The following notes centre on the concept of representation in TV Drama - the clip that you will see can be taken from any TV Drama that has been shown on British TV (including popular US TV Dramas).
At the heart of the essay that you must write for Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation on the Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) paper, is a discussion of the ways in which camera
shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene
create meaning for an audience BUT you must also focus on the representation
of one of the following:
- Gender
- Age
- Ethnicity
- Sexuality
- Class/Status
- Physical ability/Disability
- Regional identity
Every year the question is essentially the same - you are required to
look at technical decisions made by the directors (the questions
will even be worded in the same way) BUT the one thing that changes is the area
of representation that you must comment on.
You must focus your analysis on whichever area of representation is
mentioned in the question - relating any comments about camerawork, editing,
sound and mise-en-scene to the ways in which meaning is created for the
audience regarding that area of representation.
It is worth referencing the area of representation in your opening
paragraph or introduction - when you discuss briefly the purpose of the scene
(see notes on essay structure that you have written on your exam paper, and that can be found in an earlier post on this blog) and you
should be able to discuss whether representations are stereotypical or atypical (that is, they go against what you expected). If you write an introduction it should include an overview of how the area of representation is presented throughout the scene.
Finally, remember to relate choices regarding camerawork, editing, sound
and mise-en-scene directly to representation - how does, for example, a high
angle shot, a zoom in, the pace of the editing, the breaking of one of the
rules of continuity editing, the music, costume, make-up, figure behaviour,
side lighting, voiceover, setting or props tell you anything regarding gender,
age, ethnicity, sexuality, class/status, physical ability/disability or
regional identity?
GENDER
- Which gender is dominant - male or female? How can you tell? Does this change throughout the sequence?
- Are gender roles represented stereotypically?
- Are the women represented as one of the following: vulnerable victim/damsel in distress, sex object, temptress, housewife, put-upon mother OR have they broken free from these stereotypes and are they represented atypically as assertive, powerful, in control?
- Are the men stereotypically macho, misogynistic in their attitudes towards women OR do they represent a more modern view of masculinity where men are more in touch with their feelings and view women as their equals?
AGE
- How are young people represented - lacking morals, violent, sexually promiscuous, out of control OR more mature, sensible and responsible?
- How are older people represented - as busybodies who frequently moan, frail individuals at odds with the world today OR do they challenge expectations with their attitudes towards sex/violence/drugs?
- Are the young or old represented in a positive or negative light - do the representations conform to or break stereotypes?
ETHNICITY
- How are ethnic minorities represented - lacking power, submissive to the white ruling classes, a threat to dominant white society OR is the race/ethnicity of a character irrelevant? Does a character’s ethnicity become an issue to other characters?
- Does the scene present race stereotypically or atypically? Are all ethnic minorities represented in the same way?
SEXUALITY
- Are homosexuals/lesbians portrayed in a stereotypical way through their figure behaviour/costume/mannerisms OR are characters presented in either a more favourable light/their sexuality not an issue?
- Think about the way that ‘straight’ characters react towards homosexuals and lesbians - what are these characters’ attitudes towards sexuality?
CLASS/STATUS
- Is there a noticeable representation of class/status - look out for elements of mise-en-scene and indicators such as setting, props, costume and character’s attitudes towards one another. Are characters treated differently as a result of their class or status?
- Are the working classes, middle classes and upper classes represented in a stereotypical way?
- Is there a clash between the classes? How does this manifest itself throughout the scene?
PHYSICAL ABILITY/DISABILITY
- Representations of disability, to a degree, continue to be taboo in British and US drama - but you should think about the way that disabled characters are represented compared to those who are able-bodied? Are they treated differently by the other characters OR are they presented as living the same kind of life as more able-bodied characters?
- Does their disability become an issue? Who is the disability an issue for - the disabled character or able-bodied characters in the scene?
REGIONAL IDENTITY
- Is there any indication that a character acts differently because of where they come from?
- How are locations represented - is the North, for example, represented as stereotypically glum/bleak AND the South represented as more affluent?
- Look also at language and costume - are the representations stereotypical, maybe mocking a character’s area of origin?
- Look out for characters who find themselves living/working away from where they are from - think about the ways that they may struggle to fit in or adapt to their new surroundings. Are they prejudiced OR are others prejudiced towards them?
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