. This alsoallows us to feel more of a part of the action and really transfer their feelings to your own.

 

The main representational issue in this scene is age but it is not the stereotypical age issue.Stereotypically, the older the person, the wiser, powerful and more in control they are,however this conveys the opposite. As Christine cannot look after herself, her son has to doit for her in contrast to the norm of a mother looking after her son.

Spooks IR

I watched a clip from the popular TV drama, spooks. Whilst watching this clip, I looked at what features were post important to create such a tense and exciting scene.
To begin with, I looked at sound. In the clip, sound was used with: Helicopter noises (diegetic); sirens from the police cars (diegetic); shouting dialogue (diegetic); fast pace music at the beginning of the clip (non-diegetic); slow, tension building paced music at the end (non-diegetic).
The director has used diegetic noises of sirens at the beginning of the clip, in order to signify that this is a situation of panic and urgency. This instantly makes the audience feel more on edge, as they hear the loud sirens, recognise it is a warning of danger, and they are curious as to what is happening in the scene.
The use of the diegetic sound of the helicopter flying makes the audience feel worried. It signifies the seriousness of the scene as the police have had to bring in people in aircrafts; it indicates the criminals being chased are dangerous. This adds to the excitement of the scene, as it makes the audience feel they are involved in a thrilling scene.
The uses of such vehicals make the programme look more successful and planned, making it instantly more appealing. This is because the audience recognise that using a helicopter is an expensive prop and stunt for a programme to include, therefore they feel the programme is worth watching.
The dialogue is very important in this clip as it also signifies the panic of the situation. The characters are shouting over the loud noise of the rushing air, caused by the helicopter. They are all shouting over each other, this illustrates their fear and worry. This is effective, as if the scene was silent and the characters were just discussing politely what was happening, it would give the impression they are calm. Therefore the diegetic loud use of voices, adds to the tension of the scene, making the audience feel more on edge when watching it and building excitement to the outcome of the actual programme.
Fast pace music is used also to create tension amongst the audience also. It is played at the beginning of the clip, as this is where all the high angle shots of the helicopters and cars are. Therefore it is used to build up of excitement and curiosity for the audience, as they wonder what is going to happen.
On the other hand, slow paced, tension building diegetic music is used at the end of this clip, as the innocent are being revealed and the guilty have been discovered. This is in order to create a sense of sadness, however also for a sense of relief, as the audience feel all has been resolved.  It also creates sympathy for the person that is being kicked off the service, as he has done wrong. But the slow paced music makes the reader confused about who they should side with.
I also looked at the camera editing. The camera is usually directed on the men as women are a key feature in the clip. The camera is moving fast, changing shots with the pace of the music. There are a lot of cross cuts this makes the clip seem more action packed. Also there is shaking headshots making the audience feel like they are part of the action. Moreover there is an extra long shot of the area allowing the audience to see where the actors are. Close ups warm the audience to wanting to watch the programme and feel like there is a personal connection.
The quick cut pace of the camera editing draws attention to the speed the men are in leaving the women behind looking like not as much as an influence and un-needed. Also when the camera zoom's in on the man it evokes he is a key role where as the woman is not.
Gender is used clearly to portray men in a way that makes them wrong. As the bad person is male, and the officer that fires him is male too. Everything the woman says is ignored by the male and seems unimportant. Therefore, men are shown to hold power and status that women are not.
I then analysed representation. It is raining in the clip, which represents the desperation and sadness of the situation the characters find themselves in. In addition, the barren trees connote the season and the despair of the situation.
In addition to this, all of the men are wearing standard business looking dress while the woman is wearing jeans and a regular top. This objectifies women because they are ‘supposed’ to be looking attractive when they are around men.
Another point is that there is only one woman in the entire scene, out of about ten characters. She only gets a total screen time of ~15 seconds which signifies how women are oppressed and not valued in the media. The fact that men occupy almost all of the screen time represents the hegemonic norm of men being the most important part of the police force. It is important to note that all of the men are looking very serious and seem to be armed, while the woman is not.
           This clip also gives us some insight in to the hierarchy of the police force, and how superiority works within what the director of Spooks thinks the police force is like. It is quite obvious that the man in the middle of the police trio is the man in charge, and lets his two inferiors do the talking for him until it comes time to decommission the rogue operative. Lower still than the two officers helping the boss, are the guards. This is immediately obvious when the boss shouts a command at one of the guards, ‘take him back’ and the guard immediately responds to this.
This clip also has some ideas of relationships between men. It signifies the heated moments that can happen when two men have a disagreement, and ultimately ends with one police officer losing his job. The connotation of relationships between men is most apparent when the rogue operative yells “I’ve woken up to this job!” directly at his boss.
Lastly, I chose to acknowledge what I could about the mise en-scene. The whole scene is presented in a dark blue tone; this represents the darkness, coldness and bad events. At the beginning the car swerves and a helicopter chasing them and already the audience are introduced to a chase being pursued and the audience are engaged to what’s going on and why. Also all the cars that are seen are black this forebodes that the people in the cars might be responsible for negative behaviour later in the show. The dark colours the men in the cars are wearing again suggesting the darkness and negativity of this scene. We see that one man is behind the other this shows status of the man in front. Also when they are confronting each other there seems to be multiple people against one, this is unfair, the one man loses the argument and walks alone, signifying his loneliness and rejection from the crowd.  We then see the helicopter fly above and over showing that he has lost and they have risen. Furthermore his cold breath shows his failure and disappointment.

