Textual analysis of representations of relationships in ‘This is England’

Camerawork-

• When the party is going on and then when Banjo and Combo burst in  all the camera shots are hand held, which makes it more realistic and allows the audience to feel more like they’re there in the room.
• When Combo bursts in and tackles Woody there is a focus pull, which allows the audience to focus on the relationship between the two and also the history the apparently have together.
• When Shaun is talking to Combo there is a high-angle shot looking down at Combo and a low-angle shot looking up at Shaun, indicating that Shaun has more influence in the group than Combo because he has become part of the group while Combo has been away in prison.  There are also high and low angle shots when Shaun and Smell are in the shed, but this time they are looking up at Smell and down at Shaun, indicating that Smell is older and more mature, as well as more experienced.

Sound design- 

• When Shaun and Smell step outside the diegetic sounds of the punk party music playing inside are muffled and quietened to focus attention on them and their conversation.  When they are in the shed there is no other sound at all apart from their dialogue and the exaggerated kissing sounds, which makes the scene more uncomfortable, and the lack of other sounds forces the audience to focus on them.
• The diegetic sounds of the party music stops when Banjo is knocking on the door, leaving only the sound of a clock ticking and their voices, which creates a feeling of tension.
• When Combo is telling his prison story the non-diegetic score of piano music in the minor key slowly fades in over the top as the diegetic sounds of Combo’s voice fades out, leaving only the piano music.  This indicates that everyone there, bar people like Gadget and Pukey who are actually enjoying the story, is trying to block out Combo and his story with is very nationalist and racist views; they’re all annoyed that he has come in an effectively ruined their evening.

Editing– 

• There is a yellow tint to the whole party scene inside the house that has been added post-production.  This creates quite a cosy and homely feel to the scene and indicates that all the characters there feel safe together as a group.
• When Shaun and Smell are talking in the shed during the party, the shot reverse shot is used to show their conversation.  There is also quite slow paced editing in this scene compared to the more fast paced editing used in the party when Banjo and Combo burst in.
• When Combo is telling his prison story the scene cut between close up shots of him telling the story and reaction shots of Woody, Lol, Gadget, Pukey and mainly Milky.  We see how Woody and Lol are disappointed by Combo’s views and annoyed that he’s ruining the party, that Pukey and Gadget are actually the only ones really enjoying the story, and how Milky is hurt by and in disbelief of Combo’s racist comments.

Mise en scene-

• The skinhead group, with punk and new wave influence, is shown by the clothes and fashion styles that are worn by the group, such as the shaved heads, Doc Martin boots, rolled up jeans and checked long sleeved shirts with braces.
• Most of the emotion in the scene is conveyed by the actors and their facial expression; there’s no need for lots of dialogue.  When Combo realises that Lol is in a relationship with Woody there is a flicker of dismay and sadness on his face, and when Shaun walks in and interrupts Combo’s story there is obvious annoyance on his face.  Also when Combo is telling his story and the diegetic sound is gradually replaced by the non-diegetic sound, we can clearly understand what Woody and Lol are thinking and how they feel about Combo just by the looks that they share.
• Combo has a Liverpudlian accent which contrasts with the nondescript midlands accents of all the other characters.  This hints that he is different to everyone else in the film, but not just by his accent; no one else seems to share his extreme nationalist views.  He is an outsider and this is clear when he gate crashes the party and most of the people there are clearly not happy with his presence.

‘This is England’ (2006)

This is England (Shane Meadows, 2006) is a movie set in 1983 that follows a young boy called Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who’s father was killed fighting in the Falkands.  Whilst living in the Midlands, in England obviously, when the punk and skinhead movement is in full swing, Shaun earns the respect of group of skinheads when he stands up to their teasing and becomes one of their little gang.  The plot takes a turn for the worst when Combo (Stephen Graham), a violent racist just released from prison, and the gang becomes divided, with Shaun siding with Combo as he unfortunately sees a father figure in him.

