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