Primeval IR

The sequence opens with an establishing shot of a an opening in a woody forest, with a calming strings music, which is in complete contrast to the acting and dialogue, as a man and woman are arguing. A shot reverse shot is used to capture the conversation, to make the viewer feel involved in the argument. The other characters are out of focus and small in the background to signify their insignificance to the scene, however the blonde man shows dominance by instructing the man to "let her go". The woman who runs away from the argument gets into a big Jeep, that can infer she likes to be strong and independent like the vehicle.
     It then cuts smoothly to a yellow digger in a forest with diegetic noise of it moving across the dirt. Cutting the scene quickly to another man setting up a trap, the director zooms the shot into the chunk of meat to suppose it is important later on in the episode. Back to the digger, there is a long close up of a woman in a digger, which is subverting the stereotype of women being feminine, as the job is quite manly. Meanwhile the blonde man is on foot collecting sticks. Matters thicken when the camera is moved to focus on the mud and captures a hand buried in a medium shot and then pans to the blonde man in a long close up to show his shock and horror. It then pans back to Abi in the digger; she has short dyed blonde hair which can be seen as masculine, but can also mean she is a strong character; her costume is all in black, which can infer she is very practical or a little boyish.
     A medium shot is cast upon the blonde man, as there is diegetic noise of a growl in the distance; this is so the audience can read the man's worried facial expression. An extremely fast pan moves to a long shot of lots of trees, which can build tension as you cannot see the animal yet. The music then picks up and becomes upbeat and lively, to match the tense and exciting atmosphere, that follows the sabertooth attacking the blonde man.
     It is unusual for this to happen, but the man was the damsel in distress, as he becomes trapped and helpless in a muddy hole. Then Abi is his shining knight in armour and distracts the sabertooth with the digger. This can represent that women are just as good and strong as men; so this programme can be seen as modern and controversial.
     The music continues to be upbeat and fast, as a birds eye view shot is used to see the man climb up the ladder; also to save time the editor cuts to the man near the bottom of the ladder to the top from a different angle. A variety of angles are used when the man is going down the zip-wire, to highlight the speed and the fear the man has; although normally men are supposed to seem brave and calm.

Hollyoaks Clip Analysis: IR

This clip is from the popular drama series Hollyoaks. We see a boy that is suffering from Schizophrenia attempt to commit suicide by jumping into the canal. There is very little dialogue throughout the whole clip but instead replaced with non-diegetic music that works just as well.

The scene begins with some orchestral, echo-y music which adds an element of suspense and mystery. Very faintly there is also a drum beat in the timing of a heart beat- this gives the impression that the audience is almost inside of Newt and can hear everything from his perspective as everything is very overwhelming for him. His girlfriend and foster father are stood watching on and they shout at him “there’s no one there, it’s just you!” the crackle in their voice portrays their panic and worry for Newt.