The movie is a very thought provoking one and seems to have the effect of conveying a very important message as the director intended.  To someone like me who never experienced the ’80s and the very different social status’ and groups, such as the skinhead, punk and new wave movements/styles and the much more common racism, that were present in that era, it is very eye opening and powerful.  This is England makes the viewer really understand what it was like at this time for characters such as Milky, and makes them feel sorry for them.  It’s also quite astonishing that there were people who would act and feel like Combo and Banjo with their very nationalist and racist, and also very skewed, views of the world; views that are so strong that they attend white nationalist meetings and are very openly and violently racist.  The movie is exceptionally good and very well directed, and as uncomfortable and upsetting parts of it were, I enjoyed it immensely; it is very different to most movies as it has a true meaning and purpose.

Mise en scene terminology

Actors:

Appearance–
Costume/Hair/Make-up – Tells the audience lots of different things about the character, such as who they are, their age, their gender etc.

Blocking – The position of the character on set that affects how we see them.

Performance-
Dialogue:-
Delivery – How the character delivers the script, e.g. accent, tone, attitude etc.

Script – What the actors say.

Expression – How the character acts, e.g. gestures, postures, how they walk et.

Gesture – e.g. hand movements

Colour palette: colours in the shot.

Temperature – Whether they are warm or cold.

Lighting:

Ambience – Mood created by the lighting.

Light and Shadow –

Setting:

Location shoot – Shooting film in a real place – not in a studio.

Props – Portable objects other than furniture and costumes that are used to assist the actors in acting on set.

Set decoration – How the set is set up and decorated.

Studio shoot – When everything is filmed in studio.

Editing terminology

Juxtaposition – When two things are put together that are different to highlight the contrast.

Montage – When a selection of images or shots are shown, accompanied by music, sometimes without dialogue.

Narrative editing:

Contiguity editing:-
Action match – When two people doing the same thing at the same time in different places are shown.

Cross cut/Intercut/Parallel editing – When the shot switches between two different scenes that are happening in different places to indicate that they’re happening at the same time.

Graphic match – When the shot changes but the previous thing matched the shape, size and motion of something in the new shot e.g. a record spinning and a wheel spinning.

Jump cut – When the camera shot jumps from one scene to another abruptly.

Continuity editing:-
Cutaway – When the scene cuts to a shot of something in the same environment as the character but its not important to the narrative.

Establishing shot – The first shot, usually a wide shot, at the beginning of a movie/scene that establishes things for the audience.

Glance object shot – When the scene quickly cuts to a shot of what the character is glancing at.

Insert – A shot that is inserted into a sequence to give information.

Master shot – A shot that put things into context.

Match on action – When there are two different shots one after the other of the character completing an action.

Reaction shot – When something happens the scene cuts to a shot of a character to see their reaction.

Shot reverse shot – When the camera shot cuts between two points, usually opposite each other.  Generally used for scenes involving a conversation between two characters.

Temporal editing:-
Fast forward – When the frames are sped up faster than real time.

Frame skip – When parts of the film, i.e. mere seconds, are missed out.

Freeze frame – When a frame is kept on screen for longer than other frames.

Slow motion – When the frames are slowed down slower than real time.

Time compression – When a long period of time is shown in a short clip – time lapse.

Pace:

Frequency – The frequency of which edits are made, which can be dependent on the length of the shot.

Length of shot:-
Long take – Less frequent edits that slow down the pace of the film.

Short take – More frequent edits that speed up the pace of the film, but its not often clear what’s going on.

Rhythm – The footage is edited to follow the rhythm of the score.

Post production effects:

Colour correction – When software is used to manipulate the temperature and warmth of the colours in a shot.

Filters – A different way of doing colour correction.  A coloured blanket filter is placed in front of the camera lens which changes the colour of the whole shot.

Visual effects – Effects created on a computer e.g CGI.

Transitions: a way of changing from one shot to another in a way that the audience will notice.

Dissolve – When one image fades into another of the same scene, showing the passage of time.

Fade – When the shot fades to black, the movie version of a full stop.

Wipe – When the shot wipes or slides away to reveal another.

Sound design terminology

Diegetic sound- Sound that purports to come from the world of the film.
Dialogue – Characters talking.

Sound recorded on set – e.g. telephone ringing

Sound purporting to be recorded on set: It sounds like it has been recorded on set but it actually hasn’t been.

Foley effects – Sounds made by using various different objects, e.g. melons being smashed to make a sound like a head exploding.