Non-diegetic music then comes in and it sounds very eerie and abstract linking to Newt’s character. The music consists of many different instruments such as strings, drums and brass which give it a very abnormal feel putting the audience one edge. As Newt jumps, there is dialogue from his father shouting ‘don’t jump’. Again, this is very echo-y and reinforces the idea that the audience is seeing the action through Newt’s eyes.

As he jumps, it cuts to his foster mother reading a fairytale to her son however the music continues to play over the top. This almost cuts out the horror of Newt committing suicide and replaces it with something the complete opposite- a fairytale. It could also represent the idea that his loved ones want it to be nothing but a story rather than being true. Ironically, the story she is reading is to do with a prince jumping into water.

As Newt hits the water, there is multiple different sounds overlapping one another: the sound of the water, the music and shouting from his foster father and girlfriend. However, the music has now changed to one long minor chord giving a sense of abnormality and distress.

Waterloo Road Clip- IR

This clip consists of the young girl Chlo giving birth in the school toilets. As this is quite dramatic clip, the pace of the cuts and camera movements are very quick and at times is hard to keep up with. Also, as the clip is very emotional, lots of close ups are used.

The initial establishing shot helps the audience to identity the setting as being the toilets, they then see the teacher talking to Chlo through the toilet door about giving up her baby; the door between them not only represents the divide but also their difference of opinion as the teacher is trying to tell her not to. The fact that Chlo is in an enclosed toilet cubicle suggests that she feels trapped herself because of the pressure she is under due to the expected baby.

The audience then sees a high angle, mid shot of Chlo sat on the toilet. This is the first time we see her in some sort of distress and pain which informs the audience that the baby is coming building the tension. As this point, a heavy drum beat music then kicks in which emphasises this tension and idea of distress. Multiple shots then cut in and out of close ups and mid shots to show her facial expressions so the audience are aware of the pain and discomfort she is in. These are followed by a low shot under the toilet cubicle of gushing of water- again, telling the audience that Chlo had gone into labour.

A lot of the clip is filmed free hand which allows the audience to feel like they are actually there which makes them feel more involved. Various different shots are used to portray the panic at the school. For example, wide angle shots that show many teachers and pupils rushing around with lots of background noise highlights the effect one thing has had on the whole school. Another shot of a pupil running all the way down the corridor emphasises this idea.

Mock Re-Written

Coming down the mountain- Ability and Disability

This clip focusses mainly upon the ability of David’s brother Ben who suffers from down syndrome. The audience see the idea of a ‘normal family’ that is broken through Ben’s disability. The initial establishing shot and setting of the kitchen supports this.

The very first shot the audience sees is a bird’s eye view shot of Ben and David’s room- instantly this looks abnormal because of their age and it is not expected for older teenagers to share a room. David’s side of the room was very tidy and everything had a place where as Ben’s was the complete opposite and very messy. The divide between the beds not only shows the split bedroom but also the split in personalities and differences between the two brothers. The camera then cuts and pans from a side angle to a front angle of David starting heavily at Ben: his facial expressions suggest an irritation or anger towards him.

Multiple CU shots of all characters in the family have been used to clearly portray their feelings directly to the audience- mainly being irritation/stress. Ben appears to be treated extremely differently to Ben because of his disability, for example, when their mother leaves for work, Ben got a kiss goodbye but David did not. Similarly, if David treated Ben disrespectfully, he would get told off.

Although the dialogue and acting suggest Ben is superior, the camera angles suggest otherwise as the majority of shots of Ben are low angle and David are high angle. This tells the audience that the programme is from David’s perspective which allows the audience to sympathise for Ben. One shot consist of David climbing a tree to get Ben’s kite: this suggest that he is incapable of doing things for himself and always needs a helper. This high angle shot from Ben’s point of view gives the impression that he idolises David and always looks up to him.

Whilst in class, the audience see an over the shoulder low angle shot of David drawing a horse; this informs the audience that he cannot focus in lessons and suggests his mind is elsewhere due to the pressure of looking after Ben which then flips the sympathy onto David.