Sound perspective – When the audience hears the sound from the perspective of the character thats supposed to be hearing it.

Non-diegetic sound- Recorded sound added post production.
Narration/Voice over:- not heard by the characters

Direct address – When the narrator speaks directly to the audience – often the Fourth Wall is broken.

Score:
Compiled score – Music that already exists that is put together for the movie.

Composed score: – A score that is recorded and made specifically for the movie.

Sting – A particular sound that is associated with a specific character or event.

Theme – A character’s theme song that is iconic to them.

Sound motif – Music that gives you an idea of the character’s personality and motives.

Sound bridge- The scene changes but a characters voice carries on over the top, or vice versa.

Sound match-
Synchronous –  Sound and actions are matched up, e.g. a character’s voice matches up with the movement of their lips.

Asynchronous – Sound and actions are not matched up – disorientating.

Camerawork terminology

Camera angles-

Bird’s eye view shot – The camera shot is looking directly down at the ground from the air.
 

High angle shot – The camera shot is high up, looking down.

Low angle shot – The camera shot is low down, looking up.

Eye level shot – The camera shot is at eye level with the character.

Canted angle shot/Dutch tilt shot/Oblique angle shot – The camera shot is tilted and creates disorientation.

Camera movements-

Aerial shots:
Helicopter shot – The camera is mounted on a helicopter.

Wire shot – The camera is mounted on a wire on a pulley system.

Crane shot – The camera is mounted on a ‘crane’ system to get the camera above eye level.

Dolly shot:
Arc shot – The camera moves on a dolly around in an arc.

Crab/Trucking shot – The camera moves on a dolly sideways.

Fixed shot:
Pan – The camera moves sideways, left and right, on an axis.

Tilt – The camera moves vertically up and down.

Hand-held shot – The cameraman physically carries the camera and walks around with it.

Steadicam shot – The camera is on a Steadicam rig that allows a steady hand-held shot without wobble.

Zoom – :
Crash zoom/Dolly zoom – The camera moves in or out and zooms in the opposite direction.

Camera shot-

Distance shot:
Medium shot – Usually shows torso and head.

Long shot – Shows whole person.

Extreme long shot – Shows whole person and environment around them.

Close-up – Shows something like a face or object.

Extreme close-up – Shows something like part of a face, ie mouth or eye.

Framing:
Rule of thirds – The camera aperture is split into 9 squares.  The image looks better if the focus of the shot, i.e. person or object, is on one of the intersections of these squares.

Point of view shot – The camera shot is showing the point of view of a character.

Two shot – The camera shot has two people in it.

Over the shoulder shot – The camera is placed behind someone, looking over their shoulder.  Usually used in scenes of dialogue.

Focal length:
Focus pull – The focus is changed in the middle of the shot.

Shallow focus – One thing in frame is in focus and everything else is out of focus.  Focuses the attention of the audience.

Deep focus – Uses a special lens on the camera to make everything in the shot in focus.

Representation of Ability/Disability in ‘Sherlock’

My first textual analysis: ‘The Phone Call’ (2013)

In class we watched The Phone Call (directed by Matt Kirkby and released in 2015), a short film that follows a woman called Heather (Sally Hawkins) who works in a volunteer helpline call centre and the emotional conversation she has with an elderly man (Jim Broadbent) on the other end of the phone.  We looked at different elements of the film such as camera work, sound design, editing and Mise en scene and analysed them.

Camera work:
The very first scene starts with the camera craning down at a gentle pace from the right to focus on Heather sitting on her own at a bus stop reading a book.  This focuses the attention of the audience and indicates that she is the main character in the film.  When Heather enters the office of the call centre there is a wide shot of the room she is in.  From this we see that she is on her own in the corner of the room away from the only other person in there, indicates that she is isolated and lonely, and maybe doesn’t really have any friends; maybe the only relationships she has with people are on the phone.  While she is in the office and on the phone the camera is on an eye level with her which lets the audience relate to her and empathise with her; the camera is not looking up at her or down on her.  Each time that Heather checks the clock on the wall in the office there are repeated close up shots by the camera to emphasise the importance of the clock.  This acts as a visual reminder that time is running out and the old man, Stanley/John, is reaching the end of his life; his biological clock is ticking down.  When Stanley/John’s wife comes home after he’s died, to indicate his death and effectively show the afterlife, the camera shot of the front door when she comes through it is the same as the camera shot when Stanley/John was talking about how he kept thinking and hoping that she would come home.  The camera shot of his wife is from the floor looking up at her, indicating that she is important and the fact that this part of the film is supposed to be the afterlife might indicate that she in an angelic figure.

Sound design:
The film is full of a mix of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound.  The first thing we hear in the first scene is a slow, steady piano music, playing two chords over and over again one after the other.  A saxophone melody plays over the top and this music sets an emotional tone and emphasises Heather’s loneliness as she is sat at the bus stop.  The saxophone then stops leaving a single monotonous piano note played over and over again until it fades out as the voice of the man on the phone in the call centre office can be heard.  Throughout the majority of the film the only sounds that can be heard are Heather and the old man, Stan/John, on the phone, with diegetic sounds such as ‘street noises’ in the background, like cars.  It is clear when the camera is focusing on Heather in the office that Stan/John is on the other end of the phone as his voice is distorted slightly, and the same is true but the opposite when the camera is showing Stan/John’s house.  Every time Heather checks the clock on the wall the sound of it ticking gets briefly louder, so it is the loudest thing that can be heard.  The clock ticking actually starts when Heather discovers that Stan/John has tried to commit suicide by taking a load of antidepressant pills and a heartbeat also becomes noticeable a this point, and periodically becomes louder throughout.  The faster and slightly lighter ticking of Heather’s watch also accompanies these sounds.  When the camera cuts to Stan/John’s house the ticking of the carriage clock on his mantlepiece can be heard.  All of this acts as a visual reminder, along with the view of the various clocks, that time is counting down and Stan/John is nearing the end of his life.  When Stan/John talks about how he used to play Jazz saxophone, the same saxophone melody from the beginning of the movie briefly fades in over the voices and then fades away not long after.  Heather’s voice fades away as the camera focuses on the outside of Stan/John’s house and it is clear that he has died.  A new piece of piano music starts again after this and singing plays over the top as Stan/John’s body is taken out of the house.  The music and singing continues as Heather is on her date with the man from the call centre and sets an emotional tone again but a happier one this time and symbolises fresh starts and new beginnings.

Editing:
Throughout the film there are various sound bridges, for example when the camera is still focusing on Heather at the bus stop at the start of the movie, the voice of the man on the phone in the call centre can be heard.  The camera then cuts to him in the office.  The camera shots also cut periodically between the office and Stan/John’s house, and then also between the office and close ups of the clock on the wall and Heather’s face as well.  The non-diegetic sound such as the music is faded in and out over the top of the diegetic sound periodically throughout the movie.

Mise en scene:
The first scene starts with a cityscape full of grey and dull multi-storey buildings, creating a very cold and impersonal urban location.  When the camera cranes to Heather at the bus stop she is on her own at the bus stop which indicates that she might be quite a lonely person; one person alone in a city.  The office of the call centre that Heather works in is quite bare, functional and also impersonal.  This creates a juxtaposition between the impersonal nature of the work space and the personal nature of the conversations that take place inside it over the phone.  It’s also quite old fashioned: it has filing cabinets up against on wall with bookshelves, wooden school-style desks, telephones with coiled cords and Heather writes everything down on paper; there are no computers or modern appliances apart from the telephones.  All we see of the house that the old man, Stan/John, lives in is the mantle piece and the front door.  The house itself looks like quite a cold and white environment that seems very clinical and stark, and feels rather lonely.  On the mantlepiece there is an old-fashioned carriage clock which is a stereotypical retirement present and there are also porcelain figures which are quite stereotypical ‘old-people’ items.  The front door of Stan/John’s house is very bright and could be representative of heaven; this is enforced when Stan/John’s wife ‘comes home’ after  he has died.  The Jazz club at the end of the film has a warm light with warm colours and creates quite a cosy and homely atmosphere.  The clothes that Heather wears do not sexualise her at all; she wears loose, baggy, knitted clothes and dresses older than her years.