The editing within the clip consists of mainly short, sharp cuts constantly changing the character the audience is able to see. Whilst at the bus stop, there are frequent changes in shot and angle making it appear quite distorted. This could represent Ben’s mind as being distorted and distanced and how he cannot focus on one thing for a long length of time; at this moment, the audience sees the action from Ben’s point of view.

At the beginning of the clip, there is a small montage of abnormal clips such as odd looking fish, cave men and toy dinosaurs all in black and white in the style of an old film. Again, this emphasises the idea of distortion and abnormality linking to the idea of disability.

Sound within the clip is extremely important and the majority of the way through there is non-diegetic music played. The beginning music doesn’t have a constant beat or rhythm and has a heavy ticking sound. This links in to the well-known idiom ‘mind is ticking overtime’ suggesting David is very stressed and constantly has pressure upon him. The sound and moving image of the explosion which then follows supports this idea of it all being too much for him.

The music which starts non-diegetic but then switches so it seems like its being played in the family kitchen has the lyrics ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we were older’. This is most probably how David is feeling meaning that he would not have to look after Ben.

The dialogue David uses ‘Big potatoes with eye tentacles’ is almost a euphemism of someone with a disability in his eyes so it doesn’t sound as bad even though he is insulting his brother because of his disability.

The voice over of David instantly tells the audience that it is from his point of view and engages them; at times it seems like a moving image version of David’s diary as he tells his thoughts and feelings giving the audience a greater understanding of his character’s and life living with a disabled brother.

At the end of the clip, sad non-diegetic piano music plays that is extremely slow. We see Ben on his own on the bus looking quite scared; his hands are almost gripping onto the bar for dear life giving the impression that as he has been looked after all his life, he is now lost when he’s alone. The echo-y sound of children’s laughter and chatter along with the close up of Ben’s eyes seems like the audience is now seeing the bus journey through his eyes which  would cause them to sympathise for him.

Whilst in the park, Ben is associated with a brightly coloured kite and ice cream- both of which could be related mainly with young children portraying the idea that Ben’s mental age is much younger than his actual age due to his disability.

At the school, straight after David gave Ben money for the bus, there was an explosion of fire in the background. This explosion could foreshadow the idea that something bad is about to happen building tension and creating the audience to almost fear for Ben. The fire also signifies the danger and panic that runs through Ben’s head when he’s told he is going to be on his own as he knows he is incapable.

Overall, the main way in which those with a disability are presented is as being incapable of doing everyday tasks on their own and sometimes do not get the help they need. This could relate to society’s lack of understanding of disability and those who are ‘different’.

Waterloo Road IR

The location of this scene is in a busy canteen in a school, this is clear as there is the sound of people talking, kids shouting and knives and forks hitting plates. This sort of hectic atmosphere highlights how Ben is being publically humiliated implying the cruelty behind this bullying. It begins with a mid shot of Ben walking through the door happily; there is then a quick cut to a mid shot of Bolton walking forward, towards the camera. The use of the same shot allows the audience to grasp a better understanding of both characters, by focusing on the mise en-scene. Ben is wearing a black hoodie, a black necklace and a black bag. This reflects the darkness of this scene and the unhappiness of his life. The audience can then see that Bolton (who is the bully in this part of the scene) is also wearing a black hoodie and also a chain. This allows the audience to understand that the two characters are not all that different and would usually get along due to their similarities; however the rumour has destroyed Ben’s chances of friendship with anybody. However, Bolton’s chain is hanging out of his shirt, highlighting to the audience that he is a more upfront and cocky character compared to Ben. His earrings also indicate he is a rebellious person. Bolton’s body language can instantly be interpreted as violent due to the way he licks his gums before speaking, his aggressive and emphasised steps and his quick movements.
                The conversation is opened with the loud slam of Bolton’s lunch tray hitting the table, reflecting the harm he’s capable of. There is then a medium close up of Ben’s surprised reaction to the noise. Bolton then begins to threaten Ben, shown in an over-the-shoulder shot of Bolton and the back of Ben’s head. As the diegetic dialogue begins, the background noise of the canteen quietens, allowing the audience to hear Bolton’s accent, furthering their interpretation of his character, as his harsh accent highlights his character-type. There is then a quick cut to another over the shoulder shot of Bolton’s head and Ben quietly and softly answering, highlighting his confusion to the threatening conversation.
                There is then a two shot medium long shot of two girls noticing the heated discussion and questioning it, but not intervening and helping Ben, simply watching, highlighting how Ben has no real friends who support him. There is then a cut to a two shot medium close-up of Bolton and his mate still threatening Ben, highlighting how Ben is fighting a losing battle, as he is being ganged up on by more than one person. There is then an over the shoulder shot of the Bolton’s head as his volume increases and he begins shouting at Ben, this allows the audience to see Ben’s shocked and hurt reaction to Bolton’s threatening behaviour. A cut to a medium close up of just Ben, looking upset highlights his loneliness in this situation. There is then a single medium close-up of one of Bolton’s gang looking sternly at Ben, highlighting how people agree with Bolton and Ben is being victimised. There is then a long silence after Bolton says ‘got it?’ indicating Ben’s confusion and fear. The tension is then broken with the obvious sound of Bolton’s shoulder bashing past Ben’s, shown in a medium shot as Ben attempts to rush away. This highlights how Bolton is a bully and a violent character. As Bolton is a different ethnicity to Ben, this highlights also that the bullying might also be down to racial differences.
                The scene then switches to a conversation between two girls, sitting at a table nearby. It opens with a medium long shot of a girl quietly discussing why the two boys were arguing, the volume of the girl’s discussion highlight how the reason the boy is being bullied is supposed to be a secret – indicating how people must have gone behind his back, making the audience feel sympathetic for Ben even more. There is then a medium long shot of the girls sitting at the table, this allows the audience to consider their characters and decided what they think of them. Both girls are wearing short skirts; they have their shirts hanging out and their ties on loosely. This indicates this is not a posh school and the students within it are not respectful or necessarily smart.
                There is then rigid cross cutting of the girls, using medium close-ups, discussing the rumour about Ben and how everybody knows. The fast pace editing in this scene highlight the quick cuts which reflect the intensity of the conversation and also represent the frustration of the characters. This is then broken with a medium long shot of one girl slamming her fork on the table, the loud noise represents her anger that Ben is being bullied, showing that people do care about him.
                The scene is then taken to a close up of Ben, who is at the food court, being served by a dinner man. His sarcastic tone highlights instantly to the audience that he is a bully that has heard about the rumour also, foreboding that Ben is about to get more grief from another character. The close up of this dinner man allows the audience to judge him as a character due to the mise-en-scene. He is wearing all white, which is a contrast to the connotations of white: calm, pure, angelic. However, the colour is used to imply he is staff in the canteen, and also to indicate how Ben is bullied by all types of people, the obviously mean and the unexpectedly mean also. He is wearing a hat which is twisted sideways, indicating his rude attitude.
                A medium long shot of thee dinner man serving is opened with the loud clatter of the plates, reflecting Ben’s fear of what is about to happen. There is then a close-up of Ben’s shocked and startled reaction that even a staff member is bullying him. This is followed by a close up of the stuffing being served reminding the audience that this bullying is taking place in a busy canteen environment. The medium close up of the dinner plate allows the audience to hear the slam of the sausage being hit onto the plate reflecting the threat of violence and also the two loud hits of the spoon on the plate, indicating that Ben is powerless and the dinner man is stronger than him, mentally and physically. There is then a two shot of Ben and another student watching the dinner man, indicating to the audience that this bullying is being done in front of other people, highlighting Ben’s embarrassment. A volume increase of the dinner man shouting at the staff to ‘throw away’ all cutlery highlights how this man is more powerful than Ben and he is too weak to stand up to him. The dinner man’s violent emphasis of the word ‘catch’ demonstrates the cruelty of this bullying and reminds the audience of the rumour.
                There is then a focus pull of the man to a close up of a dinner lady in the background who has been watching the way he has been bullying Ben. The silence highlights how, alike the girls earlier in the scene, she has witnessed the bullying but not intervened and tried to help Ben. This then cuts to a focus pull from the man helping another student, using a soft and subtle tone, to a big close up of Ben looking hurt as he notices the harsh and obvious victimisation of this bullying